MISTRAL
Mistral’s trademe listing does not tell us much other than she was built in 1947, measures approx. 23’, is powered by a LD 28 diesel engine (is that a Lombardini?).
She was refitted 5 years ago at an approx. cost of $30k. Home is Dunedin & there is a trailer, so would make a cool lake boat.
Any southern woodys able to tell us some more about Mistral?
MATAHUI
Following on from yesterdays gallery of work boats from Port Chalmers, today we have a photo taken by Dean Wright of a very salty looking Matahui, berthed at Port Chalmers.
A lap of Stewart Island would not be a problem for this old girl, keen to know more about her.
See & read more about her here
Work Boat Wednesday
Woody owner (Arethusa) & commercial photographer, Dean Wright, has just returned from two weeks cruising around the bottom of the South Island on board a 1970, 47’ Saunders motorboat. They made it down to Stewart Island (Port Pegasus) & then came up the East Coast of the South Island to Mana, Wellington.
Todays story showcases some of the work boats Dean spotted in Port Chalmers,
I love the southerners use of colour on their boats, maybe its for dual purposes – looks & safety e.g. to be seen.
Any southern woodys able to ID those without names?
GEISHA
The above photo of Geisha, is tagged ‘Bay of Islands’ & is ex Lew Redwood’s fb page.
The only reference I have to a Geisha is a WW comment by Harold Kidd back in June 2013, referring to Charlie Palmer’s 1915, 36’ launch Adelaide III, that was sold & renamed Geisha – not sure if it is the same boat – HDK?
Harold Kidd Input – There were several GEISHAs, possibly two in the Bay of Islands. This one is a game fishing launch run by A.S. Frost of Russell in the period 1926-1930. She is very likely the GEISHA brought North from Auckland by J. Hodgson as early as 1907. I don’t think she’s the Collings & Bell ADELAIDE III which I’m sure had a tuck stern. Will check tonight as I have her lines.
WAITANGURU
Waitanguru was built by Allan Williams in 1953 & measures approx. 33’ & has a 9’10” beam.
She is kauri carvel planked, & powered by 39 hp Yanmar diesel. You’ll see from the trademe photos (thanks to Ian McDonald) that she is very well fitted out, & has been in survey.
Do we know anymore about her?
Input from Harold Kidd – WAITANGURU was built by Alan Williams for Petersen of Te Awamutu. She is 31′ x 11′ and had a 4cylinder Ford originally. She went first to Taupo then to Tauranga in 1966. Gerry Dawson of Caster Bay owned her in the 1970s and kept her at Milford. By 2001 she was owned back in Tauranga by Les and Pam Dawson and used for charter game fishing. A very able boat.
13-05-2018 Update from Ron Dawson
Waitanguru was built in 1949 I beleive on spec and bought by Frank Peterson of Piopio in the King Country. He finished the boat and kept in Milford. My father bought the boat in 1967. In 1968 dad raised the dodger and kept Waitanguru in Milford until he sold the boat in 1988. The boat originally had a Coventry diesel motor which was replaced with a 60hp Ford diesel in the early to mid 60s. Dad replaced that motor to a 72hp Ford diesel late 60s. Waitanguru went to Gulf Harbour for a couple of years and then to Taupo about 1990. I’m not to sure when the boat was moved to Tauranga. I do know Waitanguru had an outboard motor on the stern trolling for trout on Lake Taupo. The boat length was 28 feet plus boarding platform.
Waitanguru’s name comes from a place on the road from Piopio out to the coast at Marokopa in the King Country.
04-05-2022 UPDATE – additional photos ex May 2022 trademe listing
Vixen > Water Beetle – Akaroa
Another photo ex Lew Redwood’s fb page, this time we have a yacht anchored at Akaroa, the photo is dated 1911. It’s a great photo
Any of the woodys able to ID this gaffer?
07-05-2018 Input from Harold Kidd –
She’s the little half-rater WATER BEETLE designed by Prof Scott and built for Wardrop of Wellington by Robert Logan Sr in 1895 as VIXEN. MASCOTTE (53ft) and YVONNE (42ft) were big gaffers. Scott later bought her, renamed her WATER BEETLE and raced her at Lyttelton. He sold her in 1901.
VIXEN/WATER BEETLE had a lugsail like most of the Wellington half-raters which raced with the Arawa Sailing Club and was 24ft loa. She was owned at the time of this photograph by J.L. Vangioni of Akaroa. Prof Scott had owned YVONNE for many years at this time.
21-07-2018 Update ex Ian Campball
Good Things Take Time
Greg Fenwick sent me the photo below that he took last November on a trip to Oban, Stewart Island. Pretty well sums up wooden boat building 🙂
And a wee bonus today – check out this Facebook movie of dinghy sailing back in 1955, at Plymouth, Devon, UK. Link via Wooden Boat fb – enjoy
GLENARAY
Glenaray was built by Ship Builders in 1942, is 36’ & gets pushed along by a 1970 Ford 180hp diesel.
Her owner is selling her due to lack of use, but there is a twist – if she doesn’t sell by 5th May, she is booked to be transported to Hamilton on the 7th of May and stored in a shed to rip inside out. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads-up
So woodys if you are interested, move fast. Her Whangamata marina berth is available for $325 a month, sure beats Bayswater………..
Photo below (off old 8mm film) ex Ken Ricketts 1958, when owned by Vince Noton.
AS FOUND
RESTORATION STAGE ONE
NOW PHOTOS
SEA BEE – Part 2
The launch See Bee recently appeared on WW & interest was expressed in her background & what had happened to her – link to the previous WW story is here https://wordpress.com/post/waitematawoodys.com/33451
I have broken the photos into 3 sections – As Found > Restoration Stage One – As She Is Today. The first two photo groups are from her current owner, Rick Coster & the current photos are ex Ken Ricketts. Ken also scanned a lot of the older images from prints.
Post the 1st ww story, boat builder Colin Brown alerted Ken to the fact that Sea Bee was alive & well on her owner’s property at Point Wells & in the final stages of a 8+ year restoration.
Rick Coster is by trade an engineer, just check out the engine / drive installation photos, & he bought Sea Bee off Phillip Waye approx. 10 years ago, Waye had her on a private property at Whangaparaoa, but only owned her for approx. 1 year. He had bought her from an unknown yard in Silverdale.
Ken commented that he recalls seeing her in the 1980’s or early 1990’s on the Te Atatu Boat Club hardstand, & believes she had sat there for a number of years & had also spent time on a pile mooring at TBC. Her owner had got too old to care for her any longer, but had loved fishing & used to go out very regularly, for many days at a time, & bring back lots of fish, in an extensive refrigeration system she had onboard. Ken also recalls Sea Bee from back to the very early 1950’s when he was mooching around the Kawau Island area, & believes she looked almost identical to how she looks today. She had 2 engines in that era, with stern exhausts, not the 2 top stacks with truck mufflers, seen in the above photos. She now has a new side exhaust out the starboard side.
The photos show that Rick has done an amazing amount of work on Sea Bee & while not following the traditional classic look with her new interior fit-out, she will be, when launched, a very practical woody.
A summary of the work – below:
Given that she is kauri planked, with South Island beech ribs, & a pohutukawa stem, which Colin Brown scarfed a new section into, the suggestions in the original WW story that she was an imported Chris Craft cannot be correct – that does not rule out a kiwi knock off 🙂
04-05-2018 Update from Grant Renall
“It is great to find out more history about Grandad Redges boat Seabee and have talked to my father again about what happened to her after she blew up.the whole cabin top was blown off and sides off the hull were extensively damaged worst being the left hand side.when back on the hard at the garage he owned seabee was completely gutted,dad and uncle Don went to Awhitu and found a kauri partially cut up which was 30 ft long by 2 ft by 8 or 9 inches thick which he formed to make the runners, excuse my limited timber boat building jargon.then they found a piece of pohutakawa branch with the right bend to cut up to form the chines .to shape these right he recalls took a lot of work for an engineer /mechanic and riveted in?.all the ribs were replaced with kauri ones which he made a steam press for the task.Dad and Uncle Don got the job of fitting these after school.The cross beams were made from Tanekaha and fitted snuggly together Dad recallsHe had plenty of kauri which was used for the extension and rebuild.He said they painted arsenic all throughout the hull and can remember it stinging his hands and eyes,amazing he is still alive .he had a look at the new photos posted and likes the look of her now and would like to see her when finished as I would.Dad reckons he wagged school and cycled to john burns to buy the steering wheel and a hand basin amongst other things during the rebuild.Seabee was purchased from Easton products limited when a year or two old who told them she came in from the states as deck cargo the boat was a freighter perhaps taking troops back.Colin Brown reckons not but with all the rebuild who knows,I will try and find out more as Dad is moving soon and I will look at Grandads records if he still has them,thanks Grant Renall ps Colin was the youngest and moved to a farm in Waimauku with the family in reply to someones comment.”
RIP MOLLIE
Sad to report that the 1911, 39’ Lane Motor Boat Co. built – Mollie, sank off Stanmore Bay over the weekend, in the storm. Not sure if she was beached but I understand she has had 2 tides over her, so not good. Thanks to Nathan Herbert for the fb heads up.
You can view photos & read more on her past at the WW link below – make sure you read the comments section — https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/03/07/mollie/
Can anyone update us?
UPDATE at 2.00pm today (photos ex Ken Rickets)
I HOPE SOMEONE SAVED THIS
Update 2 – ex Ken Ricketts
Ken has just sent in the photos below of the remains of Mollie hauled out on the ramp at Stanmore Bay.
In discussion with her owner, Ken uncovered that:
Update3 01-05-2018 ex Ken Ricketts –
Ken discovered that Mollie was completely copper sheathed below the waterline. The only good news is the owner has saved the section of her bow with the name on it & will restore as a memento.
SHEMARA
The photo above shows the ketch Shemara being launched in Wellington 0n the 9th August 1958, it looks a very miserable day – the wee girl I’m sure would rather be elsewhere. Photo ex Lew Redwood > fb.
Do we know what became of Shemara?
Input below from Gavin Pascoe
I own Sherama. She’s moored at Clyde Quay Wellington. 23′ LOA but feels more like 26 or 28′. She was Roydon Thomas’s first design. Built by Frank Ballinger. That’s him with his two sons Peter and Trevor, who are both still active boating in Wellington. She’s an awesome boat, Australian hardwood to the waterline, Alaskan cedar above. There’s footage of her being hauled up to Grafton Road prior to her launching (plus other cool footage) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hSB9RWMMlw&t=29s. Many, many stories go with both the boat and Roydon Thomas. Stories of Roydon Thomas’ exploits are legion. Some clean ones may be read here: https://thomasfamilyhistorynz.wordpress.com/
Shemara was never ketch rigged. People would call her a sloop as she carries one main and one jib at a time. However her mast is stepped quite well aft in comparison with most sloops, and therefore strictly speaking is more accurately described as a cutter. Though I’m no expert in the finer points of these matters: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155263975080674&set=pcb.10155263977035674&type=3&theater and https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155191194915674&set=pcb.10155191195575674&type=3&theater
And speaking of miserable days – the November 1963 photo below of the Oriental Bay boat harbour in Wellington, is proof of why they build such sturdy vessels so down there 🙂
Not often a classic woody graces the cover of a NZ boating mag
When you are out & about, pick up a copy of the May issue of Boating NZ, they feature Laughing Lady, post launching at the Mahurangi Regatta. Great story & photos. You can see / read about her restoration > launching at the link below (lots of links to stories). There is also a feature on my boat builder friend, Geoff Bagnall, another great reason to grab a copy 😉
LAUGHING LADY – 1949 33’ USA LUDERS – COMMUTER / SPORT MOTOR BOAT REFURBISHED IN NEW ZEALAND
LORNA DOONE
The game fishing boat Lorna Doone has been mentioned in numerous WW stories but I have never had a photo – thanks to Lew Redwood we now do.
She is pictured above at the Black Rocks, Bay of Islands. The photo was taken by Tudor Collins.
Lorna Doone is a sister ship to Otehei, Alma G (the first of the Collings & Bell clones) & Manaaki. All were powered by Redwing engines & were capable of 16 knots.
For comparison below is a photo of Alma G, off Cape Brett.
Input from Martin Howson – In the late 50’s both Lorna Doone and Matareka 11 were moored in the Tamaki River at Bucklands Beach L D was owned and operated by a Des Shimanski and M was owned and operated by Rex Sly both vessels were long lining at that time, great to see that both remain both , Des’s son Brian went on produce Briski propellors .On one occasion Lorna Doone came ashore on Hooks Bay on Waiheke with a big easterly blowing and Bert Surbritski with Romo would not tow her home because he knew that he would lose her on the way home with her riding up on the tow and dropping back with a heavy shock load. It was always rumoured that LD had the end of a sword fish bill through her bottom planking beneath the cockpit sole, I never saw it myself.
Some Advice Sought
I have been approached by Graeme Finch the owner of Te Arahi looking for some advice on his name boards (see below). They have a paint effect that appears to have been done to look like a varnish finish. The name / letters are done in gold – which Graeme believes is gold leaf given how well they have weathered.
Graeme is intending to paint the edges white, and would like to find someone who understands the “brown paint that looks like varnish aspect” to touch up the front surface – it’s not too bad at present, but he wants to attend to it before it becomes a major.
So in summary he is trying to preserve the gold leaf lettering so hoping to leave the lettering in place and work around it touching up those small areas, which have started to deteriorate – rather than removing everything and starting again.
So woodys anyone know the paint/varnish effect & who might do a small job like this?
My initial thought was it might be aged Cetol? A horrible product.
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