ACHERON was built in 1968 by Owen Woolley and is apex. 44’ in length, has a beam of 12’7” and draws 3’6”.
Forward motion is via twin Commer 135hp engines. Owen W was a big fan of these engine, no doubt based around the sideways configuration which allowed for ender floor installation.
Probably best described as fitting the modern classic mould, she’s a tad too busy up top for my eyes.
Today woodys you are seeing the future of classic motor boating, MALOLO is best described as a salon style launch, in America they call them Picnic boats.
Having had the privilege of being at the launch last week and getting up close to MALOLO I can report the future looks outstanding.
Some facts –
• MALOLO was designed by Nick Peal and built at Wayne Olsen’s Horizon Boats yard.
• She is appprox 35’ (10.6m) in length and has a beam of 10.5’ (3.2m).
• Forward motion is from a Yanmar 315hp diesel naturally aspirated engine.
Her owner went to great length to keep her as low tech as possible but there is no shortage of systems to enhance the on-the-water experience.
Her name MALOLO means ‘Rest & Relax’ in Samoan.
Below is a snap shot gallery from the Horizon Boats yard.
Once MALOLO has had all her sea trials and gets thru the xmas / ny period we will revisit for more details.
Now a shout for Wayne Olsen and Horizon Boats – if you like what you see today, Wayne is ready to build one for you.
CLASSIC WOODEN CLINKER – GYPSY – Why Are the Good Ones Never Nearby
Doing a tme deep dive over the weekend and up popped the 22’ clinker launch – GYPSY. Sure its a project given the recent sinking but at current bidding (4 bids) its $10 and its reached its reverse price.
This 1970 woody comes from the very impressive stable of Lionel Jefcoat, a master craftsman. Read about the man here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/03/12/lionel-jefcoat-boatbuilder-wood-craftsman/ The story is the boat sank on its mooring (not totally submerged) due to a skin fitting failure caused by bad weather .It is sound condition with only a small amount of rot around cabin.the motor was running normally before it sank and was washed down and flushed out within a day of haul out. The photos of GYPSY out of the water were taken after the sinking.
Motor is a 10hp Kelvin P2 diesel. Home is Lyttelton, Canterbury. Someone one in the Picton Clinker and Classic Boat Club needs to buy her, a perfect additional to the fleet.If she was in Auckland, it would be sitting in my drive by now.Auction close 7pm Friday night.
WW MERCHANDISE – IF YOU ARE THINKING OF ORDERING – DO IT NOW B4 STOCK RUNS OUT
It is pretty rare these days to see the launch of a new wooden boat so Bill Townson’s SONGBIRD gets to make an appearance on WW via the ’spirit of tradition’ umbrella.
Todays photos and comments (below) come to us from Hugh Gladwell.
“Bill Townsons new launch Songbird went overboard at the Warkworth Cement Works on Wednesday. A backyard designed and built wooden launch is a rarity these days. She is 3 skin kauri and Alaskan yellow cedar glassed inside and out with no stringers or ribs. Powered by a Yanmar 110. The standard of finish is impeccable. Bill is now 82 and has been building her with his wife Mona for the last 6 years. Mona explained that she didn’t actually work on the boat but supervised Bill throughout.”
WW MERCHANDISE – IF YOU ARE THINKING OF ORDERING – DO IT NOW – DOWN TO SINGLE DIGIT NUMBERS ON MOST T-SHIRT SIZES AND LESS THAN 12 CAPS IN STOCK
Well woodys todays photo is a tad left field , sent in by one of my spies that is mooching around the Coromandel / Te Kouma area on his plastic fantastic launch – but he’s forgiven buying the launch as in a previous life he owned one of smartest classic launches afloat on the Waitemata. A mix of styles and material on display, a hint of ‘dory’ in the hull shape. Not seen on the Waitemata harbour so maybe a Coro / Thames craft. Hopefully one of the mud dwellers can enlighten us.
WW MERCHANDISE – IF YOU ARE THINKING OF ORDERING – DO IT NOW – DOWN TO SINGLE DIGIT NUMBERS ON MOST T-SHIRT SIZES AND LESS THAN 12 CAPS IN STOCK
Today we have a report in from Mark Newcomb who was stooging around Sandspit Marina and the Club hardstand over the weekend.
The first classic woody above is one we normally see at the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – its named RURU was possibly built in 1935 by Lidgard, 19’ in length. https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/07/22/ruru/
In T he third photo we see LADY MAY, a Salthouse 37, spirit of tradition classic. If its the same launch I spotted at KAWAU ISLAND over Labour weekend , I think is is running a Hamilton Jet unit.
2025 KAWAU ISLAND SPRING SPLASH REGATTA – A WOODY WEEKEND TO REMEMBER – 50+ PHOTOS
Pleased to report that the long weekend’s woody action at Kawau Island was an absolute triumph. Now in its second year, the Spring Splash Regatta — a joint venture between the Kawau Boating Club, Ponsonby Cruising Club, and Waitematawoodys — continues to grow in both size and spirit.
It’s still early days for what’s shaping up to be a great annual tradition, but this year’s event had an unmistakably upbeat, jaunty vibe. Everywhere you looked, people were smiling, swapping yarns, and clearly having a great time afloat and ashore.
I’ll apologise up front for being light on the yacht racing and prize-giving coverage — for reasons I won’t bore you with — but rest assured, the competition and camaraderie were both in full swing.
Sunday’s Woodys Classic Parade was the visual highlight of the weekend, showcasing a handsome flotilla of 17 classic launches for all those anchored in Bon Accord Harbour and watching from waterfront properties. Aside from a brief 10-minute burst of H₂O at the start, the weather came right and the parade looked spectacular.
A big thank you to the classic skippers and crews who took part — your efforts made for a great show.
Helming a boat among moored craft while trying to take photos is a fine line between “challenging” and “slightly reckless,” so I’m especially grateful to Dean Watchlin, Murray Deeble and Richard Bicknell for sharing their superb photos from the weekend.
Enjoy today’s gallery — loosely divided into two parts: the weekend’s happenings and the Sunday Parade. Sorry if the cameras missed your boat – some joined the parade midway and some departed midway. The crew of KAIKOURA below, correctly attired for the occasion 🙂
WOODEN CLASSICS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THE 2025 WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL
Early Saturday morning I pointed the car north and arrived in Whangārei just in time to catch the soft early light — perfect for photography and well before the dockside crowds arrived.
Whangārei’s Town Basin really is the ideal setting for a maritime festival — easy dock access, great viewing angles, and plenty of nearby cafés and attractions. Add in the buzz of the Saturday markets and you’ve got all the ingredients for a standout event.
Wooden boat numbers were a little down on last year, but a few visiting commercial vessels — including Customs, Pilot boats, fishing craft and a pair of Waka — helped round out the fleet. From a public point of view, it was still an impressive line-up. Given the number of classic boats that have migrated north in recent years, it would be great to see more of the region’s wooden heritage on display next time around.
It was great to catch up with so many familiar faces — clearly the new highway was busy with Aucklanders heading north for the weekend.
All up, a thoroughly enjoyable day. Hopefully today’s photo gallery will inspire a few more of you to make the trip in 2026.
And there is always a few foody pix – hands down the best two seafood fritters ever – one mussel and the star – one whitebait. And a free KOWHAI coffee because she liked my WW t-shirt.
FYI – when I’m at an event I point the camera at what catches my eye , sometimes I miss a few boats but I like to think the photos are more like someone strolling the docks rather than someone trying to capture the whole caboodle 🙂
CLASSIC SPEEDBOAT BLACK TULIP – LOST HER SHINE, KEPT HER ATTITUDE
Earlier in the week one of my Picton spies (Steve) spotted a ’new’ arrival at Waikawa Marina, in Picton. Boats name is BLACK TULIP, which rang a few bells with Steve, so a quick WW search popped up a July 2022 story – link below. At the time Dean Wright had spotted the boat sign and dry in Paihia.
Now a few days later she popps up on tme – post an extensive make over, and powered by a 280hp Yanmar, that sees her topping out at 23 knots.
An oid salt told me once that once you lose the varnish on a classic ,it just becomes another white boat – well I think if you check out the photos below, you would have to agree, she has lost the WoW factor – but its only paint and maybe the next owner will see the light 🙂
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