Category Archives: Sub 28′

Mandalay

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MANDALAY UPDATE

Back in late 2015 I posted some photos of the 1932, 23′ launch Mandalay that was built in 1932 by Ralph Shephard. Those photos showed her on the Clevedon River & she had been / was for sale on trademe. We enquired if anyone knew her where abouts. Well woodys I can happily report she was purchased by Mark Jack & has the custodian services of Mike Hughes, a traditional boatbuilder, based in Whangarei, who looks after her in Mark’s absence.

The above photos show her just re-launched after a refit that included the hull stripped back to bare timber, new stem, new paint job.
The photos are taken just off Parua Bay Tavern, Whangarei & also shown her tied to the stern of Omicron, a 20’ Harrison Butler yacht, build by P. Voss in 1945 that Mark Jack also owns.

You can view / read more on her here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/11/13/mandalay-2/

27-03-2018 Update ex Mike Hughes (Boatbuilder/Custodian)

Mike sent me the photo below from Dec2017 of Mandalay being used to ferry a wedding party from Motukiori Island, Parua Bay, Whanagarei.

Mandalay is owned by Mark Jack & is 23’ in length, kauri carvel & zoom zoom comes from a 3 cylinder yanmar.

Mike has promised me photos of the refit / upgrade she has had, so fingers crossed.

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Taupo Eye Candy

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TAUPO EYE CANDY

Morning woodys – over the Xmas / NY break Paul Drake sent me the above photo that shows Romance (Bailey and Lowe 1914 – 26 feet and 6 inches LOA, 1947 Chrysler Ace powered) launch alongside the Acacia Bay wharf at Lake Taupo.
Alongside Romance is Dragon Hunter (Knaggs Brothers – she has a builder’s plate (photo blow) – 12 feet, St Mary’s Bay, Auckland, about 1930).

Both are rather fine classic’s – you can read / view more on Romance here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/22/8829/
and here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/12/21/romance-2/

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Mason Clipper 24′

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Classic Mason Clipper 24′

This 1971 24′ Clipper is another ‘almost a woody’ – having a f/glass hull & wooden cabin top / interior. A friend of Rod Marler’s was contemplating buying her late last year, if her had any sense he would have 🙂 She featured on the cover of Sea Spray Magazine in 1971.
She was completely rebuilt in 2006, with a new 270hp fuel injected Volvo V8 engine & stern-leg fitted in 2010. She sits on a 2012 custom built Prescott trailer with 4 wheel disc and sensor brakes., Tows The engine had a full rebuild in 2015 and has only  done 8 hours since.

With the trailer setup she is a fine example of a very user friendly classic, with I imagine a good turn of speed 😉

Little Tasman Moves South After 91 years in Auckland Waters

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LEAVING AUCKLAND

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ARRIVING IN WELLINGTON

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Little Tasman Moves South After 91 years in Auckland Waters

Late November 2016 saw a part of Auckland’s maritime heritage leave our waters & head to her new home in Wellington.  The 1925 Colin Wild built launch Little Tasman has graced the waters of the Waitemata for approx. 91 year. While Auckland’s loss is undoubtedly Wellington’s gain, she is in good& I’m sure will return home one day – they all do 🙂
Her restoration has been well documented on ww so to view/read more on her – type her name in the ww search panel.

The montage of photos above are from numerous cameras, including Ken Ricketts, who also emailed me the photo of her below, in Mansion House Bay, taken in 1936 by Tudor Collins, courtesy Auckland Museum, for comparison of then & now. A wonderful restoration at the hands of Colin Brown & son-in-law Josh.

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A Small Woody Quiz – Good Prize

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A Small Woody Quiz – Good Prize

Morning Woodys,
I hope you have all finished the madness that is the run-up to Christmas Day, every year we all ask ourselves why we stress out – but its all about the kids, I hope I never have a Christmas Day / present opening without little ones around – they make it special.
Now the above photos are from the Tudor Collections collection at the Auckland Museum & were emailed to me by Ken Ricketts, they are dated Feb 1940 & the location is Kawau Island – the question of the day is whose boat & who are the people ? A big ask I know but I’ll put up a ww T-Shirt & a Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 calendar for the 1st woody that gets the boat name & one of the names of the people aboard. I’ll need some proof of ID, as I have know idea of the answers 🙂
Answers via the comments section on ww.

Almost A Woody

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Almost A Woody

Today’s story features a Mason Clipper24 that has very good provenance – she was Tony’s own boat and he called it M. Y. Clipper. The later years of production Tony Mason used a fiberglass mould for the hull but all the internals are beautiful timber.
It has been fully restored to a very high quality by a David Smith in Auckland and Dennis Catchpole, who sent me the photos,  purchased the boat three years ago. Dennis commented that he always remembered the Clippers as a young man as being the Rolls Royce of power boats when they were built, and the family did have, for many years a Pelin, which were also beautiful  boats, and of course Pelin, worked for Tony at one point.

This boat has an interesting history as it was used to take Prince Charles across Lake Taupo fishing in 1980 (photo above of both of Tony with the Prince)
The Catchpole family love the boat and have had a great deal of pleasure from it. They keep her in the marina at Kinloch, and  it is powered by a GMC V8 and can do a very impressive 55k at full speed. Most of the time she cruises around at 35k.

The link below will take you to other ww stories on Mason Clippers. Enjoy
https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Mason+Clipper+24&submit=Search

Lady Alice

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Looking For A Xmas Treat?

The above little beauty, Lady Alice,  just popped up on trademe, perfect for the lakes or as a Mahurangi boat.
Now this one is a tad special, she is a Percy Vos boat so almost royalty on the classic wooden boating scene.
Her details are – 12’6″ kauri clinker, built 1950 & powered by a 8hp Kohler petrol inboard – with electric start, perfect for the old woodys with a bad back 😉
Her current owner has owned her for 33 years which is a rarity with a boat this size. I don’t know much about trailers but she sits on a ‘Hosking’ trailer which supposedly makes launching very easy.

This ww story is not a commercial listing – I just saw the boat & thought someone needs to buy her (asking $8k)

And seeing its Xmas , I’ll give a copy of Baden Pascoe’s book ‘Launching Dreams – Percy Vos – The Boats & His Boys’ to the woody that can tell me where Percy Vos served his boat building apprenticeship ? Answers via mail to waitematawoodys@gmail.com , prize draw 9.00pm 21-12-2016.  (copies available from badenhp@xtra.co.nz  )

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Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?

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Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?

Today’s woody lives in the Marlborough Sounds but could equally be a perfect North Island lake boat. She measures 24’6″ & is constructed with kauri carvel hull, with glass on ply cabin & deck.
Power comes from a 3QM Yanmar 30hp diesel & as you can see in the photos had been fitted out to a very high standard.
Asking price is $9.5k, that is not a lot of $$ for a woody that is presented in the condition this one is 😉

Its hard to read her name but Ian McDonald who tip me off on the trademe listing feels it could be either Scuffy or Scuppy – any woodys able to ID the boat & supply more details on her?

Kowai

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KOWAI
Kowai was spotted on the hard at Half Moon Bay las week by Alan McDonald. She lives up the Tamaki River at Panmure, on piles.

Thats all we know about her – so can any woody supply more details? One of the river rats must know the boat.

Input from Peter Morton (ex Ken Ricketts)

Help needed – I have been contacted by Kerry Costello with a question. I’ll let Kerry tell it.

“Recently I found a small wooden sailing dinghy (below) at an op shop – unintentionally – and now I’m trying to piece her together and get her in the water. I really want to find out what the make and model is. My partner and I are taking the paint off and want to fix her up nice – figure out the correct paint, put fiber glass on the seams and a of couple dents, and find a mast for her!
It seems that knowing the make and model would be helpful in finding the right mast. I’ve looked on trade me and someone told me that the lumber yard might mill one for me? But it seems that finding a used one would be more appropriate than anything else; using something made by a boat builder rather than milled by someone who doesn’t know boats. So as I said before any advice that you can give me would be so so appreciated.”

So woodys, can we ID the yacht design & any chance someone as an old mast in the garage rafters ?

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Jade – Sailing Sunday

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JADE – A Herreshoff style weekend/daysailer

Jade fits into the classic category that we call ‘spirit of tradition’ – a gaff-rigger that not only sails well but also has none of the maintenance headaches that other wooden boats have.
Specifications: LOA: 7m, Beam: 2m, Draft: Centerboard up: 650mm, CB down: 1.5m Sail area: 20sqm, Ballast: 300kg, Displacement: 1300kg.
She is 4sale on trademe. With her custom trailer & cover + being a center-boarder she would make a great lake boat. You could even troll for a trout with the 8hp outboard 😉