Category Archives: Sub 28′

Mahurangi Regatta 2022 – 150+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

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MAHURANGI REGATTA 2022 – 150+ CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PHOTOS

2022 will be remembered as the no frills regatta – no small boats, no beach activity, no beach party (band, bbq’s), no prize giving – but woodys it still rocked. Great turn out of both launches and yachts, and the weather gods delivered a breeze that provided some of the best racing we have seen in a long time.

I was told by someone that should know – that the budget for previous regatta’s is knocking on the door of $50,000 – maybe CV-19 has been a relativity check and maybe – less is more 🙂

I’m told Peter Brookes has Rawhiti in the groove, she is smoking the rest of the fleet – well done skipper and the grey haired crew 😉 for taking out the A division + Little Jim backing up last years Logan Trophy win with another win.

Tomorrow we will have a look at Mondays launch drag race for the quicks – conditions were below average on the inner harbour – correction, bad everywhere, I had the 2nd worst passage back from Kawau yesterday – 4.5 hours of my life I’ll never get back 🙂 . If I ever see the prick in a very large Riviera that went past me at full chat less than 50m away in the Rangi Channel and almost rolled me – he will get a bottle of Thai Fish Sauce in his air-con intake. 

No real story today, just a photo gallery from the weekend – sit back and enjoy. Remember click photos to enlarge. No photos from the Scotts Landing casual gathering – no need for a record ;-).

Special thanks to Murray Deeble and Glen Keeper for sending in photos 🙂

Update 02-02-22 Mahurangi weekend photo gallery below sent in by Graeme Finch

In Case You Are Hiding At Home, Wearing 2 Masks And Wondering What You’re Missing This Weekend – Check Out the 2019 Mahurangi Regatta

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MAHURANGI REGATTA  2019 – The biggest & best classic wooden boat regatta in NZ – 90+ photos

FRIDAY NIGHT

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SATURDAY – REGATTA DAY

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SATURDAY NIGHT AT SCOTTS LANDING

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SUNDAY MORNING

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MAHURANGI REGATTA  2019 – The biggest & best classic wooden boat regatta in NZ – 90+ photos

WoW what a woody weekend – simply stunning on all fronts –  sun > wind > location > people & of course the boats. On my estimate, the biggest turnout of classic wooden craft ever. Record numbers for Saturday mornings launch parade.
I’ll go out on a limb & repeat a comment made to me on the deck of Lidgard House, Kawau Island on Sunday night by one of our most prominent & influential classic wooden boat people – “Mahurangi is the real Auckland Anniversary Weekend Regatta” & after cruising back into Auckland today, & not seeing a lot of yachts, I would have to agree.
On Saturday between Jason Prew on My Girl & myself with Raindance we hosted three of the wooden boating world’s superstars – if you read or follow the WoodenBoat magazine, Classic Boat & the hottest property on the block – the vblog, https://www.offcenterharbor.com
then the names Maynard Bray, Benjamin Mendlowitz & Steve Stone will be very familiar to you. These gents were motored around the harbour & very selectively photographed / filmed our beautiful woodys. When I mentioned that I had cancelled my trip to next months Hobart Wooden Boat Festival, one commented “why would you go – it’s all here” & woodys – it was.
I have never attempted to understand the ‘politics’ / issues between the Mahurangi Cruising Club & The Friends of Mahurangi people – but between them they turn on a wonderful day, that equals anything on the world classic wooden boat calendar. As with anything, a few wee niggles e.g. crap PA sound system at the beach prize giving meant most people didn’t know the results – but I can tell you that Tony Blake & the crew on Thelma gave all the other A division skippers as master class in regatta sailing. It was wonderful to see the big 5 Arch Logan yachts – Thelma (1897), Rainbow (1898), Ariki (1904), Rawhiti (1905) & Rawene (1908) all on the same race track together, for the first time ever (I think I’m right – Harold?) The results were:
Thelma, followed by Rawhiti, followed by Ariki, then Rainbow & Rawene.
As a result of playing driver for the overseas crew – I’m a little light on sailing photos, but you can see from the gallery above that it was a special day.
Well done MCC and F. of M. for another magic weekend.
If anyone else had the camera out & captured some goodies, email them to   waitematawoodys@gmail.com
We bailed out of Mahurangi on Sunday morning & headed to Kawau Island for some family R&R – photos below.
Question – what do you do when there is no shotgun to signal sunset & the lowering of the burgee? – well a few lads decided to bang some pots together, then drop the flags at Lidgard House – me thinks there might be a letter in the mail to certain members 🙂
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A WEE BIT OF PR GOING ON HERE – WW T’s & OFF CENTER HARBOUR CAPS 🙂
THERE ALWAYS HAS TO BE A FOOD SHOT – KAWAU BOATING LUB, DINNER SUNDAY NIGHT.
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Check out the video below of Rawhiti – sent in from Benjamin Mendlowitz from Off Center Harbour

http://offcenterharbor.com

Update – due to not all launches completing 2 laps of the launch parade – I missed photographing a few boats – photos below ex Justine Ricketts (edited by myself)

AND MORE – link below to the Off Center Harbour video of the 2017 regatta, featuring Steve Horsley’s stunning 1904 Chas Bailey Jnr – Ngatira

New Zealand’s Mahurangi Regatta – Featuring Chas Bailey’s NGATIRA

UPDATE ex Graeme Finch of the A Class fleet racing Saturday + one of Raindance showing myself & Steve Stone from Off Center Harbour filming / clicking away 🙂

As always – click photos to enlarge 😉

rd @ mr2019

Also from Graeme – one of Bruce Tantrum’s pride & joy – Paramour + Graemes stunning ship – Te Arahi 🙂

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UPDATE – An early Saturday morning drone fly-by over Sullivans Bay, Mahurangi. Filmed by Neil Lawton, heads up on the movie from Ian Gavin.

30-01-2019 Update – photos of Laughing Lady ex Jason Prew

Update 11-02-2019 photos below ex Angus Rogers.

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Mapu

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MAPUA

The 1930 woody – Mapu would be one of the most traveled classics around, as a result of her length – 23’ and 7’ beam she is able to be trailer-ed. That has resulted in her cruising from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island and inland e.g. both north and southern Lake Rotoiti. Her recent tme appearance stated she was designed by Eric Cox and built by Colin Wild. Powered by a 22hp two cylinder diesel engine.

Current owner has had Mapu for 22 years, are we able to learn more from her past life?

Input from Denis O’Callahan – Mapu was owned by my father Robert (Bob) O’Callahan from the late 1930s to mid 1970s..I have a copy of the original plans by Eric Cox dated 29 September 1927, showing a large open cockpit. The original engine was a 2 cylinder Kelvin sleeve valve. She was built for HA Adams ESQ and I understand she was used to service a property at Kawau so there was no accommodation. My father built a cabin over the cockpit, added outside ballast and a mast and sloop rig to make her into a cruising motor-sailer. These were removed in later restorations. The photo below shows Mapu with her war time number, 490, at the Needles Eye, Birkenhead, where Jim Young later had his boat shed. I believe that might have been me in the cockpit.

ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND BOATING – UPDATE

1. The Mahurangi Regatta is still on – But

• No activity on or off the water at Sullivans Bay • The launch parade to and around Sullivans is cancelled. Interested launches can join a ‘follow the leader’ (Jason Prew – My Girl) launch tiki-tour around the harbour. Starting off Scotts Landing at approx. 10am • There may be a launch log rally or similar during the day – details on the day ex Jason Prew. • No prize giving or band at Scotts Landing on Sat night – but nothing to stop people going ashore to casually catch up with friends, just need to keep any ‘group’ under 100 people.  • So pack the chilly bin and see you ashore from 4.30pm >>>

2. Kawau Boating Club – Sunday

• The club will be operating under RED conditions , so only seated dinners, no standing at the bar or outside AND Vax Pass required – so good luck with getting a table – some of us will casually meet up on the lawn near Lidgard House. Again bring your chilly bin – 5pm >>>>>

Mystery Lidgard Launch

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Mystery Lidgard Launch
A question – why are so many mystery launches, Lidgards?
Todays woody is double diagonal kauri with f/glass on outside, and is 26′ in length with a beam of 8’ and draws 2’. The engine is a Ford 60hp diesel. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up. WW would like help to uncover more on her past.

Waiheke Island Causeway Haul-Out

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Waiheke Island Causeway Haul-Out
After driving past the haul-out yard at the top of Putiki Bay most days, normally around mid-morning (worst light) I at last got the light and the tide right. Great collection of craft in various states of repair / refit – I imagine the council nazis’s keep a tight rein of the ‘residents’ but it was remarkably tidy.

The launch Safari appears to be getting a serious dose of TLC – read / see more on her past here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/02/safari/ Leonardo, the very salty ex workboat, popped up on WW in Oct 2021 – more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/10/24/leonardo-gets-a-birthday/

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Not A Lot Changes in 30 Years

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Not A Lot Changes in 30 Years

The top b/w photo of the Rocky Bay Memorial Cruising Club at Waiheke Island is dated 1990 comes to us from the Akl Library Hert. Collection via Maurice Sharp – fast forward 30 years and its not a lot different – photo taken yesterday.

I also spotted my 1st wooden – below. 

Found this little gem in a Waiheke store -1st Editions sell on trademe for $120+ , the asking price was $70, but the WW t-shirt, got me a $10 discount, because she felt it was gung to a good home. Further proof Joyce Talbot that I do like yachts 😉

At What Number Do You Stop Being A Collector & Become A Hoarder? – Maru

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At What Number Do You Stop Being A Collector & Become A Hoarder? – Maru
The fleet of classic vessels under the wing of Jason Prew grew over the weekend after a trip to Cooks Beach to extract the 24’ Mullet boat – Maru. Built be Clare and Collings, her sail number was #12. The clip below from the Boating NZ archives records how Mr Prew acquired the vessel.


What more do we know about her? 
Below is a selection of photos from the Boating NZ archives – read and see more here https://boatingnz.co.nz/maru-and-aucklands-24ft-mullet-boats-match-racing-the-mulletties/

Rambler

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RAMBLER

The 24’ Lake Rotoiti based woody – Rambler was built by Joseph Anderson in the Big Omaha Valley near Matakana and launched in 1913. It took 3 years to build the boat and she was one of the first boats to be built with a kauri strip plank construction.   Rambler was used to travel to Auckland as it was easier by boat than by road. After returning from World War 1, George Anderson, Joseph’s son, used Rambler to travel to Kawau Island for cray fishing, trapping possums and hunting deer. These trips also became the delivery for mail and provisions to those living on Kawau.

In the mid 1930’s, Rambler was sold to the local cobbler in Matakana and the boat was used for fishing trips but later was left in the mud in a sorry state. In the 1970’s Rambler was sold and given a major refit including having a top cabin added.

Rambler was discovered in Howick in 2000 and was brought to Lake Rotoiti, Rotorua by her current owners, where she was refitted with a revamped interior, hand made cedar mast, bronze and brass fittings and a number of other improvements. Approx. 1990 her engine was changed from a petrol Chev 4 to a two cylinder 20hp Chinese diesel. This still goes but needs to be replaced. Amazingly Rambler has had only four owners in her 108 year old life, and now is on the market, awaiting her next custodian. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.

Hauiti

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HAUITI

During the week Hugh Gladwell gave me the heads up on a woody project that was nearing completion. The ex navy 3-in-1 whaler, Hauiti, also known as a motor sea-boat, was built at the Naval Dockyard in 1962 out of double diagonal kauri. She has been converted by Peter Thompson (who was the project manager on the Jane Gifford restoration) to a river boat to operate in survey on the Mahurangi River. Hauiti is powered by an Elco electric motor which will run for about 7 hours and is charged by a bank of solar panels on the cabin top with no shore charging. Peter Sewell has designed the propellor.
Hugh commented that the river is now dredged along 3 quarters of its length to a depth of 1.5 metres at low water and they have about a year to go to complete the project. Once complete, the upper basin area  will be a great overnight cruising destination for swallow(ish) vessels. Watch this space for a woodys weekend cruise.

Looking For Santa Sack Fillers

For what seems a very long time (25 years in fact), Rotorua woody – Ronald Wattam has been beavering away pulling together a book on the boat building dynasty  – C.J.and A.J. Collings. Ron is linked via marriage to the family. The book covers the period 1896 > 1967. Yesterday a package arrived with some advance copies –  I am so manic on the work front I haven’t had a chance to read, but at 153 pages its a very extensive collection of photos, data and insights into 70 years of New Zealand maritime history. I have two copies to give away – the question is – approximately how many boats did the Collings & Bell company build?. All close answers will go into the draw for one of two copies. Entry is by email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com closes 9pm 17-12-2021 If you miss the draw – copies are available at $55+p&p, direct from Ronald Watttam at olivine@xtra.co.nz

Important Message For All Classic Wooden Boat Enthusiasts

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The Initial Concept For Heritage Landing Was On Brief
Heritage Basin – Was There Ever A Brief

TELL US YOUR VIEW – Should Auckland’s new waterfront Heritage Basin marina be: A. By invitation only for YACHTS alone that are pre WWII, NZ designed and built, and preferably gaff rigged, A Class. Or B. Be open to All CYA vessels VOTING CLOSED RESULTS BELOW – 85% SUPPORT THE MARINA BEING OPEN TO ALL CYA VESSELS