IONA – TAUPO
Now do not be confused with todays woody – it is IONA as spotted in the weekend by Jason Prew at the Motuoapa Marina in Taupo. Jason commented that she is a sster-ship to IONA II that currently sits on the hard at {the} Slipway Milford.
Photos below of the work happening on IONA II.
In the last photo below we she IONA II’s room mate – REHIA which has a fast approaching re-launch date. More on her later in the week.
TE KUIA – Workboat Wednesday
Retired boatbuilder Kerry Lilley sent in the photos above of the 52’ workboat – TE KAUIA, which he built in 1978 in Panmure. Kerry built TE KUIA for Harbour Transport, Tauranga which at the time was part New Zealand Forest Products. Her role involved ferrying workers to and from Matakana Island, towing log barges, and other duties and the occasional fishing charter.
TE KUIA was later sold to Hugh Ensor in 1989, who then operated her as a charter fishing boat based at Tauranga. Later Jack Elliot converted TE KUIA to a passenger ferry. At the time the cabin roof was extended.The vessel is powered by a GM 6/71 Detroit diesel engine.
In 2023, the Bay of Islands ferry – WAITERE was involved in collision off Russell and.suffered major damage, and was a write off. TE KUIA was purchased as a replacement in June, 2023 for the Pania > Russell run.
IONA II – Gets A Birthday
Back. In October 2022 we reported that the Bruce Askew designed 36’ launch – IONA II had been sold and relocated from Nelson to the Milford Marina in Auckland. INOA II was built in 1994 so slips comfortably into the ‘spirit of tradition’ category of classic wooden vessels. At the time the story she was hauled out at the Slipway Milford for some maintenance – link to that story here – https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/10/04/iona-ii/
Fast forward to yesterday and IONA II is back at the yard booked in for a serious dose of TLC. Total refresh of everything other than the engine , a 60hp Nissan TD23.
Should be a great project to follow.
UPDATE 09-08-2024 – Lots of activity at the yard, loving the custom bow / anchor sprit
UPDATE 29-08-2024 – new cabin sole undrway
11-09-2024 UPDATE – New windows going in, liking the green tint ✔️
01-10-2024 UPDATE – Get close to re-launching. First coat on the topsides and interior waiting for the varnish brush. The replacement duckboard brackets are a big improvement from what was there 🙂
04-10-2024 UPDATE – 2nd coat of paint on and some very impressive engineering work on the electric motor installation from Cam Malcolm at the Slipway Milford.
09-10-2024 UPDATE – getting closer, the shiny stuff is going on 🙂
LADY K
The photos above go the launch LADY K come to us from Lan Krules and we see her in a mud berth at Kailua, Firth of Thames.
Ian commented that her owner told him that LADY K was built c.1970’s and is kauri planked.
She may have been a ‘rescue’ boat at some time in her life, looking at her I think she is close to needing to be rescued her self:-)
Can we learn more about LADY K
SUSIE BELLE – A Peek Down Below
Todays woody photos come to us from John Dawson and feature the spirit of tradition launch – SUSIE BELL, built in 1986 by Don Brooke to a G Wheeler design.
She is 34’4” in length with a 9’5” beam and draws 2’9”.
Built from wood with that very thick ’special’ top coat paint (f/glass) 😦
Forward motion is from a 60hp Isuzu Diesel engine.
Mystery Lyttelton Launch
Again only a mystery because her owner didn’t include a name on tme (thanks Ian McDonald). If we believe the tme story she is a Logan, built in1908, 36’ in length. Powered by a 1970, 65hp Rustin Rover (???)
And that woodys is all me know – any southern readers able to enlighten us more on the launch.
BUY OF THE YEAR – HEAO – LOGAN 33 – A Sailors Motor Boat – Reduced Price – Low $80’ks – Click link below for details. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/29/heao-a-peek-down-below-4sale/
Woody Fathers & Grandads
Be an instant hero and take the kids out for a day trip – this weekend the Matakana School are hosting the – Matakana Model Boat Show. Over 200 boats static and afloat + races. And if there are no siblings around, even better – more time to enjoy it. See flyer below for full details.
If you go Saturday – take in the Matakana Market, I was there last weekend – great food, produce & coffee. Opens at 8am. And the new express way makes the trip a doddle 🙂
Special thanks to Mark Lever (MV Nereides) for the heads up + photos
MYSTERY LAKE LAUNCH
Well woodys it is only a mystery because the owner, trying to sell her chooses to not show the vessels name – a tad crazy when selling a classic – the name is what joins the dots.
What we are told (thanks IanMcDonald / tme) is that she was built in 1978 and is described as a Woolley 25, kauri planked, powered by a Volvo Penta 28hp diesel engine and calls Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) home.
The ability to trailer the boat is a big bonus – but sadly the trailer is probably worth more than the boat 😉
Hopefully one of the Lake Rotoiti woodys can enlighten us more.
MAGGIE – Clinker Dinghy 4sale
Regular WW readers may recall that sadly last year one of the classic boating movements most committed crew – Alan Good departed this life.
Alan was co-owner along with partner Nicky of Lucille – a L33 launch. Alan would always wind me up that his f/glass boat had more bronze and varnish than most wooden classic craft – he was probably right, but I’d never admit it.
Back in 2012 Alan undertook a project to build a classic clinker dinghy, which he named Maggie. I was recently contacted by Nicky advising that the family had made the decision to find a good home for the dinghy.
So woodys if you are looking for a clinker to accompany your classic or maybe just want a traditional gaff rigged sailing dinghy for the grand children – Maggie is for sale and Nicky is looking for realistic offers. If you are a serious woody you will know the time and $$ that it takes to craft a boat like Maggie, so please only genuine enquiries to Nicky via email in the first instance nmlgood@gmail.com
Specs – 7’6” , designed by Selway Fisher, Redshank Dinghy. (Note: oars excluded from sale)
OUTSTANDING IN A PADDOCK – Duke of Marlborough
When I received the photos above the first thoughts were ………… where and why.
Chatting with the sender, Ant Smit, I learned that the location was the MacKenzie Basin, which is situated approx. 1/2 way between Christchurch and Queenstown in the South Island. The area is almost the dead centre of the island.
Ant advised that a friend was on a motorcycle tour and spotted the boat and couldn’t not stop and snap a few photos.
I quick chat to my WW steam guru – Russell Ward and we learn she was purchased ex Picton and should currently be viewed as ‘art’. Lets hope there is a long term plan to restore her.
Her back story is a good read and she appeared on WW in May 2020 – link below. We learned then she was made of steel in 1987 and was originally named – James Torrey, and was used for trout fishing tours on Lake Tarawera – lots of details in the story. In the photo below we see her at Picton when she was running as a commercial passenger vessel. https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/17/ss-duke-of-marlborough/
Anyone able to enlighten us more on her future
INPUT ex DAN CONAGH (owner) – I can confirm that I’ve purchased and moved the Duke to a section of land I own in Twizel. Our intention is to restore, repaint and return to service on one of the lakes in the MacKenzie District.
Unfortunately the boat is showing the signs of having been stored next to the ocean in Picton. The hull has some rust that requires attention. The wooden topside has some sun damage. New varnish required, and the PVC roll up sides are beyond repair. The photos in this article are very recent as I was up there on Saturday cleaning up all the coal spread across the floor inside.
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