Category Archives: Spirit of Tradition

Ka-iwa

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KA- IWA

photos ex trademe

Not all classic woody owners are content with sub 10 knot cruising, well if that’s you & your looking for hassle free woody boating at the speed of light today’s post on Ka-iwa the 28′ Mason Clipper will appeal. Built in 1968 she is a true kiwi classic, with a great maritime history being originally owned by the Stevenson Family & possibly the first twin engine Mason. She has some serious off shore racing history, therefore was built very strong & in bad weather, leaves most boats in her wake. Post racing is was then returned to the Mason yard in Auckland & a custom hard top made. Then retired to Stevenson’s bach up north as their holiday launch.

Powered by twin 350hp, Chev’s Ka-iwa will do over 45 knots, but is happy to cruise at 25 knots at low revs. She underwent an extensive bare wood restoration approx 5 yrs ago & as you will see from the photos also received a total refit inside. The Mason Clippers are very family friendly kiwi classics & this one can sleep upwards of 8. At her length she is a perfect dry-stack boat, which helps solve the where do I keep her dilemma.

So woodys if you own an oil (petrol) well & are into retro classics that go like a cut cat – Ka-iwa could be for you

 

 

Miss Ponsonby

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to begin with

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MISS PONSONBY
photos ex Charlie North. details ex Harold Kidd

In early May, Charlie North commented on ww that he was currently rebuilding a replica of Miss Ponsonby after acquiring the original boat some years back. Harold chipped in with details on her (below) & I invited Charlie to share the project with us. If you have a good look at some of Charlie’s photos you will see he is a serious collector – I can spot a vintage car, classic motorbike & what a appears to be an E-Type Jag. Remember to click on the photos to enlarge.

Firstly some history – Miss Ponsonby was built by Sam Granros in late 1932 or early 1933. She took part in the Masport Cup races on the Tamaki River in 1933 nominated by Ponsonby Cruising Club. Her racing number was S21. Her inboard engine was a 100hp Hall-Scott. She had a long handicap and was more a fast runabout than a racer.

Sam Granros was a Finn who came to NZ in 1904. He built a lot of speedboats and launches in St. Mary’s Bay and at 12 Hackett Street, Ponsonby, for example,Hilma, Nurmi, Alma, Ramona, Ramona Jr. (1930), Cygnet I – II – III, Esther, & Miss Ponsonby, all go fast outfits.
Sam later moved to Oneroa and died in 1946.

I’m sure Charlie will add some more details re the engine etc.

 

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2016 Floating Bach Award Finalist

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Would this be a Finalist for the 2016 Floating Bach Award?

Regular ww readers will have heard me talk about the growing interest in the ownership of classic wooden launches & how I have tagged it the Floating Bach trend. Well yesterday Scott Taylor having just returned from a holiday at Lake Waikaremoana* sent me some boating photos. One of which (Rawene, above) would have to be the epitome of that tag, complete with poop deck 🙂

Interested to learn more on the other woodys below (Safari, Camaron, Rawene) & get some details on their past & how they ended up at the lake + there are a couple of plastic Logans that I’d be keen to name.

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Note: for the overseas ww followers – Lake Waikaremoana is situated in the Te Urewera National Park, in the North Island of NZ. Some spectacular walks & just wow scenery. A few photos below.

29-12-2016 Update – Photos below of Rawene – sent in by Toni Metz – read more about the boats history in the comments section below. These photos were taken in the 1930’s at Waikaremoana. In the second photo, Rawene is the last boat in the line below the shed.

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08-06-2020 Input from Jason Clough – owner of the launch Cameron in one of the above photos. Turns out its not a woody, but comments added for the record.

“I aquired Camaron just over a year ago. It is a Vindex 32 , launched 1972 , was built by Jim Young. Possibly #9 (purely guessing by thats what I found when sides were being sanded down) I have pretty much all of its history. Camaron is one of the first ever sandwich construction GRP hulls , with a Balsa Core.The topsides, trim are teak , Cedar , and a laminated ply roof. There is also a bit of other timbers in the trim . It was on Lake Taupo from 72 till about 86 as a fishing charter boat. (I even found an original business card under the nooks and crannies)The rear canopy was shorter , It had a upper deck ( if thats what u call it) It ran 2 x 200 hp stern legs. From there it went down south and was owned by the Otago Harbour board. Under the paint , I found in giant lettering “SURVEY” written down the sides. and , clearly hull repairs made where large Transducers had been fitted. It would be reasonable to assume is was bottom surveying / sounding for shipping channels. From launch right thru here , it was in survey , i have pages of its tickets.
Somewhere around 1994 /5 It must have come out of the water , and had its engines removed , rooftop taken away (made to a “saloon”) , and the rear roof line extended another 1200 mm or so , and sold on
It was purchased by previous owner around 1996 , from a broker in Marlborough with 2 x Honda outboards on pods fitted and converted to its present state.
From There , it was Transported to Waikaremoana , where it has been since.
About a year ago , It Was in pretty bad shape, and looked like it needed rescuing before it was too late. I have put a lot of hours into it , and it is looking great again. It has a new laminated roof , foredeck , glass laminating , completely gutted out and every square cm has been touched. The hull structure and integrity was in surprisingly good shape – kudos to the original builder and their skills, expansive use of epoxy sealing and quality work , materials.
I have kept Camaron as original as I can , with just a bit of modern in the comfort dept and where necessary. Even the big old polished brass compass is staying put !
Coincidentally today , We just popped up to Waikaremoana to have a look at the mooring to get and idea whats needed to sort that out, which led me to this site trying to figure out I am looking at the right one!
Camaron is now pretty much ready to be relaunched again in the next few weeks- just waiting on a bit of trim n upholstery , and is looking great.”

From Timber To Tide – Sailing Sunday

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From Timber to Tide – Sailing Sunday

I discovered the video ‘From Timber to Tide’ while mooching around wooden boating websites, it features a traditional Cornish boat builder Ben Harris. In a beautifully shot video, Ben talks about his work and what inspires him. Featured is ‘Alva’, a Paul Gartside – designed 30′ gaff-rigged cutter that Ben built. Her lines inspired by the quay punts of Falmouth. Construction is larch on laminated pitch pine and steamed oak frames. Cedar decks, cabin-sides and capping rail in iroko, teak cockpit and trim, pitch pine interior and bronze and copper fastened throughout.

Enjoy, you’ll feel good after watching it 🙂

Looking For A Great Read

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I mostly plug nautical books here on ww but friend Richard Loseby has just published his 3rd book titled ‘A Boy Of China – In Search of Mao’s Lost Son’ & as expected its a cracker read. Pick up a copy at Paper Plus, Whitcoulls, Unity Books – pretty much everywhere + Ebook version on Amazon, iTunes etc etc

Richard used to own a beautiful Townson but has temporally drifted over to the low(er) maintenance side with a rather nice f/g ketch. I’m sure he will return to wood one day 🙂

Richard’s two previous books ‘Blue is the Colour of Heaven’ & ‘Looking for the Afghan’ are on my all time great reads list. Both available on iBooks, Kindle, Kobo etc so fork out a few dollars, you won’t be disappointed. Start with ‘Blue…….Heaven’ 😉

ps when I went to look at my copies of the above two books, I discovered (again…..) that one of my books ‘out-on-loan’ has not found its way home. These days I keep a digital record of who has books of mine on-loan. A quick visit to trademe & I picked up a copy of ‘Blue is the Colour of Heaven’ for $4 😉

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?