03-02-2025 INPUT ex COLIN BROWN – photo below of a painting Colin has of ROMANY in the shed at Whangateau boat shed.
A CELEBRATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN STEAM BOAT – ROMANY
The top photo above is on my permeant laptop screen saver rotation i.e. one of my favourite woody boating images. The craft is Russell Ward’s steam boat – ROMANY and I have been taking photos of her for over 10 years. Just after I took this photo myself and Murray Deeble joined Russell for a very special early morning cruise around Lake Rotoiti.
The year was Feb 2014 and the annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade had been postponed 24 hrs due to inclement weather (mainly fog). Given that ROMANY takes several hours to fire / steam up Russell was keen to head out anyway, so Deeble and I hopped aboard. A very memorable day, made even more special by ‘visiting’ (gate crashing) several waterfront holiday homes along the way.
What prompted todays story was Russell sent in two photo of the new engine for ROMANY, in the final stages of assembly – I would not like like to be funding that project – looks very $$$. I’m sure Russell will had some details on the new engine.
Enjoy the photos, mainly taken at LRC&WBF’s over the last decade.
The top two photos came in late last night from woody John Dawson, who reported that the 26’ steam boat – KOTARE was on fire at the riverside dock in Warkworth, very sad images.
I took the photos below of her in May 2022 at the same location.
I have included below some intel on the vessel ex fellow steam boat owner John Olsen
Well that wasn’t the woody weekend I‘m sure we all planned, but it was still a magic weekend and just goes too prove that classic wooden boat enthusiasts don’t let a lot of wind and rain get in the way of a good time.
The trip up on Friday afternoon / evening as uneventful (unless your woodys named – TAWERA, who ‘lost’ 2.5m off the top of her mast) and most anchored in and around Scott’s Landing.
Then it went down hill on Saturday morning – confusion around the start time for the launch parade – 1/2 the boats thought 10am, now I’m told it did say 9.30 in the classic yacht club newsletter, but……. the % of launches there that were members would have been less than 20%, so the parade was very patchy with skippers joining at different times. Numbers were down and the loop of Sullivan’s Bay was embarrassing- less than 20 people on the beach and I suspect they had no idea what was going on. BUT – still good to get together. Parade aside there was an impressive number of classic wooden launches in the harbour, in terms of pure classic craft , launches would have out numbered yachts by 4:1Most turning up to just enjoy the weekends activity on the water.
As the morning wore on the wind and seas picked up – resulting in some spectacular sailing in the Mahurangi Regatta yacht race. Amazing that they was no carnage, that I’m aware of.
Below is a selection of photos that Jason Prew took from his launch – MY GIRL. I have several videos put have tech issues with uploading – will sort and add asap. I’m sure there will be more fleet coverage on social media.
Post the boating activities the weather turned ugly and the smart people left Scott’s Landing for Pukapuka Inlet. The shore based activities would have been dampened down by the weather but the true blue woodys partied on. Big ups to Nick Atkinson and mates who entertained the revellers from the back of a truck. The normal 20+ piece jazz band was absent this year but from everyone I spoke to – I think Nick has a permeant gig.
The forecast for Sunday was evil, anything that has 50 knots in it is a big red flag. Then the heavens opened up and we had everything- wind , rain, lightening all night. Not a lot of sleep was had that night. Woke to no rain and wind down a little but forecast wasn’t good so made the call to cancel heading to Kawau and waited in Pukapuka for the weather to improve enough for a dash (not sure 8 knts is worthy of that term on RAINDANCE) home. Which we did.
Sad I missed hanging out at the Kawau Boating Club on Sunday night, but the upside was I scored a ride on Jason Prew’s – MY GIRL in the anniversary day launch race – full report tomorrow. Enjoy the photo gallery 🙂 And remember to click on photos to enlarge.
Todays woody is one of the many classic wooden craft from Picton that have recently appeared on tme for sale (thanks Ian McDonald) – must be something in the water down there…….
There is no mention of a launch date, but its safe to assume that being named – SCUFFY, that she has had a name change along the way.
What we know is that she is approx 24’ 6” in length, built from wood and s powered by a 30hp Yanmar 3 cyl diesel engine.
It’s commented that she was the vessel featured in the NZ story ‘ Herbert The Brave Sea Dog’.
Her Picton marina berth (pole) is available for $210 a month – that figure will make most Auckland boaties weep.
Can we learn more about SCUFFY.
26-05-2025 UPDATE ex Joel Gillespie (new owner) – Earlier this year I purchased Scuffy – I’m keen to learn more about this boat. Approximate build date? Boat builder? Photos prior to 2016? Where she started life?
I purchased her in pile birth in Picton, but this past week had her relocated to Duncan Bay, Tennyson Inlet. She handled the 12 hour trip around Cape Jackson & Aligator Head very well, commented the commercial skipper that drove her. She seems to cut through chop well, though she doesn’t have much of a chine so does tend to feel a fraction tender, especially at rest. I’m keen to hear from those that know how I can reduce her inclination to be tender, some lead has been added to the bottom of the hull but isn’t solid.
She presently sleeps 2 in the fore birth, I plan to slat her aft bench seats to sleep 4 total. She has a basic galley, portable gas stove, 3 way fridge, sink. Stainless diesel and fuel tanks with baffles. Capstan, plotter VHF, etc . Still has her Yanmar 3QM30 running well. I intend to use her as a cruiser through Pelourus sound, a weekend at a time.
In late November 2024 WW attended the relaunch of the very salty 24’, 100 year old ex workboat named – MARISSA at the Te Atatu Boating club. While there her owners, the Monaghan family, very generously shared an old photo album. One the woody craft included in the album was the Collings & Bell built bridge-decker – MAKURA. Seen in the first two photos above.
In the story we learnt that MAKURA was built in 1949 for W D C & C H Leighton and fitted with a 6 cylinder Chrysler Crown. They sold her to Phil Seabrook of Seabrook & Fowlds in 1957. He fitted the Nordberg a year or so later. Phil Seabrook had Billy Rogers design and build LADY DIANA for him in 1950 and fitted her with the Austin Skipper from new, replacing it with a 155hp Nordberg sleeve-valve engine in 1956 shortly before he sold LADY DIANA to Monte Winter and bought MAKURA.
Later owners were V F Adams (1966) and W G Boughtwood (1973). Back in 2013 she was in Picton.The photo of MAKURA above was taken by Russell in 1961. Russell commented at the time that she was a fine looking ship. Also shown is a photo of MAKURA as built from the July 1951 edition of Sea Spray magazine.
I KNOW ITS NOT WOOD – BUT IT CERTAINLY LOOKS THE PART
Last week we ran a story on the Okura Gig clinker dinghy that the owner of the the Logan launch NGAIO had just restored and ‘fitted’ to the launches stern.
Todays story is in response to the number of emails I received asking for more details on the dinghy, and in the fact I got tired of sending responses.
When my phone rings and the ID says John Wright I always answer – why? Aside from the fact he is a great guy. John has a great eye for our classic craft and if he tells me to get my A into gear and do a yard / dockside visit, I know it will be a goody.
This time the woody was the semi-ex 24’ workboat MARISSA, a 100+ years old and owned by the Monaghan family for a very large chunk of that time.
Home port is Great Barrier Island and after her re-launch at Te Atatu Boating Club she will be heading back to the barrier.
Some of her history – at one change when she was a cray boat she went ashore at GB and was abandoned on the beach. I may get this wrong, someone correct me if I do – either Don Armitage or the Monaghan family saved the wreck and concerted here to something along the lines of what we see today.
Photos below of her post the wreck / rebuild. These days she is powered by a 4 cyl. Isuzu diesel engine.
INPUT ex KERIN QWEN – Don Milne rebuilt her and crayfished from Wairahi. Then to Whangapara as support vessel for the lodge, then to Monahan’s I believe. That’s from about 1980 on. I would like to know more of her earlier history. I believe she was converted from a launch configuration.
WW has been contacted by Ulf Uchida who advised that recently friends of his had bought a little wooden keeler named OSLO. Ulf commented that he had looked at her 12 years ago when she was on the hard on a property Long Beach on Dunedin’s northern coastline.
The story goes that she is somehow connected with Jack Crooks of Invercargill, the same one who sailed TUARANGI around the world a long time ago now. Ulf’s friends are enthusiastic beginner sailors and do not know a lot about the yacht but are keen to find out more. They are facing a major repair job but are keen to put in the time and effort required. The photos above show her hauled out at the OYC recently.
So woodys can we provide anymore backland on OSLO
16-12-2024 INPUT ex KEN GOA _ I worked on Oslo in the late ’80’s in Auckland as a boatbuilding apprentice. Oslo had broken free of it’s mooring, and holed the starboard side of her hull and topsides. Double diagonal planking and ribs repaired by John Rea Boatbuilders on Archers Rd Glenfield. I have a few hard copy photos of the damage repairs.
A HEADS UP TO THE PETROL HEADS
If you aren’t relaxing at Kawau Island on Sunday / Monday of anniversary weekend – and like to open the throttle up on your woody launch / workboat – the anniversary day regatta drag race (ok, there is handicapping) might be your gig on Monday 27th – dockside chat tells me registering on line is a serious challenge, so if you are considering entering – drop Jason Prew an email and he will talk you thru things. jason@slipway.co.nz
Last month we featured a smart looking woody launched that was under a ’tent’ near Greg Lees Boat Yard. At the time we learnt from Greg that in another life he was named POLLY and spent time around Kawau Island.
We can report that the launch has moved into the yards slipway / boathouse and work is underway to complete the rebuild.
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