Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Maristella

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MARISTELLA

Info from Harold Kidd & Mark McLaughlin

Maristella was a 40 footer, built by Sam Ford in December 1936 for Mr R.W. Wills of Epsom and fitted with a 50hp Ailsa Craig diesel. During WW2 RNZN patrol service she was fitted with a Gray for spares rationalization purposes.

Maristella was for sale recently and was advertised as having a 4-71 Detroit. She was renamed “Faye Michelle” for a time and has now reverted back to Maristella.

The b/w photo shows her on launch day & minus the flying bridge.

New photos – 12/08/2014

20-09-2023 UPDATE ex John Wicks – Maristella spotted berthed at Hobsonville Marina

Lanai

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LANAI

photos & details from trademe

LANAI was built by Lanes for Frank Pidgeon of the Ace Tyre Company in 1949. Frank was shifted from Christchurch to run their Auckland operation in the late 1920s and had a succession of great launches. Frank owned her until 1953 when Vic Bedford bought her. In 1965 R E Thomas and J S Menzies owned her. She was first registered with the APYMBA with a single 106hp Graymarine and with dimensions 32’6″x 31’6″x10’6″x2’9″.

She originally had 2 x 6 cyl. Graymarine petrol engines, but is now re-powered with 2 x 4 cyl. Leyland diesels.
She is  presently berthed in Tauranga, owned by a Mr Neil, previous owners include Owen Johnson, who had her for many years & kept her at Coromandel & sometimes at Ngatea, where he was a panel beater. Owen Johnson sold her to  Rotorua owner, who sold her to Mr Neil.

In her original form, there was no fly bridge & the coamings were a fairly light coloured varnish. Another great example of the Lane craftsmanship

12-09-2016 – Updated photos

Freelance

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FREELANCE
Photos & details from Nigel Drake (owner)
Freelance was designed and built in 1964 by Owen Woolley for Ken Williams, an Auckland builder (Nigel thinks from Papakura).
She lived on a mooring in the Clevedon river but spent the summers in Tutukaka where she was well known with the game fishing fraternity. In 1978 Ken built Freelance II, a 45 foot Salthouse design (now also in Tauranga) and sold Freelance to Richie Hoban of Tauranga. Richie owned her for 32 years until his death in 2010. During the 32 years the family owned her they spent nearly every summer on the boat in the Mercury Islands and Great Barrier.
In 2010 she was put up for sale and Nigel purchased her in 2011. After a major refit she now continues to live in the Tauranga Marina at Sulphur Point and cruises the northern coast during the summer.

as always click photos to enlarge

Is This The Future?

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Is This The Future?

ESC. KEY

Esc.Key is a new solar electric riverboat recently launched by Denman Marine Australia.

The initial design brief was for a river launch that was similar in concept to the early 20th century Noosa River putt-putt boats which had a hard top to keep the harsh Queensland sun at bay.

The boat is constructed from strip plank western red cedar on celery top pine structural timbers. Fit out is Tasmanian blackwood and Huon pine. Decks and sole are laid teak. The hard top is 25mm core cell foam/western red cedar and celery top pine. She has a beautiful birds eye Huon pine table aft that lowers to form a day bed for those lazy afternoons.

She is powered by a Mastervolt Drive Master ultra 3.5kw 48V AC motor which pushes her along at a nice cruise speed of 4.5kts with max speed 6.5kts. She has a 450Ah 48V AGM battery bank which is fed by 1000 watts of thin film, high output Solbianflex solar panels on the hard top. At full charge, the boat is energy neutral at 4kts.

The engine was small enough to have it completely below the sole and the set allows you to cruise along with no noise/fumes or the smell of diesel, definitely the way of the future.

DESIGN SPECS

LOA (feet): 23′

0″
Beam (feet): 8′

4″
Type/Rig/Power: electric powered river launch
Home Port: Noosa, Queensland , Australia
Designer Name: David Payne/Imagineocean Yacht Design/Denman Marine
Builder Name: Denman Marine
Launching Date: February 18, 2014

 

Caledonia – info wanted

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Caledonia
Caledonia
Caledonia
Caledonia

CALEDONIA

Details & photos from Richard Gordon

Caledonia was built in Auckland in 1956 as a  11 metre ketch. If you believe the old sales document (copy attached below) her designer was a gent or company called ‘Knaggs’.

Richard bought Caledonia, initially in partnership with Don Wilson in 2009. Previously Don was in partnership with Dave Johnson, these two bought the boat off trademe in approx. 2002-3. She had been kept at Milford Marina & owned by a father & son. These owners advised she was built by a father & grandfather, the GF supposedly having worked at Bailey.
Between 1984 – 1988 it looks as if she may have been based in Thames – Coromandel judging by an incomplete log book, her call sign was ZMV3644.
Richard is based in Mana, Wellington & lives aboard Caledonia & reports she is a great Cook Strait boat and Sounds boat.

Richard is interested to find out more about her history. Can anyone help or point him in the direction of someone that can?

Click link to view old sales doco caledonia

As always click on any image to enlarge 😉

Lamorna

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Lamorna c1950 Lake Taupo

LAMORNA

photo & details ex Paul & Nigel Drake

Lamorna was built in 1937 by Colin Wild for J Blundell & specifically designed for trout fishing on Lake Taupo. The photo above was taken in the 1950’s.

As boys, on the Lake, the 4 Drake brothers admired Lamorna from the family’s C&G 22 footer Sir Francis – which they still use constantly today. Paul Drake recalls his father telling him that Lamorna had twin engines that were fully exposed with a chrome rail on each side of the alleyway their only protection from stumbling bodies.

Lamorna was for sale on trademe for a long time until reasonably recently. She looks very different now, with a new dodger extending forward, and the usual fully enclosed fly-bridge. See photos below ex Nigel, taken of her moored off Herald Island – note,  these do not show the full extent of the fly-bridge.

Below are three great photos from Lamorna’s past. Thanks to Harold Kidd for pointing the Papers Past links  to me 🙂

14 September 1937 – at Colin Wild’s Stanley Bay yard

16 November 1937 – Undergoing sea trials on the Waitemata Harbour prior to being trucked to Lake Taupo

25 November 1937 – being loaded for transport overland to Lake Taupo. Love the truck !

An Update from Steve & Dylan Needham – 18/10/2014

Here are some photos of Lamorna since we took possession of her at Herald
Island Auckland. Starting with survey and then taken to Geoff Bagnal’s yard
to make Lamorna sea worthy for the Cook straight crossing. Transport to Mana
by truck as you can see we had to cut the flying bridge off because of one
bridge. Looked quite good without it but we decided to re-attach it and then
made the voyage to the Marlborourgh Sounds where Lamorna is berthed at
Havelock where we are restoring her. We have had a lot of fun with her and
look forward to summer.

Tainui

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TAINUI

photo & details ex Murray Willis

It is believed that Tainui started life as a Auckland Harbour Board work boat. Built in 1967 by according to her owner someone or thing called ‘BOSS’ ?
Her construction is 1×1/2” Kauri plank Carvel. She is round bilge and 38 ft long.

Tainui is moored next to Murray’s launch Marguerite in Whangaparapara at Great Barrier Island where she has spent the last 10 years. The current owner purchased her from a bloke in Plimmerton and sailed her up the east coast to the Great Barrier Island.
More details on her past would be appreciated.

Due to poor health she is for sale but not listed nor advertised any where, if you are interested, contact Murray at jan.murray@xtra.co.nz

 

On- Line Classic Yacht Magazine

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On- Line Classic Yacht Magazine

Ok after yesterdays bombardment of photos of classic kiwi launches I thought today I’d share with you a digital magazine from the USA, remember that the boys in the states call almost anything that floats a yacht, so its a mix of power & sail.

Below is a link to a PDF file to view, but if you want to experience the embedded videos & see the double page spread photos in all their glory, click the link to the on-line version.

I hope this all works – I’m sure someone will post & tell me if it does not.

Enjoy

Click for PDF classicyachtmayjune2014

Click below for on-line viewing

http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/ClassicYacht/classic-yacht-may-june-2014/2014053001/#0

Relax-Ay-Voo

Image

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Relax-Ay-Voo

RELAX-AY-VOO

I know little about this very pretty 9m launch other than she was designed by Bruce Askew & is currently owned by John Duncan & resides on Lake Rototit.
For one of the ‘modern day’ designers Askew has a very good eye for what a classic should look like.

Any one able to shed some more light on her?

The above photo was taken at the 2014 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade

Thistle

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THISTLE
Todays post is a little left field in that it relates to a boat in Australia, with kiwi link. I was contacted by Greg Cash who has recently purchased the boat & is trying to find out more about her design & whether others similar were built & still exist today.Alan H

Some history – Cyril Griffiths was born in Devonport (Tasmania) in 1888. His Mother died when was 11 years old. He went to New Zealand to live with an Aunt and Uncle, Sir Thomas and Elsie Mackenzie nee Griffiths. Thomas Mackenzie was Prime Minister of New Zealand.
While he was in New Zealand he was an apprentice carpenter – boat builder.
He went from New Zealand to the 1914 -18 war.

After the war he returned to Tasmania and married Mary Frances Black.
He worked at Waratah as a carpenter in the mine for 10 years. He had 3 daughters.
He built 2 boats at Waratah, including the Thistle (c.1928) using a design he’d brought back from New Zealand -19’8″ in length, 6’9″ beam, huon pine with and inboard motor and sails.
Greg has been told it is a hard chined carvel hull, but knows nothing more than that and anything waitematawoody readers can add would be greatly appreciated.

The Thistle was used as one of the first tourist/fishing hire businesses on the Western side of Tasmania. It later became part of a ferry service across the Arthur River in North-west Tasmania for 20 years (see b/w ferry photo with boat attached), and was the Arthur River town boat until the 1980’s when it was retired to a farm dam and paddock. It was restored in 2011, and Greg bought it in 2014.

I have grouped the photos in two sections – old & as found + today.

As always with ww you can enlarge all the photos for viewing just by double clicking on one.