Today’s story has come about by 4 people digging me in the ribs – started off with Chris Manning letting me know that he had purchased Fleetwing, but not really for future ownership – more to protect her from future neglect & to secure a new owner that has the vision & passion to bring her back to the condition a vessel with her provenance deserves.
Next Nathan Herbert gives we a nudge, then Ian McDonald, then Cameron Pollard emails me, now if you know Cameron he is a man of few words (in emails) his message was “some woody needs to buy this”. And someone does.
Fleetwing is a 32′ kauri carvel planked hull, built at St Mary’s Bay, Auckland at the Collings & Bell yard, launched September 1920. She has spent the majority of her life in the Marlborough Sounds as a commuter and work launch.
No engine, no propeller, other running gear in place. No ancillaries/tanks. Hull appears sound and appears to have had significant refastening work done in the recent past. The deckhouse would benefit from the use of a chainsaw.
Currently lying on a mooring in Paremata. Can be shifted to Mana Marina Travel-lift if required.
Above are a couple of historic photos . The photos of her with the Aramoana green hull are as current.
So woodys if you are seriously seeking a historic New Zealand launch for refit or restoration then Fleetwing could be for you.
You can read more about her at the ww link below. You’ll find her list on trademe at $900 ono – yeap – $900.
12-11-2016 update ex Gavin Pascoe – In the colour photos the launch in the background is another Collings and Bell, named Surprise. Built for Cook Strait whaling again on the concave convex principle.
28-08-2018 Update
I’m very pleased to advise the after a 91 year absence the 1920 Collings & Bell launch – Fleetwing, has returned to her original waters… Auckland.
She joins the Pollard Bros fleet. Photo below ex Andrew Pollard.
More photos below of her at West Park Marina – ex John Wicks
Update 30-08-2018 Photo below supplied by Andrew Pollard – looking very quick 🙂
20-09-2018 Update – my spies sent in the photo below – rather a zoom zoom prop has been added – maybe the bros are doing the 2018 Rudder Cup race ????
29-09-2018 Another yard photo from Jason Prew, the guy should be working on his own boat 🙂
08-10-2018 Updated photo ex Andrew Pollard – looking very smart 😉
When Ian McDonald found the above boat for sale at Westhaven she was named “Beluga” as someone thought she looked like a little white whale.
Her history Ian was told is roughly this: Strip plank built in 1990 as a spec, to be a work or fishing boat, over 2 or 3 years when the Miller & Tunnage yard was quiet in Port Chalmers, then sailed to Nelson in the hope of an easier sale. She was sold from Nelson to become a long-liner out of Leigh. How she got to Leigh, Ian doesn’t know, maybe sailed up, maybe trucked.
In Ian’s words a trendy city fella bought her, post fishing, named her Beluga, and then sold her after a brief ownership. Ian bought her in 1998 having done a lot of sketches of what he would like to do to her, Ian commented that if one imagines her without the wheelhouse door, and no extension to the coach-roof aft, she wasn’t a pretty boat at all. Miller & Tunnage didn’t seem to go for topsides looks, but their hulls are beautiful.
Ian visited the Miller & Tunnage yard looking for a genuine bronze M & T name plate and was helped by the manager who sent the plate mould into Dunedin and had some cast, one of which should still be in the boat today. During the visit, the manager took Ian up to the mezzanine floor and showed him the frames still there, off which she was lofted. They had previously built the “Deborah” of the same frames, for the older, about to retire partner, which was moored just up the harbour at Deborah Bay. Ian showed them a photo of what he was doing and they said “that’s Signature” and, when Ian enquired as to how she was thus named, they told him that when any new build was about to begin, it required paperwork, description, who it was for etc, and, a signature, so that’s what she was called.
The extension to the cabin top, aft from the door to the stern was designed by Ian in conjunction with Mike German & Graeme Lyons ( German & Lyons Boat-builders), in 1998 and fitted by Mike & Graeme in the shed at Half Moon Bay hardstand, as was the wheel-house door which didn’t exist when Ian bought her. The teak cladding around the windows was also Ian’s idea. She was then powered by a 4cyl Isuzu and had a fuel capacity of 1,000 litres
Ian kept her until 2003 & she went on Jacob’s boat-haulage to Mana Marina & was sailed to Waikawa where she remained for a few years before once again being trucked north to appear again on the Waitemata. Then she was sold and appeared in Nelson, which is where Ian took the marina photo above in 2015. The second photo (of someone who resembles Ian, doing an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression), was taken just entering Port Abercrombie a few summers ago now.
In January this year Ian was at Mana Marina and spotted her being prepared for another trucking north and, Ian believes she now resides in Kerikeri.
This boat has done a lot of road miles 🙂 Anyone able to confirm her current whereabouts?
Photos below ex Dean Wright of Signature at Doves Bay Marina. Looking a tad different 🙂
Baden Pascoe forwarded me the above photos of Kahurangi ex Pepe d Miguel. The ‘old’ girl is looking very sharp & looking very much at home on the Med. classic sailing circuit. She was built by Percy Vos in 1952 & would have to be one of the prettiest yacht to slide down the Vos slip.
MANITOU – JF Kennedy
Check out the link to the video clip below to view JFK’s old yacht, Manitou. Same bloodlines as Dorade & Stormy Weather i.e. a Sparkman & Stephens (Design #90), she is one of Olin Stephens finest. Launched in 1937, LO= 62′, LW= 44′, Beam+ 13’9″, draft= 8’6″. She carvel & made from mahogany on oak frames. Rumour has it that Aristotle Onassis tried to buy her once. The open fireplace is very me 🙂
If you are interested – 4sale in France for USD$1.3 million – makes the sale price of our Rawhiti the buy of the century.
PENGUIN
Penguin the 34′ ex Navy survey tender has appeared on ww before (link below for full details). She recently surfaced on trademe, so thanks to Ian McDonald’s tip off, we are able to have a good peek down below. Enjoy – she will appeal to Russell Ward 😉
Next wet weekend when you have little to do, have a peak at the Auckland Libraries, Sir George Grey photo collection, its a gold mine of old Auckland photos. Nathan Herbert pointed me to the collection & while you have to troll thru a lot of average material, every so often you click on a nugget like the above photo of Crusader under full throttle at Great Barrier Island, photo taken December 1929. Given she was built in the winter of that year by Collings & Bell for the Rev. Jasper Calder and Charlie Goldsboro, the above photo could have been her maiden cruise.
To read more on the boat & view a selection of photos old & present day – click the link below
The launch Invader appeared on ww in early Sept 2016, looking a tad sad, being partially submerged (link below). This story prompted her owner for the last 30 years, (sadly the late) Morrie Dunwoodie to contact ww. Morrie’s uncle bought the boat in 1966. Morrie included the above photos & well documented details on her past. Ken Ricketts & myself have edited this into the story below. Sunken Invader Link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/09/13/sunken-launch/
The History of Invader (as told by Morrie Dunwoodie) Invader measures36′ with a 10′ 2″ beam & is a single skin hard chine, kauri hull & originally had a 6 or 8 cyl petrol engine, with an auxiliary wing motor, with a port side shaft. The wing motor was removed some time before the present owner bought her. She had been bought by Peter Harrison, in 1957, who owned her until 1959, at which time he sold her, because she as too slow, & had a 40′, 22 knotter built, to replace her, by Owen Woolley. Between the Laidlaw & Harrison ownership (later 1940s &/or early 1950s) she belonged to the Townsend family. It was during their ownership that she sank, as seen in the perivous ww story.
She was bought in 1959, by Jim Ansell of Hamilton & moved to Whangamata. He owned her until 1966. During his stewardship he repowered her with 75 Hp TS3 Commer diesel. In 1966 she passed to George H Morrison & remained moored at Whangamata Harbour. He did some upgrading adding sponsons, ‘Tauranga’ deck & new rails. George M. sold her in 1986 to Morrie J Dunwoodie of Thames, the boat is kept at Whangamata. He has replaced the 75hp Commer TS3 with a newer larger 117 hp TS3. In 1988 she underwent a refit with new windows, stainless rails, re-glassing of cabin tops. Then in 1995 replaced decks with ply, & glassed them. She was extended at the stern in 1998, by .9 of a metre to 42 feet. In 2004 Morrie added 3′ to her stern & a 3′ duck board. 2008 saw her get a major out of boat, engine overhaul.
Interested to uncover details on her builder & launch year?
07-05-2018 Update from Mark Dunwoodie
“Invader moved a couple of weeks ago from Whangamata to Hobsonville marina. Her new owners are fantastic people, an experienced sea family and passionate about her. Mum, my sisters and I are very chuffed.
Mark Erskine, Tom Hunt….thank you for your wise counsel in all matters since Dad’s death….and even more so, thank you from Dad for your long friendship and shared passion.
Dad was out on Invader with Uncle George as often as he could from the day George purchased her. From that time he only missed 1 or 2 of the annual end of February trips to Great Barrier….around 50 trips. As soon as we were old enough my sisters and I (and then our children) were regular crew on the daily summer and overnight excursions from Whangamata. Speed mightn’t have been her forte but her seaworthiness, easy layout and the steadiness given by hull shape made her a fantastic vessel.
With the contact from this website Dad had been reinvigorated to research Invader’s history and was enjoying it immensely. Ken, thank you for your kind comments, Dad was enjoying talking to you as well. In the past he had said that it was hard to get to the right people and records from Thames…but had recently been making progress.
I’m not sure where he got to researching her construction date.Uncle George had always said she was built by Lanes in 1936. When Dad lengthened Invader’s hull, he removed the original copper fish tank. The tank had a 1936 coin soldered into the side of the tank. With no hole behind the coin there seemed to be no other reason to put the coin there other than to mark the construction year. From the comments above it looks like this might not be the case.
Anyway, thank you to all.”
08-05-2018 – Update ex Ken Ricketts – overhauled 2008 Roots T23 engine being installe
11-05-2018 New photos ex Mark Dunwoodie
In the gallery below the b/w photo of her high & dry is on the reef, south side Whangaporoa Peninsula. Invader has had her share of oops – in another WW post she is seen submerged https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/09/13/sunken-launch/
Update from John Wicks – Invader hauled out at Hobsonville Marina Nov. 2020 for some TLC
This 45’9” 1966 classic trawler styled Carey motorboat is built using stripped planked kauri & powered by a 135hp Gardner 6LS engine. She was converted to a live-aboard & ticks all the boxes for what I call a floating bach.
Asking price on trademe is $249k, I suspect it will sell for less but what ever the price – it’s a cheap holiday home or a city waterfront apartment. Again thanks to Ian McDonald for sniffing this one out 🙂
Update from Ian McDonald
It would appear that the vessel is ‘Kaheno’ – desined by Carey of Picton & built in 1966 by Sinclair & Melbourne. She was once owned by the Salvation Army to service Rotoroa Island. She tragically sank with the loss of 4 lives in the Tamaki Strait circa 1986 whilst carrying timber as deck cargo from memory.
When I first saw the above two photos from the Tudor Collins Auckland Museum collection I had a chuckle, there has to be a story behind these photos. Venue most likely is Great Barrier Island. Photos emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.
Do we know any more about her?
Photos below ex Dean Wright of Mistletoe at Whangaroa Marina 2007. Nice to see she survived 🙂
25-10-2016 Update ex Alice Morrison
I recall seeing a very similar vessel called ‘Mistletoe’ in Houhora on 11 February 2016 (picture below). I wonder if she is Mistletoe I or Mistletoe II?
Cygnet was purpose built in 1913, as the original Cream Boat of the Mokau River.
After being fully restored in 1994, the Cygnet returned to its rightful place on the Mokau River; this time as the 2nd oldest passenger vessel in New Zealand. She measures 35′ & is powered by a 2012 Yanmar 30h.p. diesel. Most recently SGS (Safe Ship Management) inspected and certified in 2014 and still current.
The M.V Cygnet is currently on it’s newly built custom trailer being stored in a shed near the Mokau River (As it’s current owners are enjoying the benefits of retirement). This is a rare opportunity to purchase a piece of New Zealand maritime history & even earn a living.
photos ex trademe via advice from Ian McDonald
Do we know any more about her – builder etc?
Harold Kidd Input
She was built in Auckland and shipped down to Waitara for Sjolund of Mokau in July 1913, She was described as “on the tunnel style” 34ft in length, 7ft 6in in beam with a draft of 12 ins unloaded and 18ins with a two ton load. No hint of builder in that report but Baden thinks she is by T.M. Lane and Sons and that seems entirely likely. She was meant for the then flourishing Mokau River trade. Sjolund had several launches.
Ma Cherie was built by the Lane Motor Boat Co in 1962 for L.G. Foster of 4 Awatere Road, Hamilton. She measured 50’/14’6″/4′ and was powered with twin Ford 6 cylinder diesels. Her name was changed to Adi Kuila but owner Markham Thomson has done the right thing & gone back to the original.
You can find more details & photos on her past here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/22/adi-kuila/
Ma Cherie has just seen a major re-fit that included fiberglassed topsides, rot removed / rebuilt, rewired, starting/charging system upgraded, new interior, engines head jobs & new water tanks. She is looking very smart, in fact she even gets away with the hothouse up top, just the right height.
Details ex Harold Kidd.
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