Ani (Brief Affair)

Ani Photo

ANI (BRIEF AFFAIR)

I have been contacted by Matthew Hambrook looking for more details on the 1975,  41’ Keith Atkinson built launch – Ani. In a previous like she was called ‘Brief Affair’ and spent a number of years in the Golden Bay area.
Matthew commented that there had been talk of the boat being one of the ’Shango’ named launches that Keith Atkinson built.
Can anyone shed some light on the boat?
LADY SHIRLEY
Two nights ago BOI woody Dean Wright sent me the photo below of Lady Shirley swinging on a mooring in Opito Bay. Obviously in summer cruising mode with all the ‘fruit’ on top of her 🙂
Not too sure about those cabin hatches, looks like they would be more at home on a Y88 😉
Lady Shirley BOI Jan2019

Nimbus II – 50th Birthday Party

Nimbus 11 sailing in 1971 off Northland coast

Nimbus 11 Nov 2019 Scotts landing

Nimbus 11 plans

NIMBUS II – 50th Birthday Party

Just before Christmas I was chatting to Allan Hooper regarding 23’ yacht Nimbus II that he built in 1970 and how Allan and his wife Pamela were planning ‘re-union’ of previous owners (details below). I asked Allan to drop me a note with details – in typical Allan Hooper style, the subsequent note is both perfectly written  and very informative, so I reproduced it below.

The photographs above show Nimbus II sailing off the Northland coast in 1971, on her mooring earlier this month and the original construction drawing complete with glue stains 🙂

Allan has an armada of vessels, in a later WW story I will expose his addiction 🙂

Nimbus 11 Built by Allan Hooper

When I met my wife Pamela I was building Nimbus and when she said she would like to help I thought this is my kind of girl. So we have spent more than 50yrs building and sailing a succession of yachts and we now own a little launch which I have just finished altering.

We thought a get together next year of previous owners of Nimbus 2 would be a nice way to celebrate, if anyone is interested please contact Allan Hooper at hoopersnz@gmail.com

Brief history:

Whilst serving my apprenticeship I started building Nimbus 11. She is 23 feet. She was designed by John Hakker in 1957 while he was working on a hydro scheme in the South Island. I opted to cold mould the hull using 3 skins of 3/16” kauri. Each skin was glued with resorcinol glue and stapled using a hand operated staple gun. Each of the 250,000 staples was then pulled out again when the glue was dry. The finished hull was then skinned with glass cloth. There are laminated frames around the bulkheads and the floors and knees etc are generously proportioned.

I modified the keel and had a spade rudder which reduced the wetted surface, greatly improving her performance in the light and made the yacht easy to handle.

With no engine we had a lot of fun sailing everywhere. Once we dropped the spinnaker in the Town Basin Whangarei and rounded up onto a pile after carrying it all the way up the river.

The water tank was a 20L container under the sink with a pump up to the sink. Before we sold her I fitted a toilet, the new owner was insistent that his wife would not go without it.

Subsequent owners have sailed her offshore including New Plymouth to Moololaba singlehanded race and Chris and Tracey McGuire cruised as far as Vanuatu. Chris fitted a small diesel inboard and all the equipment required to go offshore.

Currently Nimbus 11 is on a mooring at Scotts landing on the Mahurangi. Although the varnished coamings have gone almost all of the deck fittings are original.

WW READERSHIP OVER THE XMAS / NY PERIOD

Incredible numbers of Woodys logging in and following the WW stories over the past 2 weeks, I thought I’d be able to lie low for a few days but with the numbers showing up each day, I was encouraged to keep taping the laptop keys. I think its a reflection of the uptake in mobile devices in the last few years – everyone now seems to have a device that allows them to keep in touch via the on-line platform. Thats good and bad – we all need to relax more. One of my new year resolutions is to switch all my social media (twitter, facebook,messenger etc) to pull only on messages. That means I have to check in to see if I have new content sent to me, as compared to the social media channels pushing content to me automatically. Note: I still get emails and WW alerts ‘live’ 🙂

ASTROLABE – A Peek Down Below

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ASTROLABE – A Peek Down Below

I had the pleasure recently to inspect Astrolabe, the 51’ 7” Bruce Clark designed, John Salthouse built 1974 sloop. As you would expect from any craft from John Salthouse’s hands, she is a work of art – 1 3/8” kauri, splned and glassed. She has had a serious amount of blue water under her keel and has enjoyed 27 years of continuous ownership.
Sadly her owner has reached a stage in life where he would like the yacht to have a new caretaker – not just anyone, you would have to be a passionate woody to be in the running for stewardship of Astrolabe.
I post todays story to give you something to think about over the Christmas break. The boat was not ‘dressed’ for photos, these are  just ‘snaps’ from my iPhone.
If you are a serious woody looking for a classic cruising yacht that ticks all the boxes – looks, designer and builder creds, blue water capable and maintained for the last 27 years to an extraordinary standard – in the first instance,  contact us at the email below. waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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A Spirit of Tradition Woody + Win Prizes

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A Spirit of Tradition Woody

Today’s launch was designed American designer – Ted Brewer and appears to be based on the traditional Maine lobster boat. She was built in New Zealand in c.1989 from strip plank cedar epoxied and glassed. She measures 30’ overall with a beam of 9’1″ and draws 2’4”. A fully reconditioned Nissan SD22 provides the forward motion.

Her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) is very impressive and she appears to be good value for the asking price. Home port is Kerikeri.

WIN YOURSELF A COPY OF THE HOT OF THE PRESS BOOK – K CLASS

This could be the final WW competition before Santa slides down the chimney. As always – entry is via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Entries close midnight Friday 20-12-2019 . All correct entries will go into the draw for a copy of the book – K Class by Jenni Mence. Plus a bobby prize – a waitematawoodys t-shirt, drawn from all email entries received – correct or not.

Q waitematawoodys editorial assistant – Flora McKenzie shares her name with a pioneer  Auckland business women from the waterfronts past. What line of business was Flora in? Remember – enter via email only.

 

 

Dolphyn – Sailing Sunday

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DOLPHYN – Sailing Sunday

During the week I was contacted by Joe Pallante who along with his partner has just purchased the 34’Don Brooke designed yacht Dolphyn. Other than the length, possible build date of c.1970 and designer Joe knows very little about the yacht. Via the comments section on WW Robert Brooke has kindly ‘pointed’ Joe in the direction of brother Don.
The yacht was purchased off a Canadian gent and is moored in Shoal Bay, Auckland.
Can anyone help Joe out with some history on the vessel?
LADY ELLEN – Re-Launching
Have spent the weekend in Russell for the re-launch of Bruce Mitchinson’s 1950’s Supreme Craft – Lady Ellen – check out tomorrows WW story to view the action. Stunning weekend in the bay.
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Mahanui

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Mahanui

It’s not often that boats the size and condition of Mahanui come on the market – normally they get offered for sale at a stage in their life cycle when both them and their owner are at the end of a long relationship and the vessel is showing its age. The status of Mahanui is what I would call ’surplus to needs’ – out of the blue, her owners made the decision to buy a bigger boat, suited to extended family cruising, so woodys – Mahanui is on the market.

She presents in pristine condition – her owner is one of your most fanatical owners. Only the best wooden boat trades people have worked on her and everything is the best of the best. Built in 1977 by Keith Atkinson, designed by Raymond C Hunt, Mahanui is 42’ long, has a beam of 12’4” and draws approx.. 3’. As originally launched she was named Jacinta II and was several feet shorter in length. Mahanui is hard chine kauri plywood, glassed over hull and top sides. Her first owner was Trevor Lindsay and he owner her for 25 years. Several owners later she had undergone a name change to Mahanui and received some ‘cosmetic’ work to her length, stern and flybridge.

Fast forward to 2012 and the current owners purchased Mahanui and set about correcting the defects the pre-purchase survey had revealed. This work was undertaken by one of the best woody boatbuilding yards in NZ – Greg Lees Boatbuilders – Sandspit.  On the way to Sandspit one of the original motors (BMC 98’s) blew its fuel pump and closer examination of the motors indicated the owner either had to spend a lot of money on reconditioning very old motors or bite the bullet and replace them. They replaced them with twin Perkins Sabre M135’s with Newage PRM gear boxes.  She was in the shed at Sandspit for almost 9 months and during that time the hull was dried out, treated inside and then white gel coated, new exhausts fitted, new fuel and water hoses and filters, completely rewired, new BEP switchboard, LED lights throughout, faulty instruments replaced, complete overhaul of refrigeration, new batteries, re-splining and strengthening coamings, all chromed brass removed and redone, bowsprit and anchoring system upgraded, all deck rails removed and refastened, new controls and cables, new skin fittings, other wood work, most of the internal panelling replaced, flybridge interior completely re-furbished, coamings back to bare wood and Uroxsys varnished, topsides and flybridge repainted, hull taken back to glass re-epoxied and new anti-foul, new electronics and autopilot. View more here

Mahanui (Jacinta II)

Fast forward again to 2016 and her owners had booked Mahanui into Greg Lees yard again, this time for a wee facelift.  The canopy over Mahanui’s cockpit was replaced with a permanent structure and in my WW eyes the finished article is a perfect look and fit.

Read details & view photos of the work undertaken at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/25/23212/

In 2018 her decks were redone and glassed + re Uroxsys coamings. As an added bonus her owners fitted a silicon anti-foul wrap which has a 5 year (from fit date) warranty.

Full details on specs are available to interested parties but in a nutshell – cruising speed is 13 knots with a max of 16 knots.

Mahanui is offered as a hop board and go boating vessel – a snapshot of her package includes – dinghy, outboard, cockpit table and chairs, fenders, cutlery, pots, pans, glassware, tools (particular to the vessel), almost a spare of everything, cushions etc etc.

In the first instance – enquires to waitematawoodys@gmail.com (SOLD)

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Classic Wooden Boat – Waiheke Island – Patio Bay Party – 50 Woody Photos And Video

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Classic Wooden Boat – Waiheke Island Party – 50 Woody Photos

At the weekend anyone thats serious about classic wooden boats headed to Patio Bay, Waiheke Island for the best event on the calendar – the Classic Yacht Association yacht race + Xmas party BBQ at Margaret and Bert Woolicott’s waterfront bach. Last year was cancelled due to bad weather, so we were all way overdue for this years gig.
As is almost always the case with woody events – the sun shone, the wind blow at the right time and everyone had a blast.
The race down saw an impressive mix of yachts – the numbers boosted by great support from the Townson fleet.
Lots of new faces and a healthy mix of ages. To those that think Patio Bay weekend is a ‘boys weekend’ – check out the photos, the movement is in good health 🙂
If someone could bottle the smell / taste of the Pohutukawa fired BBQ’s – I’d buy it – whether its bangers or venison steaks, everything gets equal status on the BBQ’s.
CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCHES IN THE BAY
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YACHT RACE FINISH
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MORNING CHAT
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HOME TIME
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See below another stunning video of the race / passage down by master camera man Roger Mills 
Patio Bay Race 2019 from Roger Mills on Vimeo.

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Movarie

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MOVARIE
In the photos above we see Movarie in the 1953 welcome fleet for SS Gothic. To her left in the 2nd photo are two other launches, the closest I would pick to be Nor’West the Lane  (Panmure) built c.1948>50. You can see/read more on Movarie here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/12/movarie/
 
The one on the hard left, is a mystery me – anyone able to ID her?
 
We do not score many wins in the game of ’spot the block of flats’ game but Kerin Owen deserves recognition – last week I received an email from Kerin and the subject line read “No Chainsaw Was Used”, opening it up I found  before and after photos of Kerin’s Jorgenson built launch  – Sharnda Leigh, they were taken during a recent haul out at Manganui. Now with a 1988 build date, she almost fits into the ’ spirit of tradion’ category, helped along by being triple skin diagonal planked. She is powered by a 135hp Ford Dover. 
Well woodys – all I’ll say is – what a difference a haircut makes 🙂
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CAPTAIN COOK’S TALL SHIP -ENDEAVOUR + WAKA – 35 Photos 

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CAPTAIN COOK’S TALL SHIP – ENDEAVOUR + WAKA – 35 Photos 
 
As promised on Friday today we share with you a stunning photo gallery from the camera of professional photographer, Dean Wright. On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Dean was out on the water taking photos of Tuia 250, the commemoration of 250 years since the first onshore meetings between Maori and Europeans in 1769-70. Tuia 250 also celebrates the voyaging heritage of the Pacific people that led to the settlement of New Zealand many generations before. The Tuia 250 flotilla is made up of two waka from NZ, and three tall ships including the Endeavour replica from Australia, and a va’a tipaerua from Tahiti that are all sailing the coast of NZ to engage with communities and iwi for three months from October to December.
 
Dean commented that the flotilla was quite a spectacle and seeing the Endeavour replica for him, a Captain Cook nut was amazing.
In the last photo above of Endeavour we also see a voyaging waka next to her, so small in comparison. When you consider the size of the waka, the achievements 800 years ago of her crew are equally incredible.
The fleet stayed at Oke Bay, Bay of Islands, on Wednesday night.
 
AND REMEMBER WOODYS – PLEASE RESPECT DEAN’S COPYWRIGHT ON THE PHOTOS

Westhaven Marlin

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Westhaven Marlin

Now the headline might have excited a few fisherman but todays story isn’t about a game fish being sighted in the Inner Harbour.
Last Friday while driving along minding my own business, I spotted the above Marlin Marauder  parked up outside the Mercury dealer – Marineworx. Appeared to be receiving some TLC to the stern drive/leg.
Rather a smart woody in very good condition – anyone able to tell us more about her? There was no name on her stern. Her builders plate stated she was ‘Custom built by Sutton Mason & Co Ltd, Mt Roskill, Auckland.
Now on the subject of big game, I would be amiss if I didn’t remind the Auckland based Woodys about the big garage sale today at Salthouse Boatbuilders – details below and folks, a very nice bronze and timber game chair is centre stage.
ADDRESS: Salthouse Boatbuilders, 84 Rame Rd, Greenhithe, Auckland 0632
WHEN: TODAY – 9th November 
TIME: 10.am > 2pm
 
REMEMBER – CASH ONLY