Category Archives: Non Waitemata

CLASSIC YACHT – MAWHITI

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CLASSIC YACHT – MAWHITI

Today’s woody is the yacht MAWHITI, she was designed by E. Mantell Silk and built by William Moore, M. Beck and Arthur Penty in a shed across the road from the Clyde Quay Marina, Wellington. The photo and details comes to us via the Wellington classic yacht trust fb. 

Launched November 1898 she was built as a 2.5 rater and LOA = 35’ and a 8’6” beam.             She wouldn’t fit through the door of the hired shed in which she was built. The landlord refused to remove the doors, so an overnight raid with saws and plenty of tackle saw the wall cut away, the vessel put on the street, and the wall put back before anyone was the wiser. In the photo you can see the vertical cut adjacent to the window in the building behind.

MAWHITI was beautifully finished down to an interior of “red pine” (rimu?) panelling, with areas painted pale green and white with gold trim. Her cabin roof was lined in lincrusta and the skylight was glazed with muranese (also known as Florentine) glass.

She was described by an Evening Post columnist as “the finest specimen of amateur boatbuilding that has come under our notice”

She was sold in 1906 and taken to Sydney, Australia by her new owner – Berkeley Clark. Last heard of in the 1970’s.

WOODEN WORKBOATS ON THE HOKIANGA 

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WOODEN WORKBOATS ON THE HOKIANGA 

Todays photo is a flash back to rural life in the early 1920’s when launches collected cream from wayside settlements around the harbour and transported the cargo to in this case a dairy factory ar Rawene. 

In addition to the cream loads the boats provided transport for both farm and domestic supplies. The craft were the equivalent of todays Toyota HiLux ute.

Have to love the hatch / all weather shelter on the launch closest to the wharf. I think they were referred to as ‘blue collar flybridges’.

KAWAU ISLAND — Idyllic Classic Times Afloat

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KAWAU ISLAND — Idyllic Classic Times Afloat

Todays very cool photo comes to us from a recent Lew Redwood fb post and is tagged – ‘Yachts & Launches at Kawau Island 1900-1916, Hocken. 

Can we ID the canoe stern launch on the righthand side, middle/top of the photo.

Its a very salty clinker dinghy, what’s the significance of the ‘4 KAWAU’ on the stern – was here a fleet back then.

😃 given the dates even K Ricketts can’t claim he was there when the photo was taken 😉

CLASSIC WOODEN CARVEL LAUNCH – SEA CREST

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CLASSIC WOODEN CARVEL LAUNCH – SEA CREST

Todays woody comes to us from ’Kev’s Wanganui Riverboat History Page fb via Maurice Sharp.

The photo is dated 1968 and shows the 22’ travel built launch – SEA CREST, being re-launched following a 17 month restoration at the hands of Neville Fitch and Barry Sangster.  The vessel was possibly previously named LAZY EHTEL.

The venue of the event is the Wanganui River.

Can we learn what became of SEA CREST and where she might be today.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – FANTASY – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – FANTASY – A Peek Down Below

There are a few classic wooden launches that I would never take my partner onto – one of them is FANTASY, the 1952 McGeady built launch. Powered by a 72hp Sole diesel engine.

Her interior fit out would have me having to create some excuse as to why she wouldn’t be suitable for us. FANTASY ticks most of your boxes and has the added bonus of a fire / heater.

The launch made a brief appearance on tme last year and then disappeared, hopefully her owners changed their mind 🙂

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH WYNONA – RESTORATION UPDATE WANTED 

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH WYNONA – RESTORATION UPDATE WANTED 

The classic wooden launch WYNONA made a brief appearance on WW back in Nov 2023, at the time we learnt from Harold Kidd that WYNONA was built in 1948 by Sam Ford for the Rotorua Lake Service Ltd., who used her for tourist trips to Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. 

Later a comment was made on WW that WYNONA was being restored at Tarakohe Marina, in Golden Bay – unfortunately we learnt no more on the vessel, so today is a shout out to see if we can get an update.

The photo above came to us from Sharron French who uncovered the photo when reviewing her fathers photo album.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

MYSTERY 43’ WELLINGTON LAUNCH

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MYSTERY 43’ WELLINGTON LAUNCH

Todays woodys sat on tme for a while (thanks Ian McDonald) and has now been removed, hopefully sold.The vessel was promoted as a live aboard option and at $20k was low cost city pad.What we knew about her :

  • 43ft bridgedecker launch
  • Carvel kauri hull
  • 120hp Ford diesel, with a few minor issues
  • Cruises comfortably around 8 knots

Looking at the last two photos above as compared to the lead photo, she is in need of some TLC. Can we learn her name, designer/builder and what became of her.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MAHANA 

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MAHANA 

The classic wooden launch MAHANA has appeared before on WW but woody John Dawson sent in this gallery of photos, to give us a better look down below.

She was built in c.1975 by Atkinson and with the date falls into the ‘Spirit of Tradition’ category. A lot bigger than she looks in the photos -– 46’ LOA and not sluggish with a 315hp Yanmar providing the forward motion.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ALOHA

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ALOHA

Todays woody is the launch – ALOHA and comes to us from the ‘Old Te Anau fb site via Lew Redwood.

It was commented that it may have spent time in Dunedin (possibly owned by a family named Emsely) before relocating to Te Anau.

FYI – the tow car is a 1957 Ford wagon. Would be worth a small fortune today.

Can we learn what became of the launch. And who designed / built her.

CIRCLE THIS FRIDAY > SUNDAY FOR A GREAT EVENT Link to last years show here https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/04/20/woody-fathers-grandads/

CAN WE DATE & ID THESE CLASSIC BAY OF ISLANDS GAME BOATS

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CAN WE DATE & ID THESE CLASSIC BAY OF ISLANDS GAME BOATS

Today’s very cool photo has been rattling around in the “too good not to share” tray for a few months now… and frustratingly, I can’t recall where it came from — so apologies upfront for not crediting the source.

The photo is tagged – ‘Bay of Islands Game Fleet’ and first two boats are the legendary Collings & Bell built launches – Alma G II, followed by Alma G.These launches were part of the original wave of purpose-built game boats that helped put the Bay of Islands on the world big game fishing map.

Can any BOI game fishing launchmen ID the other boats for us, would be great to bring the fleet to life again. 

INPUT ex GREG PHILPOTT

Was working recently on IDing these launches in a similar photo and with the help of Hylton Edmonds and Brett & Shelley Arlidge the occasion was identified as the “funeral” procession for the scattering of the ashes of veteran gamefishing boatman HW (universally known as Peter) Williams who died on 9th August, 1949.

The launches in that procession were Alma G II” (Mervyn) , “Alma G” (Francis), “Idolon” (Fred Baker), “Marline” – Leon Warne ??, “Reliance” (Les Blomfield)??,  “Pirate” (Jimmy Whitelaw / Otto Summers) and possibly given he was of that era – George Warne and the “Rosemary”?.

The general consensus is that the photo was likely taken from the stern of William’s boat “Avalon”.