Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Alma G & Alma G II

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ALMA G & ALMA G II

photos & detail ex Harold Kidd

Here is the first of a series of game fishing images taken by Tudor Collins at the Bay of Islands, which Harold would guess to be from the period around 1950-55 . The images were bought at a flea-market by Sharon Knight who has made them available via Harold for all of ww followers to relish.
This first one (today) shows ALMA G on the left and ALMA G II on the right.
ALMA G was built by Collings & Bell for E.C. Arlidge in 1922, the first of a series of splendid 35-36ft game-fishing launches built to Charles Collings’ renowned concave-convex planing hull design for the Bay of Islands. Her original configuration was the same as ALMA G II alongside her in this pic. ALMA G II was built as ZANE GREY for Mervyn Arlidge (for use by Zane Grey) in 1927. Other similar launches were MANAAKI and OTEHEI for F. Elliott (1927), LORNA DOONE for A. A. Holmes (1927) and AVALON for Peter Williams (1927). All were fitted with 6 cylinder Redwing 85-100hp marine engines.
Zane Grey’s visits to New Zealand with his mates caused an explosion of interest in game-fishing and added lots of US dollars to the NZ economy, culminating in the Collings & Bell’s commission from Zane Grey to build the 46 footer FRANGIPANI for fishing in Tahiti, launched in 1932.
ALMA G appears to have had a recent modernisation. Does anyone know when this done and who was the builder?

Photo below of ALMA G in her original configuration c1950, before the alterations.

Update ex Bruce Overhill
Bruce spent many hours on the refurbished Alma G in 2004 chasing Marlin. He commented that she can still catch them and was holding her own against all the big boats in the Bayleys fishing competition out of Whangaroa Harbor.

Below are a couple of photo to show the changes that she has had done.

28-04-2016 photo below of Alma G ex Hylton Edmonds via Ken Ricketts

ALMA G II - H Edmonds

Matahui

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MATAHUI

Lindsay Aitcheson, the new owner of the motor-sailor Matahui would like some input from the collective brains of ww followers.

It is Lindsay’s understanding that Matahui was designed by Athol Burns & launched into the Waiwartu  Stream in Wellington in 1955 (refer above photo ex Turnbull Library). Lindsay understands she was built as a fishing boat to long-line in Cook Strait. The builder is unknown but ‘could’ be Frank Dellabarca as he built several Athol Burns designed fishing boats e.g. MV Cristina (featured previously on ww).

Anyone able to shed some light on Matahui & her past??

06/11/14 -Updated with more photos from Lindsay Aitcheson (click to enlarge)

14/11/2014 Two photos of Matahui below ex Pam Cundy when owned by Tim Hall , he used her as a commercial fishing boat. He sold her to build another commercial fishing boat, ‘Skip Jack’ a 38′ Aztec. These days Skip Jack operates as a charter boat out of Gulf Harbour.

Queen Mary

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QUEEN MARY

photos & details ex Alan Craig. edited by Alan H.

Alan owns this Sea Craft 19′ in Rotorua named ‘Queen Mary’. The Queen Mary is a very lucky boat because Alan is a boat builder at Tony Mitchell’s yard in Otaramarae at Lake Rotoiti.
When Alan caught the ‘wooden boat bug’ he started looking for a project and found the Queen Mary on trademe in Rotorua.

Rumour has it that it was built as one of three to take the Queen Mother trout fishing on Lake Taupo for her visit in 1966.  Alan has been told her visit was proposed in 1964 as she fell ill. She came in 1966 but there was no time for fishing apparently.

The build date of the boat is unknown but the below Sea Spray article from April 1964 talks about the 17 footer and smaller ones built, but no mention of the 19′. It may have been the ‘privately owned’ boat mentioned? Alan guessed that there would have been a certain amount of secrecy around them. Alan has dated the engines (1500 Ford Cortina) at 1963 via the serial numbers.

The Queen Mary was a deviation by Sea Craft from the production boats at the time and was right up there with style also. Her hull is beautifully built double skin kauri, being diagonal inside and longitudinal outside (varnished)
It was owned by Internal Affairs and it was only put up for sale in the 1980’s. To who, we don’t know?

Alan is slowly bringing her back to life after having been left outside to rot away for the last few (10?) years. The photos are as found and progress through the rebuilding of side decks to recently painted deck and a bit of varnish inside. The side and aft deck were worst affected and parts of the cabin sides, but the hull remains in very good nick. She sits on the original trailer.

Alan’s not sure about ‘Queen Mary’ being her original name and is very interested to know about the yellow registration sticker for the Port of Tauranga that is in the window?

Someone else must have seen her around somewhere, perhaps Taupo? Of particular interest would be clarification of the royal link.

Included below are photos of two boats, Arohanui (x2 being launched) which was once owned by Nathen Herbet’s father and the one with the three blokes that was sent to Alan by Lionel Sands from when they had one at Waihaha Lake Taupo in the early 1960’s. None of these can be Alan’s as they both have painted hulls.

More photos of Arohanui (ex Nathan Herbert)

A Woody Labour Weekend

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Lucille & Ngaio – 2 Logans

A Woody Labour Weekend

The weather split the CYA classic fleet in two this Labour weekend with some heading to Kawau for the opening of the ‘new’ Kawau Boating Club. From all reports it was a blast & well done to those that made the trip. The photos below of Kawau are from the camera of Margo & Jamie Hudson (Lady Crossley).
A selection of classic launches mooched around Waiheke Island & with the weather forecast –  Onetangi Bay was the most popular spot. We had to share it with a rather large number of plastic boats, I think every Rivia in Auckland was there, but for once they behaved & the hum of the gen-sets  was almost bearable 🙂
Waiheke photos ex me (I took a few more ,but they will be ‘Mystery Boat’ posts)

PS If you were away on the boat or at the bach, you may have missed the last 4 ww posts, which featured the boats of Norm Fairlie. Stroll down to enjoy 😉

WAIHEKE ISLAND

Raindance
Sea Fever
Lucille
Ngaio
Happy Dog + a Rivia owner

KAWAU ISLAND

Trinidad – Lady Crossley
Ferro

Somethings wrong here – why is the oldest rowing?

Dick Coughlan

Outstanding In Her Field

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Outstanding In Her Field

photo ex Nathan Herbert

Spotted on the road to Kaiaua (Firth of Thames), 34-36′ , twin screw – if anyone can ID her they will gain legend status on ww 🙂

Sorry for the corny headline – couldn’t help myself 🙂

Sailing Sunday 19/10/14 – Ranui

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Ranui @ Salthouse wharf 2014

Sailing Sunday – Ranui

Ranui was relaunched Monday 13th after a 3 month full hull refit at Salthouses. Owner Richard Allen had lots of nice things to say about the Salthouse yard, ” really performed and they are special , providing owners with use of their facilities and advice without charge and with a wealth of knowledge and practical advice gained over 60 years building many of the finest of  ‘Waitemata Woodies’ . All traditional boaties need to remember Salthouses yard, which of course has its own dock facilities, 2 slips and various moorings in Greenhithe. Of course if you want a high tech carbon racer they love doing those too.”
Ranui would be one of the best document vessels on ww so to view / read more – click here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/21/sailing-sunday-ranui/

And as a bonus –  I have included some USA photos sent to me by Randell Colker of the boat he built & has just launched. Randell & his partner Shirley Estes visited NZ in 2012 & I secured them a spot crewing on Thelma in the CYA Classic Yacht Regatta. Randell said it was the highlight of their trip down under, so much so they are coming back in late Feb/March of 2015 & hope to catch the regatta again.

Mystery Launch 16/10 – Doris

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Mystery Launch 16/10

photo ex Heather Reeve ex trademe
The description on this post card says “Oldest wooden & stone buildings in NZ. KeriKeri Bay of Islands.”
Who can ID the launch?

Both Baden Pascoe & Harold Kidd have ID’ed her as the Fullers launch ‘Doris’

Lady Gillian

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Lady Gillian

After yesterdays visual explosion of boats & related bits, I thought I would give your eyes a rest & put your brains to work i.e. test the research powers of ww out. All I know about Lady Gillian is the she is currently somewhere in the South Island. So folks what do we know about her?

ps people viewed yesterdays post 4,315 times, that is the second highest one day viewing, the highest being my first post on the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard, that tells me ww people share my fondness for what Pam & George are up to in that old red shed 🙂 If you missed it , just scroll down.

 

CYA Launch Group Road Trip

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CYA Launch Group Road Trip

While the CYA yachties were having their 1st race of the season on Sunday, the launch group hit the road & headed north to Whangateau for a shed visit to check on the progress of ‘Laughing Lady’ at the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard. Good planning ensured we were there at high-tide, so we got to see all the old girls afloat. Regular readers of ww will have seen photos of the yard from my previous posts but today was special to share Pam & George’s magic space with a bunch of serious wooden boat nuts.

James Dreyer gave a brief talk on the the history of LL & how the restoration was coming along. Probably the best question of the day & best answer was – “Are you taking her back to the USA” – “No, she is here to stay, the Waitemata & greater Hauraki Gulf is her new home”.

Post the shed visit we headed up the hill to Carolyn & Shane Anderson’s (MV Waimiga) stunning property for a a tasting of locals wines & their own estate olive oil. A BBQ followed & then a coastal walk.
There are plans to make this trip a regular on the launch calendar.

A big thank you to Pam & George from Whangateau Traditional Boats + Carolyn & Shane. And James Dreyer for letting us all crawl over Laughing Lady 🙂

Enjoy the photos – click any to enlarge – I took so many, this is just a random selection, I’ll post more over time.

Shane,Pam & George

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #5 – Matanui 1955

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Matanui 1955

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection – Matanui 1955

waitematawoodys would again like to thank Robert Brooke for making the remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Today’s post is the fifth of several – enjoy.

The above drawing records the travels of Matanui during a ‘boys’ weekend fishing trip in 1955. They departed early Friday evening & returned on Monday morning. A lot of ground was covered with the Needles being the targeted location to the north & Elephant Cove to the east. From the sea state drawing & comments, it must have been a little rough between Elephant Cove & Shag Rock.

The crew was made up of Jack Brooke, Joe Kissin, John Ellis & Scott Wilson. Interestingly the crew did the same trip 11 years later – I will post that drawing next week.