Category Archives: Non Waitemata

CICELY II

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Melody

CICELY II

Todays woody photo popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb earlier in the week and Harold Kidd commented that she was correctly named CICELY II and was built / launched in 1949 for the Methodist Mission in the Solomon Islands. 

We can assume she never made it back to NZ, hopefully still afloat but most craft that headed to the islands came to a sticky end. Do we known her status.

What caught my eye was the hull profile so close to the 1/2 model built by Graeme Lidgard and his son Andrew that featured in Thursdays WW story on the Lidgard launch – MELODY.

MELODY 

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MELODY 

Todays photo above is most likely the launch MELODY,  it popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb – with the boats name and possible date for the photo being 1940>1949.  

The photo was captioned ’The motorboat MELODY at a jetty’.

Back in June 2021 WW was contacted by Donna Lewis, a kiwi living in Australia who had purchased a collection of 1/2 models from a garage sale on KAWAU ISLAND , the models made their way to Australia when the buyer immigrated. Fast forward they were getting on in life and wanting to down scale so they contacted WW and the models were sent back to NZ.

At the time of the 2021 story (link below – lots of chat in the comments section) we learnt that one of the 1/2 models was most likely MELODY (see below) and K Ricketts commented that the builder was Roy Lidgard and sent in a screen grab (refer below) of MELODY taken from a old home movie shot by KR c.1954 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/29/lidgard-1-2-models-help-needed/

Are we able to learn more about the launch and what became of her.

Poor quality – ex 8mm movie footage

INPUT ex K Ricketts – magazine article below + 2017 photos

Classic Wooden Boat <> Water Front Apartment

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Classic Wooden Boat <> Water Front Apartment

We know nothing about this 33’ woodys past life and how it ended up as a floating waterfront pad – but its a seriously cool, low cost accomodation option in Wellington.

The tme story (thanks Ian McDonald) says only $120 a week rent and that includes secure car parking and security gate. At <$20k its a bargain. 

The stern ‘window’ is an obvious giveaway that dockside is her resting place, in fact the engine is not working.

Can we put a name to this former launch now apartment.

MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODY DUCK SHOOTING BOAT

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MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODY DUCK SHOOTING BOAT

The first weekend of May is not a good time for ducks – its opening weekend for the duck shooting season. Angus Rogers sent in the above photo yesterday that is pinned to the wall of the maimai (explained for non NZ readers – a temporary waterfront shelter for shooters to hide in, photos below) that Angus was shooting from on Saturday.

The caption reads – ’Shooting on the Piako – 1920’s. Various members of the Wilson and Collins familiars onboard.

Hopefully Angus’s bag for the day was less than what we see on display in the photo 🙂

Anyone able to ID the launch.

Mystery Lyttelton Launch

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Mystery Lyttelton Launch
Again only a mystery because her owner didn’t include a name on tme (thanks Ian McDonald). If we believe the tme story she is a Logan, built in1908, 36’ in length. Powered by a 1970, 65hp Rustin Rover (???) 

And that woodys is all me know – any southern readers able to enlighten us more on the launch.

BUY OF THE YEAR – HEAO – LOGAN 33 – A Sailors Motor Boat – Reduced Price – Low $80’ks – Click link below for details. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/29/heao-a-peek-down-below-4sale/

ADA / IDA – Can We Join The Dots

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ADA / IDA – Can We Join The Dots

Recently WW was contacted by Tom Gordon in relation to his boat – ADA that Tom is trying to find out more information – I’ll hand over to Tom below:

“ ADA,  I have been told is one of the 3 kauri hulled boats. The three I believe were built by Miller and Tunnage in the 1920’s however so far I’ve not been able to find out some more finer details in regards to exact build date or archive type photos. I’m looking to repair ADA and re float to maintain some heritage now that I’ve learned some history. 

Sir Clifford Skeggs was an owner and one of his ex workers ‘Squidly’ from Taieri Mouth, Dunedin did own it also. Sadly he has now passed and I’m unsure if Cliff is still alive.

I’m wondering if the vessel – INA in the WW archives (WW link below) is definitely one of the three sisters to ADA. I’ve also heard of the names ROA and IMP,  potentially one of these is the 3rd? “https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/11/ida-woody-classics-weekend-stillwater-picnic-cruise-update/

Can we help Tom out with more intel on ADA and potentially the ’sisters’

Looking For Help Identifying This Wooden Boat

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Looking For Help Identifying This Wooden Boat

Todays woody recent popped up on a Lester Oliver fb post and appears via Maurice Sharp reposting.Lester’s commented that the boat at the dry dock at Ahuriri, Napier. The gent on the left is possibly Napier architect Louis Hay. In the background is the Hawkes Bay Farmers Co-Op Assoc. building . The cowel on the cabin top looks very large relative to the rest of the vessel. Anyone able to put a name to the vessel.

INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – We’ve been here before.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/06/30/hawkes-bay-mystery-motorsailer/

I still can’t establish a name for the boat but have a little more information. She was built in Auckland, no builder known, and shipped to Napier in May 1936 as a hull. Later Louis Hay fitted a steam engine which accounts for the small funnel shown in the earlier images. My guess is that the steam plant was replaced with an internal combustion engine later, hence the large ventilator occupying the same hole as the funnel. As for her name, it doesn’t appear in any newspaper articles even those announcing that Louis Hay was the Commodore of the new Hawkes Bay Yachting & Power Boat Club in November 1936.

Work in progress

29-04-2024 UPDATE ex HAROLD KIDD – The hull was built in Auckland and was offloaded from the PUKEKO at Gisborne because of heavy weather.

Message For The Owner Of The Launch – KARAKIA

If you send me an email confirming the boat location and your ownership I’ll drop a WW burgee in the post – why? Because if you look carefully at the photos you will see they have painted the WW logo on the cabin side 🙂  photos ex JASON PREW waitematawoodys@gmail.com  Read / view more on KARAKIA here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/01/karakia/

MANSION HOUSE KAWAU ISLAND 1971

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MANSION HOUSE KAWAU ISLAND 1971

Todays photo comes to use from ‘Timespanner’ (Auckland Library Heritage collection via Maurice Sharp fb. 

The caption reads ‘Muriel Clark on the balcony at Mansion House, KAWAU ISLAND. 1971, Ron Clark (the photographer I assume).

An unusual light number of boats in the bay, and mostly launches. Maybe the yachts were out racing.

Can we put names to the 4 classics in the bay – refer below enlarged image. And for a change rather than WW merch, I’ll gift a bottle of my ‘ world famous in Devonport’ homemade tomato sauce to the first woody that supplies the correct answers. I’ll rely on Nathan Herbert to be the oracle on ID’ing the boats – Entry via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com – closes 7pm 23/04/24 Conditions: Winner must be Auckland based, NZ Post doesn’t like glass bottles 😉

NOTE: as pointed out by K Ricketts todays photo has been developed incorrectly – I have flipped the image toshown the correct orientation – refer below

Screenshot

AWANUI – A Glimpse Back In Time & As Today

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AWANUI – A Glimpse Back In Time & As Today

Back in May 2016 we ran a story on the launch – Awanui – link here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/05/25/awanui/

Fast forward to early 2024 and Les Nelson contacted WW with an update on the vessel in regard to his parents owning Awanui for a number of years in the early 1980’s at the time based in Picton.

Les supplied the black and white photo (1st photo above) of Awanui that was most likely from when she was first launched c. early 1900’s (unconfirmed). Les commented that the backdrop (hill outline) looked familiar, probably the foreshore of Picton. A short time later Les unearthed the above colour photos from when his family owned her.

Also as a result of the story her present owner – Carmel Bradley made contact  and advised the launch was still in Motueka and used regularly in and around the Abel Tasman. Carmel sent in the photos below.

Love it when a WW story sparks a few memories and we roll into a bigger story 🙂

Still do not have any intel on who the designer / builder was, both owners are keen to learn more.

2024 🔻

Torrent Bay Lagoon 
Kaiteriteri Beach
Bark Bay Beach Abel Tasman. 

A DORA BLU

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Today we are state side to have a tour of the 1933 Stephens Brothers built 43′ classic woody – A Dora Blu. I was sent the youtube link by John Dawson – now I ask that you ignore the youtube fluff at the start and the obvious sales pitch – trust me its worth checking out. I was very envious of the boat shed, must make caring for a classic a breeze. Her owners attention to maintaining the boats heritage looks and fit out is wonderful, but when they lift the engine bay covers the sight is a very big wow, twin Yanmar JHC120hp engines, proof that you do not need to weigh these old girls down with huge engines.

(note: some confusion on the build year – the nav light boards say 1931)

ID The Russell Yachts Friday Quiz Winner – Ken Fyle. WW burgee on the way – the yachts were – (L) XANTHO & (R) IIEX. As I thought a lot picked IIEX but only 2 correctly had XANTHO.