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.
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.
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.
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.
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
.
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 “.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
WHATS HAPPENING UP THE TAMAKI RIVER / PANMURE BOATING NEIGHBOURHOOD
Recently woody John Bullivant had been smooching around the Panmure boating area – seems that the boating community have been have been overlooked by town planners or the likes that work in small windowless city offices and never actually see what their work actually ends up doing – I’ll let John tell the story –
“I recently came down from the Hibiscus Coast to buy some paint, and thought I’d have a look at the new Panmure bridge additions. Took a few more pics of NAU MAI, – looking very sad now. IMATRA is still afloat as well. A few interesting boats further up but out of camera range. Hoping to do a dinghy tour from Half Moon Bay this year to see what’s new and identify a few mystery boats. The old Panmure marina has gone with the new busway and cycle path over the area, and the slip is now cut off by a cycle path and the busway at the top of the road. Could have made a good boat ramp, but you know councils, – not a clue ! Not sure what the future plan is, as things are still under construction, with only the up stream access road open now. Another haul-out area gone, only the Panmure Yacht Club and Half Moon Bay left now for the whole of the Tamaki River.” (edited)
Can any of the river rats tells us more on the goings on to what was once a vibrant marine hub.
