Swanson Sedan Launch
This rather cute 26.24’ sedan launch was designed / built? by Swanson in 1969. She has a 9’10” beam & draws 3’3”, so a rather fat bottomed old girl. Her trademe listing says she has an inboard diesel engine but that’s about all in terms of specs. It does tell us that she comes with a fenders, boat hook & clock 🙂
Picton is her home, any Southern woodys able to shed some light on her?
White Star Part 2
(photos from Glenn Martin, words ex Glenn & Ken Ricketts – edited by Alan Houghton)
White Star was originally built by Ken Turner, who built quite a number of boats in Coromandel. Her first owner was Neville Evans of Amodeo Bay & has been moored there on & off for quite a bit of her life & is presently moored there, alongside her sister ship the Dagma, which was built by Ken Turner’s father, Charlie Turner.
Present owner is Paul Baker, who has had her for about 8 years & bought her off Paul Desmond of Tauranga, & had kept her there, as did the precious owner Nigel Pippey. Paul D only had her for a few months, as he bought her, in order to acquire her marina berth.
She was frequently used as a mark boat for many yacht races at Tauranga, as Paul P was a very active member of the local yacht club.
Paul B was living at Waiheke when he bought her & she was initially moored there, but he has now moved to Coromandel..
Her engine was fitted by Strongmans of Coromandel. She is powered by the Gray Marine marinised version, of the GM Detroit 6-71 & at 190 hp., this is the spec of these engines back in the 50s 60s, when they were fitted to many HDMLs, & other pleasure boats in that era, like Linda, Wirihnana & Ruamano etc.
Her name was the result of her log being sawn & milled from the “White Star” mine property, in Coromandel, of that time. Glen, also commented that as a kid he saw White Star moored in Torehina Bay next to their bach at Waitete Bay – 20mins north of Coromandel town. Glenn is pretty sure White Star was built using a single kauri log milled from the farm of the owner in Colville.
(the launching day & early day photos of White Star are from the original owners & the more recent of her at anchor at Coromandel Harbour, in 2016, are ex Glenn)
Click link to read Part 1 of this story https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/11/10/1968-bridge-decker/#comment-37747
18-03-2024 UPDATE ex Mark Sorrenson – white Star has just relocated to Hobsonville Marina
Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association 2018 Calendars
Readers of WW will know that Chris Miller & myself each year make the trip to Lake Rotoiti (North Island) to attend the Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, every Waitangi weekend. It is one of those events that you just have to attend at some stage. The link below will give you a peep at what the weekend is like.
While we are there Chris & I bang off a lot of photos, some of which the LRC&WB Association use to produce their annual calendar. The 2018 edition is hot off the press (printed by the great team at Quality Print in Taupo).
The calendar (A3 size, sample below) makes a great Xmas present for any woody – hell buy it for yourself, that way, you get something you want 😉
The price is the same as last year: $15 for 1 or $40 for 3. Courier is $6.50 (rural delivery is extra).
To order:
And in case any of you were wondering – neither Chris, myself or WW make a cent from these calendars – it is all about the boats & the people that do all the work to maintain them & host the very cool event. So woodys, even if you only order one calendar, it makes a big difference to the Lake Rotoiti woodys 🙂
Link below to the 2017 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – enjoy https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/06/lake-rotoiti-classic-wooden-boat-parade-2017-160-photos/
IONA
Iona is another classic that sits in the ‘Spirit of Tradition’ category, with a build date of 1984. Her designer Bruce Askew had a very good eye for turning out retro classics.
Iona measures 32.81’ & is constructed of kauri, & built in Wellington c.1984. She was sailed by the boat builder (not sure if it was Bruce Askew?) throughout Wellington and Queen Charlotte Sounds for a few years before being purchased by her current owner in 1987. Since then, being based in Picton, she was often seen cruising Queen Charlotte Sound.
Her zoom zoom comes from a 36hp Bukh diesel.
Her current owner has just, after 31 years of ownership offered Iona up for sale – when I look at her, a see Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) all over her…………….
Given the length of ownership, her history is well known but there must be some cruising photos out there from her time in The Sounds 🙂
ONE MANS JUNK…………
……….ANOTHER MANS TREASURE 🙂
I was tipped off about the remains of a clinker dinghy heading to the dumpster – I thought maybe if I chainsawed the bow off, it would make a cool firewood shed but a Sunday morning inspection showed that unfortunately it was too far gone – but a bit of bin diving turned up a few nice bronze fittings that will be added to the big box off bits that someone will need one day 😉 + a couple of oar blades for the collection.
IRWYN
Looks can be deceiving, Irwyn falls into the ‘Spirit of Tradition’ category with her build date of 1997.
At 21.32’ & a beam of 7’6” she is wouldn’t be the biggest boat in the bay but she certainly has the salty look.
Planked construction & pushed along by a 24hp 3cyl Yanmar diesel, she has a leisurely cruising speed of 5 knots. Irwyn is currently for sale & with some TCL & a lick of paint she would make a very nice wee ship.
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe listing heads up.
In Case You Missed The Advice – TODAYS CYA OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO FAIRWAY BAY, GULF HARBOUR HAS BEEN CANCELLED – it was an early call to cancel but a peek at the below will tell you why 😉 But do not despair, I have a woodys event for you very soon, details in the next few days.
PROTEUS
Proteus was built by Owen Woolley in 1968, she is 38’ in length & powered by twin Commer diesels. Current home is Chaffers Marina, Wellington. That folks is all her trademe listing tells us, can’t see her leaping of the listing sheets with that level of info…………….. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up.
Do we know any more about her?
JEANETTE
Jeanette was built in 1914 by Lane & Brown, she measures 30’ LOA , with a beam of 7’9” & draft 2’6”. Power comes from a 73hp Nissan SD23 diesel engine, that allows her to cruise at 7-8 knots.
Presently moored at Sandspit / Kawau, her trademe listing states that she is a part of Northland History. What that means we do not know, hopefully some of the woodys & supply more intel on her past.
Harold Kidd Input – Well she was at Tutukaka for years then at Taipa. She may have been built by T.M. Lane & Sons at Mechanics Bay but not by Lane & Brown at Whangaroa who dissolved their partnership around 1902. T.M. Lane & Sons transferred their launch-building to Mechanics Bay in 1905 after they built SLIM JIM.
SKAGEN
One for the workboat woodys today, Skagen is a 36’ Danish double ender, built by Salthouse in 1973. She has a beam of 10’7” & draws 4’11” with a carvel kauri hull. Powered by a mighty 5LW Gardner diesel, 4 berths in 2 cabins, toilet, gas cooker, radar, 2 x GPS chart plotters, depth/fish finder, autopilot, hyd. steering, electric capstan, easy walk round side decks, wheelhouse side doors, steadying sail. A very salty ship that you would feel very safe in.
She spent over 10 years in commercial fishing on the East Coast & has recently been restored.
Look at the Kim Kardashian backside on her – that’s a work of art 😉
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the trademe listing.
Input from David Glen – Skagen’ was moored in the Whangapoua Harbour, off Matarangi Wharf, for the best part of the last 20 years. She was owned by a local resident who worked in the local forests. She caught my eye at Matarangi in 90’s and she appeared to be well maintained, but seldom used. She looks good in the pics.
MERLIN – Sailing Sunday
I recently received a note from Andrew Hewitt from Ashburton, concerning his 22’ yacht Merlin. Andrew became custodian of her three years ago, when she was put up for sale by a broker on behalf of her former owner’s widow (Peter Beaven, a notable Christchurch architect and heritage advocate).
Peter had had her hull restored professionally in Christchurch some time previously, but the earthquakes and his ultimate death intervened. Andrew completed the job, rigged her and commissioned a trailer for her locally. So she’s now, home from the sea in her retirement – converted for use as a ‘trailer-sailor’ and lives protected from the elements in a boat shed at Lake Hood (just east of Ashburton) – where Andrew sails her when time allows.
Andrew commented that Harold Kidd kindly supplied a little history on her and Les McBean (Dunedin) also did a quite an extensive one (link here Les McBean Merlin), but unfortunately they contradict each other J According to Les, it seems she dates from around 1902 by Mr Derwent Aitcheson of Waikouaiti, where she was originally a fishing boat fitted with an engine. She appears to have been based there and Moeraki, moving about in the general Otago area. At some time mid-century she was converted to a yacht, and was well known in Otago Harbour for some decades, prior to becoming derelict and ultimate salvation by Peter Beaven.
The registration number seems original (V9) – it is on an old cotton sail that came with her.
Like all woodys, Merlin’s restoration is an ongoing thing….. the photos above ange from the fitting out/rigging stage at Andrew’s home to an early pic of Andrew under sail at Lake Hood.
Andrew is keen to discover more on Merlin past, to date he has made one or two connections through the Canterbury Classic Boat meets and tried both the Port Chalmers Maritime Museum and the two yacht clubs down there for info, but nothing forthcoming. The Museum at Waikouaiti knew of the builder, but didn’t supply any info when requested.
2017 Centreboard Cup – Herne Bay Yacht Club – Sat 9th Dec – Sloanes Beach, Herne Bay
Pencil midday on Saturday the 9th of December into the diary, the Herne Bay Crusing Club are hosting their legendary Centreboard Cup Regatta. Its one of the coolest sailing events in town & the venue is rather special.
Details here http://hbcc.net.nz/centreboardcup2017/
And check out my photos from a previous regatta. https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/12/20/whats-the-coolest-yacht-club-10-minutes-from-queen-st/
Anyone Looking For a Wooden Mast?
The Herne Bay Cruising Club have a 31’6″ laminated, hollow wooden mast that needs a home, the price will be very attractive if its for a classic yacht, if you want it as a flag pole expect to pay more 🙂 email Andrew Mason at a.mason@auckland.ac.nz
OUT AT KOPU
Above are a couple of ex work boats hauled out at Kopu – Deodar & Patricia Jane. The photos were sent in by Baden Pascoe from a recent trip to the Coromandel.
Deodar we all know & has been featured on WW before but what do we know about Patricia Jane? she is a rather large old girl – Baden commented that she looks like a converted South Island fishing boat.
Great story tomorrow on a rather stunning yacht that has been brought back to life & now calls Lake Hood (just east of Ashburton, South Island) home.
27-05-2019 Input from Julie Moore. – Julie advises that her 80 yr old father, Kevin Probyn used to own the Patricia Jane. He had been looking for his old boat for some time, wondering what had become of it. And they discovered the photo on WW. He purchased it in1970, from Picton where it was built. It’s a 50ft kauri ship & had a Gardner 8L3 engine. Kevin had it based in New Plymouth as a trawler and owned it for about 3 or 4 years, when he sold it to an outfit in Hawkes Bay.
