Category Archives: Sub 28′

HENRY GEROS WOODEN BOATBUILDERS – TAURANGA 

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HENRY GEROS WOODEN BOATBUILDERS – TAURANGA 

Todays woody photo popped up recently on a fb link that features historical events from the Tauranga area.

The photo originated from the Bay of Plenty Times, 22 March 1973 issue.

The poster was Rebecca Muir, who commented that in the photo we see Henry Geros and his two sons – Phillip and Michael(r), putting the finishing touches to a 22’ cabin cruiser built in their Tauranga based boat building yard.

Can we learn more about the yard and possibly the design of the cabin cruiser, which to my eyes is very appealing. Being 1973 the AWB’s (average white boats) can not of been too far away……..

CLASSIC MULLET BOAT WAIATA’s POST WAR TRIP > JAPAN

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CLASSIC MULLET BOAT WAIATA’s POST WAR TRIP > JAPAN

Todays woody tale features the 1934 Dick Lang built 26’ mullet boat – WAIATA (H15). Probably the most travelled mullet boat ever.

Chris Leech sent in a link to a fb post by the boats owner – Steve Rhodes, Steve had shared details and photos on the ’Sitting There Rotting….’ page.

We learnt that WAIATA was taken over in c.1939 by the Royal NZ Airforce for use in a R&R programme during the war. Fast forward to March 1946 and the airforce loaded WAIATA onto an English aircraft carrier named GLORIA headed for Japan where she continued her R&R duties for the J-Force.

WAIATA returned to NZ in 1948, and returned to civilian ownership. The article below is dated from the year 2000 and provides more background.Steve Rhodes commented he bought WAIATA awhile ago in disrepair and pulled her out and is spending ‘shiploads’ on doing her up. In the b/w photo above we see WAIATA on the aircraft carrier GLORIA along with our troops and the Corsair planes.
Great history, keen to learn more about the future plans for the ‘yacht’ (I suspect from the photos she is now better described as a launch)

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUCNH – ROSINA (Iron Bark) 

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUCNH – ROSINA (Iron Bark) 

Earlier in the week WW contacted by Steve Bass concerning details on a Weiti River craft. Steve mentioned a launch that he had previously owned named – ROSINA, and in reply to my standard reply -“send details”, we get to learn her history. Best if I let Steve tell the story (edited)

“I bought Rosina at Easter 1999 after she had had a major rebuild from 1986 to 1995, work included her Kauri planked hull clad in 1/4″ ply on the sides of the hull and 1/2″ on the bottom over 1/2” kauri planks and then fibreglassed. Her decks, cabin and interior were new so was basically a brand new boat when relanched at Stillwater on the 15th Jan 1995.

She was originally called Iron Bark and was launched at Meola Creek in 1947. I re-powered her in 2005 with a Nanni 3.10HE as the original 2 cyld Nanni was too underpowered. She is 20’ long x 6’ wide and draws 18”. Has a cruising speed of 6.5k and tops out at 8k. 

Sadly I sold her in March 2024 after owning her for 25 years when I retired. She is currently land bound near Raglan after her current owner took her out of the water after sitting in the mooring at Wyuna Bay Coromandel for 20 months. Hopefully she will see some more use in the near future.”
In the last photo we see ROSINA being hauled and trucked back to Steves property for her biannual dose of TLC.

Anyone able to make a suggestion on the design / builder.

In NZ we get upset when the Prime Minister uses one of our Air Forces ageing transport planes – life is a tag more swish in Oslo, Norway – check out the Royal yacht below https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdEdyxFoZtF/?stkn=ZHJjb3IzcW14YnZw

SAILING BACK IN TIME — 1930s CLASSIC YACHTS

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Off Waiwera
Tryphena, Great Barrier Island

SAILING BACK IN TIME — 1930s CLASSIC YACHTS

Todays classic wooden boating photo gallery comes to us from the Leith family in Dunedin via Peter Mence.

The accompanying note commented that the photos came from a family album and are dated approx. 90 years ago. Looking at the tags one has ’Season 1936>7’ on it, halcyon days before WWII kicked off. Given the age of the ‘boys’ in the photos, no doubt most of them would have seen service.

The two yachts seen are OTRIA L25 and NOMAD H5.

Do we know where OTIRA L25 is these days.

The last news we had on NOMAD L5 was she was on fire at Mapua, Nelson in June 2024. Link below. Any update on what became of her post the fire. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/06/19/nomad-on-fire-at-mapua-nelson/

CLASSIC CHILDHOOD FLASHBACK 

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CLASSIC CHILDHOOD FLASHBACK 

Todays classic woody photo was sent in by John Dawson, and was a flash back for me. My father built me a P-Class but as was typical , built it x4 the weight (1”+ marine ply) of the plans and it took 3 of us to launch it. Sailed like a pig and it was painted yellow. It didn’t get a lot of use and sold as a duck shooter punt. I was told I was a ungrateful child (they were right, I was). Not sure of the date of the photo but the bike, attire, and car would suggest late 1950’s > early 1960’s.

How cool would have this young guy been, owned a bike and a yacht ✔️

I DISCOVERED WHERE AMERICA’s CUP BOATS GO TO DIE

On last weeks travels to Whangarei I called into Port Nikau and there looking very lonely were 3 of New Zealand’s Americas Cup yachts – NZL60, NZL84, NZL92 (lost the cup to Alinghi) – anywhere else in the world  NZL60 would be on permeant display somewhere a little more fitting. She successfully defended the Americas Cup back in 2000. The first boat to defend and retain the Cup outside of the USA.

CLASSIC SEACRAFT WOODEN CLINKER 

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CLASSIC SEACRAFT WOODEN CLINKER 

WW has run numerous stories on the very appealing classic clinker runabouts built by the Seacraft company in Auckland. Well maintained examples tend to be snapped up by the ‘lake crowd’, todays woody is already at Lake Taupo, would be nice to liberate her and let some salt water into her kauri hull.

What we learned from tme – built in 1956, 14’ in length, 2012 30hp Mercury o/board + what appears to be a good road trailer. Asking price 15k

Park her in the drive and wave goodbye to the marina robber barons and annual haul out costs

CLASSIC WOODEN FROSTBITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT THE NZ TRADITIONAL BOATBUILDING SCHOOL 

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CLASSIC WOODEN FROSTBITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT THE NZ TRADITIONAL BOATBUILDING SCHOOL 

The long term WW followers will be familiar with The New Zealand Traditional Boat Building School, I have attended several courses over the years and it was a sad day when it went into hibernation. After YEARS! of procrastination around getting access to the Vos Shed on Auckland’s waterfront its so good that the school has a permanent home and is up and running again.

Some background, NZTBS is a volunteer run charitable trust started in 2005 that has been providing education, skills development, personal growth, community support, youth development and plays an active part in maintaining New Zealand’s valuable maritime history. Check out the website and learn how you can help this worthy group survive. Money is always nice – https://givealittle.co.nz/org/nztbs  but how about you or a couple of friends enrolling in one of the many hands on courses –https://nztbs.org.nz/

Currently the NZTBS team have been commissioned to build a classic wooden Frostbite sailing dinghy(hull #313) as seen above in todays gallery.

Frostbite History and Design

  • Designed by Jack Brooke in 1937 as a stable, versatile father-and-son boat that could handle general use and fishing.
  • Became the premier class for the Wakatere Boating Club and achieved national status in 1946.
  • Served as the official secondary school sailing trainer in New Zealand from 1951 until 1975.
  • Built with traditional clinker (lapstrake) wooden construction.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – EAGLE RAY

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – EAGLE RAY

Today thanks for Robyn Kellian and Tobias Forsyth we get to see another launch from the Leigh region. The name on the helm seat reads – EAGLE RAY, and the photos are tagged – Wayne Collings.                                   Given the bunting and ‘crowd’ we can assume this was launch day.

The shed / yard could possibly be at Whangateau, back when it was a public facility, available to the wider boating community. 

Can we learn more about EAGLE RAY.

INPUT ex NATHAN HERBERT – A strip plank Greenwood so far as I know,. Photos below (as of today) ex Jason Prew

LOOKING BACK AT CLASSIC LAUNCH –  EILEEN PATRICIA 

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LOOKING BACK AT CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH –  EILEEN PATRICIA 

Today thanks for Robyn Kellian and Tobias Forsyth we get to have a peek back in time at the classic wooden launch – EILEEN PATRICIA.                          

Designed and built in 1933 by Arnold Couldrey. She was named EILEEN PATRICIA when launched but as you can see in the b/w photos at some stage she was named LYNDON. Just visible on her bow is a fishing boat rego # AK113 (might be wrong), so possibly a workboat at some stage. It may have been a typo but when current owner Peter and Jenni Mence bought her the spelling was LINDEN.

Approx 6 years ago she underwent an extensive rebuild / restoration at the hands of Marco Scuderi’s yard. Since then the lads at The Slipway Milford have been looking after her needs and she resents in stunning condition.

LinkS below to all the EP storied on WW and the second link is from her re-launching day.

https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Eileen+Patricia&submit=Search

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/05/20/the-launching-of-eileen-patrica-1933-classic-motor-boat-50-photos/ 

CLASSIC WOODEN WORKBOAT AT LEIGH

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CLASSIC WOODEN WORKBOAT AT LEIGH

As mentioned last week Tobias Forsyth located a treasure trove of old photos from the Leigh area, a mx of workboats and pleasure craft. 

Todays photo shows a small workboat (Reg # 15156) with an interesting mix of steading sails. She looks a little too smart to be a commercial fishing boat, but there does appear to be a long-line set-up on her stern.

Vessel name unknown, but the Reg No. must make ID’ing her easy for someone with a reference of vessels ‘v’ numbers.

The photographer is listed as Robyn Kellian.