Category Archives: Non Waitemata

NAUTILUS – On The Move

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NAUTILUS – On The Move

 Todays woody is a wee bit of a mystery, while the Nautilus name has graced numerous classic launch sterns, this one appears to have disappeared off the radar.

In the photo above we see the 34’ Nautilus being transported on a lorry from Auckland to Onehunga for loading onto the coastal vessel Ronaki. The destination was Raglan, where her new owner lived. The photo is dated 24 July 1933.

So woodys can we learn more – designer / builder and what became of this Nautilus.

(Photo ex NZ Herald 25/07/1933 and comes to WW via K Ricketts, ex fb)

When Comes To Docking – There Is Always Someone Worse Than You

Photo below ex Bayswater Marina, Auckland………… remember woodys, it always pays to give way to plastic boat owners.

Akaroa Classic Boat Show 2023 – Photo Bomb

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Akaroa Classic Boat Show 2023 – Photo Bomb

Todays photo gallery (bomb) is less than 24 hrs old, as mentioned earlier in the week Jason Prew is criss crossing the South Island scouting off-road tracks to justify to himself the cost of owning a Remuera Tractor 🙂

Yesterday Jason sent in the above gallery and tells me it was just a fluke he was in Akaroa on the right day – yeah right 😉

Enjoy the photos, as always click on photos to enlarge.

Scotty

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SCOTTY
Todays woody is the launch – Scotty, seen here on Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is.). The photo is dated 12 July 1981 and comes to us via a Linda Munro fb post. Linda commented that Jack Munro bought Scotty to the lake in the 1920’s after an early life doing the cream run in the Coromandel area. In the photo she is on her last lake trip before going to the Paeroa Maritime Park to be used as a tourist boat. This sadly didn’t last and she was pulled out of the water and dismantled.

Recently Linda visited the park and was pleased to see the boat back in a shed with her cabin and dodger with plans to repair her.

On the boat we see the late Reg Munro (son of Jack) at the helm and son of Reg, Ross Munro. As an aside Ross still has Scotty’s original motor, a Ford 10 engine

WW story on the Paroa Maritime Park https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/04/22/paeroa-historical-maritime-park-museum/


REMEMBER WOODYS RIVERHEAD PUB LUNCH CRUISE NEXT SUNDAY – RSVP TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

SMOKE & MIRRORS – A Peek Down Below

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SMOKE & MIRRORS – A Peek Down Below

Todays 51’ woody – Smoke & Mirrors, made a cameo appearance on WW back in Oct 2017 (link below) – then she was named – Christopher Grey and both Nathan Herbert and Russell Ward supplied photos. Thanks to a tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a peek below decks.

Christopher Grey

Designed and built by Millar & Tunnage in 1964 she started life as a commercial fishing boat based in the bottom half of NZ and after 20 odd years as a trawler and crawfishing workboat was converted to pleasure use.  In her ’new’ configuration she went north and was available for charter out of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. She then returned south to her home town of Port Chalmers.

A 175hp Gardner engine provides her forward propulsion. 

A very salty woody that make a very comfortable live-aboard, particularly with that large galley stove 🙂

Port Motueka Mooching

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Port Motueka Mooching

WW cub reporter Jason Prew is mooching around the South Island on a 4×4 adventure (not really roughing it- refer photo below), in his travels he pointed the ute in the direction of Post Motueka. WW have done numerous stories on the area but normally in summer i.e. the boats are in the water. Thanks to Jason’s spring visit we get to see some of the woodys hauled out.

Would be nice if one of the southern woodys can put some names to the craft.

(photo ex Daniel Prew fb)

Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch

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Older Photo

Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch

Several woodys have drawn my attention to this  24’6” launch thats recently popped up on tme. The listing states that it was designed / built by L G Coulthard in Onehunga. The build year says 1965 but Nathan Herbert has commented that Coulthard’s last boat was in 1959, this one resembles a build year c1930s. Nathan also as pictured above she will have had a new cabin since launching. 

There is some uncertainty around the launches name – when her current owner bought her in 2006 in Auckland, her name was  – Talofa and it was claimed she was originally  built for the Mayor of Thames. Her name was subsequently changed to Kotare.

What we know  – 24’6” in length, 8’ beam and draws 2’3” – powered by a 28hp 3 cyl. Vetus marine diesel engine giving her a top speed of 7.5 knots.

Current home is Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds, South Island.

J .(Jimmy) Mc McLaren Boatbuilders Onehunga 

Recently contacted by a James H McLaren regarding his grandfathers boat yard, the yard was probably side-by-side with the L G Coulthard yard in Onehunga.The photo below shows the McLaren builders plate. James is looking for a surviving dinghy made by his granddad – Jimmy McLaren, James commented that they were his stock in trade.Can anyone help out eg have one for sale – any condition.

The Launching of Wynona

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c.1950’s

The Launching of Wynona

Todays story is on the launch – Wynona, in the top photo above ex fb via K Ricketts we see Wynona being launched at Ohinemutu on the shores of Lake Rotorua in the North Island of NZ.

From previous WW stories we have learnt (thanks Harold Kidd) that Wynona was built in 1948 by Sam Ford for the Rotorua Lake Service Ltd., who used her for tourist trips to Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. The colour photo of her c.1950’s is from the front cover of a brochure promoting the trips.

A comment was recently made on WW that Wynona was being restored at Tarakohe marina, in Golden Bay – would love details / photos, so if this is a happening thing and someone knows the owner – I’ll reward a report with a WW burgee.

And remember to RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com for the Riverhead waterfront Tavern lunch cruise  – 0n Sunday November 19th

The Halvorsen Story

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Neutral Bay, Sydney – 1936
25′ Wonglaa
42′ Pollyana – 1934
38′ Kweena – pre restoration
Kweena – post restoration
Kweena – interior
60′ Tooronga – owner by A/Cup skipper – Ian Murray
57′ Sinana

THE HALVORSEN STORY

Todays WW story comes to us via the crew at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival and features a video presentation by Tony MacKay on the legendary

Australian boat building dynasty – the Halvorsen family. Tony gave the presentation at the 2023 festival. 

Some background on Tony – he has been on board Halvorsen boats all his life, having owned nine substantial cruisers, all of which were significantly and lovingly restored. Through his involvement with the Halvorsen Club, he has passed some of this passion and energy to like-minded owners of these beautiful craft, also assisting with the improvement of skills and historical information. He has also represented the family for significant events at the Australian National Maritime Museum, exhibitions, on water parades, birthdays and even eulogies. It has been a lasting passion. 

Tony is a real character and has a very salty Australian vocabulary e.g when referring to a narrow beamed craft he said “it would roll on a wet lawn’.The photos above are just a taste of the many in the presentation – linked below – ENJOY.

FLOATING BACH AWARDS

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FLOATING BACH AWARDS

Thanks to Lindsay Grenfell we have two new contestants for the boat that most resembles an apartment / bach. As Lindsay commented and I have to agree – “what were ya thinking and why?”

The good news is they dont reside in NZ, the photos were taken several years ago when Lindsay was staying at the Jamaica Bay Inn at Marina Del Rey, a 30min drive from LA Airport and out of the city.Lindsay commented that there was a marina adjacent and naturally (as we do and like to) he ventured off to view some of those berthed, it was a biggies, from memory – 5000 berths.   

LOOKING FOR A COOL DINGHY /RUNABOUT

Do not normally link to tme listings but this 11’ L,G. Coulthard dinghy is a honey and at current bids, a bargain https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/dinghies-rowboats/wood/listing/4391413624?bof=zXgwcdZX

Tinopai

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TINOPAI

Back in Oct 2015 we ran a ‘mystery launch’ story – the boat was ID’s as Miss Picton (later named Mitre Peak) thanks to Harold Kidd we learnt that Miss Picton was built by Collings & Bell for a Captain M. Steele of Picton and was launched in December 1933.

Miss Picton was a replacement for Steele’s 45’ launch Tinopai that was also built by Collings & Bell and launched in November 1932, sadly Tinopai was destroyed by fire in Marlborough Sounds just on month after being launched.

Today thanks to a NZ Herald press clipping, sent in by K Ricketts we get to view the short-lived – Tinopai

Oct 2015 Miss Picton WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/10/28/mystery-launch-28-10-2015/

INPUT EX HAROLD KIDD – vastly better photo 🙂

Proof I’m A Nutter – suffering from post AB’s loss blues so Sunday afternoon was spent polishing the engine and upgrading the old engine box insulation 🙂