LADY NOELENE
Lady Noelene has been a ‘rolling restoration’ for the last 4+ years & while still not complete her owner is on the down hill slopes. We do not know much about her past but she is powered by a 6 cyl Ford diesel. The photos are a mix of several people over the years, with the most recent ones, at Greg Less’s Sandspit boat yard, from Ken Ricketts.
Can any woodys expand on the little we know about Lady Noelene ?
OTOROA
Otoroa is a Miller & Tunnage double-ender built in 1967 as a MSA Pilot boat, later converted to pleasure use. She measures 55’9″ L, with a beam of 15’5″ & has a draft of 6’6″. Powered via a Cummins diesel. Detail via Ian McDonald via trademe.
Any of the work boat woodys able to enlighten us more about Otoroa?
Update & Photos ex Russell Ward – edited by AH
Otoroa’s wheelhouse enabled the skipper to look and see the sky or the ship towering above. They had to be real seaworthy ships in those days. You will notice that except for the Arahina and Tautane who was a recycled Miler and Tunnage fishing boat named Centaurus, all the NZ pilot boats of the day were double enders.
That says a lot for the hull form: The following sea tends to part round the boat rather than heaving t skyward and broaching it. You still can broach in a double ender, but they are good in a following sea.
Hopefully an potential buyer will retain her appearance. She has survived thus far though, so here’s hoping. I am refreshing your memory by also attaching a pic of Wairangi when she was in her prime and working and you can judge.
Also below is a photo looking down on the modest wharf that the Port’s workboats nestled each night to share stories. The RNZN shed was alongside and their HDML were kept there.
05-03-2018 Update ex Stuart Jameson – The Otoroa has been berthed at the Chaffers Marina for the past four years. The blue non-slip surface was applied last year. Current owner appears to be very attentive to its maintenance. Further detail on its current owner etc should be available from the Marina Manager.
LADY GILLIAN
John Burland sent me the above photos of Lady Gillian moored at Nelson. She appeared on ww back in Oct 2014 (link below) & at the time her owners (Beatson family) commented that she needed ‘a bit of a tidy up’, by all appearances she has had that 🙂 The the 3rd photo we see her berth near Lady Karita, while LK is undergoing a re-fit.
We still do not know much about her – given there is a much bigger ww audience these days, maybe someone knows more about her past?
17-06-2017 Update – new photo below ex Andy Beatson
SEABIRD
Check out the link below to a cool youtube clip that features Steve Thomas’s 1908, John Reid designed classic launch – Seabird, in the musician Greg Johnson’s music video for the song ‘Never turn back’. It was filmed at Cable Bay near Nelson. Nice to see the CYA burgee flying on Seabird. Enjoy.
How Much Is My Woody Worth?
That’s a question ww gets asked on a regular basis, the answer sadly in most cases is a lot less than the owner thinks. People get confused with ‘worth’ & what some one will pay i.e. the sale price, with classic wooden vessels – for worth think replacement cost, for sale price think less than 25% of that.
As I have pointed out before in NZ there is a growing demand for quality classic motor boats, a high % of this market do not have the skills, time or funds to restore one, so importing will become more appealing.
Today’s post features ‘Wando Lady’ a 1966, 65′ Stephens Bros motor yacht from California now calling the UK home. She sleeps 12 & is powered by twin Detroit V71 12 cylinder diesel engines rated at 495hp. Its on the market for approx NZD$400k (asking price) – I post for 2 reasons – its a great looking woody & I think most of you will be interested in viewing her. Secondly as an indication of whats available on the international market compared to NZ prices.
If you want to read more on her http://www.ybw.com/boats-for-sale/5091568?currency=GBP&utm_campaign=20161130_YBW-B_NWL_EO&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ET
Mystery Launch at Nelson
My woody spy in Nelson, John Burland sent me the above photo with a note saying the vessel could named Kaituna – any woodys able to ID the vessel &/or supply more details on her.
To confuse us there appears to be a few additions added over the years 🙂
FREE TO GOOD HOME
No not a box of kittens – this gift is both useful & valuable.
ww woody Jason Prew who is currently restoring (aka rebuilding) the 1925 Dick Land launch My Girl ( https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/08/the-restoration-of-my-girl/ ) contacted me with the offer below.
” I have a heap of leftover wood cut down to size to use for ribs, it’s red beech and takes to steaming well, a very durable NZ hardwood. 32mm x 16mm x 2.5m is the cut size, but i also have a heap of 8mm x 32mm, free to a good home, also use of a steamer that fits if you wish”
A+B+C Class Yachts Racing To Rocky Bay
In the above photo we see, from left, Kotiri, Ladye Wilma, Waione, Rawene (race winner) & Ngatoa just after the start of the official opening race of the season (year unknown).
Photo ex the Mac Taylor collection.
Help Needed
ww has had a request from Gary Chaplin, who owns the yacht, Fidelity, see below & click photos to enlarge, based in Christchurch Gary has commented that she looks just like the Shiralee which featured on ww in October , (link below).
Gary would like to know if it is the same vessel or possibly a sister ship . Gary believes Fidelity was built in Milford Creek by Allen Williams in 1960 .
REMEMBER LOTS OF PATIO BAY WEEKEND PHOTOS ON WW TOMORROW
Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade
Good morning woodys – I’m as excited as a dog with two willies today, its the CYA annual trip to Patio Bay, Waiheke Island for the CYA Xmas BBQ, we have fleet of nearly 50 classic yachts racing down & based on past years they will be joined by the cream of the classic launch fleet. Its a magic setting & a fun night – check ww out on Monday for a photo gallery of the weekend.
Another great woody weekend is the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, an event myself & Chris Miller have attended for the last 3 years – check out the links to those ww stories & photos below.
2016 PARADE https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/09/lake-rotoiti-classic-and-wooden-boat-parade-2016-150-photos/
2015 PARADE https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/02/09/2015-lake-rotoiti-classic-wooden-boat-parade-photo-gallery/
2014 PARADE https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/02/11/2014-lake-rotoiti-nth-island-classic-wooden-boat-parade-snapshot/
Todays post is really a shout out from the Lake Rotoiti event organizers, 2017 is the 20th parade so will be special – the organizers are calling for any woodys interested in participating in the weekend to contact them – the crew keep things pretty simple e.g. if its wood & it floats – its eligible – so woodys start thinking about attending – I highly recommend it 😉 Date = Feb 3>5, thats Waitangi weekend. Contact details below.
The 2nd shout out is to promote the events calendar (see below) – this year its twice the size (A3) & packed with over 35 of mine & Chris’s photos. Perfect xmas gift for any woodys office, shed or kitchen (if you are brave). The calendars cost $15 or $40 for 3 – order via Rachel at zea.rachel@gmail.com or on the parade website http://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/
WIN A COPY
And folks ww has a few to give away – so a wee quiz – all woodys that email the correct answer to the question below – go into the draw to win a calendar – email address = waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Q: Name the current Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Association commodore.
Draw closes 5pm Sunday 4th Dec 2016 & winner notified on ww on 5th Dec 2016
LADY KARTIA
I very happy to be able to advise that the 1938,43′ Sam Ford designed bridge decker Lady Karita is now in the hands of a new woodys friendly owner, Murray Shaw. Murray also owns the Collings & Bell bridge decker Kawhiti so the man has been bitten by the bug 🙂 . Work is already underway to return her to her former glory, see photo above, ex Steve Thomas, of ‘work-in-progress’ restoring her brightwork. The immediate plans are for her to remain in the Nelson region, but hopefully one day we will see her back on the Waitemata.
Lady Karita was built in Kauri for a flag officer of the Ponsonby Cruisng Club, Mr Victor Salek. Powered by Ford 130hp diesel, shaft drive, sees her cruising economically at 8.5 Knots. For many years she has been based in the Pelorus Sounds.
Back in June, CYA member Mark McLaughlin (Mapuna) alerted me to the fact that LK was on the market, Marks father has been Lady Karita’s caretaker/skipper for the last 15 years in Havelock & supplied the 2 press clippings below.
04-04-2018 Photo below ex owner Murray Shaw of Lady Karita hauled out in Nelson. In the background is Lady Ellison – nice to see the two Sam Ford built launches together 🙂
Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?
Today’s woody lives in the Marlborough Sounds but could equally be a perfect North Island lake boat. She measures 24’6″ & is constructed with kauri carvel hull, with glass on ply cabin & deck.
Power comes from a 3QM Yanmar 30hp diesel & as you can see in the photos had been fitted out to a very high standard.
Asking price is $9.5k, that is not a lot of $$ for a woody that is presented in the condition this one is 😉
Its hard to read her name but Ian McDonald who tip me off on the trademe listing feels it could be either Scuffy or Scuppy – any woodys able to ID the boat & supply more details on her?
Message for CYA Launch Owners + Mataroa Spy Photos
Doing a shout out today to all Classic Yacht Association launch owners to remind you that next weekend (Dec 3>4) is the annual CYA Patio Bay weekend. The highlight of which being the byo BBQ (bbq’s provided for cooking) ashore at Woolicott’s bach. Most of us rate it as the #1 social event of the year in terms of mix & mingling. Check out the photos from last year here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/12/07/cya-patio-bay-bbq-xmas-race-weekend-2015/
The weekend sees over 50 classic launch & yachts come together for a weekend of fun, friendship & fraternity.
Mataroa Update
Not wanting to short change you today in terms of your classic woody ‘fix’ – below a few spy photos taken by Max Uivel of the progress being made on the 1928 Joe Slattery launch, Mataroa in the Evans Bay slip yard.
Rob Uivel can be seen hard at work. Max commented that there is still a way to go but progress has been good considering the meteorological and seismic conditions in Wellington.
I have to say she is a very pretty classic & looks to be getting a very sympathetic make-over – we like that 🙂 More details on her past here. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/31/mataroa-kenya-2/
A Message From Manu PB
Hi Alan,
My name’s Manu, i’m in wellington. was looking for photos on the net of a nice kauri launch out of interest, as i used to own and live in one.
What do you know, Mataroa comes up!
My father Simon Blakiston bought her from Kevin, end of 1999 (?) and had her brought down to Chaffers marina straight away. We enjoyed trips to the sounds, havelock, and around the harbour (some of the photos posted are ours) for a few years, and he and I ended up living onboard for a couple years, all the while he worked as an architect there! the rearmost port side berth in the main cabin may still have a fold-out drawing table under it. I lived there with my partner later on also. in 2007 Dad was taken by cancer and I inherited the boat. Sadly I’m not a particularly nautical person, and it became apparent that i was doing her no favours by putting off some much needed restoration work. I sold her to a young couple who lived onboard at chaffers for a while.
It’s great to see the photos up on display! really brings back some memories of quite an important little bit of my life!
One of the better stories from my time with Mataroa was being in my last year of school, and a friend saying his father and grandfather were wandering at the marina and had found a boat the grandfather had driven during the war. it took only a small amount of figuring to realise he was talking about Mataroa. Granddad was Bluey Barnes (forgotten his actual first name sorry! this can all be revised), the 18 yearold mentioned on your site by Kevin. Dad met with Bluey and took him out for a spin, apparently his stomach wasn’t what it used to be by this point. Somewhere i have a couple of copies of photos from Bluey, one of his boat boy topside, and another of her absolutely loaded with troops. I hope copies of these photos made it into the boat’s files, otherwise i can try and dig them out. Kevin also mentions a tape recording of Bluey’s exploits which i have too, but havent played since dad recorded it.
There are a couple more stories floating around i think, let me know if you want me to dig up any of them, or the photos and tape. I can also find a little more out about Bluey, sadly he passed away a year or two ago, but i still see his grandson regularly.
Cheers and thanks for getting Mataroa up on the net for all to see, she’s missed out on a lot of due credit over the last few years. great to see some photos i haven’t before.
thanks,
Manu PB
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