Category Archives: Spirit of Tradition

Which Boat Today ?

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Which Boat Today ?

If your names not Tony Stevenson that’s not a question many of us ask ourselves. When I picked up the Jan/Feb issue of the uber cool kiwi lifestyle magazine – NZ Life & Leisure, I discovered that there is someone else out there that’s been bitten by the classic boating bug, big time 🙂 Enter Charlotte & Richard Stevens, their menagerie of boats includes – ‘D’Urville’ a 70′ kauri, Laurent Giles designed motor boat, built by McMullen & Wing in 1975 – ‘Mickey Mouse’ a 1967 Ford 10 powered Albatross Motors speedboat – ‘Carvel’ their exquisite 1962 Norm Keen designed & built lake boat – a Frostbite, a Lazer, numerous canoes/kayaks & paddle boards AND a 45mph V8 powered ski boat. That ww followers is an impressive collection.

The article is a both a great read & a wonderful visual insight into the life & boats of Charlotte & Richard & we thank them for sharing it with us.

Todays post has been reproduced with the permission of Fairfax Media. The spectacular photos are from the camera of Tessa Chrisp & the words from the typewriter of Rebecca Hayter (NZ Boating editor). Check out the magazine at their website     http://nzlifeandleisure.co.nz

Note: if the images above are a little hard to read – you can view it here as a PDF file, click the blue link 😉

Lake Rotoiti

2015 Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show – Nelson Lakes

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Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show – Nelson Lakes
photos & details from Greg Lees & Gary Drummond

As featured on the ww post ‘Summertime’ Greg Lees daughter Rosie recently launched a run-about / speed boat that she built. No sooner had she splashed it but she was off down south (home) with the the boat in tow. Post launch the first major outing for the boat was the Nelson Lakes, 2015 Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show. Rosie had entered Summertime in the “Best New Build” competition category & Greg reports that she missed out on this award, the winner being a 14 year old whom had built a mini hydroplane, and according to Greg, he deserved the prize. Nor did she win best ‘Outboard Boat’ or ‘Powerboat’ prize.

BUT –  she won “Best Boat of the Boat Show”.  That young lady is a winner 🙂

Rosie is pictured in one of the photos above with a bottle of Mumm champagne, she has been carrying that bottle around with her since it was given to her by Barbara & David Cooke at the launching of Summertime – given the absence of a cork its safe to assume it was cracked at the prize giving.
Rosie went on to win her race in the ‘Over 40 hp’ division the next day.  A T-shirt was the trophy.
In the photos above there is a red row boat – one of very popular, Ian Oughtred designed, St Ayles skiffs, this one ‘Kaikoura Lass, was built in Kaikoura as a community project.
The event is a magic gathering of classic boating enthusiasts & the organisers welcome all i.e. not just wooden vessels , plus  classic cars are invited along to the weekend so its a hit with young & old.

Note: Press clipping below from the Nelson Mail

Aristos

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ARISTOS
details ex Ken Rickets & Alan H. photos ex KR

Aristos was launched in October 1985 & designed by Des Townson, in fact the only launch Townson designed that was built. I understand there was a small launch designed but not built. Aristos was built by Noel May, is 36 feet long,  3 skins of kauri in the hull, with solid mahogany coamings & glassed ply decks .

She is powered by twin 60 HP Nissan diesels & cruises at 8 knots.

She  sleeps 6 & was built for Ian & Vivienne Stembridge . She remained in the Stembridge family from new until early 2013. Being kept the whole time at Whitianga.
Aristos has recently been sold to Ray Haydon & Sarah Elleray of Auckland.

Note: Noel May also built in 1993 a very similar launch Summer Wine (view her by entering her name in the ww search box)

NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show 2015

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NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show 2015
March 7>8th Lake Rotoiti – Nelson Lakes

This South Island event is world class – if you are in or around Nelson on the weekend of 7th & 8th of March, make an effort to attend.

More details here http://www.nzclassicboats.com

2015 Australian (Hobart) Wooden Boat Festival

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2015 Australian (Hobart) Wooden Boat Festival
photos ex Simon Smith & Baden Pascoe

Several CYA members crossed the ditch for the bi-annual wooden boat festival in Tasmania. A group transported the kiwi skiff  ‘wee’ Tawera over to take part in the rowing section of the regatta & I understand did us proud with a win.
Rumour has it that Neil Chalmers was cruising the docks & hopefully took the Box Brownie with him.
Simon Smith sent in the gallery of boating photos below + a couple of stunning scenery shots, love the one of Hobart town bathed in sunshine.
This event is on my bucket list. Enjoy 🙂

19/02/2015 – more photos ex Simon Smith

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #16 – Kiariki Cruise March 1963

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #16 – Kiariki Cruise March 1963

Another stunning drawing done by Robert Brooke’s father, Jack Brooke, again ww thanks Robert for making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the 16th featured – lots of details & side tales in this one.

The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during their March 1963 cruise to Kawau Island & Gt Barrier Island. There appears to be a lot of ‘reefing’ happening on this cruise so there must have been a good blow.

Crew: John Brooke, R E Hunt, S Hunt, R F Black & E G Bolland

On Waitangi weekend 2015 – Robert Brooke & family (3 generations) took the  15′ clinker runabout ‘Harmony’, that Robert built, down to Lake Rotoiti for the Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Photo below shows them in Saturdays parade of boats.

Harmony

Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade Update

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Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade Update

photos ex Chris Miller

As I mentioned in Mondays post I traveled to Lake Rotoiti with Chris Miller, Chris is a very talented pro photographer & on this trip packed a lens that was longer than my arm. This enabled him to get up close to the boats & shoot from a better angle (sun was a problem). He’s also a dab hand with photoshop so these photos are stunning.

Also today we have a link to the TV3 news coverage of the event http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/vintage-vessels-invade-lake-rotoiti-2015020717#axzz3RGmeg9GX

 

 

 

 

 

2015 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Photo Gallery

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2015 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Photo Gallery

Morning Woodys

Just back from the 2015 Classic & Wooden Boat Parade at Lake Rotoiti (Nth. Island). As always a brilliant weekend, well run & the boats just keep getting better – over 80 this year & I’m sure much to the enjoyment of the USA ww followers – lots of varnish & zoom zoom motors this year.

The weekend kicks off with a meet/great/BBQ lakeside on Friday night with the parade on Saturday morning. Post parade everyone heads off to bay where the festivities began – while there is lots of boat talk, its a great family day that includes the full family with kids & relations.

Highlights for me was I small launch named ‘Mako’ (#63 in the parade), has been on the lake a long time, I’ll do a ww post on her. And meeting ww contributors Paul & Nigel Drake.

I have not attempted to include every boat, this is all about giving you a taste of the weekend. I think I took a photo of most boats , so if your not here, email me & I’ll send you one. The location & the sun was not kind to photographers, so some photos are a little dark.

I traveled to the event with Chris Miller, who leaves me for dead in the photography stakes, so in the next few days I’ll do another post with some of Chris’s finer work.

Enjoy – as always click on any photo to enlarge.
Alan Houghton

ps ww passed 3/4’s of a million views in the weekend – 750,000 !!!!!!!

pps I have included a link below to a file that tells you a little bit about most of the boats in the parade.
2015 Lake Rotoiti Parade Entries as at 3-2-15



TV3 attended the parade & featured it on the 6pm News – star of the clip was CYA member Russell Ward & the steam boat Romany that he skippers. Post the 6.00pm news Russell had no shortage of helper dockside 🙂

Mahurangi Regatta Bonus Photos – Sailing Sunday

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Mahurangi Regatta Bonus Photos – Sailing Sunday

A wee bit of a bonus today – CYA member Peter Mence, owner of the classic K-Class, Jeanne & the classic launch Linden (Eileen Patrica) sent me a usp stick with a collection of photos from the 2015 Mahurangi Regatta weekend.
The rag & stick brigade will enjoy the focus on sailing, but still plenty of launches there, including yours truely 🙂

Enjoy. Alan


2015 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Get There

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2015 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade

One of the best wooden boating events in NZ is taking place this long weekend at Lake Rotoiti (Nth. Island). If you are anywhere around the central North Island on Saturday (7th) I would encourage you to make you way to Lake Rotoiti. I went last year & it was a hoot, I’ll be back again on Saturday, so if you miss it – it will be on ww early next week.

Event & viewing details here
http://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/
http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2015/classic-wooden-boat-parade/rotorua