Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Nunui

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Nunui, Bulwer 1969 just launched 30 10 2015

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NUNUI

When woody Brynn McCauley was researching Wainui, his grandfathers 1950’s era Marlbourough Sounds fishing boat (now owned by Cameron Pollard) Brynn discovered the whereabouts of Nunui,  his grandfathers last working fishing boat. Nunui was/is….. a small clinker built c.1969 motor boat, that unfortunately has ended its days in Porirua, (photo below).
Brynn commented that he suspects she was originally a row boat that was used to row out to the scows from the shallow bays in the Sounds.
Its amazing that this was a working fishing boat that went way out into the Cook Strait. Those old seamen knew a thing or two and were pretty fearless.
The b/w photo is dated c. 1969 & was taken just after her launching. The colour photo is c.1978.

Do we know any more about her past?

Nunui at Porirua

 

 

Foam

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FOAM
On a recent walk-about Ross Dawson spied the above double ender moored amongst the grunty big fishing boats in Greymouth’s boat harbour.  Ross commented that it would be ‘interesting’ to watch her battling the rollers as she crosses the notorious Grey River bar!

You have to love the workmanlike rain cover on the exhaust!

Any of the WorkBoat woodys able to shed some more light on Foam’s provenance?

One for the OMG File
Sent in from an anonymous woody – the photo below will be kept for reference purposes to show the max you can accommodate in minimum waterline if looks are irrelevant 😉

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Manuia – An Update

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Manuia Oct2016

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MANUIA – An Update

Recently I was enjoying a coffee at my local Devonport coffee shop, Cafe Santini, & I had on a ww t-shirt. I was approached by a gent, Ron Ackroyd, who commented that he used to own a launch similar to the one shown on the front of the ww t-shirt. Turns out Ron briefly owned the Joe Slattery launch Manuia. Ron offered to send me some details & photos – which he did. Then this week, current owner Tony Butcher sent me a magnificent photo of her taken in October 2016. As you will see not a lot has changed & we like that 🙂

Ron commented that he owned Maunia from May 1989 to November 1989 & bought it from Jack Nears. Ron had spent a lot of great times on the boat with Jack between 1977 and 1989 and he promised Ron first option when he got round to selling her. Jack became quite ill in 1988/89 and the boat was getting beyond him and in May 1989 he offered Manuia to Ron. Ron already had a H28 but bought Manuia planning to use her and then make a decision on which boat he wanted to keep. They used the boat and did a fair bit of  painting, varnishing and general maintenance before coming to the conclusion that sailing the H28 and enjoying the very active H28 club scene was more their thing.

Ron sold Manuia to Paul Jones in Nov 1989.  Included above are a couple of photos of Manuia taken just before Ron sold her & list of what Ron knew of her previous owners (view the link below to the previous ww story on Manuia & you’ll see that Ron’s list dovetails well with Harold Kidd’s records.

Also above is a copy of a survey done by John Gladden while Ron had her. You have to love the honesty & practical advice / opinion given by  John Gladden, there are some significant defects that have been highlighted but John Gladden still says “The vessel is generally in good condition and is well constructed, timber sizes and joinery are of good standards.” In today’s PC world a surveyor would have written the boat off or at least scared any purchaser away.

20-09-2017 Photo below ex Nathan Herbert ex (I assume) the NZ Herald archives. Show Manuia post launching, during her sea trials.

Manuia

 

Pania

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PANIA
Pania has had the same owners for over 25 years. She was built in 1973 using triple planked mahogany.
The get up & go comes from twin 90hp 6LW Gardeners & she measures approx. 50′.
She looks a very sea worthy vessel, no doubt one of the reasons her home port is Bluff, Southland.
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe listing heads up 🙂

Can we expand on her details e.g. designer / builder & where was she from 1973 > early 1990’s ?

Input from Dick Hall

‘Pania’ was built by Jack Morgan for Rex Baldick of Picton off the extended ‘Hawaiki’ design. She was launched with a single Allis-Chalmers diesel that came out of a local fishing-boat but later when back to Jack and converted to twin screw with two four cylinder Fords. You can see the original strut with shaft hole through it in underwater photo. Rex had the Baldick families ‘Prima-Donna’ before building ‘Pania’

SIERRA 100th BIRTHDAY DAY

Sierra was designed and built by Joseph Fell of Kohukohu (Hokianga Harbour) & launched 3 May 1917. If she was a human, Sierra would be getting a letter from the Queen – as the old girl has just celebrated her 100th birthday. Owner Dennis Christopher is having a wee party for her this Sunday at  the Panmure Motor Boat & Yacht Club, 104 Kings Rd, Panmure.
Sierra will be alongside the jetty from 2.00pm on-wards. It’s a just drop-in event & any one is welcome. So woodys, if you are out & about on Sunday, call by. (photo below ex Tom Kane).

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Highland Lass

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Te papa 1950s, by Eric Lee-Johnson Whangarei basin

Highland Lass

The launch in the centre of the above photo (by Eric Lee-Johnson & ex Te Papa) appears to be berthed in the Whangarei Basin. Nathan Herbert sent it in to ww & all we know is that the photo is dated c.1950’s.

So woodys – does any one recognize the boat ?

Update 15-05-2015 Thanks to Harold Kidd & Nathan Herbert we now know she was built by Dick Hartley in 1949 & is named ‘Highland Lass’

Sanson

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SANSON

Sanson was built in 1951 by Shipbuilders & is a carvel planked semi-displacement classic launch, approx. 25′ in length. Zoom zoom comes from a 2 cylinder 25hp Shibaru Ford diesel engine.

That is about all I know about her, can any woodys (Northland based – she lives near Dove Cove) help out with more details?

Alden Ketch – Sailing Sunday

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ALDEN KETCH – Sailing Sunday

We do not see a lot of John Alden designed classic’s in NZ which given they are almost always very pretty vessels, isn’t good.
This one was design #550 & was built in 1939 by Arnold France in Lyttleton & has been lovingly restored by her current owner.
She is 39.35′ & built with full length 1 1/4″ oregon on hardwood frames. Her when the sails aren’t up a 2012 Nissan TD27 88hp diesel pushes her along.
She was re-rigged in Her refurbishment included being rewired, new switches / breaker panels, batteries, instruments, electric toilet and holding tank, new plumbing throughout. Plus new squabs and many other extras, complete hull paint before Christmas.
She is for sale on trademe – a very smart classic & a lot of boat for the asking price of $65k ono

02-04-2017 Updates from Robin Elliott
She is Windswift and was registered as A-8 with Banks Peninsular Cruising Club, She was a 3 year building project by Arnold France.
France probably started building her in 1939 but she wasn’t launched until October 1941. He and his wife and son lived aboard for 3 years during the War.
Seems to have grown a little over the years. Reported as 35-feet when launched, Arnold France gave dims of  “33ft 8in x 10ft 6in x 4ft 8in” in 1949, In December 1956 she was advertised for sale as being 34-feet. She was on Trade Me in 2008 as 41-feet, and now as 39.35ft. Tricky things these Alden ketches.

Here’s a little bit more, courtesy of Papers Past
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19411030.2.63?query=arnold%20france
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LWM19460509.2.22?query=arnold%20france

Yvonne

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YVONNE

The 38′ classic launch Yvonne was built in 1954 by Swanson in the Marlborough Sounds. She is a very distinctive design & with a 160hp Isuzu diesel she must left her skirt & really get up & go. Based in the Sounds & after 22 years of ownership, Yvonne is now ready for a new owner. Thx to Ian McDonald for the trademe heads up 🙂

Anyone able to supply more details on her?

Input from John Wicks
“Very “avante garde” styling for the time – and still looking good!!!
Bob Swanson built her at Blackwood Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, for Jack Thompson, a farmer out Ward way, who kept her for many years – could be she’s only had 2 owners? Jack named after his wife, Yvonne, a very gracious lady.
Can’t remember what her original engine was, but I do recall Jack talking about the possibility of putting in a small gas turbine. At the time there were experiments overseas with these, but I don’t know how serious he was.
Jack was a friend of my father’s (Sorry Alan) and when the first Picton marina was built they moved into adjacent berths. IIRC this involved a certain amount of the testing of water purifying fluids.”

05-05-2017 – A Peek Down Below
Thanks to the photos below ex Jo Utting (owners family) via Ken Ricketts we get a glimpse of what must be her original  interior.

Seacraft Woodys

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SEACRAFT WOODYS

I was recently contacted by Chris Laird & his first words were “are you guys interested in small woodys?”. My answer was ‘if its wood, its good’ 🙂

The above photographs show two dinghies that Chris restored  a couple of years ago. The 12ft 6in Seacraft Tuna has been stripped back and had new rib sections, one or two splines to cracked planks, seats, foredeck trim and beltings before being painted up to original Seacraft colours with original badging.

The varnished 12’6″ Brin Wilson has been stripped back, seats  etc removed, some rib sections scarfed in, several splines to cracked planks and varnished / painted up to original colours.
Chris commented that it is a lovely boat to row.

Also included are photos of a 6hp Norman and original cone clutch that is in a 16′ Seacraft cabin boat that Chris is currently rebuilding. I have asked Chris to send in photos of that project.

OOPS THAT IS EMBARRASSING
Over the Anzac weekend a lot of the classic fleet headed north to Kawau Island. Anchoring room near the Kawau Boating Club is always at a premium on long weekends & no one likes a long row in the dark……….. but even the old salts can get it wrong – the crew on the  1905, Logan Bros, ex pilot boat ‘Ferro’ must have been in a hurry to make the KBC as they anchored rather close in. As it turned out, too close in – the below photo was 1/2hr before low tide & mid Sunday morning – would have been a long / embarrassing day waiting for the tide 😉

Ferro @ Kawau April2017

Mahurangi Regatta – Sailing Sunday

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Mahurangi Regatta – Sailing Sunday

I was sent a great collection of photos form the 2017 Mahurangi Regatta by Bernie Power who was aboard Shane Anderson’s classic launch Waimiga. Lots & lots of great photos, above is just a selection of the yachts, which I tend to miss as I’m pointing my camera at the beautiful boats i.e. the classic launches 🙂
Enjoy.