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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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 😦
1939 Sanders Cup Crowd at Port Levy – Brother Bill Hemsley seated centre under “Mayor” holding imitation Cup.
The Crew Of Huia
HUIA AND THE SANDERS CUP
WW was recently contacted by Carol Jukes regarding her father George Hemsley and the 1932 X-Class dinghy – Huia. You can read more on Huia on the WW link below, I’ll let Carol’s note tell the story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/08/19/restoration-of-the-1936-x-class-dinghy-huia-x22/
“Dad had a pretty good memory and for many years we asked him to write his memories down, at last he and I got cracking. Dad grew up in Lyttelton and the sea was a great part of his life. The Sanders Cup left a lasting impression on him, the article on HUIA and the Sanders Cup was taken from his book (Just George). His love of the sea continued all of his life and at one time he was the proud owner of Cherub #1. Like the owner who gave HUIA a new lease of life, Dad did the same for Cherub #1. My Brother David and I were also keen yachties
Unfortunately my photos of the HUIA sailing in the Sanders Cup leave a lot to be desired, I would be interested if anyone has a good copy as I am in the process of updating Dads book, I am now up to the chapter of the HUIA and the Sanders Cup and that’s how I came upon the waitematawoodys site when I put HUIA into the Google search engine. Thank you for your interest.”
Extract Below From George Hemsley’s Memories (2.8.1913 > 29.7.2010)
It was the year 1939 when my Brother Bill Hemsley’s yacht “Huia” the Canterbury representative won the Sanders Cup. This event was sailed on Bluff Harbour with the first race starting on the 20th January. She was skippered by W A Tissiman with the crew of Bill Hemsley, S Sillars and H Brodie.
Her placings were as follows:-
Race #1 – Third
#2 – First
#3 – Huia did not start as she was unable to reef:-
#4 – second or third
#5 – First
#6 – First
HUIA wins the Sanders Cup.
“The Sanders Cup” yes it would seem that salt-water activities create bad feelings between yachties. Take the “Americas” cup today, what do we have, well when I was still at school the “Sanders Cup” was the same as the “Americas Cup” capable of stirring up the people of New Zealand to great enthusiasm between each province that competed. The reason that I do remember because my brother Bill (William Roy Hemsley) had bought the 14 footer HUIA.
Now in Lyttelton we had a man that built these 14 footers they had to be the exact measurement set down to fit a mould and no excuses for any mistakes. Mr Fred Dobbie was the man who built most of these 14 footers. Well brother Bill’s yacht was built by a different builder – from memory his name was Dick Tredenick.
It came time to race to determine who was to represent Canterbury – it was sailed in Lyttelton. To the best of my knowledge Huia won the first three races outright, so was the winner, but no they had to sail another three races, which she also won, now she had won six out of six races, but they the ”opposition” was determined that a Dobbie built boat was going to go, so they counted another three races which HUIA refused to enter and another boat was the winner of the next three races. This caused bad feeling especially when Brother Bill was asked to lend his set of sails to send the other boat away.
However the next year when HUIA again won the races there was no doubt. The HUIA did represent Canterbury for the 1939 Sanders Cup and did win the Sanders Cup for her province. The racing was held in Bluff with Bill Tissiman as skipper.
Between 1921 and 1946 Canterbury won the Sanders Cup 9 times, with the racing being sailed in Lyttelton 5 times and between 1921 & 1946. There was no racing during the war years of 1942-43-44 and 45.
I remember reading about a rowing race that was held for the visiting reporters as well, before the commencement of cup racing. I don’t know if this was always the case but the race in question was 1928 at Stewart Island. This caused a great deal of hilarity as well and was fiercely contested. Boats of supporters followed each reporter yelling encouragement to them and the opposite to the opposition. I do wonder if the same spirit is still as evident today.
06-03-2023 INPUT BELOW EX ROBIN ELLIOTT
Bit of an essay here but …. it’s complicated
Recollections are tricky things and although correct by and large, several seasons in your father’s memoir, 1936-1939, appear to have been conflated into one major story. I recommend a serious trawling of Papers Past to straighten out the kinks.
As unfair as it sounds, it was not uncommon for Sanders Cup committees to ‘swap out’ crew, or sails from one winning boat onto their chosen representative, such was their desperation to be successful. Many skippers angrily resented this practice and refused to comply with requests to turn their boat over to their Sanders Cup Selection committee to have the best bits pinched off it. Here is the justification.
Huia also suffered from being regarded as ‘an old boat’. Back in 1924 R. Tredennick and Fred Dobby built Pioioi, Dobby’s first 14-footer, which was wrecked during its maiden race. It seems that 8 years later, rather than go back to Fred Dobby for a new boat, Tredennick may have used these 1924 moulds to build Huia. She was often referred to as a Dobby boat ‘built by Tredennick’.
Either way, Huia was launched in November 1932, carried sail number X-7. She did little of note until sold to Bill Hemsley around 1935 who installed Sanders Cup winning skipper Elliot Sinclair on the helm. She was suddenly a very competitive boat.
This caused a problem for Sanders Cup selectors because Canterbury had won the previous 4 contests in the newer Dobby-built boats, Avenger and Irene. The Huia design, if from the Pioioi moulds, would have been over 10 years old, and amateur built at that. Maybe too much risk?
The committee selected a proven winner, the Dobby-built Avenger, put Huia’s Eliot Sinclair on as skipper with one of his crew and two of Avenger’s normal crew.
Avenger won the 1936 Sanders Cup so it was all seen as justifiable in the end.
It is unclear when Bill Hemsley sold Huia, possible as early as 1937. For the 1936/37 Sanders Cup Trials he sailed with Bill Tissiman on Colleen, won selection and was Canterbury Rep that season, coming a close second to the winner Lavina from Wellington.
In the 1937/38 season Huia was sailed by R. Hendry, and in 1938/39 Bill Tissiman was on the helm when she won selection for the 1939 Sanders Cup at Bluff.
It doesn’t look like Bill Hemsley was in the crew of Huia that season. He may have accompanied the group to Bluff but he was not selected as crew.
Just to complicate matters, I have a copy of the Wheatley & Reid’s Sanders Cup book which has, facing page 169, a ‘photo of the crew of Huia’ at Bluff 1939 (the same as your ‘crew of Huia’ photo above).
X-class historian, the late Murray Stark has noted on my copy of the book, ‘Facing page 169 NOT the 1939 crew’ and lists the crew as per the Papers Past articles above.
I suspect that the ‘crew photo’ is that of Colleen from 2 years earlier with Bill Hemsley in the crew.
You may find more details in a trawl of Papers Past.
Whoever owned Huia sold her to W. Pool of Akaroa in 1941 and she was still racing with the Akaroa Sailing Club as late as 1948.
My Canterbury contact (the late Graham Mander who raced many times at the Akaroa Regattas) was fairly sure she had been converted to a runabout in the late 1950’s early 60’s.
It seems unlikely (though not impossible) that she is the X-class Huia since restored and appearing on the earlier Woodys post.
PRICCILLA / PRISCILLA – Sailing Sunday
A couple of weeks ago WW was contacted by Andre Vanwonderen concerning the yacht – Priccilla – a 32’ Plant Class yacht, designed by Claude A. Smith and built by Allen Smith in 1966.
Can we expand more on this class of yacht, quite a looker. Andre is considering selling – aren’t we all 🙂
Input ex Neil Chalmers – Alan Smith’s Planet class is similar to North Sea 24 and its smaller sister the Twister both from the well known English designer CR (Kim) Holman. All influenced by the RORC rule.
There is a Sea Spray article on the Planet Class design.
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