Category Archives: Sub 28′

MILFORD MARINA MOOCHING

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MILFORD MARINA MOOCHING

Given all the recent upgrades in the marina it seems wrong to refer to it as Milford Creek. Maybe the areas now fitting of the name that some of the mud berth dwellers use – ‘Wairau Cove’.

I spent some time there yesterday helping with the relaunch of Angus Rogers 1968 Bailey & Son built launch – CENTAURUS that had been out at the Slipway Milford railway slip for some TLC and a JPPJ (Jason Prew Paint Job) – a minor opps – flat batteries………. meant a delayed start, so plenty of time to pull the camera (phone) out. A 3.5m tide equalled a lot of activity at the Slipway and the adjacent Milford Cruising Club hard stand.

The standard of the woodys in the marina seems to be improving in the last few years , probably a combination of the new bridge , upgraded MCC yard and the big crew working at the Slipway Milford. 

Nice to see that the small berths along the roadside have almost exclusively been taken over by the Pied Piper fleet. The MCC yard was home to some out for early winter TLC.

I won’t disclose how many berthing attempts we had back at CENTAURUS’s marina but while Angus blamed the out going tide and wind – me thinks the new JPPJ was the reason i.e. skipper was a tad gun shy and didn’t want to mark the boat on the first outing 😉

CLASSIC CLINKER RUNABOUT – IN THE MEANTIME

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CLASSIC CLINKER RUNABOUT – IN THE MEANTIME

Back in April 2022 we ran a brief story ex Rob Bark in regard to a clinker run-about he had purchased named – IN THE MEANTIME. Back then Rob was hoping to learn more about the craft.

The photos above are recent ex Rob and are a vast improvement on what we saw back in 2022, those photos are below – the first one dated c.2015,  shows the boat as purchased by the previous owner (who was based in Rotoiti, Lake Rotorua). They removed the cabin and hot-house.

The second & third photos below show her as a work-in-progress. 

WW was unable to unable to uncover any intel in 2022 , so today we ask again – the WW readership numbers have move than doubled in the last few years so maybe some fresh eyes and minds might help. Any intel , even possible build date would be appreciated.
Rob is currently in the process of deciding how he should power her (inboard, outboard etc) – any advice.

HOW DO THESE WOODEN BOATS STAY AFLOAT

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HOW DO THESE WOODEN BOATS STAY AFLOAT

Recently Alistair Rowe sent in the two photos above of wooden vessels berthed at Westport marina.

Alistair described them as crusty old work boats, but I think he was being overly nice. If they were up any of the rivers, creeks in and around Auckland I think it would be a pretty safe bet that the Harbour Master would have removed them.

The boat in the top photo appears to have an oil/fuel boom around her, but the boom looks as old as the boat….

Forecast for the long Easter weekend is evil so leaving the marina will be a challenge – have already cancelled my mooring booking at Kawau Island.

You have to feel sorry for the Kawau Boating Club, seems of late every long weekend sees an unfavourable weather forecast . Fingers crossed things improve for the legendary ANZAC Day dawn service at KBC.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SEAFARER – A Peek Down Below + 4sale – SOLD

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SEAFARER – A Peek Down Below + 4sale SOLD

Todays woody is very familiar to me having hauled out alongside her at Devonport Yacht Club on several occasions. Several times I contemplated asking to be not postponed alongside her – why? Well her owner is one of those people that can do just about anything on a boat and to a standard thats 10/10. I would be embarrassed with my efforts but her owner was very generous with his advice. 

Seafarer is for sale on tme and at $25k, is a bargain, if I was in the market I’d buy it without a survey, she’s that good.

Some background – SEAFARER has impeccable genes – was designed by John Brook and built by Walter Deeming of Deeming Bros. boat builders in Opua, Northland, using local kauri for its carvel construction. 27’6” in length she was launched as a motor sailor in 1963. Her owner has had her since 2012 and over the next several winters major restoration and overhaul was undertaken. This included the stripping of all internal and external paintwork and re-caulking the hull where needed. She was completely rewired with 2 new AGM house batteries and a new start battery. A new Beta 43 engine, new shaft, thrust bearing and prop were installed. A new toilet, holding tank and small refrigeration unit were put in.

SEAFARER has been used every summer to cruise the Hauraki Gulf and been on the hard every winter for ongoing projects to be undertaken.

If you’re in the market for smaller classic wooden launch- act quick, she will be gone very quickly. SOLD – IN A RECORD TIME- BUT I EXPECTED THAT ✔️

PIT-a-PAT – 1928 WOODEN RACE BOAT

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PIT-a-PAT – 1928 WOODEN RACE BOAT

Todays woody would normally struggle to make the cut for a WW story – but there is one huge item that gets her over the line  – her helm wheel – OMG – I want it……

Now putting aside my Model T Ford wheel fixation – what we know about PIT-a-PAT is she was built in 1928 by J.N. Robinson and is described as a ’single step vintage racing hull’.
Built from spruce with kaikawaka gunnels. She won numerous races in the 1929 > 1934 period including  the Teichelmann Cup in 1932, 33, and 34. The cup remains with the boat today and will be passed onto her next owner. (thanks Ian McDonald for the tme heads up)

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MANDALAY

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MANDALAY

Todays woody the 23’ MANDALAY just ticks so many boxes – Its built of full length kauri carvel planks in 1932 – Kauri backbone – copper fastened on steam bent ribs – it has a modern engine >Yammer 3GMD 23 hp – 4 berths – standing headroom in the wheelhouse – easily driven by an auxiliary outboard.
AND – the real bonus – it comes with a purpose built legal road trailer that allows her to be easily taken ashore for routine upkeep and changing cruising location.

With todays spiralling marina costs these smaller, transportable woodys will be the future, or at least what keeps a lot of people in the classic wooden boating game.

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up. She has appeared on WW before where we learnt from Harold Kidd that she was built by Ralph Shepherd in Auckland. – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/11/13/mandalay-2/

LITTLE HONEY – 1955 CLASSIC WOODEN RUNABOUT.

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LITTLE HONEY – 1955 CLASSIC WOODEN RUNABOUT.

Back inlet Dec 2024 James McConnell won one of the WW quiz’s and in correspondence commented that he owned a 1955 17’ Mason Marlin, named LITTLE HONEY (not her original name). 

He also mentioned that he was restoring her for the 2nd time in 12mths, now that pricked my ears up, there had to be a good (or sad) story there – so woodys it goes like this, told by James –

“I’ll send a link to some pics of ‘Little Honey’.  No indication of her original name. I believe. I bought the runabout in secret as a surprise for my wife and family in Feb 2024 and had put hundreds of hours into a functional referb to make her a family run about for delivery at Christmas.

It’s not a boat builder quality job but a labour of love with a hard timeline and a fantastic learning curve assisted by the professional English and American wooden boat builders on youtube. It’s all International Yacht Paint products, 5 coats of colour on the hull and roof + 1 coat of varnish and every other varnished surface has 8 coats of Gold Spar original. At some stage in her past life she was converted to outboard power.

All was going well until on her 2nd voyage on the Rangataiki River I hit a submerged log and dislodged the transom.  Good news is I get to tinker for longer and can now engage my 3 boys in the task.

We’ll refresh the engine (Johnson 90 V4 2 stroke), glass the hull and repaint now that I can flip it over and work in daylight and change the prop to suit her better.”

We look forward to seeing photos of the repaired woody.

CLASSIC MASON CLIPPER – CAPRI V – Check Out The Trailer

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CLASSIC MASON CLIPPER – CAPRI V – Check Out The Trailer

Todays story is more about the amazing trailer that we see in the video of the Mason Clipper- CAPRI V launching at the recent Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. It’s believed that there is only one other trailer left working like it. Considering the design of the trailer is nearly 50 years old it must have been something back then. I wonder why it never took off else where.

Owner Phil Davidson commented that CAPRI V was built in 1978 and her original owner was Graham Lincoln. In the last photo ex the Mason Clipper FB page we see the craft at the Auckland Boat Show. Graham Lincoln’s son told Phil that she won some award at the show.

CAPRI V is powered by a 1996 350hp Chev V8 with Volvo Penta gear drive.

Phil is the seventh owner and she mainly spends her time on Taupo Tarawera and Lake Rotoiti. In the 2nd photo above CAPRI V is seen in Honeymoon Bay on Lake Rotoiti.

CLASSIC IAN OUGHTRED WOODEN CLINKER DINGHY NEEDS A NEW HOME

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CLASSIC IAN OUGHTRED WOODEN CLINKER DINGHY NEEDS A NEW HOME

WW doesn’t normally do stories like this but the owner of this stunning clinker dinghy is a good friend and a long time passionate classic wooden boat owner. So here goes, in the owner words. 

“It’s an Auklet designed by Iain Oughtred (was one of the worlds leading small boat designers, now deceased).  7ft2in long. It was built in the South Island I think in Nelson. There is a builders plate, that says Walker boatbuilder. There is a boatbuilder Richard Walker at Brightwater just out of Nelson who has done some beautiful restoration work on Elray (see https://boatingnz.co.nz/2018/05/restoring-elray-iii/). I don’t know when it was built.  I bought it from a bloke in Blenheim who had too many boats and had to make room at home.  It had hardly been used.  I revarnished it with Altex Timbercoat. I’ve had it under cover for 3 or 4 years and used it for a sail when the urge took me and also for grandchildren.

Comes complete with all sailing gear, oars and US alloy beach tailer that comes apart for stowing.  Also the custom cradles for onboard deck mounting.

Selling as I’m getting older so with some regret I’m selling this bit of furniture”.

So woodys what ever the reason – embellishing your existing classic wooden vessel / rewarding the grand children or just treating yourself – this is the best opportunity to own what is probably NZ’s finest spirit of tradition clinker dinghy – and the price is a steal at $5,500

I dont like publishing personal contact details so if interested drop WW an email at waitematawoodys@gmail.com and I’ll join the dots.

PICTON AND CLASSIC BOAT CLUB 

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PICTON AND CLASSIC BOAT CLUB 

One of the highlights each month is getting a copy of ‘DEADWOOD’ the newsletter the Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club, in my email inbox. Its edited / pulled together by Roysie, sorry I do not know the surname. Each issue is a reminder to me that classic wooden boating isn’t all about launch and yachts kept on marinas. There is as much or probably more fun messing around in small clinker craft. 
In the latest issue Roysie reports on the clubs recent ‘Ngakuta Run’ on Saturday 15th. February .  I’ll let Roysie tell the story – 

“The day dawned fine & clear with light winds and nine boats arrived at the Ngakuta ramp including Ruru recently repaired by Dick. Unfortunately she stopped again on the trip and had to accept a tow from Riff Raff, Roy’s new boat, but came right and finished the run under her own steam.

It was a good turnout with 17 members on the water in 9 boats. The fleet motored from Ngakuta across the Sound to Umugnata Bay and along the northern shore to Bottle Bay, Houhou Point then back across to Iwirua Point and westward in and out of the bays back to Ngakuta.

The boats were retrieved and the barbecue set up in the shade of an oak tree. The weather was glorious and the setting perfect, we needed that shade from the sun which we’ve not really seen enough of this summer. Several club members arrived for the sausage sizzle and a very pleasant social occasion was enjoyed by all. “