Schoolhouse Bay Mystery Launches
Photo ex Simon Smith, courtesy of the Sir George Collection.
The above photo is Schoolhouse Bay, Bon Accord Harbour, Kawau Island.
Who can ID the launches – L>R?
I don’t know the answer, so my guess for the first 2 , starting on the left is –
1. Ngaio – the 1921 Arch Logan
2. Raiona (Mollie > Alcestis) the 1919 Joe Slattery
3. ?
4. ?
Lady Adelaide photo as per HDK’s request
A Day at Lowell’s Boat Shop
A friend of mine & ace photographer – John Burland snapped the photos below last week at the Lowell Boat Shop in Amesbury, Massachusetts, USA.
The shop was established in 1793 & Lowell’s is the oldest continuously operating boat shop in America and is cited as the birthplace of the legendary fishing dory. Located on the North bank of the Merrimack River, Lowell’s Boat Shop is now a non profit working museum dedicated to building classic wooden dories and skiffs.
They use a lot of yellow & green paint on their boats, its not that they bought a container load – yellow and green are traditional colours with the highest contrast for visibility in fog.
For more info – link the link below
http://www.lowellsboatshop.com/pages/lbshistory.html
click photos to enlarge 😉
Woody Report From A Far #3
My cub reporter sames to have reverted to his past – the latest trip report is all sail & even a steel one, I have sent a strongly worded note reminding him his lavish retainer is based on a supply of wooden motor boat articles 🙂
OLD IRON SIDES
Only in the USA – the USS Constitution 200+ years old and even though now a museum, she is still a commissioned warship. Despite her nick name her hull is 21 inches thick timber. Undefeated in battle she was feared by the British who gave her the nickname as they could not sink her.
PEKING
One of the last generation of great sailing ships, the windjammers. Peking was built in 1911 & not a woody as her hull is steel.She is permanently berthed these days at New York’s South Street Seaport.
MISS BRETT
Classic displacement launch Miss Brett, built for the famous cream trip at the Bay of Islands. 40′ loa, 10’9″ beam, 2’11” draft. Kauri carvel planked, launched 1924, powered by 100 hp 6 cyld Ford diesel.
Must be loads of history out there on this old girl. Designer / builder??
Sorry about the photos, ex trademe & very poor quality 😦
RATANUI
Ratanui” is a 31’kauri carvel planked bridge decker. A plate on board indicates a build date of 1928 but it is ‘thought’ a more likely build date is 1910-1914 & possibly by Bailey and Lowe in Auckland. She is powered by a Ford D-Series, model 2722E giving 7-8 knots cruising speed.
Currently based at Lake Rotoiti & used for cruises on the lake, both pleasure & commercially. If Ratanui rings your bell, she is for sale on trademe.
Would be interested to know any details & obtain photos of her before the plywood sheets were added.
SYBIL FRANCIS
This one might be easy but I suspect not – her trademe listing said she was built in 1935 & is 36′ three skin kauri planked with a 10′ beam. Powered by a 120 hp Ford diesel.
Currently based at Great Barrier Island & been earning her keep as a fishing boat, she has had one owner for the last twenty three years.
Anyone able to shed some light on the old girl?
Woody Report From A Far #2
Just when I was starting to think my cub reporter had done a runner & blown his advance on the tables in Vegas he files a report.
Rum Runner
A genuine 1929 rum runner boat. 52ft long. Top speed 45kts with original triple engine configuration. Now has a pair of 3126 Cats and can still haul 22kts with 50 passengers aboard. Has been epoxied and glassed 10 years ago. It is so mint Colin thought it was a modern replica.
Mystic Seaport Museum (just south of Newport RI)
3 lovely Herreshoffs, the green one belonged to Nathaniel himself.
NYC
If you need proof that there are very few original ideas in this world, check out (zoom in) on the masthead burgee of the yacht. The NYC have copied the CYA NZ burgee – yeah right 🙂
Making Rope The Old Way – the modern way is not that different
RAHEMO #2 Post
ww was contacted by the present owner of Rahemo & the information & photos the Rod Turner has supplied deserves its own post, read below
“The Chrysler Crown 125s I replaced were “mirror” or a contra-rotating handed pair. They were rugged and reliable, dedicated marine engines. No change of rotation occurred in the gear boxes. They were supplied and installed by Todds as New Zealand agents, not the Navy. Rahemo never had diesel engines before 1987. The “one family from new” is my mistake as I was not aware of Mr Butchers 2 year ownership. I thought the Todd family owner her from new. The Trademe listing was done by Vinnings Brokers. Rahemo returned to Auckland in the 1950s to be used for deep sea fishing in the Bay of Islands before making a second trip back to Wellington.“
Richard has supplied 2 photos of Rahemo on the hard showing her under-water hull shape & a stunning black and white is of Rahemo and another family boat, the “Maroro” taken in Onahau Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound in about 1948. Maroro is a Chris Craft from about 1932 still in his families ownership awaiting restoration.
RAHEMO #1 Post
Described as a Laing bridge decker & built in 1935, her kauri hull is 42′ long. Powered by twin 4 cyl. Volvo 130hp engines she has no trouble cruising at 10>12 knots. Her 4 sale listing states that she has had one owner from new.
Any one able to confirm & expand on what we know about Rahemo ?
Harold Kidd Update
RAHEMO was built in Auckland in late 1936 by Dick LANG (not Laing) at St. Mary’s Bay for R.W. Butcher of Hamilton as STRATHMORE. She was 42’x10’9″x3’6″ and powered with twin 90hp Chryslers. In 1938 she was bought by the Todd family of Wellington and motored down via Tauranga and the east coast in December 1938. The Todds renamed her RAHEMO. She was in NAPS out of Wellington in WW2 as Z76 and fitted with diesels. One TradeMe recently she was advertised as “one family from new”…………………….. not really.
PS R.W. Butcher sold ALCESTIS/RAIONA to Alf Seccombe when he had STRATHMORE/RAHEMO built and had RAWEA built when he sold STRATHMORE/RAHEMO. When RAWEA was requisitioned for RNZN patrol work in 1940 he bought RONGO. You can’t keep a good launch man down!
Photo below ex Paper Past – 15 Dec 1938 just prior to departing for Wellington, insert photo i of A. R. Clarke who skippered her.
VALERIE
Photos from Alan H & Papers Past.
Details from Harold Kidd & Robin Elliott
Valerie was built by the Lane Motor Boat Company & launched on 29 August 1929. Her owner was Mr. M. G. King of Whangarei. She is 35′ with a 9′ beam. When launched she featured two cabins & had a 35hp St Lawrence engine.
These days Valerie is kept at Whangaroa Marina and currently owned by John Briers and Jackie Te Hore of Cable Bay. Valerie was for many years owned by the Reynolds family, close friends of the Pickmeres, who owned her up until the late 1960’s. Apart from a short period in Auckland during the 1960’s she has spent almost all her life in Whangarei and the Far North. It is believed Valerie was sometimes used by H. Pickmere when he was charting the far north
In the colour photo above Valerie (r) is anchored with Robin Elliott’s Logan 33 replica, Lady Dorothy (l), off Milford Island in Whangaroa Harbour, Jan 2013.
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 15+ million views 