Recently Alistair Rowe sent in the two photos above of wooden vessels berthed at Westport marina.
Alistair described them as crusty old work boats, but I think he was being overly nice. If they were up any of the rivers, creeks in and around Auckland I think it would be a pretty safe bet that the Harbour Master would have removed them.
The boat in the top photo appears to have an oil/fuel boom around her, but the boom looks as old as the boat….
Forecast for the long Easter weekend is evil so leaving the marina will be a challenge – have already cancelled my mooring booking at Kawau Island.
You have to feel sorry for the Kawau Boating Club, seems of late every long weekend sees an unfavourable weather forecast . Fingers crossed things improve for the legendary ANZAC Day dawn service at KBC.
Last week Andrew Motte-Harrison commented on one of the stories that he had a old kauri launch ’currently deteriorating behind his farm hay shed’.
Andrew believes she was originally named STELLA and alsp possibly named TOILER at another time. Possibly built c.1910>15 by Lane Bros in Christchurch (thats a new one, was there such a place?). Andrew described STELLA as a line fishing boat.
Andrew also commented that when they had her up at the Nelson Marina, talking to an elderly boat builder up there years ago, he passed on what he understood to be some of her history. He thought she had been working out of Bluff, Hokitika and perhaps Oban in years past (back then)
As the photos show the boat is in need of some serious TLC, starting with a few hours with a water blaster- inside and out. And maybe a session with a tungsten tipped chainsaw and then a new cabin. Her hull deserves saving.
The last photo was taken over 20 years ago, before being hauled out.
So southern woodys anyone looking for a project, STELLA is located 20 minutes south of Murchison, approx. 2 hours out of Nelson.
INPUT ex DICK HALL – Built by Ernie lane in Picton for the Boese family with a low cabin and rails instead of bulwarks. Later purchased by well known fishing identity Jimmy Aldridge and converted by Jack Morgan with new wheelhouse, bulwarks and new air-cooled Lister. Jim crayfished mostly outside Tory Channel. Next owner Alex McKenzie from Blenheim who re-named her Toiler but after a few years sold her for a bigger vessel. Fished out of Picton all her life before going to Nelson for pleasure conversion. Her original name was Elaine then Toiler. Never Stella while in Picton
Todays photo was sent in by Heather Espin and comes to us ex a photo album from Bryan Walden. Walden was one of the first boat brokers in Auckland and he categorised the boats he sold.
The location to me appears to be Wellington and the boat has a the distinct look (double-ender) of a vessel that would have crossed Cook Straight with ease.
Can anyone confirm the location and put a name to the launch.
The above photos were sent in by Glen Martin from a recent trip. The boat of main interest was STAR DRIFT that we have been keeping an eye on for several years – still no activity of note but the small fly-bridge has gone west at some stage – we like that.
Anyone able to put a name to the boat in the last photo.
Scrapping thru the WW archives I came across an email dated March 2020 from Peter Grant that appears to have slipped between the deck cracks.
We understand that the photos above were taken by Whites Aviation and later hand colourised. They were once (might still be) hanging on an office wall in Queenstown. Peter commented that the location appeared to be Wakatipu and the vessels looks to be a double-ended ex-work boat. Anyone able to put a name to the vessel.
HDML KUPARAU – BROKEN INTO AT DARGAVILLE So keep your eyes and eyes open if anyone in the Dargaville area is trying to offload a GPS / Depth Sounder & Chart Plotter – call the police please.
Woody John Dawson sent in the top photo above and commented that he saw it on Phillip Carey’s – Carey Boats fb. All we know is she is named GEM.
In the second photo, from April 2020 WW story, we see GEM (#48) post launching. In the 2020 story we learnt from Richard Tosswill that GEM was built by Roger Carey pre. 1961. Sadlly in Dec 1962 she was lost at sea, later confirmed with the discovery of the wreckage.
GEM was 30′ in length and had wonderful lines and that stern …………
Can we learn more about her e.g. was she built as a workboat and if so what was her role.
30-03-2025 INPUT ex IAN MILLER – GEM was built in 1961 by Roger Carey, of Picton, for Fred Hall, a crayfisherman operating from Tatapouri, north of Gisborne. She replaced Fred’s previous boat, Clyde. Sadly, on 27th December 1962 GEM foundered at sea during a storm, extensive wreckage coming ashore north of Tatapouri, but Fred was never found.
More information can be found in the book, BY BOATS WE LIVE, a book about all the boats Roger Carey designed and built, or just designed. It was written and illustrated by Roger’s daughter, Joan Clark, an accomplished artist whose drawings and paintings illustrate each of the more than 40 featured in the book.
On Tuesday we ran a mystery launch story around an old b/w photo of the 1919 Bailey & Lowe built launch ATATU, given her rebirths over the years its not surprising tha no one was able to ID her, other than Nathan Herbert who supplied the photo to WW.
Fast forward to yesterday and we were contacted by owners of ATATU, Frank & Cynthia Stoks – Frank tells the story below –
“ I never saw her as pictured in Tuesdays WW story as she was seriously changed several times since we took over, over 30 years ago and rebuilt her from the gunnels up.
Had I been able to see the etching of her name in the skylights or the tufted name embossed carpets or the Atatu- labelled Royal Doulton crockery and teaspoons in the drawers- the poor resolution of the image didn’t allow this, I would have added these things to the porthole arrangement, canoe stern, cockpit canopy and twin masts to the list of things that made me strongly suspect it was her.
She is in fins shape and daily use in Picton. Often photographed by tourists. She it looks different from her earlier presentation because of the conversion to a Cook Strait fishing boat in 1947, and subsequent fishing boat changes over the years – plus we didn’t have the extensive history and photos upon embarking on our recovery of Atatu that we now have. Current engine is a CAT D330B. Installed in 1967 to replace a Leyland. Still going sweetly. “
Recently WW was sent the above photos by John Bottomley, who commented that his grandparents and recently passed father once owned the 1911 built KATOA in the Taupo area.
The family spent many holidays on her trout fishing and enjoying exploring bays and beaches of the lake.
John enquired about learning more about her, from construction type , designer, previous owners and where she is now and who is looking after her. Well some days the WW back library just rocks. I was able to suggest that John do a search in the WW search box and view the numerous past stories on KATOA that have appeared over the years. Do the same if you want to read about her past life.
Numerous woodys had sent in photos of KATOA docked at Nelson marina looking very unloved (top photo below), then in Nov 2022 we received the photos below of her post a serious dose of TLC.
26-03-25 INPUT EX OWNER – ANNIE BRYCE – Photos below from Havelock marina of KATOA and her ongoing makeover. She was built in Auckland by Collings & Bell, worked on the harbour. We have a copy of an article from the local Picton newspaper of her adventures in the Sounds. Plus a fifty year old log book some one dropped off for us at the Nelson marina before we moved her to Havelock marina.
Annie has promised to send in more intel on KOTOA, so updates soon.
27-03-2025 UPDATE below ex owner – Annie. Photo of KATOA on the move Nelson marina 2023 and video of her arriving at Havelock marina August 2023. + copy of newspaper article circa 1960-1970s.Annie also commented – ” we are still doing work on her after buying her in 2021 but she is not far away from being fit for purpose just a bit more paint inside some wood repairs and a new fish finder then it’s up the Sounds. She is a sound old boat we where lucky we found her timing wise any longer with no love she would of been in trouble, we have a lovely vintage skylight to be put in mid saloon. Will send more pictures when that is done, I am rather pleased with her new color scheme of the cream and duck egg. Blue I wanted something softer than the colours we threw on in Nelson when we first bought her to get her watertight,
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 15+ million views 