Category Archives: Non Waitemata

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SPOTTING IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SPOTTING IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS

Last week I received a note from Denis O’Callahan, past owner of MV TASMAN, Denis commented  that he had been sailing in the Bay of Islands with his son Logan on his Farr 10.20 “Drums of Time”.

Logan wanted to explore the KeriKeri inlet in his newly refurbished wooden dinghy so they rowed up to the Stone Store, observing the many boats on pile berths along the way.

In the top photo we see the Brooke families Colin Wild launch LINDA, which resides in Kerikeri these days.

Later they were at Paradise Bay, Rangapukapuka and photographed the bridge-decker TAMAROA – link here to previous WW story on her https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/21/tamaroa/

Later in the trip they were at Matauwhi Bay anchored near the ketch/yawl – OKERE. History unknown, can we learn more.

Finally, as Denis was preparing to go ashore for the bus trip home they were anchored at Paihia near an old gaffer named FROLIC. 

Logan later leant that FROLIC is from Hobart and is preparing to head up into the Pacific soon.

WOODEN BOATS AND YOUTUBE

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WOODEN BOATS AND YOUTUBE

In the Jan/Feb issue of the USA magazine WoodenBoat they ran a small feature on some of the best Youtube channels that focus on wooden boating. Most of them are on my watch / rotate list but I thought some of the WW readers might appreciate knowing where to look. I hope the links below work, if not given the weather forecast to have plenty of time to manually search 🙂

My favourites are – TALLY HO, Building a boat by the river, Travels with Geordie and Madison Boatworks. 

Also in the magazine is a great article on the re-building of TALLY HO by Leo Goolden, worth the cost of the mag just for this. As an aside Leo’s YouTube site has had over 113 million views and has been an amazing funding stream for the project.

@SampsonBoatCo

@TravelsWithGeordie

@AcornToArabella

@Building_a_Boat_by_the_River

@MadisonBoatworks

@SailingYaba

@TipsfromaShipwrightvideos

Also keen on these ones

@SailingMagicCarpet

@SmallSailboatCruising

And of course there has to be a boat photo – on Thursday I was at The Slipway Milford and both CENTAURUS  and AWARIKI are looking stunning. CENTAURUS has the final coat on her topsides and owner Angus has been leaving away on some of the brightwork. The varnishing work has also just started on AKARIKI’s coamings.

AWARIKI

HOW DO THESE WOODEN BOATS STAY AFLOAT

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HOW DO THESE WOODEN BOATS STAY AFLOAT

Recently Alistair Rowe sent in the two photos above of wooden vessels berthed at Westport marina.

Alistair described them as crusty old work boats, but I think he was being overly nice. If they were up any of the rivers, creeks in and around Auckland I think it would be a pretty safe bet that the Harbour Master would have removed them.

The boat in the top photo appears to have an oil/fuel boom around her, but the boom looks as old as the boat….

Forecast for the long Easter weekend is evil so leaving the marina will be a challenge – have already cancelled my mooring booking at Kawau Island.

You have to feel sorry for the Kawau Boating Club, seems of late every long weekend sees an unfavourable weather forecast . Fingers crossed things improve for the legendary ANZAC Day dawn service at KBC.

STELLA – CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SOS

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20+ years ago

STELLA – CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SOS

Last week Andrew Motte-Harrison commented on one of the stories that he had a old kauri launch ’currently deteriorating behind his farm hay shed’.

Andrew believes she was originally named STELLA and alsp possibly named TOILER at another time. Possibly built c.1910>15 by Lane Bros in Christchurch (thats a new one, was there such a place?). Andrew described STELLA as a line fishing boat.

Andrew also commented that when they had her up at the Nelson Marina, talking to an elderly boat builder up there years ago, he passed on what he understood to be some of her history.  He thought she had been working out of Bluff, Hokitika and perhaps Oban in years past (back then)

As the photos show the boat is in need of some serious TLC, starting with a few hours with a water blaster- inside and out. And maybe a session with a tungsten tipped chainsaw and then a new cabin. Her hull deserves saving.

The last photo was taken  over 20 years ago, before being hauled out.

So southern woodys anyone looking for a project, STELLA is located 20 minutes south of Murchison, approx. 2 hours out of Nelson.

INPUT ex DICK HALL – Built by Ernie lane in Picton for the Boese family with a low cabin and rails instead of bulwarks. Later purchased by well known fishing identity Jimmy Aldridge and converted by Jack Morgan with new wheelhouse, bulwarks and new air-cooled Lister. Jim crayfished mostly outside Tory Channel. Next owner Alex McKenzie from Blenheim who re-named her Toiler but after a few years sold her for a bigger vessel. Fished out of Picton all her life before going to Nelson for pleasure conversion. Her original name was Elaine then Toiler. Never Stella while in Picton

MYSTERY DOUBLE ENDER WOODEN LAUNCH – PATINA

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MYSTERY DOUBLE ENDER WOODEN LAUNCH – PATINA

Todays photo was sent in by Heather Espin and comes to us ex a photo album from Bryan Walden. Walden was one of the first boat brokers in Auckland and he categorised the boats he sold. 

The location to me appears to be Wellington and the boat has a the distinct look (double-ender) of a vessel that would have crossed Cook Straight with ease.

Can anyone confirm the location and put a name to the launch.

The boats PATINA, built in 1913 by Ernie Lane in Picton – more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/10/17/classic-wooden-boat-patina-le-reina-a-peek-down-below/

CLASSIC EX WORKBOAT – MYRTLE – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC EX WORKBOAT – MYRTLE – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody is the 39’ launch – MYRTLE, that started life as a fishing boat. She last appeared on WW back in Nov 2018 – link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/11/30/myrtle-2/

At the time we learnt from Harold Kidd that she was launched in Oct/Nov 1913 and was named back then – WHITE HEATHER.

Built using carvel kauri planks, her builder is unknown, lots of speculation in the 2018 WW story.

These days her go forward is via a Fordson 592E diesel engine.

(thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme listing heads up)

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CLASSIC QUEENSTOWN CHARTER BOAT – KELVIN

Todays woody photo popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb feed, sourced from a tme postcard listing.

The craft along side the wharf is KELVIN and the photos tagged ’The Waterfront Queenstown’.

KELVIN last made an appearance on WW back in August 2022 when we saw her rafted up with another Queenstown charter launch named MURATAI II.

Link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/27/queenstown-charter-launches/

Searching WW brings up a lot of references to Kelvin engines but zero intel on todays woody – can we learn more.

GREAT BARRIER ISLAND WOODEN BOATS

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GREAT BARRIER ISLAND WOODEN BOATS

The above photos were sent in by Glen Martin from a recent trip. The boat of main interest was STAR DRIFT that we have been keeping an eye on for several years – still no activity of note but the small fly-bridge has gone west at some stage – we like that.

Anyone able to put a name to the boat in the last photo.

MYSTERY QUEENSTOWN WOODEN LAUNCH

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MYSTERY QUEENSTOWN WOODEN LAUNCH

Scrapping thru the WW archives I came across an email dated March 2020 from Peter Grant that appears to have slipped between the deck cracks.

We understand that the photos above were taken by Whites Aviation and later hand colourised. They were once (might still be) hanging on an office wall in Queenstown.
Peter commented that the location appeared to be Wakatipu and the vessels looks to be a double-ended ex-work boat. Anyone able to put a name to the vessel.

HDML KUPARAU – BROKEN INTO AT DARGAVILLE So keep your eyes and eyes open if anyone in the Dargaville area is trying to offload a GPS / Depth Sounder & Chart Plotter – call the police please. 

CLASSIC WOODEN WORK BOAT – GEM

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CLASSIC WOODEN WORK BOAT – GEM

Woody John Dawson sent in the top photo above and commented that he saw it on Phillip Carey’s – Carey Boats fb. All we know is she is named GEM.

In the second photo, from April 2020 WW story, we see GEM (#48) post launching. In the 2020 story we learnt from Richard Tosswill that GEM was built by Roger Carey pre. 1961. Sadlly in Dec 1962 she was lost at sea, later confirmed with the discovery of the wreckage.

GEM was 30′ in length and had wonderful lines and that stern …………

Can we learn more about her e.g. was she built as a workboat and if so what was her role.

30-03-2025 INPUT ex IAN MILLER – GEM was built in 1961 by Roger Carey, of Picton, for Fred Hall, a crayfisherman operating from Tatapouri, north of Gisborne. She replaced Fred’s previous boat, Clyde. Sadly, on 27th December 1962 GEM foundered at sea during a storm, extensive wreckage coming ashore north of Tatapouri, but Fred was never found.

More information can be found in the book, BY BOATS WE LIVE, a book about all the boats Roger Carey designed and built, or just designed. It was written and illustrated by Roger’s daughter, Joan Clark, an accomplished artist whose drawings and paintings illustrate each of the more than 40 featured in the book.