Queenie On The Whangaroa Harbour
Woody Robin Elliott sent in the above photos of Queenie sailing on the Whangaroa Harbour over the xmas / ny period. Queenie was built by Logan Bros & launched January 1904 for James Kirker. She is a ’25-foor Linear Rater’. Her current owners are Henry and Theresa Roberts of Whangaroa.
REMEMBER AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY DAY REGATTA TOMORROW, GET OUT & ENJOY IT. ON THE WATER OR FROM ONE OF THE MANY VANTAGE POINTS 🙂
Rob & wife Sue Dorrington
MATAROA Re-Launched
Mataroa has just spent 10 weeks at the Evans Bay slipway, Wellington getting a very big dose of TLC. Owner Rob Uivel commented to me that he would like to mention how supportive and easy going the crew at the yard are, especially – Sven Beirenga and Peter Maherid, nothing was ever a problem.
Mataroa was built in 1928 by Joe Slattery & named Kenya when launched, she measures 36’ LOA & was originally built for Mr Heard of Heards Confectionary. Like most Slattery boats she is very pleasing to the eye & luckily for Rob Uivel has survived relatively as original. She has featured numerous times on ww so search her name in the ww search panel & you can see / read more.
While she was hauled out Rob concentrated on the exterior & as you can see he stripped the cabin sides back to Kauri and applied numerous coats of epoxy and varnish.
The paint colours used reflect what Rob thinks were the original paint scheme.
One interpretation of the name ‘Mataroa’ apparently is long nose – which from on deck, she certainly appears to have.
I’m aware that Rob bought Mataroa for a very modest sum because of rumours that she was suffering from electrolysis. While every hull fastening was connected by a maze of wires, she had suffered a wee bit but surprisingly little compared to other examples we have seen on ww. Needless to say the wiring has all been removed along with any superfluous hull appendages.
Mataroa was re-launched on Jan 21st 2017 & I have to say looks a lot smarter when I saw her for sale on trademe. Well done Rob & family 🙂 We look forward to seeing the interior work next winter.
PS – owning a pretty boat helps get a feature on ww but wearing a ww t-shirt in the photos gets you to the top of the waiting list 😉
BIG WOODY WEEKEND THIS WEEKEND – MAHURANGI REGATTA – I’LL BE POINTING RAINDANCE NORTH MID AFTERNOON TODAY, FORECAST LOOKS ACE, SO SHOULD BE A GOODY 🙂 LOTS OF PHOTOS 🙂
IF YOU ARE THERE IN A CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – JOIN THE LAUNCH PARADE ON SATURDAY MORNING. STARTS OFF SCOTTS LANDING AT 10.00AM.
MYSTERY BOAT
The above photos were sent in by Nathan Herbert & were taken on the Hokianga Harbour. Very sad to see this boat neglected like this.
So woodys – first one to correctly ID her wins a Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Regatta 2017 Calendar. Entries via the ww comments section.
TURONGO
Woody Alan Sexton was anchored in Orokawa Bay, Bay of Islands, last week & while doing a dinghy run ashore he spotted Turongo on her mooring.
All we know about her is that she was built by Salthouses following Trinidad. Alan believes she was originally powered by twin V8 Cummins & is still Cummins powered, the exhausts suggest a pair of largish engines.
So woodys can we provide some more details on her. Given her current presentation, she is very well loved
THE BIGGEST CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT GATHERING IN NZ
Photo by Mark Lever
This coming weekend sees the staging of the Mahurangi Regatta, without a doubt, on a fine day it is the most spectacular gathering of wooden craft afloat in NZ. For those that are newish to the waitematawoodys site, just type Mahurangi Regatta in the ww search panel & you can view the previous years regatta’s.
On the day the main gig is the actual Mahurangi Regatta yacht race but in recent times the classic launches have been doing a parade on Saturday morning. The regatta organizing committee are notorious for their laid back ‘it will be all right on the day’ attitude so things are always a tad fluid when it comes to start times etc BUT I can tell you that the assembly point will be off Scotts Landing, we will depart there at 10am (a vessell will sound its horn x3 times), so be there early. We will proceed in ‘Indian file’ to Sullivans Bay. Attempts in previous years to be in chronological order have been a shambles & nearly ended in fistie cuffs -so the order will be a gentlemanly thing i.e. just merge like a zipper 🙂
We will approach Sullivans Bay via the right hand side of the bay, past the flagship – Jane Gillord, from where a specially marked (red buoys) fairway should be roughly in line with the driveway to the right of the old homestead down near the beach. Refer photo below. And also view at this link http://www.mahurangi.org.nz/2017/01/18/small-buoys-in-sullivans-bay/
We will enter the fairway to port to motor across the bay along the red buoy fairway. We will exit the fairway on a bearing towards Pudding Island, clear of which will be a buoy, refer photo.
If all goes to plan, we will do two laps. Its really very simple, as there will be a lead boat, so just stay in line & follow her. NOTE: There will be a minimum of 2m water in the fairway area.
After the parade, boats can head off to enjoy the rest of the day. Remember, the beach side BBQ at Scotts Landing on Saturday night is a must do – BYO food & drinks but BBQ’s provided. The prize giving is schedule for 6.30pm but most people head ashore around 5’ish. The ‘Prohibition Big Band’ will be playing in the marquee till late.
Whether you own a boat or not there is something for everyone during the day – check out details here http://www.mahurangi.org.nz/2016/01/14/2017-regatta-programme/
When you go ashore, bring some cash – the Mahurangi CC Yearbook (magazine) at $15 is great value & as always a cracker read.
Photo by Chris Miller
Steam Yacht Preana
A good friend Nigel Golledge was recently in Hobart & spent some time mooching around the docks, not a lot else to do there 🙂 The stand out vessel a float was the S. Y Preana, a luxury steam yacht built by Robert Inches at his Battery Point (Hobart) boatyard in 1896.
She was built for the Hon. W. G. Gibson M.L.C. a wealthy Tasmanian flour mill owner. By the 1930s, Preana had slipped down the scale, and was sold to the Watt family and had been fitted out as a fishing vessel, with a scallop dredge. She was then converted by Mr. Charles Lucas to a fine motor yacht for his own use and for cruising. In the late 1930’s she passed into the hands of Mr. WJ. Clark, and was known as the motor launch ‘WJ. Clark’, and then changed into the hands of Mr Peter Ketchel and back to to the name Preana.
For many years she sat idle and engineless at her moorings off Battery Point. In 1985 she was shifted to new moorings at Prince of Wales Bay, but sank at the marina there in mid 1992. Thankfully for the Preana, perhaps the only serving Hobart built steam yacht in Australia, she was rescued by The Preana Trust. A team of volunteers have now restored her to her original condition so that once again the PREANA can grace the waterways of Hobart and the Derwent River. More details & photos here http://www.preana.org/Default.aspx
Below are a few photos of a display of 14′ ex navy clinker rowing dinghies awaiting restoration.
Below a poster promoting the upcoming Auckland Anniversary Weekend boat activity on offer. You will see mention of a Launch Parade on Saturday at Mahurangi – I will post more details on this tomorrow.
KORARA
Korara was built in 1962 by Snow Waters to a design by naval architect, John E. Powell, UK. The 37’6″ design is for a ‘sport- fishing’ motorboat which can cruise at a good speed in the rough conditions of the English Channel without slowing.
She is a very practical boat with an extremely well built kauri carvel hull. Zoom zoom comes from a 120hp Ford diesel that sees her cruises at 8 knots using very little diesel. While she probably can sail without the engine, her owner has never tried. She has a main stored on the boom under a brand new cover (beige, not shown) and a couple of headsails which have never been out. The main works excellently as designed, to steady her in a sea.
Some specs:
• There are two large plastic fuel tanks in a walk around engine room with about 5ft headroom. Engine room even has its own porcelain hand basin!
• Her propeller and rudder are bronze, the rudder being supported by a large, beautifully cast solid bronze shoe.
• Sleeping is via – 5 singles and 1 double berth.
• Decks are double (possibly triple) diagonally laid with no leaks and no movement save for the odd small seam crack.
• Coamings are all varnished teak including skylight, hinged 2 ways and removable all on bronze fittings, over the aft double cabin.
• Interior is in excellent condition, with all solid teak mouldings. Floorboards are teak and all wear areas are very thick teak (staircases, steps, handles etc)
• Gas stove / grill / oven is used very little. Water in 3 basins is fed from a header tank which is topped up by manual pump from a large stainless underfloor tank.
Korara is a special boat that has been fortunate to have been owned by a very talented & passionate woody. This owner is asking a very reasonable price – $75k ono, I hope a good buyer steps up soon & buys her, she deserve to be passed onto someone who will continue to appreciate her & care for her.
I’m not always a fan of the high gloss varnish coamings but Korara would look like a million dollars if you did the Uroxsys (Awlwood MA ) varnish treatment on her 😉
I very rarely post trademe links but I like the owners & I like the boat – so here you go – buy it.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/auction-1237123330.htm
Sandpiper – A Floating Motorhome
While not an oldie, built 1986 by Hodemaker in Wellington, she is a woodie – & has been in the same family since new. This is a go anywhere boat & has circumnavigated New Zealand about ten times and is extremely seaworthy. So if you were looking for the equivalent of a motorhome to tour NZ by sea, this would be it. Sleeps eight people in two cabins, has a toilet and two showers (one inside and one outside), a diesel heater for those cosy winter nights, oven, cooker, microwave, a three way fridge and a large fridge/freezer on the foredeck. The deck is massive as you can see in the photos.
For the specs – she is 43.62′ long, planked in kahikatea, powered by a very economical 127hp 6LX Gardner, has a 12kva generator, weighs 20 ton net, holds 2,000 litres of fuel and 1,000 litres of water.
4sale on trade me. Thanks to Ian McDonald for digging out the name & builder.
Woodys Cruising the Far North – Xmas – NY 2016/17
Bay of Islands based woody & professional photographer Dean Wright as always had his camera handy during his Xmas / NY cruise on board his classic Arethusa.
The vessels featured above are listed below, doesn’t Arohanui look a picture, wonderful advertisement for the team at Greg Lees Sandspit yard 🙂
Valerie is my pick, but I have a soft spot for straight stem tram-tops 😉
Arethusa anchored in the Rere Bay, Western Arm, Whangaroa on an oily flat morning.
Valerie steaming up the western arm
Defiance Whangaroa
Arohanui anchored at Milford Island
Sapphire anchored at Milford Island
Shandi anchored in Mangonui
Valiant anchored in Mangonui
Shalom coming into Orokawa last night along with 120 others
Unidentified canoe stern motor cruiser coming into Orokawa
Prowler, which Dean suspects is probably glass, she passed Arethusa as they went round Flat Island on the way to Mahinepua
WWII Q Boats
The above photos were sent to me by Craig Anderson, whose friend Peter Hull, father had been an officer in the navy during WWII and had a photo album of his early involvement in coastal defense. I have this great collection & will post more soon.
So the question today is – can you ID the location & the vessels in the top photo, including the yacht?
Is there a list of the Q numbers as allocated to vessels?
TAUPO EYE CANDY
Morning woodys – over the Xmas / NY break Paul Drake sent me the above photo that shows Romance (Bailey and Lowe 1914 – 26 feet and 6 inches LOA, 1947 Chrysler Ace powered) launch alongside the Acacia Bay wharf at Lake Taupo.
Alongside Romance is Dragon Hunter (Knaggs Brothers – she has a builder’s plate (photo blow) – 12 feet, St Mary’s Bay, Auckland, about 1930).
Both are rather fine classic’s – you can read / view more on Romance here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/22/8829/
and here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/12/21/romance-2/
