Awatea @ Thames

Mystery Launch @ Thames

Awatea @ Thames

Check out the mud berth, these guys must get a few seasons out of their anti-fowl paint, 1/2 the day they are high & dry 😉

The above photo was sent in by Nathan Herbert & we have no details on the launch. Aside from the luggage rack on top of the cockpit roof , she is quite a pretty ship, in my eyes.

Anyone able to tells some more about the vessel?

Update – a collection of photos below from Nathan Herbert & Ken Ricketts from over the years – my question is – whats the current name of the launch, can a Thames woody confirm she is named ‘Awatea” ? (It is – thx Jason P)

 

 

 

Updated Details (ex Ken Ricketts) Her original name was Flolaine after the owners wife Flo & daughter in law Elaine, & was built by & for Major (a Christian name) Bailey, in a shed, a behind his Caltex Service Station, (Southdown Motors),  in Penrose, in 1958. She is now Called Awatea. – She is powered by a 6 cyl 80/100 hp Ford diesel .
She was not built with a flying bridge but one had been added by an owner somewhere along the way, back around the 1970s/80s, when she was living at Westpark Marina.

The Baileys owned her for several years & replaced her with another 34′ launch Major B. built in the 1960’s called Christine (photo below)

CHRISTINE in the 1970's

05-04-2019 Update ex Sandra Hobbs

My father owned Awatea for well over 40 years, Arthur Anthony was his name and we moored her for many years at Half Moon Bay Marina and then Westpark Marine and finally Te Atatu Boating Club. Arthur renamed her Awatea the name of one of his father’s boats. My Grandad’s name was Mark Anthony and another boat of his was Rangi that was wrecked at Norfolk Island 1951 on there way to Sydney to Horbart. Arthur built the flying bridge on Awatea also put a new engine in and the bow thruster so he could manage her by himself. We have wonderful childhood memories of all the summer holidays away and the many many happy day trips with our own children. Arthur would of liked a yacht but with three girls in the family went for space and comfort. Awatea’s last few years with Arthur was on the hardstand at Te Atatu Boating Club where he visited her everyday to potter. His mobility wasn’t what it used to be but he could still get on her on the hard so that is where she stayed until his passing. A few weeks before his passing he said it was okay to sell her once he had gone. We are so pleased she is looking loved and giving another family happy memories. Thank you for all the happy memories. Sandra Hobbs

Shalimar

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Shalimar

To story features a 1967 Owen Wooley, sedan-top classic launch was built by Roger Priest boat builders & finished by Roy Parris using  2 skin kauri with solid timber coamings & is approx. 37′ in length.
Zoom zoom is via a 135h.p. 6 cyl Ford diesel, that sees her cruising at 8 knots.
She has enjoyed the same owner for the last 40 years & while very original this means she has retained her classic good looks 😉 (details ex Brain Worthington)

Any one able to tell us the name of this Tauranga based launch?

THISTLE – Sailing Sunday

THISTLE - SCOW - KAWAU -1940s -01

THISTLE - SCOW - KAWAU -1940s

THISTLE – Sailing Sunday

Last Sundays story on the scows on the Waitemata / Auckland Anniversary Regatta resulted in being sent the above photos of Thistle from the Tudor Collins collection at the Auckland Museum. Emailed to me by Ken Ricketts. The photos show Thistle at Kawau Island c.1940’s.

Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta
Click the link below to view some stunning classic sailing footage of the 1913, ‘Jolie Brise’ that placed 1st in the first race of the recent  Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall ships Regatta. The 2:30 minute video shows her at the start of the race out of Torbay. Enjoy 🙂

 

Copper Cowls
Picked up the cowls below, on trademe for $30, a serious bargain 🙂 But in real life a little bigger than I imagined (note to self – read the spec’s) Added to the ww stockroom – there will be a home for them one day.

Julia

Julia a

Julia c

Julia b

JULIA
Today’s story features another boat that caught Ross Dawson’s eye.  All we know about the double ender Julia is that she calls Nelson Marina home.

It would appear that Ross has a ‘thing’ for a nicely constructed ‘rear end i.e. a double ender. Ross commented that there is much published information about them…both pros & cons, but aside from all that, he just thinks they look good, further proof is his ketch Delight, which yes, it has a pointy stern 🙂

Do we know more on Julia?

Nunui

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

Foam a

Foam b

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

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

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?