Classic J-Class Racing Up Close
Today we link to a very cool video filmed aboard the J-Class Shamrock V as she races against a fleet of seven other J’s, the first time they have all raced together. Toby Hodges from Yachting World is the host aboard. One comment was that to get a true perspective of the size of this yachts, 20sec into the video focus on the guy in front of the jib on K6, he looks so tiny.
HINEMOANA III
The 35’ motorsailer Hinemoana II was launched in the late 1960’s (c.1965) who for is unclear but possibly for Mr. P. W. Anker of Wainuiomata Wellington.
Six months after she was launched in July 1966, she ended up on the beach at Eastbourne, just short of the seawall, during a severe Wellington storm, having broken her new mooring, refer top photo. Reports are that she sustained no serious damage.
Fast forward to 2018 and she pops up at Gulf Harbour, Auckland receiving some TLC. B/W photo comes to us ex Sea Spray magazine and the GH ones + details via Ken Ricketts. Do we know what became of her between 1966 and 2018?
TERN II
Several weeks ago we run a story on WW about the fate of the Stow & Son – UK yacht – Imatra, that is dining a slow death up the Tamaki River in Auckland. At the time xxx pointed out that there was another Stow & Son yacht (built in 1899) – the 52’, gaff, yawl – Tern II in New Zealand. She is for sale on the UK yacht brokers website – Sandeman Yacht Company – I have taken the of reproducing the background story on how she ended up in NZ.This link will take you to their site to see over 40 photos and read more about her http://www.sandemanyachtcompany.co.uk/yacht/467/stow-and-sons-39-ft-gaff-yawl-1899-project-completion Thanks to Mark Erskine for the heads up on this hidden gem.
Tern II was launched as White Kitten in 1899, from the yard of Stow and Son, in Shoreham, UK. In early 1910 she was purchased by Claude Worth, who owned her for a couple of years and made several changes to her; documented in his book “Yacht Cruising.” Meanwhile all the ironwork he had made at this time is still with the vessel.
After numerous owners over the next few decades, she came into the hands of Ben Pester, a New Zealand naval officer who had finished a period of service in the U.K. and was keen to return to NZ under sail. This passage, in 1951-52, was written about in his book “Just Sea and Sky”, published in 2010.
Tern II changed hands again a few times, until she was found abandoned and a somewhat worse for wear in a mud berth near Thames North Island NZ, by Bill Cunningham. Going aboard with a mate unsure if she was worth saving; after downing the bottle of whisky found below it was decided she was indeed worthy – and thus began a 9 year period that she spent hauled out in his back yard in Cambridge not far away, replacing the deck with the addition of a cabin and all her spars, and a new interior. Her counter had been removed sometime before this and the rig changed to a cutter. She was re launched in April 1981.
Bill parted with her in 1991 and she was owned for a time by Mick Reynolds, and then Lyn Avatar, who had planned to sail her to Hawaii but cut the journey short after a 24 day passage to Tonga from the Bay of Islands. She then lay on a mooring there until the current owners came across her on their way to New Zealand. For a sum including coverage of outstanding mooring fees, a bottle of rum, and a kiss, they secured ownership and arranged shipping back to New Zealand. She is currently being stored undercover in a yard in Whangarei, Northland and undergoing restoration.
MIDNIGHT – Sailing Sunday
Today’s story comes to us from Ross Dawson and dovetails with the story earlier in the week on the launch – Midnight II. Both sparked by Ross’s visit to see Peter Chamberlin in this retirement village. I will let Ross tell the story ‘
“The Yacht “Midnight” 34 tons according to press reports of the period, was brought out from the UK and generally under the command of Charles Chamberlin snr., with newspaper advertisements and comments indicated Charles had a paid crew. On the other hand according to Brian & Jan Chamberlin’s family history,…”the cutter ‘Midnight’ appeared on the scene (1853), having been built to Charles’s order by Henry Nicol, a noted North Shore builder.”
There are many newspaper references during the unsettled times around 1865-70, that Charles made the vessel available as an armed cutter, manned by naval volunteers to patrol the Hauraki Gulf and beyond. On one occasion she ‘rescued’ Governor Sir George Grey from potential capture from his Kawau Island home. Another records Midnight arriving in Auckland 4.3.1865 from Tauranga bringing first news of the murder of Volkner near Opotiki.
Other shipping news was more prosaic…”Midnight arriving Auckland from Ponui with 9 bales of wool.”
In 1870, the NZ Herald reported Midnight had a 16 day “stormy passage’ to Tonga, and later the death by drowning of her Captain Courthoys at Levuka. I understand Midnight was lost on this voyage, refer below.
Briefly (& anyone interested can find the full account in the Daily Southern Cross newspaper of 12.6.1871)…”the Midnight sailed from Levuka on Saturday last, on a pleasure trip to Mologai (sic) (Malogai Island)…the vessel was hove to outside the reef for the night, but due light winds and strong currents, drifted onto a shoal about 2.30am. Every attempt was made to get her clear. All anchors being lost. In the morning a schooner was sighted and a boat was sent over the reef. Mr North, mate of the Midnight asked for a loan of a kedge, or to take a line to a shoal a short distance to windward. The boat returned to the schooner (America) and to the astonishment of those on Midnight, the America made sail and left all hands to their fate. The crew built a raft and with some assistance from a vessel from the island Midnight was abandoned and they made for Passage Island, eight miles away. They were rescued on Tuesday by the schooner Mary sent from Levuka in search of Midnight. It was assumed Midnight slipped off into deep water sometime on the Sunday night that the crew left the stranded vessel. (Story from Fiji Times May 20 1871)
As far as sorting who built Midnight…either in England or by Henry Nicol in Auckland, I have not come across any definitive information. But trawling through the Daily Southern Cross, one is amazed at the large number of ships of all sizes that traded out of Auckland, many locally built.
Henry Nicol who apparently came to Auckland from Scotland aged 23 was an amazingly prolific shipbuilder, initially from a yard on what is now the corner of Vulcan Lane & Queen Street and soon after from his yard in Mechanics Bay, hard up against the slope of the rising land toward Parnell (well before the extensive reclamation extending out toward the current waters edge).
The Daily Southern Cross of 1853 when the 97ton ‘clipper schooner’ “Waitemata” was launched, reported Nicol had built since 1849…647 tons of shipping,…Moa 281 tons;Hawkhead, 22 tons; Eliza, 55 tons;Julia Ann, 28 tons; Rose Ann, 39 tons; Favourite, 28tons; Te Tere, 27 tons; & Waitemata, 97 tons. Not to mention 5 half-decked boats from 10-18 tons!
Possibly Nicol produced the Midnight shortly after the above as the family booklet “Ponui & Beyond” by Brian & Jan Chamberlin states…”In 1853 the cutter Midnight appeared on the scene, having been built to Charle’s (Chamberlin) order by Henry Nicol.
This whole story has a slight personal note as my Gt Gt Grandfather Joshua Robinson, with a team of his carpenters worked for Henry Nicol, although my family record indicates that Joshua was employed by the well known trader William Smellie Graham on his various construction projects, including Nicol’s building of trading vessels for Graham. My Robinson history states…that ” Nicol built 43 vessels in the first 10 years, all work done by hand until 1856 when machinery was installed for sawing timber.”
Just to give a glimpse of Nicol’s work ethic….The DSC of 24.2.1854 tells us…”launch schooner 40tons, Tamatenaua. Cutter 30tons nearing completion. About to lay keel for schooner 112-120 tons”….all with saw and adze…the chips must have been flying!”
Harold Kidd Input – MIDNIGHT was built by Henry Niccol in 1863 according to the Register of British Ships No 57810. She replaced Charles Chamberlin’s VICTORIA.
OYSTER – Sailing Sunday
Bay of Islands woody – Dean Wright, sent me the above photo of the 1903 Charles Bailey Jnr. built yacht Oyster that John Gander has sent to him along with the comments below. Oyster has just changed hands, new owner – Gavin Pascoe and now resides in Wellington. In late Feb we back grounded the boat https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/02/28/oyster-sailing-sunday/
The above photo I took of her in about 1980’s she was owned by an old guy, Dick Young. He kept her in Curious Cove out from the holiday camp were he had a job, the camp accommodated school parties and often Oyster would be seen loaded with a crew of school kids that Dick would take sailing. He was an interesting fellow with a wealth of knowledge of wooden sail boats and always seemed to keep Oyster in good shape.
Sunday is the last chance this year to partake in the best wood fired pizza i have ever had. Woody Bay, Rakino Island
NAIAD 361 – Sailing Sunday
Today’s woody – Naiad, resides in the Bay of Plenty and I know little about her , other than she was built by Lou Tercel, of Ranger fame. The question of the day would have to be – is she distended for a beehive restoration or will she be saved and sail again? Photos come to us from Jason Prew.
Input from Robin Elliott –
Naiad was built 1914 ‘1915 by Tercel Bros to a modified C.D. Mower/T. Fleming Day (Rudder Magazine) Sea Bird design and launched possibly late 1915. She was entered in the 1916 Regatta but recorded a DNS and appears to have done no racing until 1916/17 season.
From 1916 onwards she was a regular entrant with the Ponsonby and Victoria Cruising clubs.
She had many owners and had a lot of mods done to her over the years. She was converted to a yawl in 1949.
Last registered with YNZ in 1999.
There is a lot more info in the book Ranger by Sandra Gorter and Aroha Tercel.
Anyone Able To Help ID The Design /Build Of This Run-About
I was sent the photos below by Matthew Farrant who is hoping that someone can ID the design/builder of his 20’ double diagonal stripped kauri run-about. Matthew believes it was built in the 1960’s and originally had a shaft drive but has been converted to stern drive. Engine is a 3 litre Ford Essex.
MATAHORUA
Friends Pauline and Tim Evill managed to get a day away from the grape harvest at the Lawson Dry Hills vineyard and were mooching around their old home town of Mapua, Nelson.Tim never likes to be far from the sea so its not surprising he ended up down at the Riwaka river/estuary where there is always an impressive fleet of woodys berthed.
Today’s woody is an open cutter named Matahorua, which my suspicion of being an ex Outward Bound boat was confirmed with a quick google search – she is stretching the WW ethos a bit as she is made from ply and fiber-glassed but her salty looks get the tick. Would have to be a contender for the boat with the highest number of individuals that have sailed / rowed her 🙂
OYSTER – Sailing Sunday
The photo gallery above of the 1903 Charles Bailey Jnr. yacht Oyster comes to us from her new Wellington owner – Gavin Pascoe’s fb page. Gavin recently sailed her back from Lyttelton to Wellington. Gavin is one of the leading lights at the uber cool Wellington Classic Yacht Trust, so Oyster is a very lucky woody to be in such safe hands.
Most of the photos are from her early days in Wellington c.1920’s>1930’s. The cover of the NZ Yachtsman magazine is dated August 10th 1912 and shows her in Nelson. Oyster is 32’ in length, with a 9’ bean and draws 3’ (she is a centre-board ketch).
Photo below taken by Andrew McGeorge of Oyster in Lyttelton just prior to her departure north.
Whats So Special About Wooden Boats
The above video by Tom Nitsch, featuring Tom’s stunning camera skills, gives a very cool insight into why in this modern age so many people are committing so much time and money restoring and enjoying wooden boats.
The interviews with Donn Costanzo from the Wooden Boatworks yard and John Lammerts van Bueren (sailor, boat builder, author) really capture the why – something a lot of us struggle to communicate when asked by people outside the wooden boating movement.I have reproduced some of John’s comments below –
“Most of all I think that a lot of the people who sail classic boats and enjoy the classic boats are probably more bonded than the people who sail modern boats. Nothing bad against the modern boats but modern boats are usually fiercely competitive and there is not as much love for the boat for what it is, the love is for the performance, the speed you get out of it and your chance to win the boat race. Something that people have in common is they have a drive to create and re-create and preserve and not to consume and I think that that is something very essential. If you are driven by consuming you aren’t able to create and re-create and preserve as much as you need to do to love these classic boats, and in a way the beauty of the boats that you are working with. You look at the old boats and in many ways they are compared to modern boats not as mush as a statement of your personal wealth, they are statement of beauty and it doesn’t really matter whether is a Dragon with varnished topsides or whether its a cruiser or a meter or a great big schooner, no matter how large these great big schooners are they are a statement of beauty and not a statement of wealth, all though they are incredibly expensive, it doesn’t really matter – they are beautiful and people appreciate it.”
You can see more of Tom’s work here http://www.tomnitsch.com
Rebecca > Dolphin – A Rolling Restoration
Hello woodys, if you aren’t a float today, todays story is a gem – its all about what makes the classic wooden boating movement so special – Caleb Bird contacted me to advise that he had taken over the restoration of the yacht Rebecca (now back to being called Dolphin) from the Tino Rawa Trust. The 24′ Dolphin was built in 1902 by the Ewen brothers (Frank,Ernie & John) of Whangarei. Constructed of 2 skin kauri she was once owned and restored by the late Peter Smith, who also restored the stunning 1938 Sam Ford launch – Menai.
Todays photo gallery shows us what Caleb has been up to for the last 2 years i.e. stripping her out and getting the interior back to an amazing look. Well done Caleb, we need more of you 🙂
The first batch shows her ‘as found’ and later photos the work-in-process.
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