Category Archives: Non Waitemata

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ALBERTA – 4sale

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LAKE ROTOITI CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ALBERTA – 4sale

The classic 1913 wooden launch – ALBERTA was designed and built by H N Burgess, in Parnell, Auckland.

Alberta is a woody that I have always admired when visiting Lake Rotoiti, she has a rather prominent waterfront berth and is one of those lucky craft that looks dam near perfect from any angle. 

Her specs are 28’ in length and has a beam that would make her a trailerable classic – given the cost of a marina berth in most NZ cities thats a serious bonus.

Powered by a 30hp Lombardini, new in the boat approx. 5 years ago, with 138 hours on the clock – not a lot of places to go to on the lake 😉

Configured currently as a day / picnic boat she is all good for overnight / weekend cruising.

Fresh from a visit to one our best classic boat yards (Craig Marine) where she had a refresh to paint and varnish work.

Starting to sound like a woody 4sale advertisement – well she is. And probably the buy of 2024, even allowing for transporting her back to the Waitemata and setting her free again 🙂

Link here to a 2022 WW story – lots more photos and links to previous ALBERTA stories https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/09/15/alberta-a-peek-down-below/

Interested parties contact her owner Jon Dustin for more details – honedustin@gmail.com

INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE  – I came across the photo below of ALBERTA which I took in 2006 at North Harbour Marina. Pre Rotoiti days and without a dodger.

LOOKING FOR HELP IDENTIFYING THIS WOODEN BOAT

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LOOKING FOR HELP IDENTIFYING THIS WOODEN BOAT

Todays woody story could be a long reach – but the woody universe is longer, so fingers crossedHarold Kidd was recently counted by Lindsay Woodward regarding the launch – MINERVA, that Lindsay believed was once her grandfathers (Charlie Woodward).    

Harold commented that he was pretty sure the launch in the photo supplied by Lindsay is not her grandfather’s MINERVA. Records show that the grandfather’s  launch was a 30 footer built c.1912 by Miller & Tunnage in Port Chalmers. The vessel pictured above is much bigger and a later build. Harold also is of the belief that the location of the photo may be Port Levy, Banks Peninsula, South Island.

So woodys can we put a name to the above launch and possibly learn more about her.

Input From John Gander: The photo looks like the Claud Wells boat “Noeline’ 45’ x 11’ 1932 and built for the French Pass D’Urvile island mail run


NOT TO LATE TO RSVP FOR NEXT SATURDAYS WOODY CRUISE TO THE RIVERHEAD PUB FOR LUNCH

RSVP – TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLASSIC GAME BOAT – ALMA G II – RE-LAUNCHING CEREMONY 

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CLASSIC GAME BOAT – ALMA G II – RE-LAUNCHING CEREMONY 

Yesterday we covered the relaunching of the 1927, Collings & Bell built game boat – ALMA G II.

Co owners (brother & sister) Shelly and Brett Arlidge, grand children of the original owner – E C Arlidge, hosted a very proper ceremony, with a welcome, a history of the boat, a Waiata and formal blessing. With the restarts of a working boat yard in the background and large crowd I have attempted to record the ‘formal’ parts of the ceremony – TURN YOUR VOLUME UP.

One of the missions of waitematawoodys is to archive this content for future review and reference. I encourage you to spend a few minutes and take in the wisdom being shared. 

THE WELCOME

HISTORY OF ALMA G II

WAIATA

BLESSING

CLASSIC 1927 WOODEN GAME BOAT – ALMA G II RE-LAUNCHED – 45 Photos & Videos

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CLASSIC 1927 WOODEN GAME BOAT – ALMA G II RE-LAUNCHED 

For the last 18+ months WW has been following closely the refit / restoration of the 1927, Collings & Bell built game boat – ALMA G II.

On Wednesday I pointed the car north and attended the re-launching celebration at Opua, in the Bay of Islands.

Today is about sharing the day with all the WW readers – In previous WW stories (links below) we have extensively covered her past and how she progressed to what we are viewing today.

Tomorrow on WW we will run the videos I recored of the speeches, Waiata and blessing.

Co owners (brother & sister) Shelly and Brett Arlidge, grand children of the original owner – E C Arlidge, are to be commended for ensuring ALMA G II will still be cruising the Bay of Island waters in 100 years time.

I really like the interior fit out, its a take on the old school look and she even sports a reconditioned Ford Lees 130hp diesel engine, no ‘black box’ electronics connected to this engine.

Boatbuilder Craig McInnes and the team at CMC Design have excelled themselves with this project.

The game chair and salon table are original 1927 items.

The gallery of photos comes to us from the cameras of yours truely  and professional B.O.I. photographer Dean Wright. As always click on photos to enlarge 😉

Restoration #1 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/01/restoration-of-alma-g-ii-begins/

Restoration #2 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/12/06/alma-g-ii-restoration-update-2/

Restoration #3 & #4 https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/08/14/classic-wooden-launch-alma-g-ii-restoration-updates-3-4/

THE PEOPLE – A fantastic number of people turned out to celebrate the re-launch, seems anyone and everyone with a link to the boat or game fishing in the Bay of Islands was there.

MYSTERY WAIKAWA WOODEN LAUNCH

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MYSTERY WAIKAWA WOODEN LAUNCH

Last week we ran a story on a very salty looking launch named JOAN, moored at Waikawa, Picton. In that photo (2nd above) there was a another launch moored closer in. Several woodys asked about her and now today, again thanks to Jason Prew we get a better look at the vessel.

Can we learn more at the launch.

28-11-2024 INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – Maybe NGATEA ex Mana, Wellington

Pointed the car north yesterday to attend the re-launch of a very historic classic game boat – tease photo below – full report on Friday.


CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH RAIONA – DOCKSIDE 

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH RAIONA – DOCKSIDE 

Back in July 2022 we had a superb insight into the 48’ 1919 Joe Slattery built launch – RAIONA as she exited the Colin Brown / Josh Hawke yard – links below. Her interior is so impressive.

I spied RAIONA recently dockside at Sandspit Marina and very happy to report she is being so well cared for. How goods that clinker dinghy, her 48′ make it look just right.

RELAUNCH https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/09/raiona-relaunch/

DOWN BELOW https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/11/raiona-a-peek-down-below/

24-08-2025 UPDATE ex Kiwi Classics – hauled out for annual maintenance at Sandspit Boat Yard

HAVE YOU RSVP’ed FOR THE WOODY RIVERHEAD TAVERN LUNCH CRUISE – RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLASSIC SOUTHERN WOODEN LAUNCH – JOAN + CYA Spring Rally Report

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CLASSIC SOUTHERN WOODEN LAUNCH – JOAN

Recently Jason Prew from the Slipway Milford has been wandering around the upper South Island on a 4×4 rally – being the good lad he is the camera was at hand to record any woodys he spotted.

Todays craft was seen moored in Waikawa, Picton, Marlborough and is named JOAN.

Lots of styles on display, but it kind of works for me.

Keen to learn more on JOAN

INPUT ex NATHAN HERBERT – Joan needs explaining, perhaps by Harold? Collings and Bell is obvious in her transom being typical of Ruamano, Paikea, Fleetwing etc. That eould seem to drag her build date 20 or so years back from what I’ve seen noted before(1940s 50s?). I would assume that her hull has been raised to a flare and the superstructure/coamings rebuilt at that stage? She doesn’t appear in old photos, perhaps she was reclusive or just not a ‘club boat’?

21-01-2025 – INPUT ex PHIL VINING – Around 20 years ago we had this vessel listed at Vining Shipbrokers Ltd and the
information supplied by the owner at the time is below.

CYA 3 Day Classic Spring Rally – Report

Not really sure if it warrants a report. Excuse the photos – my roving cub photographer needs some lessons 🙂

Sad to report only one vessel on the start line (late) – the organisers yacht. Well he had to turn up I suppose. At the published time a launch arrived from the direction of Waiheke but with not another vessel in sight – didn’t hang around.

Maybe after two years of ’thanks but no thanks’ interest – this event needs to be retired from the calendar.

I’m told there was an impressive gathering of jet ski’s out.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – DIOMEDEA

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – DIOMEDEA

Back in 2016 I photographed the 1965 built launch DIOMEDEA on two visits to Whangaroa, back then she was starting to look a little tired, so on a visit last weekend to Whangaroa Swordfish Club marina I was very pleased to see that someone has been sharing the love on her and she was now back to her finest condition.

The 36’ DIOMEDEA was designed by Andrew Donovan and built by the Lane Motor Boat Co. These days there is an awful lot happening up top but given her game boat roots, I’ll turn a blind eye 🙂

Back in August thanks to a October 1965 Sea Spray magazine article on the boat we were Abe to view / read about her as launched – link below to that story. WW AUG2024  https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/08/13/diomedea-classic-wooden-game-fishing-boat/

As launched – below

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – LADY ADELAIDE OUT FOR SOME TLC

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – LADY ADELAIDE OUT FOR SOME TLC

I Have been spending too much time at the Sandspit marina – as an example 4 trips in the last 10 days………

One of the upsides is bumping into a few woodys that I have not caught up with in a few years.

Last week I snapped some photos of the 1922 Dick Lang built 36’ launch – LADY ADELAIDE. Then yesterday there she is hauled out for some TLC. Back in November 2021 when she was for sale we ran a ‘peek down below story’ on her,  link below, and now get to see her out of the water.

LADY ADELAIDE is one of those classic wooden craft that just looks right from any angle. When done to her owner on the condition she presents in and the ongoing ‘investment’ in systems and salty look.

View Previous WW Story Below – Nov 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/22/lady-adelaide-a-peek-down-below/

SEEMS MOST OF US SHARE THE SAME VIEW ON WHAT TYPIFIES A CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – results of yesterdays online poll below.

November 19-11-2024 Poll

MAYBE NOT A CLASSIC – MAYBE A RESTOMOD – You Tell Us

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MAYBE NOT A CLASSIC – MAYBE A RESTOMOD –  You Tell Us

Some woodys just slip into the classic category via the term ’spirit of tradition’, todays 46’ woody slips out of the either category – in the auto world it might be called a restomod.

What we know (thanks to Ian McDonald) is that she started life in 1974, built by F. Edes to a Brin Wilson design. The hull is carvel 32mm solid kauri planked, splined and epoxy glassed, decks have been re-clad with plywood and epoxy glassed also. When back in the water forward propulsion will be via twin 120hp Ford 2715E diesel engines.
Anyone know what her name was / is.

A POLL – VOTE BELOW – STILL A CLASSIC or NO LONGER A CLASSIC