Category Archives: Sailing Sunday

FANTASY SOS – Sailing Sunday

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FANTASY SOS – Sailing Sunday
On Friday I received a heads up about the 30’ yacht – Fantasy, lofted by a Bill Spence, a Sheltans Islander and built in the Pattersons yard, St Aspeh Street, Christchurch c.1948. Her planked hull is Oregon and post launching her keel was moulded in the sand at Brighton Beach, try and get away with that today 🙂
Fantasy’s owners have had her for 40 years and sadly have made the decision to pass the yacht onto a new owner who will undertake the work required.Fantasy was accidentally sunk in Port of Terakoe and an exhausting legal battle followed, her owners do not have what it takes to begin the refit. 

Her solid rimu interior is still in excellent condition and beautiful. As shown in the above photos, Fantasy is now in a cradle at the owners property in Golden Bay, Nelson and they would like her to go to someone who is able to restore her.

Fantasy has a great back story, having sailed in the Centennial race which resulted in New Zealand’s greatest yachting disaster, the owners have a lot of information and records relating to this, including Fantsy’s log of that race. The asking price on tme is $1 so there must be a woody out there looking for a project.

MYSTERY YACHT 23-07-23 VECTIS

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MYSTERY YACHT 23-07-23 – VECTIS

Recently woody Simon Smith commented that all the mystery launches were a struggle for the stick & rag brigade that follow WW. Simon sent in the above photo , so today can we ID the yacht and possibly the design.

INPUT ex Jim Lott – Hull looks like an early Bert Woollacott. Could well be Vectis, but only if she was later rerigged. When I had Vectis in 1972-6 she had two sets of spreaders and the boom was a bit shorter.

INPUT ex Robin Elliott – Although the boat is Vectis, that “23/7/23” date is a bit dodgy. Vectis was not launched until 1930.
NZ Herald 15/11/30: Mr. Wollacott’s new cruiser Vectis, which, is ready for launching at Devonport during this week-end was registered in the C class, although her waterline length of 27 feet would qualify her for the B class if length alone was the deciding factor. Vectis is 31ft overall and a wholesome type of cruiser.

I can’t just leave you with one photo of a yacht so check out the short film below of Auckland’s North Shore in the 1920’s. It was filmed an advertisement for the Devonport Ferry Company showcasing what the shore offered.

For the time poor just fast forward to the 4:14 mark – some great footage of the Devonport waterfront and craft hauled out at the Devonport Yacht Club + Bayswater in its heyday , how did we ever let that gem of a location slide into the condition it is today?.

Further on there is some excellent sailing footage and I love the pond yachts. ENJOY (ex Ngatira Tronga Sound & Vision) – CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW

https://www.facebook.com/100022491815652/videos/377063966386661/

Manutere – Sailing Sunday

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Manutere – Sailing Sunday

Another great photo shared with us by Dean Wright from the Tauranga Library archives.

We see the yacht – Manutere alongside a wharf, dated April 1964 and given the bridge in the background – has to be Tauranga.

Can anyone enlighten us more on the yacht (motorsailer?).

Short story today, waking up in the Waikato after a highly esteemed woodys 80th birthday party last night – great party, topped off with an All Black win 🙂

Taioma

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TAIOMA

Chatting online last week with Laurie Jury from Blair Boats and he commented that currently had at the yard a yacht named – Taioma that was built by the Lidgard Bros. in 1948, Laurie understands she was probably designed by Fred Lidgard.

Taioma ended up on the rocks in the Bay of Islands and was rescued from being scrapped.

The original plans were for Blair Boats to spline and fiberglass her (she is also carvel planked kauri) for the gent that ’saved’ her. So far the yard have removed the interior and repaired most of the broken ribs (about 20 of them) , scraped off all the paint and started to clean out the joins in the planks ready to spline. Laurie advised that unfortunately her owner now has other commitments and the boat is now looking for a new custodian to take on the project.

Fraulein Maree

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FRAULEIN MAREE

The 36’ Fraulien Maree would probably just just slip into the CYA criteria as a classic, designed and built by Jim Ashby in 1967. Her tme listing states that she is a Mullet design, someone from the yotting fraternity will have to explain that. Built with kauri planks on Kowhai frames and matte decks. Rather a sexy stern.

Her interior is very salty with that classic Herreshoff look – white panels with varnished trim.

When the wind dies there is a 30hp Vetus diesel to push her along.

Waitangi at Devonport 1897

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1897
2018

Waitangi at Devonport 1897

 I was poking around some old WW files and came across the above photo of the 1894 Logan built gaffer Waitangi, the photo is dated 1897 and shows her hauled out near the Logan yard in Devonport, Auckland.

The image was originally sent in by Keith Humphreys.

The colour photo I took back in Sept 2018, that is 121 year apart – most impressive.

In the WW story link below there is a video filmed by Roger Miles back in 2016, gives us a good insight into sailing Waitangi. 

Classic Yacht Racing – Waitangi

HAPARANDA – A Peek Down Below

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HAPARANDA – A Peek Down Below

Well if you believe the NZ Classic Yacht Association constitution – steel construction gets the tick as being eligible to fly the CYA burgee.

So today we feature the 70’ steel schooner – Haparanda, designed and built by John Lundmark in 1960. She under went a refit in 2008. Haparanda is in charter, based in the Viaduct in Auckland so could be a nice retirement business for an old salt. The asking price ($1.3million) might narrow the list of buyers.

With a beam of nearly 15’ she is a fulsome lass and can sleep >12 people. When the sails are all stowed away a 95hp Gardner gets her along at 9+ knots.

Haparanda is a boat that I have walked past many times berthed in the city, now we get to see below decks. Buy a Lotto ticket 😉

Voyager – Sailing Sunday

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VOYAGER – SAILING SUNDAY

Back in late 2022 WW was contacted by Anthony Finlay in regard to the yacht – Voyager. Antony commented that he had recently purchased the yacht and was hoping to uncover details on her past. We have some intel – probably designed and built c.1950 by T.L. Marshall in Hastings. She is built from yellow pine with Oregon planking – 27’6” in length, a beam of 8’2” and draws 4’6”.

Its been recorded that she was sold in the early 1960’s and was relocated ’north’. There is also chat that she may have been sailed to Canada.

Can anyone help Anthony out – by confirming / correcting the above information and supplying details on where she has been in the last 60 odd years.

Input ex Neil Chalmers – there was a series of Sea Spray articles on her build (Robin Elliott may have the SS dates) .  A Jack Taylor design ? Back in the 1960’s Voyager was a regular at Okahu Bay . The owner subsequently had the K class Anthea.

Input ex Robin Elliott – Voyager, 1950, Designer Jack Taylor, builder T.L. Marshall

Sail number F-90
NZYF Number 790. Number Remained unallocated in 1969 and she did not pick up her NZYF registration until 1976 NZYF Register

T.L. Marshall (Onehunga, Hastings) 1950/66+? (Moored Napier); T.E. Linnell 1968+? ; J.& E. Bray 1976+? (Still Registered as Owner NZYF 1982); R. Ellwood (Opoitiki) 1983+? (Still Registered as Owner NZYF 1991); S.B. Richardson (Tauranga) 1999+?

AYMBA says blt 1950

27’6″ x 22’10″x 8’2″ x 4’3″ 364 sq ft berm 2700lb outside 8 hp eng 1953, 4 hp Stuart Turner 1968

SC Jan 1951: Added to the Napier SC register.
SC Mar 1951: Marshall’s new keeler recently completed a cruise to Tauranga and back.
SS Mar 1951: says new yacht… just returned from Xmas cruise SS Sept 1952:lines laid down May 1948′ built in Napier
SS Nov 1952: Cover and photos p6, lines and construction.
SS Mar 1966: For Sale
SS May 1968: Registered

Note: SC = Sea Craft Magazine, SS = Sea Spray Magazine

WOODYS CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD PUB TODAY – 18 + boats, checking in tomorrow for a trip reports 🙂

Restless – 4sale

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RESTLESS 4sale

Todays woody is the 40’ yacht – Restless built by the Tercel Bros in 1920 to a Alden/Tercel design. Now to save you having to do the maths, that makes her an impressive 104 years old. Constructed of kauri, her beam is 11’3” and she draws 6’ (lead keel).

During her life Restless has seen a lot of the South Pacific and back home is a regular contestant in the Bay of Islands Tall Ships Race.

Any boat to survive a decade needs to have been in the hands of caring wooden boat lovers – Restless has been lucky, her owner of 55 years Tim Beattie is one such gentleman and Restless is always presents in beautiful condition.

Her sail wardrobe, mast and rigging reflect her ocean cruising life. Her second means of forward propulsion is a 58hp Fordson diesel (1965), overhauled in 1990 – that gives her a comfortable 6 knots.

If you haven’t already guessed it – yes Restless is for sale. Classic wooden craft of her pedigree and condition rarely come on the market. There are several options for her next owner in terms of her interior – the one I would favour would be retaining the period layout and just treat her to a refresh e.g. upgrade the hardware – stove, head etc.and refresh the upholstery. Or you could just sail away and enjoy her as Tim and family have.

Initial expressions of interest to  waitematawoodys@gmail.com

THE LOG OF TAMATEA – A20 

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THE LOG OF TAMATEA – A20 

Earlier in the week a nugget of gold dropped into my inbox – Mark Newcomb sent in a copy of his families yacht – TAMATEA A20 log book (refer PDF file link below to read)

The log book covers the background to the building of the yacht and her first race + some wonderful insights into life in the WWII period.

Tamatea was designed by A.C. Robb and built by A. Couldrey, launched in Jan 1937.

Amazingly the yacht was built from one kauri log, grown on the owners property in Waitakere (note: log was from a ‘dead’ tree)

Click on the blue text below to open the PDF file, the original of the log book is in the hands of the Maritime Museum, so probably this file is the only record, given the Museum’s track record with ‘losing’ things 😦

Click to access logbook-of-tamatea.pdf