TOO OLD TO GO BOATING – Think Again
Recently on the subscription only weblog – Off Center Harbor there was an amazing short film titled ‘Conversations with The Lobster Lady’. The lady is Virginia Oliver and when the film was made in 2019 Virginia was aged 100, and woodys today Virginia is103 and still working the pots.
Angus Rogers came across the film on YouTube so we all get to view it – you’ll enjoy it – she is a hoot 🙂
TARANAKI (Theologus) / Wakatoa
Recently WW was contacted by Alistair McRae in regard to the vessel – Taranaki, Alistair commented that he spent a big part of his early holiday life on her. At this stage the boat was named Taranaki but Alistair believes it had been renamed (possibly named Theologus).Taranaki was owned by his uncle, Les Henry and was used by Les to tow barges at his sand company on the Waikato River. In the mid 1950’s Les steamed Taranaki out of the Waikato River (West Coast), up and around the top of the North Island and down to Whangarei.
Alistair recalls that she was approx. 37’> 38’ in length and had a four cylinder Fordson engine and had a canoe stern and built like the proverbial brick outhouse. Sadly Alistair has no details on who designed / built Taranaki or when she was launched. Alistair recollects possibly sighting Taranaki moored at Orakei probably 20 or more years ago. Where she may have resided for some years.
What Alistair does have is the actual log of the above mentioned trip from the Waikato River to Whangarei. The crew left the ‘Elbow’ on the Waikato River (where Les’s sand business was and now Winstone) at 0500hrs Friday 5th March 1955. They got to the Waikato Heads 1-1/2hrs later and waited for a day to get through the bar , quite a trip – the full story below – the reproduction is a tad scrappy and I has issues with converting / uploading but in my eyes that just adds to the story 🙂 It appears as a downloadable PDF file and as a booklet – click on the book to view and you can enlarge the pages.
So woodys can anyone enlighten us on Tarananki’s early days.
UPDATE -Thanks to input from Murray Debble we learn that she is now named – Wakatoa and featured on WW back in Dec 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/12/03/wakatoa-2/
UPDATE – from Hylton Edmonds -Photos below taken about 4 weeks ago – just upstream of Ashbys Boatyard Opua.
Woody On Tour – USA
A good friend , John Burland has been mooching around the eastern shores of the USA – Portland / Maine / Boston / New Hampshire etc.
In between eating his body weight in seafood he dropped into Lowells Boat Shop in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Lowells was established in 1793 (I’ll do the maths for you – that’s 230 yrs ago) and is the oldest operating boat shop in the USA. Google search the name to read / view the shops story.
John was even press-ganged into helping turn a clinker that was being built.
Sure looks like a place I could spend sometime in – another addition to the bucket list.
(The birch bark canoe is on display at the – Portland Museum of Art)
TELL ME THIS IS A JOKE
When I was sent the link below re a proposed maritime anchor watch rule I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn’t April Fools Day.
Seriously – What is Maritime NZ on? Read below ex a Yachting NZ post on the story –
“Maritime New Zealand recently stated that all vessels (recreational and commercial) must maintain a continuous anchor watch (lookout by sight and hearing) under Maritime Rule Part 22.5. Maritime NZ has recently shared the interpretation as: “At all times – during the day, during the night, when travelling to and from fishing grounds, fishing, while at anchor, or drifting.” With this interpretation, you may be breaking the law by leaving your vessel at anchor to have a walk ashore or going to sleep while anchored in a typical pristine protected anchorage.“
There was a poll / survey by YNZ calling for feedback, sadly that has closed off. Hopefully enough people responded telling them to stop interviewing their typewriters and actually talk to the boaters out there.
UPDATE – It would seem that Yachting NZ have got themselves a tad mixed up and made news out of something that wasn’t news.I received the note below from Jim Lott – I’ll let Jim take us thru the situation –
“This is not a joke and it has always been the case. All vessels are technically required to keep a watch at anchor.I’ll wear my ex-hat as a nautical school tutor and examiner for a moment.You suggest there is a new interpretation about recreational vessels and keeping anchor watch.For the past several decades (last Coll Regs rewrite was in 1964) there has never been an exemption for recreational vessels from keeping watch at all times (which includes at anchor) in the rules. All MNZ has done is confirm existing legal requirements, even if many yachties are unaware of it.Indeed, all the sections in the Maritime Transport Act and Rules made under the Act, including “Coll Regs”, Navigation Safety rule, and also regional Bylaws apply to all vessels all the time.There is an additional requirement for any ‘hire and reward’ i.e. commercial vessels to be surveyed to meet a set standard, and the skipper/crew to have a formal qualification (ticket).All other requirements including any penalties or fines apply equally to recreational and commercial alike.So where does that leave us?Nothing has changed so I suggest carrying on as usual, but be aware of the legal requirements.If we all sleep at night, or all leave the vessel, the skipper is still responsible for what happens on board. If a watchkeeper on board could have prevented an incident such as dragging, sinking or fire, then the skipper may have committed an offence under the MTA for “endangering property”, but I have never heard of a fine or prosecution for failure to keep a lookout while at anchor.Should, or could, NZ exempt recreational vessels from the international law we signed up to? It would require the change to be put through cabinet and being an international agreement, it is highly unlikely.(Insurance companies state that boats at anchor must not be left unattended for over 24 hours.)Other information Re: anchoring, you may be interested to note that there is nothing in the Coll Regs to say that a vessel underway has to give way to an anchored vessel. However the ‘ordinary practice of seamen’ to do so has been confirmed in court cases, and the obvious practicalities apply.There is an anchoring section in the Navigation Safety Rule to say that when anchoring, a vessel must not put at risk another anchored vessel. It means that if you drag into another you are at fault, or anchor too close and bump someone you are responsible.”
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MORTEON BAY CLASSIC
The classic boating community in Brisbane / Queensland Australia have just celebrated the second running if the Moreton Bay Classic – a 10.9 nautical mile drag race for all shapes and sizes of classic craft. Last year was the inaugural event – link here to details on the event and how ir came about https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/04/the-race-social-event-that-stops-the-bay-the-moreton-bay-classic-part-one/
First video – the start from onboard the vessel – Adagio
https://www.facebook.com/adagioalaskan/videos/1900175600355472
A woody friend, Andrew Christie also sent me a link to a 3 minute birds-eye video of the fleet filmed by Saxton Thomas – what an impressive gig. I can see Jason Prew salivating over this 🙂
Enjoy.
https://www.facebook.com/100023439100358/videos/204917255845751/
LADY GLAD – Electric Conversion
Todays story was written by Richard Amery on of the Lake Rotoiti woodys. Richard has pulled together the background on the launch – Lady Glad, owned by Marcus and Jan Wilkins, and her conversion from diesel power electric – I’ll hand over to Richard now – note: slightly different layout today with the photos in the story text.
“The keel was laid in 1981 by Mr. Bill Visser attached boat builder who had settled in Tauranga and started building boats under the name Kingfisher Boats limited, in a shed where the present oil terminal at the Mount is today before moving to Omokoroa. Bill was asked by Mr. Marshall Lee to build a small tug for him to tow a barge between Matakana Island and Omokoroa for his farming operations and it was to be named “Lady Glad” after his mother.
The tug was to have a gas stove and two bunks in it. The bunks had been beautifully painted with scenes by local young artist Alice Blakely, but unfortunately they were pulled out and lost. Bill Visser was an artist with wood, and he carved the name along with the scroll and the tiller handle and also built the steering wheel which in itself is a work of art. The back deck was to have a bollard for towing mounted in the middle with the underneath area to be able to hold a farm bike and tools. This was all removed and Bill made the rear cockpit as it is now. The motor was a Yanmar 32HP diesel.
However, before her completion Mr. Lee sold the property and we purchased the Lady Glad, and Bill Visser completed her at his home workshop, hence she never got to sea, and was launched on Lake Rotoiti in 1985.
In 2022 by age 87 Marcus with Jan 86 were sick of climbing over the motor and made the decision to bite the bullet and fit her with a more compact electric motor and batteries. With the expertise of Tony Whiting, marine engineer of note from Auckland, Alan Craig boat builder and his team, Miles Harnett on boat electrics and local electrician Simon Andrew to sort out the mains electric charging system, the task provided quite a challenge for them.
The power comes from eight 6 Volt batteries weighing 400kg coupled in line to produce 48 volts. This was a little more weight than was removed, and the charging unit for these and the house battery which looks after lights, radio, auto bilge pumps etc are fitted up in the bow. The shaft thrust bearing, special coupling to motor and mounting bracket etc central and the redesign of rudder, keel and propellor are all part of the team’s combined thoughts and expertise that went into this conversion.
The shaft thrust bearing, special coupling to motor and mounting bracket etc central and the redesign of rudder, keel and propellor are all part of the team’s combined thoughts and expertise that went into this conversion.
Lady Glad’s heart transplant is now completed with the Combi inboard 10kw electric motor with a Combi Inboard 10 kW electric motor made in Holland, the home country of her designer and builder.
We are delighted with the result, and along with a new cockpit and cabin layout has transformed Lady Glad into a lovely comfortable easy to use craft.
Marcus and Jan say thanks to ‘the Team’. “
Note: Available now for sale in excellent condition: The 32hp Yanmar Diesel engine, hydraulic gearbox, heat exchanger, flexible shaft coupling, bilge blower, hand & electric bilge pumps plus gauges and wiring loom- a great unit in excellent condition. Phone or Text Marcus to view 027 955 2213.
PLAYMATE – A Peek Down Below
The Sam Ford 1936 built launch – Playmate (named ‘My Playmate’ when launched and changed to Ida Mae and then back to Playmate) , has popped up twice on WW – both stories in Sept 2014. At the time we uncovered so much about the launch – now thanks to a tme listing we get to have a better look at the ship. Links to the 2014 stories below – do check them out.
https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/02/playmate-ida-mae/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/04/ide-mae-playmate/
A quick overview = 39’ , powered by a 80hp BMC diesel – everything else you would want to know can be found in the links above 😉
Margaret Pearl – Cray Boat > Cruising Boat
During the week I stumbled on a YouTube video on the Southern Woodenboat Sailing channel – this 11 minute video showcase the ex Tasmanian crayboat – Margaret Pearl.
Built in 1958, 60’ in length she was about to be dispatched to the landfill in Portland, located on the southwest coast of Victoria, Australia, when up stepped Jim and Sam Woods, who were brave enough to take on the restoration / conversion project. Whilst she sports a Tim Phillips designed rig, most of her use is under power at a steady 9 > 10 knots. The canvas does come out but I suspect its more for aesthetics 🙂
Have a watch and listen to Tim tells us about why he choose a wooden boat, where he found her and the work that went into her to get to the condition we see her in.
As a bonus Tim shares some sage advice for when considering taking on the restoration of any woody.
Enjoy – I did 🙂
Someone tell me this is a p_ss take. Spotted during the week at Half Moon Bay Marina. My 1st thought was it was a ‘mule’ for an electric propulsion experiment.
A Recount Of Our Classic Wooden Craft DNA
Recently I was sent a link to an article that appeared in the New Zealand Geographic magazine back in 2000 – in fact issue 45 , Jan-March. The article was headlined – GRACE UNDER FIRE, written by Vaughan Yarwood with supporting photos from the late Henry Winkelmann and more recent photos ex Hamish Ross and Paul Gillbert.
The stars of the article is the 42’ 1908 Logan built gaff rigged cutter – Rawene, and her then skipper Russell Brooke.
This is a brilliant insight into the early days of boating in and around Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, I’m sure there will be some mix ups re dates, skipper/craft names but overall we get to see and read the history of these magnificent craft, a lot of which are still sailing today.
Have a read, its only 10>15 minutes, longer if if you linger over the photos 🙂 – even a die-hard motorboat owner like myself found it a fascinating read.
LADY AVA – Unseen Sinking Photo
Back in June 2020 we ran 1/2 a story on the 1931 Ernie Lane (Picton) built launch – Lady Ava (once named Miss Ava). The original story was about her sinking but due to the then owners situation it was decided to ‘dilute’ the story e.g. no photo of her demise. Link to the 2020 story below.
Well three years have past so today you get to see her joining the submariners club. Last I heard she was secured near/alongside the Leader Boat Builders shed on the Panmure River. Photos below taken not long after her recovery.https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/06/04/alpheus-a-peek-down-below-lady-ava-sinks/
Can we get an update on Lady Ava’s current situation.
Update: More photos below ex Mark Laughlin
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