Category Archives: Sub 28′

Moby Dick

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MOBY DICK
 

I was recently contacted by Richard Neighbour who was hoping someone maybe able to help uncover some history on the 8m Jack Morgan launch he has acquired.

Richard is not sure of any history, but has been told it was most likely built / launched mid 1950’s.  She is one of two built by Jack Morgan in Picton. The wheel house was added some time after as was also the pointed bow (he was told the original bow was referred to as a ‘Husky’ bow).
It might be the angle of the camera but the wheelhouse looks VERY top heavy, could be interesting in inclement
Sadly, in his words Richard will be preserving, not restoring her i.e. “kauri is expensive, she is being re skinned in marine ply and glassed over”.
 
Any help would be much appreciated. 
 

CYA Double Banger – Riverhead Launch Cruise + Vintage & Veterans Yacht Race

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Achilles

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My Girl

Little JimA16 + Raindance
Oke Bay
Summer Wine
Monterey
Manapouri + Altair
Manapouri
Achilles
(F) Volantis (R) Altair + Tasman Star + Nana

 

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My Girl + Raindance

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Monterey, Te Arahi, Altair, Manapouri

CYA Double Banger – Riverhead Launch Cruise + Vintage & Veterans Yacht Race

While mooching around under the Harbour Bridge waiting for the launch stragglers , I snapped a few photos of the yacht fleet tuning up for the start of the annual Vintage & Veterans yacht race – Photos below
The weather for the launch cruise was almost ideal, after we had arrived at the Riverhead Tavern and had planted ourselves in the bar, the rain started, so while we by dinning and chatting – the old girls got a fresh water wash down – perfect.
A good turn out for late in the season – 16 woodys – made up of 12 CYA members and 4 woodys that joined us for the day. I convinced one to join, but Jason Prew tells me I need to improve on my 25% conversion rate 🙂
Nice to catch up with those that made the trip by motorcar.
As always the food was excellent, just a wee hick-up with a power oops slowed the service down a tad but all good.
Sorry if I missed your woody with my camera – the fleet were very spaced out, so arrive times didn’t suit the need to sustenance 😉
As always, click photos to enlarge.
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Rawhiti A2 + Rainbow A7 + Waitangi A6

Arcturus K8638
Rainbow A7 + Rawhiti A2 + Ariki A3 + Little Jim A16
Rainbow A7 + Waitangi A6
Spray II. 725
Katrina II. K100
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Arcturus K8638

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Little Jim A16

Photos below of Thelma sent in by Simon Smith

Russell Boating Regatta – 1952

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Russell Boating Regatta – 1952

Today’s photo comes to us from Lew Redwood’s fb and shows an impressive crowd gathered on the foreshore in front of the Duke of Marlborough Hotel at Russell in the Bay of Islands to viewed the December 1952 regatta. What an eclectic mix of craft – centre boarders, speed boats & even a hydro plane.
Hopefully tomorrows CYA woody launch cruise to the Riverhead Hotel will see similar numbers turning out 😉
Remember 11am @ the Harbour Bride – 12pm off Lucus Creek – eta hotel at 12.30pm 
And woodys lets all follow the leader, then you won’t embarrass the rest of us woody boaters – lets leave it to the plastic boys to take the short cuts 🙂
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Woody Lake Boat Project

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Woody Lake Boat Project

I’m pretty sure this woody was a trademe listing for a very long time, so when I received a note from Rachel Jamieson from the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat group telling me Micheal Booth had bought an old wooden kauri 4 seater, carvel construction speedboat for restoration and attached the above photos –  I was so rapped that she had a new owner and her restoration would be completed.
 
I’ll let Micheal Booth tell the story 

“She  belonged to Andrew Lang the previous Harbour Master who now skippers in the Med. Andrew bought the boat in Rotoru and tracked the motor down in Rotoiti which he then restored. He had started restoration but because of his circumstances has elected to sell.

 I believe the boat was used by the Rangiheuia sisters on Lake Tarawera in the early days. It is of kauri construction and has an oregon ply transom. It is powered by an Austin 7 Thetis motor. Apparently the local historian knew of the boat but has unfortunately passed away. Andrew thinks this boat was designed by the  Logans and built by Lidgard. The boat is thought to be around 1934-36.
The boat builders I have taken it to aren’t convinced and wonder if the boat was of an American design but built locally. It measures 4850mm long, 1600mm wide and 1250 wide at the stern.”
 
Michael is wondering if anyone may some more information on the boat.
 

Happy Days Launched

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WAY BACK PHOTOS

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HAPPY DAYS – LAUNCHED 

In early December 2018 Alan Craig, the Lake Rotoiti boat builder (Craig Marine) sent in a gallery of photos of Happy Days in the final stages of her restoration, I have been bugging Alan for some photos post launching and late last week he delivered. 
 
First some background – Happy Days had been in a barn on a farm in for the last ten odd years. Her build started in 1930 and she was launched in 1933, 24′ in length, to a USA Hacker Craft design.
She has been owned by Peter Davies and was his Fathers boat from near new. Her history looks like this – built in Picton by Vic & Clarrie Olson? (Scandinavian or Swiss?). Built for a Mr Stocker then brought by Tom Davies in 1937, it was sold a while later and brought back again by Mr Davies once the wool price lifted and in 1950 an old, but still new, 1938 Osco marine flathead V8 went in it and is still there now – but wow wait till you hear that motor today – check out the video below. 
 
The likes below share some of her recent history :
 
The restoration    https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/12/10/happy-days/
 
Enjoy  – turn up the volume when you play the video 🙂
Photo below – as ‘found’
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Woody Waiheke BBQ

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Not sure what these two were up too but the t-shirt gets the WW of approval

Woody Waiheke BBQ

Saturday (30/03/2019) saw a group of hardy, the barometer was not saying summer, CYA members gather in Putiki Bay, Waiheke Island for a post CYA yacht race BBQ. The photos have been enhanced, it wasn’t quite that sunny 🙂

The bay filled up with a good collection of woody yachts and launches. The CYA committee even put on a band – well done guys.
Special thanks to Chris Sadler for the use of his launch – Moeraki as the start boat for the yacht race. Moeraki is a very smart looking woody, I have always admired her – great to see her out on the Waitemata. You can read / see more on her here (lots in the comments section).  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/26/mystery-launch-26032014/
Woody launches in the bay included – My Girl, Lucille, Waimea, Puawai, Lucinda, Matuku, Summer Wine, Wirihana and Mahanui – some I suspect were moored there.
Special thanks to Jason Prew and Mark Edmonds for the (phone) photos.
As a special treat for the skipper of Lucille – I have include the youtube video below 😉

Hobsonville Marina Hardstand Report

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LAPWING SCROLLWORK

PARMA
PARMA
ROSEMARY M

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ROSEMARY M -Damage

Hobsonville Marina Hardstand Report

Woody John Wicks sent in the above photos of woody activity at the marina.

Lapwing, built by Bailey & Lowe in 1915, lives along from me at Bayswater and would have to be a contender for the most unused woody in Auckland, but her owner maintains her very well so she is a lucky woody. Nice to see her lies and a close up of the classic B&L scrollwork on the bow. In the water front below

https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Lapwing&submit=Search

We couldn’t find Parma on WW but I’m sure its appeared before, she was for sale for a very long time, so hopefully her present condition reflects a change of ownership. As John commented, she is a pretty thing – can anyone update us on her?. 

The shots of – Rosemary M, show the results of a large plastic boat out-of-control whacking her with its stern platform after its skipper mistook his throttles for gearshifts while trying to back in / out of his berth. John understands the owner of Rosemary M was aboard her at the time and was able to stuff something into the hole and stem the inflow until she could be lifted out. John understands the owner of the assailant has at least had the decency to admit liability – good man. A peek below decks here –    https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/01/30/rosemary-m-a-peek-down-below/

Soul Survivor (Fairley)

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SOUL SURVIVOR (FAIRLEY)
Soul Survivor sold recently on trademe for $100 to someone from Thames. The listing stated she is 23’6”, double ended kauri carvel planked ex commercial fishing boat (named Fairley) and was built in 1927, by Miller & Tunnage (Port Chalmers, Sth Island) and She is pushed along by a ‘vintage’ Yanmar MX 8hp diesel.
She has spent the last 12 years on Lake Rotoiti, Rotorua, but the last 5 years on the hard. She made the journey from Dunedin by truck in 2006.
Anyone know who bought her and / or more on her past?

Corsair – Bridge Decker

Janet & Bruce Pullan, owners of the woody – Ann Michelle, came across an old bridge decker launch ‘resting’ in a paddock in the Waikato.
The boats name is Corsair, she is 34’ and the only information supplied by the owner was that she was built by a boatbuilder on the North Shore, started before WW2 and finished after the War. He believed the name was original.
I know its a big ask – but does anyone recall a launch that matches these specs?

Rebecca

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Waiheke Coro Iron Yacht

REBECCA 

This weekend is the last chance to experience ’Sculpture on the Gulf’ on Waiheke Island, I’ll be doing the 2km walk that features 26 new sculptures along the stunning Waiheke coastline including  Oneroa village and surrounds. Organisers say to allow around 2 hrs to enjoy the walk. 

Woody Angus Rogers snapped the above photos of Rebecca last weekend, built by legendary kiwi artist Jeff Thomson from corrugated iron and to quote Jeff “she references early NZ classic yacht designs and the long history of boats moored at Matiatia and elsewhere around Waiheke Island”.
She was inspired by her namesake Rebecca, a 1902 gaff-rigged yacht, now sailing under her original name – Dolphin (see link below for more info & photos) https://tinorawatrust.co.nz/dolphin
 
Note: no woodys library would be complete without a copy of the book ‘Rebecca – The restoration of an old yacht’ (cover below) by the late yachtsman, artist and educator – Peter Smith. I currently own 4 copies, whenever I see a copy for sale (on-line or in a secondhand book shop) I grab it. They make great gifts.
Rebecca book
 
Update 10-04-2019 – looks like the artwork has found a permanent home at Gulf Harbour marina, photo es Ken Ricketts
REBECCA -GULF HARBOUR

1962 Woody Ski Boat – Coastguard Wanaka Lakes Funding Help

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1962 Woody Ski Boat – Coastguard Wanaka Lakes Funding Help
As passionate boaties we are all very aware of the funding needs of the Coastguard, todays story is about a unique woody funding opportunity.
The Wanaka Lakes CG have been given a mint 1962 wooden ski boat, with original Mercury 2-stroke 50hp outboard. It is in very good condition and was supposedly the first ski boat on Lake Wanaka. It’s been stored very well for the last 20+ years and looking at the above photos appears ready to go boating.
I understand the owner has said that he would like GC to be able to sell the boat and have the proceeds as a donation. The family of the current owner had the boat built in Dunedin, but can’t remember the boatbuilder. He also said that there was an article on Whizz Ski Galore in a NZ boating magazine in the 1960’s or 1970’s.
If any woodys are looking for an easy manageable classic woody – contact David Balls on 027 517 6866 or email   david.balls@icloud.com