A woody friend, Andrew Christie also sent me a link to a 3 minute birds-eye video of the fleet filmed by Saxton Thomas – what an impressive gig. I can see Jason Prew salivating over this 🙂
Back in mid January in one of the few good boating days we had I spotted the 40’ Atkinson designed/built (1970) launch – Shango anchored at Waiheke Island – link below to photos and details.
Now thanks to an appearance on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) we get to have a peek down below. A Ford 200hp 2728T engine gives Shango a comfortable cruising speed of 9 knots. Reviewing the photos she appears to be a very well presented woody.
She ‘lost’ her NASA space centre control tower (refer below older photo) as part of a 2021/22 refit – we like that 😉
WW was recently contacted by the owner of Korora, a 32’ Townson ‘Moonlight’ 1972 built keeler and advised that due to a few speed bumps in life, a new owner was needed.
As always its best to talk to the owner but who I can tell you is below –
• Built in 1972, kauri hull construction, comes with main/1/2/3/storm/spinaker – headsail is self-furling.
• Power is via a Yammer 2GM20, 18hp. Solar panel, and comes with a 2020 inflatable dinghy and Johnson 3.3hp outboard.
• Owner tells me it has a competitive sailing record in the Townson Association – sail # 1360
• Westhaven marina berth possibly available for rent
Interested – very attractive price – contact Mike Going on email at – thegoings@xtra.co.nz
Todays story was written by Richard Amery on of the Lake Rotoiti woodys. Richard has pulled together the background on the launch – Lady Glad, owned by Marcus and Jan Wilkins, and her conversion from diesel power electric – I’ll hand over to Richard now – note: slightly different layout today with the photos in the story text.
“The keel was laid in 1981 by Mr. Bill Visser attached boat builder who had settled in Tauranga and started building boats under the name Kingfisher Boats limited, in a shed where the present oil terminal at the Mount is today before moving to Omokoroa. Bill was asked by Mr. Marshall Lee to build a small tug for him to tow a barge between Matakana Island and Omokoroa for his farming operations and it was to be named “Lady Glad” after his mother.
The tug was to have a gas stove and two bunks in it. The bunks had been beautifully painted with scenes by local young artist Alice Blakely, but unfortunately they were pulled out and lost. Bill Visser was an artist with wood, and he carved the name along with the scroll and the tiller handle and also built the steering wheel which in itself is a work of art. The back deck was to have a bollard for towing mounted in the middle with the underneath area to be able to hold a farm bike and tools. This was all removed and Bill made the rear cockpit as it is now. The motor was a Yanmar 32HP diesel.
However, before her completion Mr. Lee sold the property and we purchased the Lady Glad, and Bill Visser completed her at his home workshop, hence she never got to sea, and was launched on Lake Rotoiti in 1985.
In 2022 by age 87 Marcus with Jan 86 were sick of climbing over the motor and made the decision to bite the bullet and fit her with a more compact electric motor and batteries. With the expertise of Tony Whiting, marine engineer of note from Auckland, Alan Craig boat builder and his team, Miles Harnett on boat electrics and local electrician Simon Andrew to sort out the mains electric charging system, the task provided quite a challenge for them.
The power comes from eight 6 Volt batteries weighing 400kg coupled in line to produce 48 volts. This was a little more weight than was removed, and the charging unit for these and the house battery which looks after lights, radio, auto bilge pumps etc are fitted up in the bow. The shaft thrust bearing, special coupling to motor and mounting bracket etc central and the redesign of rudder, keel and propellor are all part of the team’s combined thoughts and expertise that went into this conversion.
The shaft thrust bearing, special coupling to motor and mounting bracket etc central and the redesign of rudder, keel and propellor are all part of the team’s combined thoughts and expertise that went into this conversion.
Lady Glad’s heart transplant is now completed with the Combi inboard 10kw electric motor with a Combi Inboard 10 kW electric motor made in Holland, the home country of her designer and builder.
We are delighted with the result, and along with a new cockpit and cabin layout has transformed Lady Glad into a lovely comfortable easy to use craft.
Marcus and Jan say thanks to ‘the Team’. “
Note:Available now for sale in excellent condition: The 32hp Yanmar Diesel engine, hydraulic gearbox, heat exchanger, flexible shaft coupling, bilge blower, hand & electric bilge pumps plus gauges and wiring loom- a great unit in excellent condition. Phone or Text Marcus to view 027 955 2213.
We have been following the refit / refurb of the Mason Clipper – Alibi at the Greg Lees Boa Builders yard at Sandspit.
Early this month ‘Alibi” came out of Lees shed after 5 months and slipped briefly into the water and out again on to the hardstand. The stern legs will be removed and serviced and painted along with engine servicing, some electrical work and general bits and bobs, this work will take a few months. We’ll keep you posted 🙂
(thanks to Mason Clippers fb for the photos)
CIRCLE THE CALENDAR
Put a ring around November 18th – for the Karapirp Classics – Off the water boat show followed by on the water activities, open to Classic and Wooden boats, Classic jet boats and home built boats of the 1960-70’s at the Horahora Domain – more details closer to the event.
Todays woody story kicked off with an email from Kane Westgaard concerning his launch – Chrystal Voyager and a request for help uncovering some of the boats history. She started life as a motor-sailer, but that is just about all that is known about her. The guy that sold Kane the boat did not know anything about boats and was just using her as an apartment.
Given its a Hartley design and launched in 1971, normally I would not have finished reading the email – but she was built by Lionel Jefcoate, who was a master boat builder so she makes an appearance on WW today. Read more about Lionel Jefcoate here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/03/12/lionel-jefcoat-boatbuilder-wood-craftsman/
Her story goes like this – she is a ’South Seas’ Hartley design and Kane and a buddy brought her from Tauranga approx. a year ago and were of the belief that there were only be a couple of soft spots that needed addressing, well surprise surprise the boats been in a shed at the Te Atatu Boat Club for over 2 months and guys have been tipping in vast amounts of labour and money.
Can we help Kane out with any intel – I might be wrong but you’d have to assume that there was a name change along the way – Chrystal Voyager sounds a tad ‘flower child’ / tarot card 🙂
06-05-2024 INPUT BELOW ex TONY SHORT –
My brother Peter and I were the first crew members (1971?) on ‘Crystal Voyager’, for the original owner Russell Berry. From (1969/70-1971) Russell would take Pete and I on alternating weekends (Sat & Sun) to Governors Bay to help (as much as young teenagers could), assist him and the builder Lionel. Although this Hartley design was for concrete, it was of course built with timber (& extended to 40’). All the timber came from Des Hunt’s sheep farm in Pigeon Bay. The boat was originally named ‘Lady Lee’ after Des’s wife Lee Hunt. After launching, Peter and I crewed for a number of years, accumulating many experiences, and some quite scary. LOL. I remember, attempting to leave the Lyttelton Yacht Club (Naval Point Club) pier in a strong southerly, we ended up on the rocks .. sideways to the southerly. Fortunately with the help of 20-30 bods (rushing out from the Yacht Club), we were freed. (Quite a story.) Another time with rollers reaching into Pigeon Bay wharf while attempting to attach a landline, our bow was pushed under the wharf with one surge and with the next surge raised us up, lifting up the entire end of the wharf (& punching a hole into our foredeck). Many stories .. many memories. We so often went to Pigeon Bay (PB) (a 90 min journey. 30 min to Lyttelton heads, 30 across the 3 heads [& crossing Port Leavy could be quite dicey] and 30 min into PB.) we were almost considered ‘locals’. Back then, the ’Lady Lee’ was fondly referred to as the “Push Button Gin Palace”. And as a young teenager, I wondered why. But concluded the emphases was on ‘gin’ not ‘palace’. And ‘Push Button’? .. Hardly! It was at least a year before ‘forward’ & ‘reverse’ gears were controlled from the wheelhouse. Up until then ‘muggins’ here, (lol) had to drop down into the cramp, hot! engine room, recking of diesel! and heave (with all the strength a young lad could muster) on the gearbox leaver, into neutral, reverse .. then Russell would shout “forward”! .. “reverse” .. “forward”, all the while the boat tossed & turned. Hahaha, Fortunately I don’t easily get sea sick, but crap, I couldn’t get out-of-there & back up on deck quick enough.
Again, many memories, and many more stories.
I wish the new owners of ‘Crystal Voyager’ much happiness, many wonderful times and the ‘makings of remarkable memories’.
10-05-2025 INPUT EX RUSSELL TEBAY – My adopted grandad Russell Berry (person I was named after) was as stated the man that had this vessel built. Des Hunt was also a friend of the family. My late Father Mark Tebay I believe also crewed maybe with the short brothers (names really ring a bell) at times on this vessel.
While I was very young born 1979 i do have fond memories of this lovely vessel in pigeon bay going out fishing and having fun. This was definitely called the Gin Palace (always had gin on board) for the captain of course.
I do remember a few instances where grandad would back his Ford panel wagon down the wharf at pigeon bay with his organ so he and friends (brass band I’m told) would take the boat out playing all sorts of music and having a good time. Oh the memories. I hope this email reaches the new owners and I wish them well on their journey with this fantastic boat.
When Grandad sold this boat he brought the Nautalis which is now in Auckland taking tours as it was.in ww2 I think it was with the red cross ship which came complete with bullet holes in th back transome..
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 😉
Today woodys we get an amzaing birds’-eye view of the recent x.The above 5min video both showcases the stunning scenery of the Queenstown,South Island area and the fleet of woodys that assembled for the inaugural Southern Lakes Classic & Historic Boating event.
Grab a coffee/tea and sit back and take it all in. Sadly the reproduction of the video is limited by file size (2GB+) – I just wish you could see it in HD. Click on this icon (shown below) in the bottom right hand corner of the screen to view in full screen 😉
(special thanks to Peter Williams for sharing the footage with us)
On Friday Chris McMullen dropped me a note to say the 34′ steam launch was now running and had just completed its first sea trial. Chris commented the boat is doing hull speed at about 150 PSI but the boiler should produce 250 PSI, but needs some adjustment as the smoke is as a result of the burner not working properly. The hull floats as per the design and the machinery is all working as it should.
I have included below links to past WW stories on the project. If you are time poor, the 2021 will give you an insight into the project.
The launch Carlotta Anne was was designed and built in 1972 by Roy Parris, powered by a For 6 cyl 140hp diesel engine – WW doesn’t know much about her other than that world x Kiwi boat designer – John Welsford owned her for 7 years, so she must have been a well behaved woody for John to have kept her that long.
The top photos were taken by K Ricketts in May 2021 when she was being hauled out for some TLC at Gulf Harbour Marina.
The photos below are dated Jan 2016.
Can we learn more about Carlotta Anne.
17-04-2023 INPUT ex Dennis Boggs – I spent many years cruising in company with this boat in the Bay Of Islands and know it inside out.Her build was commissioned by Ray and Anne Simmons and spent her earlier years in Hauraki Gulf.For some of that period was based at Waiheke.From memory she was brought to the Bay of Islands in 1996 and I met Ray and Anne as near neighbours in 1997.The original power unit was a Bedford 330 C.I. diesel and was re-powered with the Ford which gave a cruising speed of 9 knots @ 9 litres of fuel per hour.Ray and Anne sold the boat about 10 or 12 years ago and took to a life of roaming the roads.Ray must be in his early 90s now.
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