Back in May 2020 we ran a story on the spirit of tradition classic launch – Caravel (link below), at the time the story would have broken the WW record for the number of people emailing me about a boat. Seems she ticked all the boxes for people considering doing laps of NZ in their retirement 🙂 Stunning photos ex Dean Wright at the link + the photo today is Deans also. https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/30/caravel/
We subsequently learnt that Caravel was built c.2004 in Picton, strip planked but using an unusual boat building timber – poplar. Fast forward 10 years and she was hauled out at Tauranga being re-skinned with double diagonal kauri and glassed, boat builder Alan Craig commented that she was now built like a brick-out-house.
Some details – designed by Bob Salthouse, 42’ in length, beam of 14’6” and draws 5’. Built by Miller and Tunnage, Picton.
Forward motion is from a John Deere 135hp diesel that gives her a comfortable cruising speed of 8 knots.
Todays story comes to us from retired boat builder Allan Hooper, just back from an extended trip to visit family the USA (Carlsbad just north of San Diego). I’ll let Allan tell the story :-
Prior to leaving I made contact with Morgan Spriggs the current owner of Lola, an NZ37. Lola was built at Jim Young’s NZ Yachts in 1969-70 while I was the foreman.
I was very keen to see the boat after all these years. Morgan has spent a lot of time restoring Lola and she looks as good as the date she left the factory apart from a few alterations and replacements. Morgan was excited to meet me and be able to talk about the build of the boat.
The hull construction is 4 skins of 1/4’” Kauri cold moulded with all of the back bone, floors, transom and bulkhead boundarys set in the mould. The hull was sheathed in Epoxy and glass. After the hull was taken off the mould the bulkheads and the interior were put in place and gunwales fitted.
The cabin, cockpit and decks were built on a separate mould complete with paint work, glazing and hardware. Then in an operation taking only a couple of hours, was lifted and placed on the hull, located over the bulkheads, glued and fastened down.
The techniques developed to build these yachts enabled a NZ37 to be built from start to finish in 4 weeks.
Morgan‘s father Robert owns a beautiful picnic boat, Easterly (photos below), an ex Maine lobster boat on which we toured the San Diego bay.
It was used by Denis Connor is a chase boat when he was sailing in the Americas cup. Robert Spriggs has owns the boat for 22 years and it is in as new condition, you could have eaten your lunch of the engine or engine room floor.
The teak cockpit sole is the best laid teak I have ever seen, the timber selected is absolutely perfect, as was the whole boat.
The waterfront at downtown San Diego has a beautiful collection of maritime exhibits including a sailing immigrant ship the “Star of India” which was a regular visitor to New Zealand in the 1800s, once a year it is taken out for a sail.
Further along the waterfront is the USS Midway launched in 1945, she was finally laid up in the 1990s. If you’ve never been on an aircraft carrier it’s well worth a visit. 3.5 acres of 3 inch thick steel makes up the flight deck. It is an interesting harbour to visit and extremely busy as it is alongside the international airport, a military airport, a naval base, several marinas and the city. When you go out on the bay you see it and hear it all.
Our friends across the ditch in Tasmania that pull together the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, commission some wonderful short films that provide an insight into the people and vessels that help make the AWBF so special.
We have featured several in the past and todays one is just such a cool, warm, feel good story. We meet Matt and Iefke – a young couple that were drawn together by a shared passion for wooden boats and are now building the boat of their dreams – Tarkine.
Both Matt and Iefke take us on the journey of how they meet, and express in words the reason why we do what we do and why we love wooden boats.
If today is anything weather wise like yesterday – find that spot x in the house and sit back and enjoy this short film.
Following on from yesterdays semi Sandspit story, I was there again during the week and did a quick loop of the SYC yard – nice collection of both traditional classics and spirit of tradition old hauled for some TLC.
If any of you are around any boat yards – get the phone out and take > send in some photo 🙂
The 34’ Shipbuilders launch Grenadier popped up recently on tme. Built in 1976 with triple diagonal kauri planking below the water and double diagonal above (+ f/glass)
Forward motion is via a Volvo 200hp that has her cruising at 7>8 knots.
Now post the ‘modified to include a top helm’ (sellers words) Grenadier would have been a real looker, in fact one of the better Shipbuilders designs, some can be a tad boxy.
Still it only wood and nothing a sharp chainsaw couldn’t right.
COMMUNICATIONS– Staying In The Loop
Waitematawoodys have a lot of contact details for classic woody owners, but I’m sure there are gaps – We regularly send details on upcoming gatherings, but due to factors like people changing their email address or service provider, over time gaps occur. In the interests of ensuring you are kept up to date and do not miss out on upcoming classic gatherings – drop WW an email with your name/email/mob #
HEADS-UP CLASSIC LAUNCH, WORK BOAT & CRUISING YACHT OWNERS (shared with the entire WW community as it should be of interest to all)
Next Tuesday (2nd August) the Classic Yacht Association of NZ will hold its 2022 AGM – 7pm @ RNZYS
On the meeting agenda the only item under general business is ‘Report on the status of the expanded classic vessel marina / dock’, while on face value this might be seen as a positive sign – it will not be – let me give my view of the probable gist of the report.
1. Given the agenda item is after the election of a new committee – the previous committee will have already pushed flush on this e.g. ‘’it will be up to the incoming committee to…….”
2. The report should be dubbed the toffee apple report i.e. it will have layers of sugar coating on / around it
3. The report will be a test of the genuiness (I made that word up as I need to be careful what I say) of the situation i.e. what’s not said rather than what is.
4. There will be mention around everything still in negotiations etc etc but the reality is that a small group of CYA members have been working on a new waterfront marina for the exclusive, long term use of classic yachts i.e. primarily A Class, ideally gaff rigged. This goes against what has been ’shared’ with the other stake holders (Panuku and Maritime Museum) – fyi one of positives of living in an open society is that almost anything tabled in / around the Auckland Council can be viewed – below is taken from a report published in a late 2021.
5. The new Heritage Basin discussion will be verbally rolled into an umbrella waterfront discussion – that we will be told will cover all classic vessels – I’m only interested in the Heritage Basin area – what should be New Zealand’s waterfront home of our vibrant , traditional classic wooden boating movement. The real loser in all this is the New Zealand public who will miss the opportunity to experience our classic boating heritage. Instead they will see a classic yacht ‘car’ park.
IF THE FUTURE OF NZ’s TRADITIONAL MARITIME MOVEMENT / FLEET INTERESTS YOU (and you’re a CYA member) PLEASE COME ALONG NEXT TUESDAY AND WITNESS WHAT WE WILL BE TOLD.
SIDE ISSUE – I believe there won’t even be a need to vote on the election of a new committee – there are only enough people standing to fill the available positions. A little sad that the role/s have so little appeal. Personally I think it Is actually a strategy to keep the fiefdom functioning.
RELAX – There is always a woody story
Today’s woody is Delmar, that when I first got involved in the classic boating movement was very much on the scene and participated in some of launch events.
While mooching around East Tamaki last week I spotted Delmar fresh from a visit to the beauty parlour – looking very smart.
Bay of Islands photographer Dean Wright took the above photos of the Clipper 23 – Black Tulip back in 1983. The location was School Road, Paihia.
A couple of unusual feature – shaft drive and a ’soft top’ hopefully will help us ID the boats current whereabouts and condition.
INPUT ex Murray Deeble – The famous Clipper Black tulip ex Lincoln Laidlaw (as seen on the cover of Seaspray) is retired at Milford . After her record breaking Auckland to Russel run when new with the Big V8 -she did a couple of Atlantic 100 races and disappeared, saw her at Sam Dorotich’s Superior Boats in the early 2000’s She has recently been sold -now powered with a Yanmar /BMW 4BY diesel -always been shaft drive.
WOODY CLASSIC BOATING 2022 – 2023 CALENDAR Time to get the pencil out and circle a few dates in the calendar. Our 2022 > 2023 classic woody events focus equally on the boats and the people – its all about getting off the marina and meeting up with like minded people. As always, some dates may change and the weather is always a factor – but as the dates approach we will be in touch with more details.
Please feel free to share the calendar with your classic friendly boating enthusiasts. Where tide and draft permits – woody cruising yachts are always welcome to join in, so also share with the stick and rag woodys 🙂
AND TO ENSURE YOU GET A WOODY FIX TODAY – CLICK THE LINK BELOW Video footage from the 2022 Moreton Bay Classic (thank you Andrew Christie)
The 42’ John Lidgard designed and built launch – Participate very comfortably fits into the ’spirit of tradition’ classic category. Launched in 1982 she is quite beamy (approx 12’) and draws 3’2”. Built from kauri double diagonal planking and glassed.
Get up and go is via a Volvo TAMD 70, derated from 380hp to 300hp. This gives the her a very respectable cruising speed of 14 knots, and tops out at 19 knots.
As you’ll see from above photos, lots of living space and at a pinch can sleep 10.
Participate is kept in immaculate condition and yes she is for sale and at a very favourable price. Price indication included to stop the fender kickers filling up my email inbox and allow serious buyers to consider the vessel – Participation will sell in the low to mid $200’s. That woodys is a very fair price for a boat of her size, condition (turn key) and looks.
Following on from yesterdays story showcasing the inaugural running of the Moreton Bay Classic – probably the biggest classic one day on-the-water event in Australia, today we get to see the race fleet up close. The last group of photos are from the post race festivities in Horseshoe Bay. If you missed yesterdays story – scroll down to view it or click this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/04/the-race-social-event-that-stops-the-bay-the-moreton-bay-classic-part-one/
As mention yesterday – the time is long overdue for an event like this on the Waitemata – no drag racers, no show ponies, no big ego’s or bad attitudes and no 24hr marathons – just a good old fashioned woody day out accumulating in a bay for a BBQ. Details soon.
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