Category Archives: Sailing Sunday

Shemara + Laughing Lady in the spotlight

Posted on by
11

Unknown

SHEMARA

The photo above shows the ketch Shemara being launched in Wellington 0n the 9th August 1958, it looks a very miserable day – the wee girl I’m sure would rather be elsewhere. Photo ex Lew Redwood > fb.

Do we know what became of Shemara?

Input below from Gavin Pascoe

I own Sherama. She’s moored at Clyde Quay Wellington. 23′ LOA but feels more like 26 or 28′. She was Roydon Thomas’s first design. Built by Frank Ballinger. That’s him with his two sons Peter and Trevor, who are both still active boating in Wellington. She’s an awesome boat, Australian hardwood to the waterline, Alaskan cedar above. There’s footage of her being hauled up to Grafton Road prior to her launching (plus other cool footage) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hSB9RWMMlw&t=29s. Many, many stories go with both the boat and Roydon Thomas. Stories of Roydon Thomas’ exploits are legion. Some clean ones may be read here: https://thomasfamilyhistorynz.wordpress.com/

Shemara was never ketch rigged. People would call her a sloop as she carries one main and one jib at a time. However her mast is stepped quite well aft in comparison with most sloops, and therefore strictly speaking is more accurately described as a cutter. Though I’m no expert in the finer points of these matters: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155263975080674&set=pcb.10155263977035674&type=3&theater and https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155191194915674&set=pcb.10155191195575674&type=3&theater

And speaking of miserable days – the November 1963 photo below of the Oriental Bay boat harbour in Wellington, is proof of why they build such sturdy vessels so down there 🙂

Unknown-1

Not often a classic woody graces the cover of a NZ boating mag

When you are out & about, pick up a copy of the May issue of Boating NZ, they feature Laughing Lady, post launching at the Mahurangi Regatta. Great story & photos. You can see / read about her restoration > launching at the link below (lots of links to stories). There is also a feature on my boat builder friend, Geoff Bagnall, another great reason to grab a copy 😉

LAUGHING LADY – 1949 33’ USA LUDERS – COMMUTER / SPORT MOTOR BOAT REFURBISHED IN NEW ZEALAND

Screen Shot 2018-04-28 at 5.58.20 pm

Screen Shot 2018-04-28 at 5.58.56 pm

A Treasure Trove of Old Auckland Sailing Photos

Posted on by
3

Unknown-4

Unknown-2

Unknown-3

A Treasure Trove of Old Auckland Sailing Photos

I was contacted by Keith Humphreys who told me that in the 1950’s he discovered a box of glass plates under the Anglican parish hall (Devonport).

A friend’s father, an amateur photographer printed them off for him at the time, but Keith had no idea what or where they’re of?

He presumes that they’re taken in Auckland.

Can we help ID them? HDK, a wee job after chapel & before your bike ride today 😉

ID’ing the cricket match photo below will be tougher challenge 🙂 A WW t-shirt if some can, & prove it. 

Unknown

Harold Kidd Input – Top pic RAINBOW? 2nd pic IDA? 3rd THELMA? The Anglican Parish Hall is next door to Le Huquet’s former residence and last yard and I think WAIONE was built in the near vicinity. Mad guess at the cricket match with a little church on a hill is Waiheke. Awaroa? Owhanake before the 1918 flu epidemic which just about wiped out all the Maori population there?

Mystery Yacht – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
5

Unknown

Mystery Yacht – Sailing Sunday

Barbara Cooke sent me the above photo of this very cute yacht moored in Barrys Bay, Akaroa Harbour.

Snapped from on-board Trinidad as she mooches her way back North.

Any of the southern woodys able to ID the yacht & supply details?

MANUTARA

Pictured below is the 1946 Salthouse designed & built yacht Manutara, she built with the intention of racing the Sydney to Hobart race, but this never eventuated. These days she is owned by Ray Shoebridge & earns her keep doing charter work out of Akaroa – details & photo also ex Barbara C.

Unknown

 

GLEAM 

I popped down to the Salthouse (ex) yard yesterday to catch up with some of the steam boat crowd & while there spotted Neil Chalmers old yacht Gleam at the wharf – looking very smart – Neil will be very chuffed to see her being loved & back in the hands of the family of the designer / builder – JB Brooke.

P1020637

P1020641

Input from Barbara Cooke – Manutara was designed by Jack Muir in 1946. And built by Salthouse Boat Builders in 1962. John Salthouse remembers her being the second full build after setting up the yard at Greenhithe in 1960.
Gleam is now owned by Chris (Curly) Salthouse.

Leisure Hour – Update

Posted on by
6

Unknown-3

Unknown-2

Unknown-4

LEISURE HOUR

I have been contacted by Don & Teresa Windley, the new owners of Leisure Hour. Teresa & Don purchased Leisure Hour from master boat restorer John Wright and sailed her from Westpark Marina Hobsonville to her new home at Mahurangi Marinas. Built some 82 years ago she is built strong and has strong standing rigging. Her little Arona diesel engine performed well and didn’t miss a beat on the trip. Don told me that they will continue with the good work John Wright started in keeping this lovely old sail boat in good sailing condition, 1st project being rewiring all the internal electrics. This winter a planned haul out will include masts out which need re-varnishing.

Don thanked WW for publishing Leisure Hours story a little while ago that included some of her history from Harold Kidd. The WW story and the trademe ad helped them to make the decision to purchase a classic they could manage to sail together, as they had been looking for some time. It is always nice to hear that WW is helping people discover the classic wooden boating movement.

You can see/read more about her here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/12/24/classic-vintage-1936-ketch-leisure-hour/

09-01-2021 Update from Angus Rogers – photos below taken at Gt Barrier Island 2020-21 xmas/ny period

 

As a bonus today –  below is a link to a 30min video of the Melbourne based classic yacht Sayonara, in Sydney for News Eve 2001 , sent to me by Alan Good – enjoy it’s a cool look back at yachting 17 years ago.

 

 

Yachts at Kawau Island – Sailing Sunday – Win A WW T-Shirt

Posted on by
6

Unknown

Yachts at Kawau Island – Sailing Sunday – Win A WW T-Shirt

This Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island photo from the ‘NZ Car, Boats, >>> Utes Pre’75’ FB page shows a great collection of classic yachts (& a few launches).

I’ll put up a WW t-shirt to the woody that can ID the most yachts – given my launch angle – I’ll get a yachty to verify the answers. To stop copy-catting, entries ONLY via email to

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

LIPTON CUP RACE – SATURDAY – MARCH 17th

Unknown

The 97th Lipton Cup race is set to take place on the 17th of March. 22 miles of blood, sweat and tears is to be raced by the 22ft L Class ‘mullet boats’ to see who will triumph as the winner of the esteemed Lipton Cup trophy. This is a highlight of the yachting calendar and this year it appears there will be fierce competition with a number of the mullet boats performing exceptionally well in recent racing. With only 3 years to go until the 100th you can expect there to be a lot more competition and boats coming out of the wood work to compete in following years. Previous crew and owners are always welcome to come down and watch with the club open all day with food and refreshments (with a lift for the weathered yachties).

The days events are as follows:

7am – Hot cooked breakfast (Prebooked)

9am – Race briefing

11am – Race commences

3pm approx – Race finishes

6pm approx – Prize giving and after party

Watch Video footage from last years race here https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=LAZotynoqiA

 

Tusitala > Peri C6 SOS

Posted on by
4

Unknown

 

TUSITALA – PERI C6   SOS

I was recently contacted by Jason Prew in regard to the yacht Tusitala > Peri with an urgent call out for someone to rescue the craft from a potential death at the end of a chainsaw.

Normal story, no idea of a price, no photos……….. but woodys, sometimes we have to step in & help save these old girls, its not the yachts fault that her owner has decided to move on.

A quick call to Harold Kidd & I have the above photos. The owner is of the belief the she is a Logan but Harold commented that the protruding stem post is unlike any other Logan of the period but quite like some Baileys and Le Huquet’s early yachts. Harold also commented that her real claim to fame is that the hero of Chunuk Bair, Cyril Bassett VC 1914-1919, owned her before he bought Ladye Wilma.

The yacht is located in Tauranga & the owner Ken Anderson can be contacted on 027 425 5102.

If we cannot find someone to restore her, can someone with some undercover storage look after her?

Harold Kidd Input – PERI was built by Charles Robinson and her owner George Murphy at St Mary’s Bay in late 1897. The “Logan” attribution is an old wives’ tale. Robinson had built the little keel yacht MAHOE in 1894. Late he was building at Rotorua with Percy McIntosh. He built the 40ft launch ALOHA at St Mary’s Bay in 1926, probably at Sam Ford’s yard.

10-07-2018 Owner Update:

Tusi Tala/ Peri has been stored in my yard for the past 6 or so years.  The lease for the yard has been taken from me so she needs to go to another owner. She is at the stage of her life that a full restoration to her original splendour is needed, which is beyond me.
Should there be any interest by any WW readers they can contact me by phone on 027 425 5102.  Any reasonable offer will secure her.
14-08-2018   FINAL SOS NOTICE
Ken Anderson has advised that he has abandoned Tusi Tala in a yard at Mount Maunganui. Unfortunately he was left with no other choice. The yard is owned by a Hadyn Wall whose lawyer is Ged Fitzgerald, email: ged@fitzlaw.co.nz.
The vessel needs to be moved and is in danger of destruction. She is FREE to a good home, please note that the cradle is not on offer as it is owned by Tauranga Bridge Marina Travel Lift. Please contact Ged Fitzgerald if you or anyone you know are interested in saving her.

REVOCET – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
4

P1260539

P1260547

REVOCET – Sailing Sunday

Another classic from my travels down south & mooching around the Queen Charlotte Sounds,  I spotted Revocet berthed at the Waikawa Bay Marina.

A very smartly presented yacht – can anyone tells as about her ? I’m assuming she is wood 🙂

A Question From Mike Forth Relating to the Photo Below

“I have been emptying my father’s house and in the loft came across my grandfather’s photographic gear 1900- 1920’s, along with a number of glass slides and some framed photos.

One was of a regatta, which I am guessing would have been in the Solent or perhaps the Thames estuary. There was no description on the photo or frame and I would like to add one – for posterity.

I tried to identify the yachts using images online, and the closest I came was some 1925 yachts, however the line of the bow did not match. I would be delighted if your readers could shed some light.”

DSC_0018[1]

 

Classic Land / Ice Yacht

Posted on by
2

IMG_0932

Classic Land / Ice Yacht

I was mooching abound facebook & came across a fb post that Nelson boatbuilder Peter Murton had ‘liked’. I just love everything about the photo & would so like to have a go sailing one of these.

The photo is from a fb post by Jeanette Horst, a very talent photographer from the Netherlands that residences in France – check her work out at the links below.

http://www.jeanettehorstphotography.com/portfolio

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=jeanette+horst+photographer&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZ1anpvdTYAhXKGpQKHaTmBmEQsAQILg&biw=1062&bih=624

And if you need further proof I’m a wee bit of a woody nut, check out the Japanese wooden beer cup below, the beer really does taste better in it. Only downside, if you bought a set of 4 you would need to call the bank manager to arrange an over-draft 🙂  I bought one only.

KOTARE – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
2

Unknown-3

Unknown-1

KOTARE – Sailing Sunday 

I spotted Kotare (Maori = Kingfisher) last week on the grid at Rocky Bay, Waiheke Island. Her owner Don Fraser, was giving the bottom a scrub & a coat of anti-fouling. 

Don commented that the yacht had spent most of her life at Waiheke, excluding a few stints on the mainland.

 Don knows a little about her past owners e.g. she was owned & kept atRocky Bay in the 1970’s by retired merchant seaman Richard Powell.  However Don is very light on intel re her provenance – any woodys able to help Don out?

 

2015 CYA Classic Yacht Regatta – Sailing Sunday – Revisited

Posted on by
Reply

2015 CYA Classic Yacht Regatta – Sailing Sunday

This weekend we have been enjoying the CYA Classic Yacht Regatta – a weather bomb meant the 2014 event was canceled so as they say ‘it did had been a long time between drinks’.
The event was moved to late Feb to give skippers a break between some of the other classic events & to also link in with the Volvo Round the World race festivities. As they say timing is everything & no one was watching the on-line race track more than Tony Stevenson – an early arrival might have meant we did not get to enjoy the swanky surrounding of the VIP hospitality area as our race HQ.
Friday was Race 1 & the fleet to quote most “experienced 4 seasons in one day” – but there was not a face without a smile on it as the boats returned to dockside.
Friday nights ‘de-brief’ & prize giving was a hoot & most walked away with booty.
Saturday normally sees 2 races held but huey had not got the message & after 4 1/2 hrs of floating around in the sun – the race committee pulled the pin & the crews retired to Race HQ. Just in time to witness some spectacular one day cricket on TV.

Fingers crossed today sees some more puff 🙂 If your at a loose end, get down to the Race HQ later today. Food & drinks available + the legendary prize-giving.

Dockside (post Race 1)

Race HQ

Saturday (Race 2 & 3 – sailing cancelled)

Ngatira – Innismara

Rawene

Ngatira

Jonquil
Corona
Riada
Moana
Gypsy – Dolphin of Leith – Wairiki
Wild Duck
Whistleblower
Aramoana – Rawene
Ranger
Innismara

Dolphin of Leith

No wind but stunning sunsets