Yachts at Kawau Island – Sailing Sunday – Win A WW T-Shirt

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Yachts at Kawau Island – Sailing Sunday – Win A WW T-Shirt

This Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island photo from the ‘NZ Car, Boats, >>> Utes Pre’75’ FB page shows a great collection of classic yachts (& a few launches).

I’ll put up a WW t-shirt to the woody that can ID the most yachts – given my launch angle – I’ll get a yachty to verify the answers. To stop copy-catting, entries ONLY via email to

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

LIPTON CUP RACE – SATURDAY – MARCH 17th

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The 97th Lipton Cup race is set to take place on the 17th of March. 22 miles of blood, sweat and tears is to be raced by the 22ft L Class ‘mullet boats’ to see who will triumph as the winner of the esteemed Lipton Cup trophy. This is a highlight of the yachting calendar and this year it appears there will be fierce competition with a number of the mullet boats performing exceptionally well in recent racing. With only 3 years to go until the 100th you can expect there to be a lot more competition and boats coming out of the wood work to compete in following years. Previous crew and owners are always welcome to come down and watch with the club open all day with food and refreshments (with a lift for the weathered yachties).

The days events are as follows:

7am – Hot cooked breakfast (Prebooked)

9am – Race briefing

11am – Race commences

3pm approx – Race finishes

6pm approx – Prize giving and after party

Watch Video footage from last years race here https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=LAZotynoqiA

 

Glen-Lee

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GLEN-LEE

The above photo was taken from Grove Arm Jetty, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island by John Burland. As John commented she is very New England lobster boat – ish. (John would know; he has spent a lot of time there)

Can we ID her?  I would also be interested to know more about the open sail boat in the background.

Input from Dick Hall – Vessel is ‘Glen-Lee’ built in 1911-12 at Crail Bay in the Marlborough Sounds.
Set up by the owner G McNabb but completed by Claude Wells of Wakatahuri.
Owned by the Orchard family of Kenepuru Sound for many years and was used as a mail launch and general passengers.
First engine was two Union petrol engines bolted together and in later years, a Regal petrol, Lister Blackstone, then a 3/71 GM. She now has a 120hp Ford and is fairly slippery.
Current owner is Lex Wells who is a relation of the Wakatahui Wells family.
A good write-up about her and other Wells vessels in the book ‘Boats For A Lifetime’ by Yvonne Fell, nee Wells.
Cutter in the back-round is wooden ex Outward Bound now in private ownership .

Input from Harold Kidd – She was at the Moetapu Regatta in December 1910 owned by G McNab so she’s a tiny bit earlier than Dick says. Once described as “the workhorse of the Sounds”.

Woodys at Kawau Island

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Woodys at Kawau Island

The above photo of Kawau Island is ex Lew Redwoood via the facebook page ’New Zealand Cars,Boats,Motorbikes,Trucks,Vans,Utes,Pre 1975′  -the photo is tagged ‘ Pleasure craft at anchor in Mansion House Bay. 

How many woodys can we ID?, I know Nathan Herbert was a little excited to see the family launch Pacific in the shot (top right).

If you are on facebook – you should ‘follow’ this page, there are some very cool old woody photos that pop up from time to time.

Aussie Boat Porn

I have featured several times The Australian Wooden Boat Festival that happens very 2 years in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The video below is a 100% publicity video for Tasmania & the event – but dam its good. Have look, you’ll be blown away by the number of stunning woodys. Thanks to the USA based on-line membership only video website –  offcenterharbour.com for making the video available. Its a great site, I’m a member.

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/australian-wooden-boat-festival-tasmanias-warm-embrace/

My Big Woody Adventure – Trinidad

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My Big Woody Adventure 

Several months ago David Cooke tapped me on the shoulder & asked if I would like to join Barbara & himself aboard their 1965 Salthouse built classic motor-yacht, Trinidad, on the first leg of their circumnavigation of New Zealand – Bay of Islands (East Coast of the North Island) > down the West Coast to Picton (top of the South Island). The short answer was hell yes.

Fast forward to Saturday January 20th 2018 & the Cooke’s, myself & Jamie Hudson (owner of near sister ship – Lady Crossley) are having our last land based dinner at the Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club. Very appropriate that it was fish & chips. An early night was called & we woke at 5.30am Sunday morning to prepare for departure – photos & trip details below – read on & enjoy the journey – I did 🙂

A slightly different format today – magazine style i.e. photos & copy to support them, have also captioned some. When you are doing 3 hours on 3 hours off watches, food plays a big part of the day – so there are a few food shots. When Barbara deemed I needed to be punished for some misdemeanor she would not tell my what was for dinner & keep me guessing all day. To a serious foodie, that was cruel.

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Dinner at Whangaroa Sports Fishing Club

We left Whangaroa early on Sunday (21/01) – approx. 515 nautical miles ahead of us. Conditions were a little damp & a combination of sea mist & low cloud meant we saw little of the Northland coast. In fact North Cape / Cape Regina was only an outline.

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We crossed the top of the North Island mid afternoon. Gave the Pandora Bank a very wide berth & pointed Trinny in a straight line to the South Island. The rain and drizzle continue into the first night but after that it was a dry run. We had a 10>15 knot breeze from NE most of the way & a 2>3m swell. The combination of a steadying sail & a wee headsail worked a treat, not for speed but simply to help steady the rolling motion. When both are set the wheel can be left and Trinny will hold her course.

They say an army marches on its stomach – well the Trinny crew certainly had no complaints with the gallery – we dined well 🙂

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Stunning sunset

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Stunning dawn, off Taranaki

The clock on the GPS says 3:58am & we were just off New Plymouth, the gas well / rig lights being the first thing we had seen other than H2O. Mount Egmont poking thru the clouds / mist. This was the view most days – same > same but very wow.

Lots of dolphins (& the odd shark)

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The crew – Barbara, David, Jamie & myself below

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Closing in on Stephens island at the northern end of the Marlborough sounds, the weather gods smiled on us for the trip across Cook Straight & with the GPS reading 9.6 knots it was a happy crew. It had been a dry trip, so we were hanging out for a cold beer once we had dropped anchor in Queen Charlotte Sound.

We arrived in Resolution Bay at approx. 6pm, a total travel time of close to 60 hrs. And immediately rafted up with friends of Barbara & David’s –  Rob and Mandy Carpenter who own the Warwick designed launch Pandanoosa. When the engine was killed it was so peaceful, but saying that the faultless beat of the 6LX Gardner was quite hypnotic.

I lost the bet on how long the trip would take (only by 45mins) & was forced to wear a bar napkin, take orders and serve drinks while displaying my best manners……….

We had a great night & a superb meal of Blue Cod aboard Pandanoosa.

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Captain Cooke – peeling the potatoes for dinner

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Bay Of Many Coves Resort

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The Crew, brunch & bubbles

We awoke after a great sleep – we had been doing watches of 3 hours on / 3 hours, to the magnificent beauty of The Sounds. It’s just so big & so stunning. The next 2 days were spent mooching around the bays & coves sucking up the scenery(Pickersgill Island, Blumine Island, Endevour Inlet, Anapawa Island). Brunch at the Bay of Many Coves resort was a special treat, as were drinks at Furneaux Lodge.

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This is my pick of the waterfront properties we saw. I will do another WW story soon on the boat sheds – some stunners.

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Cabin boy Jamie doing his morning chores

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A little sad when we had to berth Trinny at the Waikawa Bay marina & clean / pack up. End of the line for Jamie & myself but just the start for the Cooke’s – you can follow their cruise on the Trinidad Travels facebook page – link below

https://www.facebook.com/barbara.cooke.9028/posts/160438894747674

The return journey – I had always wanted to do the Wellington > Auckland scenic train trip, so suggested to Jamie that we took the overnight ferry from Picton > Wellington & caught the train home. A great plan, just had to kill 5 hours in the middle of the night in Wellington. I think Jamie thought Mermaids was a seafood restaurant………..

Train was very cool, a few issues with brakes overheating that extended the travel time – but I would do the trip again.

Highlights:

  1. The crew – Barbara, David & Jamie – perfect mix & just outright 100% nice people
  2. Trinidad – anytime aboard her is a treat, she is such stunning old lady, who has lapped NZ before, crossed the Tasman to Sydney & cruised the Pacific Islands.
  3. The food
  4. The sunsets & dawns off the West Coast of the North Island
  5. Queen Charlotte Sound & Picton town, very cool place to own a woody – I’ll be back.

For the overseas viewers I have included below a few photos of Trinidad, a rather magnificent ship – looking as always very regal. You can see / read more about her here

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/19/trinidad-52-salthouse-motor-yacht/

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Titirangi

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TITIRANGI

Titirangi was built at Titirangi Bay in the Marlborough Sounds in 1925.  Double planked kauri hull that measures 29+ feet & is powered by a 60hp Nissan SD22 diesel.

She is moored at Back Beach, Port Chalmers, Dunedin.

What do we know about Titirangi – who built her?

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe heads up.

15-01-2021 Update – Titirangi has undergone a refit and according to the Otago Daily Times was recently relaunch. Video link below. The jury is out on the aft editions…….

https://players.brightcove.net/4915776650001/rJepAGlOg_default/index.html?videoId=6221768544001

Aorangi

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AORANGI

It never ceases to amaze me where photos & details on woodys come from. The above photos of Aorangi came to me from the facebook page ‘NZ Cars, Boats, Motorbikes,Truck,Vans,Utes, via Nathan Herbert.

There was a comment that Aorangi was sitting in a yard behind a pub in Timaru. While needing a lot of work, other than her doghouse, she appears to be very original.

So woodys – what do we know about Aorangi?

 

Tusitala > Peri C6 SOS

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TUSITALA – PERI C6   SOS

I was recently contacted by Jason Prew in regard to the yacht Tusitala > Peri with an urgent call out for someone to rescue the craft from a potential death at the end of a chainsaw.

Normal story, no idea of a price, no photos……….. but woodys, sometimes we have to step in & help save these old girls, its not the yachts fault that her owner has decided to move on.

A quick call to Harold Kidd & I have the above photos. The owner is of the belief the she is a Logan but Harold commented that the protruding stem post is unlike any other Logan of the period but quite like some Baileys and Le Huquet’s early yachts. Harold also commented that her real claim to fame is that the hero of Chunuk Bair, Cyril Bassett VC 1914-1919, owned her before he bought Ladye Wilma.

The yacht is located in Tauranga & the owner Ken Anderson can be contacted on 027 425 5102.

If we cannot find someone to restore her, can someone with some undercover storage look after her?

Harold Kidd Input – PERI was built by Charles Robinson and her owner George Murphy at St Mary’s Bay in late 1897. The “Logan” attribution is an old wives’ tale. Robinson had built the little keel yacht MAHOE in 1894. Late he was building at Rotorua with Percy McIntosh. He built the 40ft launch ALOHA at St Mary’s Bay in 1926, probably at Sam Ford’s yard.

10-07-2018 Owner Update:

Tusi Tala/ Peri has been stored in my yard for the past 6 or so years.  The lease for the yard has been taken from me so she needs to go to another owner. She is at the stage of her life that a full restoration to her original splendour is needed, which is beyond me.
Should there be any interest by any WW readers they can contact me by phone on 027 425 5102.  Any reasonable offer will secure her.
14-08-2018   FINAL SOS NOTICE
Ken Anderson has advised that he has abandoned Tusi Tala in a yard at Mount Maunganui. Unfortunately he was left with no other choice. The yard is owned by a Hadyn Wall whose lawyer is Ged Fitzgerald, email: ged@fitzlaw.co.nz.
The vessel needs to be moved and is in danger of destruction. She is FREE to a good home, please note that the cradle is not on offer as it is owned by Tauranga Bridge Marina Travel Lift. Please contact Ged Fitzgerald if you or anyone you know are interested in saving her.

Spotted In Nelson

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Spotted in Nelson

While Trinidad has been sitting in Nelson waiting for a weather window to start the 2nd leg of their circumnavigation Nelson > Milford Sound), Barbara Cooke has been sniffing around the marina with her phone camera. The two small woodys above are an interesting mix – one would like to think the clinker motorboat does not venture too far from port. The deflated dinghy along side is a worry 🙂

The canoe stern yacht on the other hand looks very salty.

Anyone able to ID these two woodys?

 

Tamoure

 

 

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TAMOURE

While mooching around Queen Charlotte Sound, we dropped into the Bay of Many Coves Resort for brunch & a glass of bubbles (see below). The BOMC resort is a rather special spot in a stunning location.

While there the launch Tamoure tied up at the jetty – a brief chat uncovered that she was originally built by Jim Young for his personal use. I’m not normally a big fan of his boats, a tad too modern for me, but this one had a lot going for her.

Do we know anything more about her?

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Miss Kathleen

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Miss Kathleen

I have been contacted by Lake Rotoiti boat builder Alan Craig in regard to the launch Miss Kathleen. Alan had her hauled out at his yard pre Christmas for a bit of repower. Barry Green had owned her for a number of years but unfortunately he passed away last year. He left the boat to his grandkids, so it was being given a bit of work by his son Ross to make it more use friendly for them.

Out came the old 50hp David Brown engine, from the 1940s? & in went a much smaller Nanni. Alan commented that Barry would be turning in his grave over it, he swore the motor never leaked a drop of oil 🙂

Miss Kathleen is going back in the water soon and will continue to be used on the lake.

If there’s anyone out there who wants a trusty old 50hp David Brown diesel engine and a Clae gear box, Alan says it is there for the taking, its only being used as a lawn ornament at the moment.

You can see other photos & details on MK at the link below – but note the claim it’s a 1902 Logan is under question & Haold Kidd has suggested that she is more likely to be built by David Reid 10>20 years later.

Miss Kathleen