Category Archives: Non Waitemata

LADY ROSALIND – Classic Wooden Launch + Notice of Important Meeting

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LADY ROSALIND – Classic Wooden Launch

Todays photo is another from the Tauranga City Library collection and is tagged ‘ Launch of LADY ROSALINE’ and woodys is all we known. Given the location and style of the vessel possibly a Oliver & Gilpin craft. Can we learn more about her.

04-07-2024 INPUT ex NATHAN HERBERT – now called Noelani, built by O&G designed by Woolley. Link to WW story on Noelani https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/10/29/mystery-opua-big-game-launch/ But what interests me is the flag on her mast with ‘Cynthia C’ on it, CC was a boat with a hull strikingly similar to My Girl’s which I’d love to track. Link to WW story on CC https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/17/cynthia-c/

PORTS OF AUCKLAND CLAIMING MORE OF OUR HARBOUR

Once again Ports of Auckland are trying to expand their footprint, which means less harbour for us.

There is shareholder (thats us – joke) public meeting next week on Thursday at the RNZYS at 7pm.

If you are in Auckland and can make it – please do. We need to hear their plans and they need to hear / see our disapproval. 

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CAROUSEL – Launch Day & Present Day

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CAROUSEL – Launch Day & Present Day

Bay of Islands based woody and professional photographer Dean Wright and his partner Deb have just returned from a couple of weeks afloat in Fiordland, thats another story.

Today we see the 1967 Oliver and Gilpin launch – CAROUSEL, on her mooring in Te Anau. Dean also sent in the b/w photo from her launch day (Nov 1967) on the Wairoa River. Which solved a mystery for me, I had the same photo but no reference to the boat name.Links to previous WW stories below.

CAROUSEL resides these days on Lake Te Anau and operates as a charter boat. 

JUNE 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/06/25/carousel/
AUG 2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/09/carousel-2/

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAKE BOAT – HEATHER DAWN – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAKE BOAT – HEATHER DAWN – A Peek Down Below

Thanks to the eagle eyes of Ian McDonald who spotted the 21’ ex workboat – HEATHER DAWN on tme, today we get to have a gander at this craft that has an interesting back story.

Built in Glasgow Scotland in 1950 by Darroch and Espie Boat Builders, she carries the serial no 1666. D&E were famous boatbuilders, particularly lifeboats for major shipping companies back in the day. So HEATHER DAWN started life as a lifeboat, built from oak and was bought off a tug called DASHER in Auckland. Her wheelhouse and decking a later (NZ) addition, being made from kauri.

Powered by 30hp Yanmar 3 cylinder shaft drive, giving a cruising speed approx. 6 knots. Very well fitted out – the diesel oven / heater caught my eye.

I can just see HEATHER DAWN fitting in very well with the Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is) flotilla.

CLASSIC LAUNCH WANDABYNE – 1929 KAWAU CRUISE

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LOYS AT COPPER MINE
Rhonda

CLASSIC LAUNCH WANDABYNE – 1929 KAWAU CRUISE

Todays photos come to us from Max Arthur and date back almost 100 years. Max came across the WW site while research his father – E.W. Arthur and grandfather – H.R. Arthur.

The photos record a cruise to Kawau Island inc.1929.

In the 1st photo (and other) Max believes the flush deck launch is – WANDABYNE. Which is a newbie to me , but in a previous WW story we identified a launch named WONDABYNE (LOLITA) , link below. At first I thought typo but in my eyes not the say boat. https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/06/24/wondabyme/

Can we learn more about WANDABYNE and keen to ID the other launch shown in a couple of the photos.

1902 CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT – 4sale

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A CLASSIC WOODEN TRAILER-SAILER YACHT – Yeap You Read That Right 🙂

As covered many times on WW the cost of a marina berth is the #1 deterrent to owning classic wooden craft. I have speculated that smaller trailerable woodys will be the future of the classic boating movement in NZ.

MERLN – todays 22’ clinker kauri built, gaff-rigged sloop is one such boat that ticks all the boxes. And most importantly MERLIN is a looker and we like that.

Built c.1902 as a motorboat she was converted in the 1920>30’s to a yacht (deadwood/keel added etc). Then in the late 2000’s restored by professional Christchurch boat builder – Davie Norris. 

MERLIN received another birthday in 2015/16 with restored gaff-rig and ‘converted’ to tabernacle set-up, plus new sails and all rigging. Also included was a new custom trailer and new 4-stroke 6hp outboard.In the last 10+ years MERLIN has been shed stored and only used on Lake Hood, Canterbury, South Island.Her current status is in storage and as with all traditional built clinkers may need some tweaking / re-caulking to the garboard seam.

So woodys if you’re considering stepping up to life as a classic woody owner, MERLIN is the vessel for you and at the end of a days sailing you get to take her home. Interested parties to initially contact Andrew  andrew@siseed.co.nz for more details. And almost forgot – she will sell for around $25k – a bargain.

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WOODYS ON TOUR – South of France Wooden Boats

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WOODYS ON TOUR – South of France Wooden Boats

Todays thanks to the owner of the launch – IONA II we get another peak at the wooden boating scene on the other side of the world.                                                                                      The family are currently cruising the Canal du Midi in the South of France for a week and sent in some photos of the local work boats earning their keep.                                                              Most of the boats are old converted steel bulk barges (with wooden wheelhouse and interior) or the modern plastic rental boats. The photos of the rarer wooden boat on the canal is rather smart
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CAN YOU HELP LOCATE THIS WOODEN BOAT

Last week WW was contacted by John Chambers the owner of the launch – NGARUNUI, asking for help locating a boat from his past – I’ll hand over to John to tell the story – 

“In my earyl years, aged 10 to12 years i.e.1957 -58, I lived at Okura River  (Long Bay / Wade  River) after school, weekends, holidays – the river was my playground. I was the only kid on the river full time, there were only 11 locals living there at the time  plus 2 farms. The 1st was Warmans just up from the houses, 2nd was Jacksons about 1mile up the road down a long  drive. Mr Jackson built a big boat in the shed which I used to check out every few days.    Launch  day – boat was 60’ long, a double end ketch, heavily built in kauri and teak. The boat was towed across the paddocks by bulldozer to the river where a ramp had been bulldozed   and a wire cable  across to big tree  on the other side then back to the dozer. Boat in water high tide, my  job  lead the way  down the river to deep water, job  done. Next hurdle a big ketch that had broken the mizen mast on the new harbour bridge.    The point of this  – what was her name and were did she go? I think the plan was to sail back to England.I think the boats name was Tyrant or Truant “.        

CLASSIC LAUNCH ARIZONA 

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Arizona moored between Mushroom Rocks, Whna
Arab (L) and Arizona at Awanui, 1914
Arab (L) and Arizona at Haruru Falls, Waitangi, 1914

CLASSIC LAUNCH ARIZONA 

The classic launch – ARIZONA as made a couple of brief appearances on WW – back in Dec  2022 we were trying to track her down – link below to that story and then in May 2023 we learnt that there was a rolling restoration underway on her- that story also linked below.

Fast forward to last week and ARIZONA popped up in a link ex Nathan Herbert to the McLeod collection at the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection – there we saw her on what appears to be a 1914 (ish) Northland Cruise. Given she was launched c.1914 could have been a shake down cruise. 

In the photos above according to the captions we see her with the launch – ARAB, not 100% sure the captions are correct at times, I have tagged the photos so the woodys brains trust can review and comment.

WW Dec 2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/12/08/arizona-where-is-she-cya-heritage-basin/

WW May 2023 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/05/arizona-gets-a-happy-ending/

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – MOVARIE – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – MOVARIE – A Peek Down Below

The 1938 launch – MOVARIE II has in recent years made as many appearances on tme as it has on WW.  We know that the bridge decker was built by W&G Lowe, is 40’ in length, with a 11’ beam and draws 5’. Powered by twin Ford 80hp diesel engines. The launch started life as a game fishing.

Numerous WW story – lots of detail and photos of her over the years – best I post a link to all of them –  https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=MOVARIE&submit=Search

Once owned by Russell Ward so must have been a goody back them. These days there are a few issues, reflected in the current tme listing having $5k start price.

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CLASSIC LAUNCH – LADY CAROLE RESTORATION – UPDATE #4

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Mock up of potential new paint

CLASSIC LAUNCH – LADY CAROLE RESTORATION – UPDATE #4

Today co-owner Patrick Crawshaw walks us thru the latest work, different layout today, might make it easier to follow. 

The last couple of weeks have been focussed on getting the sanding finished for first coat and the wood work finished.  The forward hatch, which had been blocked up was re-instated. Tthe forward cabin, where the mast once was had been opened up to make way for a hatch. Two of the ribs had been cut into and this was compromising the strength. So, ribs were replace and the hatch filled in so that the mast can go back to its original location. 

The main cabin hatch (shown below) which is above the helm had to be moved inward to allow for the railings to match the other side – from front to back. At some stage, it had been cut too close to the port  side and so the railings had to start back behind the hatch which looked awful.  This is about the lines – again. 

The windows have been a complex and long process. Firstly, we had to find the old curved line which ran along the side connecting the forward cabin to the aft curve. 

We had to completely fill the existing windows in so that we could draw that line. Once that was drawn, we could then find out where the windows (from the photograph above) once were.  The filled in ply was then taken out and cut to the new window lines. Then they had to be rebated for the glass to then be glued in. Next week is the glass templates and once the glass is in, we will have to cut the trims to go around the windows… The windows have been the most complex part of the job with so many elements and stages to the process. It’s so important we get this right, as they are crucial to the lines of the boat, and we can only work off this photo and a few other tell tale signs.   

Rod holders…such fun getting the angle right so they are flush on to the transom.

CLASSIC LAUNCH RAIRA – BEFORE THE WOOD BUTCHERS GOT HOLD OF HER 

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CLASSIC LAUNCH RAIRA – BEFORE THE WOOD BUTCHERS GOT HOLD OF HER 

The top photo is the 1915 launch – RAIRA, moored in the Waihou River, Te Aroha.  RAIRA was built by the McLeod brothers, Ted and Ray + J. Verran at Bayswater,  Auckland.  – to a  Collings & Bell design.

The photo comes to us from the Auckland Library Heritage Collection – McLeod collection via a Nathan Herbert link.

The 2nd photo is from late 2015. Location is Woolshed Bay, Coromandel.

Last heard she was calling Waiheke Island home.

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