Category Archives: Spirit of Tradition

Electro-Chemical Damage In Wooden Boats Update

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rudder electrochemical damage


ELECTRO-CHEMICAL DAMAGE IN WOODEN BOATS UPDATE
A Special Post By Chris McMullen

Recently I received a note from Chris where he questioned if the story we posted last year on ww about electro-chemical damage to wood  was a little too long & were people reading it. Well I can tell you that the post is the single most visited story on ww, ever, & gets read by people all over the world. Its frequently referred to on the hugely popular WoodenBoat Forum in the USA. The link below takes you to the original story.

Electrochemical Damage To Wood – the marine version of ‘leaky homes’

For the impatient ones out there 🙂 Chris has done a ‘Readers Digest’ version & refers to a vessel that recently featured on ww.
I encourage all of you to read today’s story & if you own a classic wooden boat – read both versions – the problem is the biggest risk to the life of our classic boats.

In Chris’s words:
“I received the above disturbing images of another woody being destroyed by an owner who I believe is unintentionally loving his boat to death.

The use of anodes and bonding on a wooden boat is fatal. The cathode or protected metal makes hydrogen gas and this combined with saltwater makes Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda). This chemical is used to pulp wood in the paper making industry. Not on my boat thank you! I say again, there is no reason to use anodes and bonding on any boat. The only exception, steel hulls require anodes. If copper or bronze are being corroded it is due to a positive DC leak and Zinc anodes will not help. Find the electrical leak is the cure. If there is brass or manganese bronze underwater it will corrode due to the
zinc in the alloy. Anodes will possibly stop the corrosion but at the expense of wood damage. A better plan is to replace the brass with proper marine bronze.

Bronze and copper should last indefinitely in the sea. To prove that statement, I ask you to look at the Roman coins and artifacts salvaged from ships wrecked in the fourteenth century. There was no anodic protection and the metal is well preserved. So what is the difference to the copper and bronze on your boat? There is absolutely no difference so why waste your money buying anodes that will in time destroy
your wooden boat.

Three or four bottles of wine will cost the same as anodes and will make you and your boat happier.”

Note: ww is read all around the world, if there is water & boats, there are people reading ww. So a little about the man for non kiwi’s  – Chris is one of NZ’s most respected boat builders (retired) and at one time was the Lloyds (Honorary) Wood Boat Surveyor in Auckland. Chris’s (the original company) ‘McMullen & Wing’ built and repaired wood, steel and marine aluminium vessels. They built the first welded aluminum vessels in NZ. Chris is the current holder of the Classic Yacht Association of New Zealand ‘Outstanding Achievement Trophy’ for services to classic boating.

14-05-2016 Photo Update
Gavin Gault sent in the below photos of a Nova skeg floor that he believes were probably damaged due to engine – anode bonding failure. Pretty graphic !!

10-07-2016 Reply from Chris McMullen

“Wow. Thank you Gavin Gault for sharing your very graphic images. Very sad, small consolation but yours will not be the only wooden boat affected by this scourge.
Maybe, at last some of the Flat Earth Society will start to believe what I have been saying. The worst detractors are some in the Marine Industry who have been preaching the Anode, Bonding party line for years.  Now there is no where to run for cover,  they continue to conjure up excuses and it seems, refuse to accept a simple scientific fact.
“If you have a positive and negative electrode in salt water, the negative cathode or protected metal makes hydrogen gas and this combined with salt water makes Sodium hydroxide.”
This chemical is also known as caustic soda and removes paint and destroys wood.  There is no doubt about this fact. You do require a power source and bonded dissimilar metals ( zinc and copper) provide sufficient current to do the damage, but slowly.
If there is a negative DC leak (to the sea)on a bonded boat the process is accelerated. If there is a positive leak any metal becomes an anode and will waste away. It is important to isolate the DC power from contact with the sea. Again bonding is just asking for trouble. Please remove Anodes and Bonding from your wooden boat now!
Chris McMullen”

06-09-2106 In case you were not to sure what to look out for – the below photo should be a wake-up call to a few woodys 😉

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Mystery Launch Quiz

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Mystery Launch

Mystery Launch Quiz
Win a copy of Robert Brooke’s book – ‘Beautiful Boats’

Ok woodys the first woody that can supply the boat name, designer, builder & year of launch will win a copy of Robert’s just released book ‘ Beautiful Boats’. The first reply in the ww comments section with all 4 answers correct – wins.

Robert has been collecting classic yacht designs for over 50 years, amongst his collection is work from our most talented & recognized designers – Arch Logan, Chas Bailey, Charlie & Alex Collings, Colin Wild, Bert Woolacott, Bob Stewart, Des Townson, Alan Wright & Robert’s father – John Brooke.
From his collection Robert has chosen 50 & redrawn each design, tracing off the original drawings to present them in a similar format. To add to the wow factor, Robert used the drawing equipment & ships curves that were once used by either Arch Logan, Charlie & Alex Collings or his father.

The 105 page, A4 size book allocates 2 pages to each vessel with specs & photo/s on the left & the drawings – hull lines, profile, half breadths, sections, diagonals & sail plan on the right hand page (refer Rainbow drawing example below). Its a must have in all serious woodys library.

Robert has very generously donated 4 copies of the book to waitematawoodys so over the next few weeks I will be giving them away as prizes. In addition I also have a framed 380 x 300 rendered copy of one of the Beautiful Boats. I have not decided yet how this will be ‘won’, details soon.

There are thousands of ww followers out there so do not get your hopes up on winning a copy 🙂 I would suggest you visit Boat Books at 22 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland & grab a copy for yourself, cost is $60. For out of towners or those who refer the web – copies are available on line at  https://www.boatbooks.co.nz/
Its a very limited print run & Boat Books are the sole outlet. Boat Books also have framed copies of the prints for sale – David Glen was one of the first to race in & buy a print of his Rainbow.

Cover, Tawera

Rainbow

A tour of the waterfront

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A tour of the waterfront

After the decision on Sunday to pull the pin on racing, David Glen took Rainbow for a wee cruise around the waterfront docks to check out the talent. Below is a pot-pourri of vessels – some classic, some wood, some glass & some very exotic.

Enjoy the cruise, we did 🙂

Rainbow
Frances
Wairiki
Pursuit
Corinthia
Orin II
Thelma
Ethol
Jonquil
Jonquil
Rainbow crew
A very tight fit
Marksman
Marksman
RAYC

 

Sea Devil was hauled out at the hard stand for some TLC, if she was mine I would be taking the power plane to those anti-roll bilge fins. Very agricultural, the ones on my Raindance were similar & post some feathering / shaping the drag effect was noticeably reduced.

Palm Beach Boat Show 2016

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PALM BEACH BOAT SHOW 2016
photos & comments from James Dreyer

Today’s ww post is a trip report from James Dreyer (Laughing Lady) James has kept the focus on wooden or partially wooden craft, with a little American excess and muscle thrown in for good measure. Enjoy, its a great read & interesting to see whats happening in the USA. Remember click on any photo to enlarge

The latest offering from Hacker craft.  A modern take on the classic triple cockpit runabout. I did get the feeling that the boat is a little let down by stainless off the shelf hardware.  If your forking out over $300K for a speedboat, you wouldn’t expect the same handrails as a Searay.

Vicem yachts of Turkey builds all mahogany, cold molded up to 140’  Beautiful craftsmanship with a long history.

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Hinckley Yachts is famous for their jet driven Picnic boat, but this is their latest model, a 36’ open.  Built in glass but with some really lovely styling cues from downeast.

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This little Grand Craft spent most of her time doing cocktail cruises of the Intracoastal waterway between Palm Beach (Holiday spot of the wealthy and retired, including DL Gardiner who owned Laughing Lady) and West Palm (home of the normal folk.)

Trumpy yachts Flying Lady.  Lovely solid lines on her wheelhouse.

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My favorite boat of the show, a modern commuter and tribute to Aphrodite.  Vendetta was built for Billy Joel out of a high tech blend of carbon and kevlar and runs twin 1300 MANs with Arneson drives in tunnels.  She will do 50 knots and doesn’t have a stateroom, just a lovely big salon area with kitchen and seating for many.  Totally impractical but oh so cool.  I was very lucky be invited onboard and shown around once the guy heard I had a commuter yacht.  He even knew laughing lady from his original design research.  She’s for sale at $1.3 million if anyone is looking to tour the East coast in style.

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Honey Fitz, the 1931 Defoe built ex-presidential yacht named after John F. Fitzgerald and once chariot for Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, Johnson and Nixon.

A 1960s era Bertram offshore race boat.  Sporting close to 800hp and Ray Hunts game changing deep vee hull design, she’s a thing of beauty.  Almost like a vintage Nascar.

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Maybe I am biased, but the whole express cruiser (open) sport fish really does it for me.  Totally impractical in anything but fine weather, but oh so cool.  Registered to Montauk at the tip of Long Island – Laughing Ladys first home port and serious Bluefin Tuna grounds.

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Jarrett Bay build some of the finest cold molded SFs on the market, this being about as small as they come.

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Seven Marine are the newest outboard on the American Market and are just ludicrous.  627hp (!!!) each, from a Chevrolet 6.2L supercharged V8.  At 500kg each, you want to have a pretty robust transom to hang three of these off!

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76’ Sportfish provides a pretty big aft cockpit.  Again cold molded.

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Rybovich is the name most synonymous with classic sport fish designs and this modern express model has a lot of classic styling cues from original Rybo’s like Release and Bolero

A few for the yachties 🙂

Wild Horses – the 70 odd foot W-class Spirit of Tradition sloop designed by Donald Tofias.

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I’m not sure if this is Herreshoffs Bounty or Ticonderoga, but she has incredible and unmistakable lines.  Pretty cool little yard tugboat on the left too.  This helped us park the large yacht I work on.

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Everything is big in America – to give you an idea of the scale, this has 3 x 350hp Outboards and is 41’ and note the tow rig.

Some nice wheels on display:

Sometimes you really have to wonder 😦

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And a funny to finish – Some people don’t hide it.  Apparently he owns a chain of Laundromats.

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Easter Weekend Cruise – Photo Gallery

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Wairiki on-route to Coromandel
Wairiki on-route to Coromandel
Spirit of New Zealand
Silens with load of driftwood aboard
Rorqual looking very smart
Ngarunui
Allergy
Chris McMullen on patrol
Dinner on Raindance
Name escapes me
Marie J
Trinidad waking up
Harmony a very salty launch, nice pad
Idler
Man o War Bay Sunset
Man o War Bay Sunset
Kathryn Ann
Kathryn Ann
Lady Margaret (CW)
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Raindance at Man o War Bay (photo Andrew Miller)

Easter Weekend Cruise – Photo Gallery

Headed to the bottom end of Waiheke Island for the 4 day easter break. Nice to see so many classics out & about. There were a lot more than the above photos, these are just the ones we mooched past. Everyone was graced with almost perfect weather & the water temp is still in the comfortable range.
See captions for details.
ps I got to practice my fuel filter changing / system bleeding on the way back………….. fun in a busy seaway 🙂

Buzzard

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BUZZARD

Buzzard is 1989 22’6″ spirit of tradition launch with a Holmes displacement hull, ply glassed 😦
Powered by 21hp Volvo Penta diesel motor that pushes her along at 5>6 knots. A perfect speed for her home waters of Lake Taupo.

Any of the lake woodys able to tell us more about her?

CYA Cake Day

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CYA Cake Day
photos Alan H & Daniel Renall

Last Saturday was the annual CYA ‘Round-Rangi’ yacht race + post race BBQ + Cake Day. The tradition of the Cake Day goes back a long way when women did not take part in yacht racing & once a year the men folk would invite women out for the day but they had to ‘bring a cake’. The cake day tradition lives on but these days its a competition to see who has the best looking & best tasting cake & more often than not, the cakes are made by the blokes.
The weather was a little fresh & the sailing fleet numbers were low, in fact only 3 yachts sailed the course 😦  this did not stop a great late afternoon raft up in Islington Bay which saw the cake judging happen afloat this year, I arrived later on & missed the announcement of the winners but if it was up to me Daniel Renall’s carrot cake would have won. Given how good it was I suspect wife Alex made it 🙂

A good turn out from what I call the ‘Gang of 8’ – the loyal launches who support the CYA events. We had in the bay – Wirihana, Lucille, Florance Dawn, Raindance & Kumi. Great to see Kumi back on this side of the island, owner Haydon Afford has just returned Kumi to the Waitemata after 2 seasons on the Kaipara.
I did see the recently relaunched Maria heading back up the Harbour when I was heading out so maybe Nick Voerman had been in the bay earlier in the day. BUT over all a poor turnout from both yachts & launches.

And a message from the yacht crews to the skipper of W1, slow down in the bay. Thats two complaints in 3 weeks………… 😦

Steamboat Gypsy

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STEAMBOAT GYPSY
photos & details ex trademe

Its not often that I do a blatant 4-sale listing on ww but Gypsy is just so adorable that she gets pride of place today on ww.

Gypsy is a 18’4″ beautifully built replica 18 foot steam launch from the 1880’s that has been recently completely restored & is now for sale.
The cold molded 3-skin kauri hull is in perfect condition. It was built by Dave Jackson, now of Warkworth, in 1987.
The machinery is an English Stuart Turner 2 cylinder compound engine built in the 1960s. The boiler was built by Dyer of Penrose in 1987. It burns coal or wood, but prefers coal.
A restored trailer is included that has a new WOF, new tyres, axel & wheel bearings.

A special feature is the copper ‘Windermere Kettle’. This steam kettle heats water in about 10 mins for a hot cup of tea while underway.

Call the owner on 09 4343649 for more information or to view.

The Gypsy Story from previous (1st) owner Russell Ward

Here is her story.

Gypsy was built in late 1987. In those days I had a 12’ clinker dinghy with a 4hp Stuart and longed to make a steamboat. I had bought a Stuart no 6 compound steam engine from the late Les Fitt -a prolific steam modeller. The late Graeme Wilkinson designed a coal burning boiler to suit and it was built in Penrose. Happy daze! All I needed was a suitable hull and that is hard because it has to be burdensome to carry all that weighty machinery. Also it needs to be able to swing a huge prop because a steam engine develops a lot of torque at low speed. Gypsy’s prop was 17 x 23. Most old boats didn’t meet the specs and anyway, I was going to have enough on my hands running the machinery without trying to maintain a rotten old leaky hull. A new hull was the only way.

I had several long talks with Dave Jackson in his gorgeous boatshed  at Sulphur Beach –inland of the then harbour bridge Toll Plaza. Harold will enlighten us about the history of that boatyard. Dave advocated a cold moulded hull so it would be strong and easier to keep clean. A set of lines was the problem. Way back then, there was a dearth of hull lines for steamboats. Nowadays every joe and his dog thinks he can draw one up.

At that time, Pete McCurdy produced a magazine Traditional Small Craft in the ‘80s and it was eagerly read by the small boat people of the day. We are still waiting for the long promised last issue for which I am sure I penned something. In one of the issues was a set of lines and offsets of a dinghy that was kept at Adams Island -one of the Auckland Islands- for any shipwrecked sailors to row to NZ in. Happily she was not needed and was brought to Hobson Wharf for the then fledgling maritime museum. I thought that any boat designed to live in those savage waters probably had what it takes. I discussed the lines with Dave and Gypsy was the result. She lacks the hollow garboards of the original for ease of construction and economy.

I completed the engineering at home and fitted the necessary auxiliary pumps to the engine using original Stuart castings. The choice of the name was a little complicated and a story in itself. There were several sailing Gypsys around but no SL Gypsy. It was a nice dusky sooty sort of name for a steamer.

The Trad Small Craft Society were holding a sail-in at Okahu Bay and i proposed to take Gypsy along to show the gang and also to dip her in the water to pencil in the waterline. All things gang oft aglay as they say and I couldn’t stop myself steaming her up because it was such a bitchy cold day. As I dipped her in the tide, she floated off and I steamed away merrily trying to get used to my new toy. We steamed her around for three hours and I thought she went damn fine. The first picture shows the event: I am the one with a broad smile but no anorak (whatever they are). I never changed a thing from the first launching and she just went well every time as long as the coal was good and the boiler tubes kept clean.

I sold her when we moved house in ’91.  She is a cutey. The box up fwd was put on by the subsequent owner and is a little clumsy to my eye.  I don’t think I’ll have her back: Marie would probably strangle me and the price is way too steep.

04-10-2018 Update ex Russell Ward

Photo below shows Russell’s little steamer Gypsy that David Jackson built in this shed at Sulphur Beach 1987. In the photo we see that the hull planking has just been finished.
What dates the photo is the ‘middle sized’ Ward daughter seen in the photo. Russell commented about the proper tools on show 🙂
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Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes – NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show 2016

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Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes – NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show 2016
photos from Greg Lees & David Glen

CYA members Greg & David were among the 100’s that attended last weekends show, Greg reports that this year the lake saw the return of historic Hydroplanes with the promise of more to attend next year.
The radio controlled model craft (below) are very cool.

Any woodys out there able to supply some more details on the stunning Baby Thunder?

Lots more photos here – click on the photo, below

https://www.flickr.com/photos/skinnylaveal/sets/72157663288454473

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Lionel Jefcoat – Boatbuilder & Wood Craftsman

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The Flirt

Flirt

Lionel Jefcoat – Boatbuilder & Wood Craftsman

details ex Nelson Mail, Radio NZ & Gary Drummond

Lionel Jefcoat works out of a ‘shed’ in Havelock, where he built the historic replica steam launch Flirt – an incarnation of an 1894 British-built mail launch of the same name which plied Canadian waters. Flint is a regular attendee at the antique and classic boat show at Nelson’s Lake Rotoiti.

The project emerged from Flint’s owner Rob Hamlett’s ambition to own a classic steam launch. He went to Canada to find a steamboat, found Flirt and shipped it to New Zealand then found it was beyond restoration. The steam engine however, was in good-enough order and was installed in the new Flirt.

The 26′ launch, according to Lionel, has been modified slightly by Wellington naval architect Bruce Askew. Its teak decks and deckhouse, kauri stem and pressure-treated kahikatea carvel planked and caulked hull pay homage to a traditional design and construction, and a faded trade of wooden boat building.

Lionel’s own boat is the 30′ wooden sloop Saffron, built to his own design, taking three years to construct. It was launched in late 2010.

Lionel’s love of boats was formed in the “back blocks” of a Southland farm, he never wanted to be anything other than a boat builder. The Jefcoate family moved to Governor’s Bay near Lyttelton when Lionel was 17 and he began a boat building apprenticeship with Miller Brothers soon after.

His boat building career extended to the cruising yachts he built to take his own family sailing, and the boat shed he worked in from for others. “I once had a big shed in Governor’s Bay but sold it when there was no more boat building being done.” His 12-metre cutter Encore, which is now in Wellington, was to have been the ultimate “retirement” cruiser, but by the time he finished building Encore he was 60, had no money, no house so Lionel moved to the 100+ year old villa & workshop in Havelock that today is home to this wooden craftsman.

Below is a link to a photo gallery of images from Radio NZ ‘Nine to Noon’ that showcase Lionel – in his early days, family life & some of many craft he built. Enjoy

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/galleries/lionel-jefcoat

14-05-2016 Input from Ian Miller

A while back Rosalind discovered Lionel on her family tree (albeit way out at the end of a remote branch) and as a result of that we called on him earlier this year when we were in the Marlborough Sounds. He was not particularly interested in discovering another relative (sentiments similar to my own) but when he learned of our interest in old wooden boats his whole demeanour changed and we spent a most enjoyable three hours with him.

The workmanship in his sea chests and turned bowls was out of this world and the experience of looking at his stuff and talking to him about it, as well as his boats, was something I will never forget.

His book “57 Boats Later” is a fascinating chronicle of his life as a wooden boat builder  and he was persuaded to sell me his second to last copy, although I understand a third reprint is on its way. (I must get a copy. AH)

Lionel Jefcoate RIP

Sadly, I have to advise that Lionel passed away on 17th July 2018. His funeral is scheduled for – Springlands Chapel, Cloudy Bay Funeral Home, 1:30pm – Saturday 28th July.

I was sent the photos below & copy by Russell Ward ex Rob Hamlett.

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