Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Mystery Northland Classic Wooden Launch – VALIENT

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Mystery Northland Classic Wooden Launch – VALIENT

Leaving the Whangārei Maritime Festival on Saturday, I made the rookie mistake of thinking, “I know a shortcut.” I didn’t.
Instead, I found myself deep in the industrial maze of Port Whangārei.

The upside? I stumbled across a couple of woodys hauled out at Oceania Marine — home to the biggest travel-lift I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Tucked away among a line-up of serious commercial tonnage was today’s mystery classic wooden launch. She’d clearly had some recent TLC and looked about ready to be splashed again.

I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the generous helping of zinc hanging off her stern gear… seems the message about no / over-zincing hasn’t quite made it this far north yet! 😅

So, woodys — what do we know about this mystery craft? Any sharp-eyed locals able to share her name and history?

15-10-2025 UPDATE ex owner – Launches name is VALIENT, once called PLAY-BOY, Possibly built by Bailey & Lowe. 32′ in length. Has spent several extend stints as a long-line fishing boat. Once owned by the RSA Fishing Club in Whangarei, they did the name change. In a previous life was moored in the Waitangi river. Currently powered by a Nissan diesel.Has undergone a rolling restoration with lots of structural work, which included over 800 new copper rivets.

WOODEN CLASSICS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THE 2025 WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL – 60+ photos & videos

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WOODEN CLASSICS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THE 2025 WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL

Early Saturday morning I pointed the car north and arrived in Whangārei just in time to catch the soft early light — perfect for photography and well before the dockside crowds arrived.

Whangārei’s Town Basin really is the ideal setting for a maritime festival — easy dock access, great viewing angles, and plenty of nearby cafés and attractions. Add in the buzz of the Saturday markets and you’ve got all the ingredients for a standout event.

Wooden boat numbers were a little down on last year, but a few visiting commercial vessels — including Customs, Pilot boats, fishing craft and a pair of Waka — helped round out the fleet. From a public point of view, it was still an impressive line-up. Given the number of classic boats that have migrated north in recent years, it would be great to see more of the region’s wooden heritage on display next time around.

It was great to catch up with so many familiar faces — clearly the new highway was busy with Aucklanders heading north for the weekend.

All up, a thoroughly enjoyable day. Hopefully today’s photo gallery will inspire a few more of you to make the trip in 2026.

And there is always a few foody pix – hands down the best two seafood fritters ever – one mussel and the star – one whitebait. And a free KOWHAI coffee because she liked my WW t-shirt.

FYI – when I’m at an event I point the camera at what catches my eye , sometimes I miss a few boats but I like to think the photos are more like someone strolling the docks rather than someone trying to capture the whole caboodle 🙂

CLASSIC SPEEDBOAT BLACK TULIP – LOST HER SHINE, KEPT HER ATTITUDE

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CLASSIC SPEEDBOAT BLACK TULIP – LOST HER SHINE, KEPT HER ATTITUDE

Earlier in the week one of my Picton spies (Steve) spotted a ’new’ arrival at Waikawa Marina, in Picton. Boats name is BLACK TULIP, which rang a few bells with Steve, so a quick WW search popped up a July 2022 story – link below. At the time Dean Wright had spotted the boat sign and dry in Paihia. 

Whilst needing some TLC she was a looker and we learnt that she was a Mason Clipper 23 and came with an impressive power boat racing history. https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/22/black-tulip-where-is-she-today/

Now a few days later she popps up on tme – post an extensive make over, and powered by a 280hp Yanmar, that sees her topping out at 23 knots.

An oid salt told me once that once you lose the varnish on a classic ,it just becomes another white boat – well I think if you check out the photos below, you would have to agree, she has lost the WoW factor – but its only paint and maybe the next owner will see the light 🙂

COULD THE REAL MA CHERIE STAND UP PLEASE

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COULD THE REAL MA CHERIE STAND UP PLEASE

Earlier in the week John Dawson sent in the above launch day photo of the classic wooden launch – MA CHERIE, a WW search threw up numerous stories linked to that name but none that match the above launch size and design.

There was a brief mention of a MaCherie being built in the early 1960’s at the Visa Ship Yard in Tauranga for a Don Shattock. The Visa name may be a typo as I recall a Tauranga boatbuilder named Bill Visser, who possibly worked at Kingfisher Boats – sorry for any confusion – hopefully we can clarify todays launch heritage.

WW also ran a story in June 2025, link below, re a launch named MA CHERIE , that had been once named ADI KUILA  that had been recently relocated to Auckland  – in my eyes not the same boat, this ones much bigger and different design. https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/06/14/classic-wooden-launch-ma-cherie-adi-kuila-lives-on/

So woodys – what do me know about todays boat.

CLASSIC LAUNCH – NAUTILUS ID’ed AT LAST

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CLASSIC LAUNCH – NAUTILUS ID’ed AT LAST

Todays classic wooden launch first appeared on WW back in December 2017, link below. Jason Prew and Nathan Herbert were mooching around the Whangarei town basin area and spotted the launch – at the time we never learnt her name but Nathan did comment that he believed the launch started life as a Les Coulthard sedan. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/12/08/mystery-launch-08-12-2017/

After 7 years of radio silence the photo above pops up on a Maurice Sharp fb post. Maurice commented that at the time she was owned by Gilbert Deeming and the photo of her on the hard was taken c.1960s by Chris Deeming.

Ray Anderson also commented that his father bought NAUTILUS off Gilbert Deeming. Nathan H confirmed she was in fact a standard design by Les Coulthard and was 26>28’ in length.

Can we learn more about what became of NAUTILUS in the late 1960’s > 2017 period. (2017 photos below)

CLASSIC WOODEN BOATING LAKE LEGENDS  – Drake Brothers

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOATING LAKE LEGENDS – Drake Brothers

Todays woody story is big on the feel good scale. During the week Taupo woody Shawn Vennell sent me todays photos of the Drake brothers, in the top photo  L>R we have – Micheal – Paul and good friend Monte Jones. The Drake ‘boys’ are a walking encyclopaedia of boating on the central north island lakes and are the WW go-to for any classic wooden boating questions. I have been lucky to meet them at the annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parades and have always admired how they present their craft. Genetics is a wonderful thing, I’m told their father was also a legend on the lake. I’m too polite to ask but the combined ages of the brothers would equal an impressive number of years classic boating. 
Have to like the name for SIR FRANCIS’s tender – ‘Love Me Tender’.

The photos were taken by Wendy O’Callaghan for an upcoming show on the history of the Taupo Boat Harbour.

UPDATE FROM PAUL DRAKE – Just a correction – the chap on the right is not Nigel. This is our great friend and vintage outboard expert Monte Jones, who, by the way, built a sixteen foot Hartley cabin boat POLARIS when he was sixteen (he is now in his eighties), and which he still owns and uses.

The occasion in the photo was the trial run of Monte’s recently restored 100 year old  2 hp twin cylinder Johnson outboard. It ran perfectly and pushed SIR FRANCIS along at a couple of knots.  

Missing from the photo are brothers Nigel and Roger – Roger being our engineer, without whom none of our vintage petrol engine powered launches would be running!

Full weekend details in the downloadable PDF file below, which includes the entry (free) form for the sailing events. 

LABOUR WEEKEND SPRING SPLASH (2)Download

LOOKING FOR INTEL ON THE CLASSIC LAUNCH GRAHAM JOHN > WLLIAM STEER > HIPPOCAMPUS

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As Launched – 36′
Possibly 2022
Possibly post 2022 and named Hippocampus

LOOKING FOR INTEL ON THE CLASSIC LAUNCH GRAHAM JOHN > WLLIAM STEER > HIPPOCAMPUS

Back in Nov 2022 we ran a story on the the launch – WILLIAM STEER, via the WW comments section and numerous fb  pages we have learnt that she was built by Don Clarke in the late 1950’s in Motueka and launched in c.1961. As launched she was 36’ in lengthened powered by a Ford 6 cyl. diesel engine. Shortly afterwards she was acquired by the Drummond family in Golden Bay, who changed her name to GRAHAM JOHN. The Drummonds extended her (6’) and repowered her. She ‘worked’ as a scallop boat. 

Unsure of the dates but ownership changed to the McFedries family, father Don and son Brett had we in the Tasman Bay / Marlbourgh Sounds region.

In 2022 we learnt that the boat was owned by Hagar Parvin (purchased off Don McFedries)who had renamed her HIPPOCAMPUS and was  undertaking refit.

Colin Starines (nephew of Don C) once commented that he has no record of the boating being named WILLIAM STEER, would be nice to clarify that.

Can anyone update WW on where the launch is now  – Napier?

INPUT ex MIKE O’DWYER – Hippocampus is now owned by Mark Parvin, who, with the help of his father Peter, resheathed the hull in ply/glass. The rest of the boat was brought up to a weather-tight condition as well. The boat is currently moored on the piles by the Napier Sailing Club.

And FYI the ex- Greymouth Pilot boat William Steer was moored here in Napier a while back. The owner at the time was converting to live aboard. Up North somewhere last I heard.

WATERFRONT HAPPENINGS 

News this week that the Auckland wooden boat festival is returning in 2026 to the viaduct. Dates are March 13 >15th. More details at the event web site  https://www.aucklandwoodenboatfestival.co.nz/

Organisers are looking for suitable classic wooden craft for inclusion, application process / form on the website.

Links below to WW coverage of the 2024 event https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/03/04/77770/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/03/05/auckland-wooden-boat-festival-off-the-water-gallery/

CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS – TAUPO MOOCHING

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS – TAUPO MOOCHING

Most of todays woodys have appeared on WW before but its always nice to see that they are being cared for.

A woody, my lips are sealed, was at the lake doing a recce on a woody there and snapped a few photos for us.

Also today we share a couple of photos from a recent project on CENTAURUS, owner Angus Rogers is a talented DIY’er and after the recent re-power took on upgrading the dash. See below 

‘OLD’
‘NEW’

NO EXCUSES – GET OUT ON THE WATER THIS SUMMER + Whangarei Maritime Festival Details 

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NO EXCUSES – GET OUT ON THE WATER THIS SUMMER + Whangarei Maritime Festival Details 

Todays story stretches the WW statute around what’s a classic wooden boat but in our book beauty always wins. I know its plywood and probably has some f/glass but at sub $10k you get a very smart looking boat the will turn heads and get admiring thumbs up.

And you get to bring it home and avoid the marina robber barons. In the last 10 yrs been garaged and mostly used on the central north island lakes. If in late summer you decide boatings not for you – re-list it , I’d be surprised if you lost anything on the purchase price.

2025 WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL

In just over a week (Oct 11>12) the salty Whangarei folks are hosting the annual –  WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL at the Whangarei Town Basin. If you haven’t attended before, it is time you did – why?

1. There will be an impressive on & off -the-water display of classic and traditional water craft

2. Hands-on maritime displays +  interactive learning experiences

3. A Kids’ Zone + live music on the waterfront, and maritime talks

4, Entry is FREE

5. With the new expressways it is less than 2 hours drive from Auckland

6. Your car needs a good run 🙂

Now do not think this is a small-scale event – last year 20,000+ people attended the festival, including me – you choose whether you go Saturday or Sunday, but my recommendation would be Saturday, the Town Basin has more of a buzz on Saturdays + lots of markets in the area for those that are bored easily with things boating related.

Link to 2024 Festival WW storyhttps://waitematawoodys.com/2023/10/16/whangarei-maritime-festival-trip-report/

KEY INTEL October 11th and 12th 2025

Whangārei Town Basin – Free Entry

More info: www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz

A 1908 CLASSIC WOODEN LAKE BOAT – LOGAN LINEAGE ? + 2026 WOODEN BOATING EVENT CALENDAR

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A 1908 CLASSIC WOODEN LAKE BOAT – LOGAN LINEAGE ? + 2026 WOODEN BOATING EVENT CALENDAR

Todays classic wooden launch is named – RICHMOND ROSE, and has recently made an appearance on tme (thanks Ian McDonald).

The story goes that she was built in 1908 by Logan, is 26’ in length and powered by a ‘well’ mounted Yamaha 9.9hp 4stroke outboard.

Sadly her kauri planks have been glassed over. Home is Lake Rotoiti

I suspect a name change at some stage as in/around the 1908 period most Logan launches were ‘canoe stern / double enders’.

A search of Harold Kidd and Robin Elliott’s book The Logans’ drew a blank.

So woodys can we learn more about this classic wooden launch and confirm her design / builder and year.

PUT THESE WOODYS DATES IN YOUR 2026 DIARY