Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Kawau Island Woodys c.1960’s

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Kawau Island Woodys c.1960’s

Following on from last Sundays story on the launch Sobrine at Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island – today we have another woody photo from the same bay. Again from the Parsonson family collection via Mitchell Hutchings fb.

In the background we see the ‘CeeBee  Air’ Grumman Widgeon, most likely piloted by Fred Ladd taxiing into the bay – a common sight back then.

So woodys – can we put a name on the launch?

REFRIGERATION ON BOATS

A blatant commercial plug today – I recently had the frig/freezer serviced on Raindance, the difference is staggering – ice cold beer and I was in the dog box for freezing the wine….

I use Extremely Cool – run by Darrin Kennedy, all frig work but a whiz on compressor driven set ups. Not long to Xmas so book a service asap at Darrin.excool@xtra.co.nz

And a blonde question – why do Heineken bottles freeze much faster than Corona bottles? I asked that question at KBC on Saturday night and was told that it was due to what the Mexican brewers do in the tanks before being exporting to the USA …. Hopefully an urban legend 🙂

NEW WOODY EVENT – THE WOODY BOOT SALE IS BACK ON AGAIN – SATURDAY 26TH NOVEMBER – VENUE = THE SLIPWAY MILFORD – FULL DETAILS THIS SUNDAY ON WW

Southern Woodys

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SOUTHERN WOODYS 

Todays photos come to us via Len Redwood and Paul Hansen ‘s fb – in the top photo from L>R we have the Earnslaw (obscured), Mountaineer , then Ben Lomond and finally Muratai.

In the second photo we see the bow of Mountaineer tied up at the Kingston Wharf, Lake Wakatipu. 

While the Earnslaw is well known to most of us, keen to learn more about Mountaineer and Ben Lomond. There is a brief mention of both vessels in this WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/18/thelma-vera/

Muratai has made a WW appearance here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/11/20/muratai-ii/

30-10-2022 Input ex Greg Philpott – Mountaineer featured on a New Zealand stamp – see below. Greg also uncovered a ‘glass lantern slide’ for sale on ebay that is tagged ‘P S Mountaineer Lake Wakatipo’.

The poster below for the NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show (Lake Rotoiti – Nelson Lakes) is a stunning piece of nautical art – each year they step it up a level. I’ve been – it is always a goody so circle 4th>5th March 2023 in your calendar.

Classic Woody Boating Long Weekend Cruise

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Moturekareka Island
Sunset – Smelting House Bay, Bon Accord Harbour, Kawau Island
Sunrise – Smelting House Bay, Bon Accord Harbour, Kawau Island
Lady Adelaide
Vivian Bay, Kawau Island
Ngaio
Meola & Whio

Classic Woody Boating Cruise

For all the wrong reasons I didn’t do a lot of boating (on my boat) this past winter, so the looming long Labour weekend was always going to see me leaving the dock even if the weather was ‘inclement’. Luckily it wasn’t and I slid away early Friday afternoon with the ultimate destination being Kawau Island. The boredom of mostly straight line motoring was broken up by Team NZ cutting up the gulf in their AC40, so so quick.

Decided to spend Friday night anchored at Moturekareka Island, the resting place of the wreck REWA (unsuccessfully scuttled as a breakwater) , not the most settled of spots but the sunset and the bird song made up for it.

Moved on earlier Saturday to Smelting House Bay and picked up a pre-booked mooring, now before you all call me a softy, we had the new dog onboard for its 1st trip and wanted to be close to shore – didn’t want an oops on board. I can report she was an angel – woke me at 5.30am for a row ashore. Sadly she also seems to think the #1 bunk is hers 🙂 The bonus of the dog pee row ashore is catching the sunrise, almost as fine as the sunset.

Mostly just relaxed mooching around, had a drink and dinner catch up with the crews off Meloa, Ngaio, Lady Adelaide and Golandrina at the Kawau Boating Club, which had just taken the shutters down after the annual winter hibernation. Food and service was first rate – if you are not a member – join, they need good support to keep doing what they do so well. The next day we dropped the pick in Vivian Bay – very quiet and later in the day several woodys arrived – seems to be the go-to destination for the Sandspit marina crowd.

I spied a stunning villa on the waterfront in Vivian Bay – photos below, will need to keep buying Lotto 🙂

Trip home on Monday was just about perfect for a straight stemmer e.g. wind and tide on the nose – 3 hours 45 min from KBC > Bayswater, that’s a good clip for my 94 year old girl.

UPDATE 03-11-2022 – Photo below of Rewa as scuttled (incorrectly). Comes to us from Auckland War Memorial Museum libray via Maurice Sharp fb.

SUNDAYS MYSTERY LAUNCH QUIZ WINNER

Well done Ken Ricketts, the winner from the many woodys that correctly ID’ed the launch as Sobrine. The pool was reduced significantly by a large number spelling the boats name – Sabrine. Link to a previous WW Sobrine story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/05/31/sobrine/

Kawau Island Woodys

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KAWAU ISLAND WOODYS

Hopefully todays photo will slightly resemble my view this morning, the Labour weekend cruise had a target of Kawau Island, weather permitting.

The photo above comes to us from Mitchell Hutchings fb ex the wonderful Parsonson Family collection. Thank you Mitchell for sharing.

WIN A WW T-SHIRT

All correct answers to naming the launch bottom left in the photo will go into the draw for a WW t-shirt, fresh off the screen printing press. Close off will be Monday 24th Oct at 5pm. Email your answer to waitematawoodys@waitematawoodys

The launch is – Sobrine

Lazy Days > Amokura

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LAZY DAYS > AMOKURA

Have had a request from Jackson Lidgard for intel on the 38’ 1955 Lidgard built motor-sailer he and his father are currently doing a major refit/restoration on.

Jackson commented that she was originally named Lazy Days but renamed to Amokura sometime in the 1970’s or 80’s by the second owner. The story goes that the second owner was a Safe Air pilot from Picton who sailed her down from Auckland.

Jackson’s  family bought her 2 years ago after she had deteriorated living on a swing mooring in Havelock Sound for the last 20 years or so. When purchased they were told it was a John Alden design but have been unable to confirm this. 

Currently 4 months or so into her restoration in a shrink wrap shed on the Waikawa handstand. The top photo above was before the current project commenced.

Any information on the yacht would be greatly appreciated. For those woodys using Instagram there are regularly updates under the blog handle of  @todothingsblog A random selection of photos from the blog below.

And for those wondering around the surnames of the builder and the restorer – yes there is a link but very distant.

RSVP waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Spindrift – The Build & Launching

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Spindrift – The Build & Launching

On Friday we featured the launch – Spindrift and asked for more details – well as you can see from the above photo gallery we certainly got an answer 🙂
Firstly Spindrift is a new build, launched in early December 2021 – designed by Gary Underwood (design #71) and owner built by Hilton and Melva Ward. 
To quote Hilton she is a 10 metre, multi-chine ply passage maker powered by a 35hp Beta (Kubota) engine.

Hilton has a very informative blog on the whole back story from design to first cruise, link below. I have just ‘cherry picked’ a selection of photos for todays story.  https://thenewspindrift.blogspot.com/?m=1

Spindrift calls Ngunguru Estuary, Northland home, but there are plans for some serious cruising this summer. The build commenced in early 2016, but Underwood did the design work two years prior  – see sketches below + model Hilton made to see how it would look in real life.

As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉

01-06-2024 – photo below ex Natalie Collinson fb anchored at Ngunguru

Rata

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RATA

The launch Rata recently made an appearance on Lew Redwoods fb, a WW search comes up with several craft of the same name but not this woody. The location looks ’southern’ to my eyes.

Can we expand of her past and current location?

19-10-2022 Input ex Ray Morey – After Whangarei Towboats folded up, (Jack Fisher, Kay Fisher and Ivan Rolfe) Ivan bought Rata from a ship broker in Auckland where she was lying. We brought her up to Whangarei where we put a heavy panting beam across behind the engine and mounted a towpost bridge behind the wheelhouse, after the style of the Alert, where the load was transfered to the deck, not the cabins.She had a 4-71 with 2:1 red box so swung a decent prop.I spent a lot of time towing one of the W.H.B. bottom dump suction dredge barges, mostly “Rua” with her mainly on the main channel before Westminster came in and deepened the place. We also did provisioning of the oil tankers at Marsden Point and bunkering oils for the ships. I knew she had come from the sounds area origionally. When “A.A. Tankcleaning” sold her I believe she went “up to the islands” as a village supply boat but was lost soon after. I was driving her about 1964-65.

Photo Below – by again ex Ray Morey of Rata off Onerahi about 1965 when owned by Ivan Rolfe.

Something From Left Field 

Like most classic woody boating enthusiasts I’m not a fan of jet skis / personal water craft etc – they have a habit of shattering the peace and quiet in a bay. The ones used for fishing are all good. The one below is almost starting to look ok, lose the white on white paint scheme and it would be very cool.

Spindrift + Save A Classic From The Chainsaw

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SPINDRIFT

One of my ’spotters’,  Dean Wright, in the north sent in on Wednesday night the above photo of Spindrift. Dean commented that Spindrift was a newbie to him and myself also.

The photo shows her coming up the Kerikeri Inlet (Doves Bay). 

Can anyone enlighten us on Spindrift, there is an interesting mix of styles going on, but overall she looks very salty.

UPCOMING WOODY EVENTS

We have a long weekend coming up – Labour W/end – OCt 22nd > 24th) historically we tend to point the bow towards Kawau Island, weather permitting, if the weather gods are nice the plan is a catch up / drink ashore on Saturday at the Kawau Boating Club. Always very informal, so probaly around 3.30>4pm. If your around drop in.

FREE TO A GOOD HOME – Parma

The classic launch Parma recently had an oops and sank – story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/04/classic-launch-parma-sinks-under-harbour-bridge/

Parma

The insurance surveyor has advised they have offered up Parma at no charge other than removal costs from Hobsonville Marina Hardstand – if no takers by Oct 21st – she sadly will be cut up. Interested parties contact Simon Marshall via email simon.marshall@nz.sedgwick.com

Mooching Around Whangaroa Harbour

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Mooching Around Whangaroa Harbour

Pointed the car north yesterday for a fleeting visit to one of my favorite woody haunts – Whangaroa Harbour in the Far North. Always a great display of classic craft either tied up at the marina or moored in the bay.

Terrible internet connection and battery life disappearing fast – so I’ll add names to the vessels when I’m back in the big smoke 🙂

Enjoy the gallery.

How Not To Sell Your Wooden Classic 

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How Not To Sell Your Wooden Classic 

In the opening line the seller says “whole boat made from kauri, no rot!”, well I think rot would be the least of your worries. The major features promoted are the brass bits – “steering wheel, anchor winch, prop – the value of these bits probably dictates a fair starting price for bids….

Vender says -“Opportunity not to be missed” , I suspect it will be a miss.

It is not a bad looking craft, but presented like it is, and with a an engine that doesn’t run – it should be – Free To A Good Home. Way too many negative photos that showcase how neglected she is, then again maybe the woody folks down south like a major project 🙂