Category Archives: Tales & Yarns

Where Is Manurere

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Where Is Manurere

I was contacted yesterday by Leith Menzies regarding the launch Manurere ( Flying Bird) – Leith was only 10 when his extended family owned her, from memory she was approx. 32>34′ and very narrow. I’ll let Leith tell the story:

“Manurere was on the Manukau Harbour, probably moored at Weymouth when owned by Mr. George R. Moore of Papatoetoe. George was my grandfather.

About 1958 she was moved over to a mooring at Kawakawa Bay. In 1959/60, Manurere was purchased by George’s two sons-in-law, Mr. Russell E. Thomas of Meadowbank and Mr. Jock S. Menzies (my father) of Manurewa and moored in Okahu Bay. Both brothers later bought the launch – Lanai. Later my father (Jock) purchased White Cloud and then Charisma, a 36′ Vindex.

In 1961, she was slipped at the Lane Motor Boat Company, Panmure and a (war-surplus) petrol V8 Scripps engine was installed. Soon after Manurere was taken up to Mr. Phil Barton’s Beachhaven boat shed where a bridge deck was added.

We had many enjoyable trips away on Manurere. Eventually she was sold and replaced with Lanai. Later Manurere was used as a long-liner and worked out of the Viaduct. I wonder where she is now?”. My grandfather went on to purchase – William R. She was about a 25 ft woody and kept on a mooring at Weymouth”.

So woodys – can we help Leith out on what became of Manurere and also expand on her details – builder etc

The Legacy of Bill Orchard

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The Legacy of Bill Orchard

Today we share a great kiwi boating story from your woody friends at WoodenBoat magazine in the USA. Penned by kiwi journalist John Eichelsheim. 

Click this link to view > read. https://www.woodenboat.com/legacy-bill-orchard

Enjoy 🙂

INPUT ex Mark McLaughlin – SABRE is now Auckland based and is well kept at the OBC Marina. GLENMORE was one of the Pelorus Sound mail boats throughout the 1980’s to mid 1990’s, operated by Ken and Dianne Gullery. She was sold to an Australian owner and is now moored at Pittwater up Sydney’s north coast. She did the Tasman Sea crossing under her own steam from Picton, which is no mean feat for that type of boat.

The photos below of Glenmore in her orange hull livery during the mail boat years are from the Old Marlborough fb group page, and the photo of Glenmore on her mooring at Pittwater is from Lew Redwood’s fb page.

11-11-2022 Input ex Eric Sanderson – I believe the vessel below is one of Bill Orchards, was on the Kaipara when photo was taken

KATHERINE  4SALE & ON DISPLAY @ WESTHAVEN MARINA – THIS WEEKEND – BY INVITATION

Considering an upgrade or a boat for summer – the 38’ Conrad Robertson designed classic – KATHERINE, has been relocated to Westhaven Marina for one weekend only – inspection by invitation.

More details on this immaculately presented, ready for immediate delivery craft – click here https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/06/13/katherine-a-peek-down-below/

To book a viewing time email waitematawoodys@waitematawoodys

Arethusa Aground on Farewell Spit

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Arethusa Aground on Farewell Spit

Regular readers of WW will be familiar with Bay of Islands photographer – Dean Wright and the stunning images he shares with us. Dean and partner Deb are the custodians of the classic woody – Arethusa, which has one of the best back stories of all the craft in your fleet. The 33’ Arethusa was built in 1917 by Bob Brown and started life as a gaff rigged cutter, 105 years later she has the features of a commercial ex work boat – but a very swish one 🙂 Link below that shows some of the transformation – and being such a looker she has made numerous WW appearance, but today we bring to light a somewhat unknown (to most of us) event in her life – I’ll let Dean do the intro to the above photo essay :- https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/07/arethusas-new-woody-wheelhouse/

“Deb and I were down south recently and did the Farewell Spit Bus trip. The tour operators were able to tell us approximately where Arethusa ran aground all those years ago (late December 1955). 

They dragged the boat to the other side of the Spit and relaunched her, about 1.2km’s. An excerpt from book at the Spit lighthouse keepers house: “She was sailing between New Plymouth and Nelson and the crew thought they were heading between the lights of Farewell Spit and Stephen’s Island when they ran aground. Obviously they mistook the light on Cape Farewell for that on the Spit, and, as the Cape Farewell light had only gone into operation in 1951, they may have been unaware of its existence.”

The press clipping above in the Christchurch Press ran the headline – ‘The Arethusa – A Total Loss’ – well they got that wrong – well done to everyone that invested the funds and time to help Arethusa become a centenarian. If anyone knows more detail of her time in the South Island, Deb and Dean would love to hear from you.

Rata Revisted

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RATA REVISITED

Last month (Oct 16th) we dd a story on the launch – Rata based around a Lew Redwood fb photo, then Ray Morey came on and embellished the story with lots more details  – link below to that story.

Next up Mark McLaughlin drops a note advising he had found the above photos in his late father’s collection, which Marks thinks would be from the 1950’s. He wondered if it could be the same boat? and commented that whether or not the boat is Rata, he was 99% certain it will be one of the Johnson’s mail boat fleet of which Rata also belonged to, operating from Havelock. Mark had heard his Dad mention Rata many times. I’ll let Mark tell the rest of the story – 

“The forward bulwark and twin masts are obviously missing here but the hull is a good match and the end of the aft lower belting lines up with the aft cabin porthole in the same location. The forward cabin appears shorter though in the Rata photos in the original post. 

Regardless, the photo underway is a great look back in time at how the commercial boys used to roll. The safety police would be having heart attacks if they saw that now. As per most of the Johnson’s mail boats of the time though, she looks like she has a good turn of speed (and nobody fell off).

Most of the clinker dinghies in Havelock at the time (like the one in the photo) where built there by Tom Hutchison out of Kahikatea. They were large and heavy but could take a good beating in day to day use.”

Mark also did a google search and uncovered the photo below of Rata from the ‘Johnson’s Barge Service’ website, showing her well laden with logs. This is an earlier photo of Rata but appears to support her being the same boat in Marks photos. The photo is tagged ‘1930’s – Rata was built by Eric and his brother Frank in Havelock. White pine for the construction was cut in the Nydia Bay by the Wells family’ 

LINK to Johnson Barge Service websitehttps://www.johnsonsbargeservice.co.nz/about-us/

So the question today that would be nice to confirm – is boat above the same boat that appeared in the Oct. 16th WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/10/16/rata-3/

Spindrift – The Build & Launching

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Spindrift – The Build & Launching

On Friday we featured the launch – Spindrift and asked for more details – well as you can see from the above photo gallery we certainly got an answer 🙂
Firstly Spindrift is a new build, launched in early December 2021 – designed by Gary Underwood (design #71) and owner built by Hilton and Melva Ward. 
To quote Hilton she is a 10 metre, multi-chine ply passage maker powered by a 35hp Beta (Kubota) engine.

Hilton has a very informative blog on the whole back story from design to first cruise, link below. I have just ‘cherry picked’ a selection of photos for todays story.  https://thenewspindrift.blogspot.com/?m=1

Spindrift calls Ngunguru Estuary, Northland home, but there are plans for some serious cruising this summer. The build commenced in early 2016, but Underwood did the design work two years prior  – see sketches below + model Hilton made to see how it would look in real life.

As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉

01-06-2024 – photo below ex Natalie Collinson fb anchored at Ngunguru

Tassie

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TASSIE

Todays WW story is short and sweet – spent most of yesterday driving back from up north, the road works are so bad – the Brynderwyn Hills were reduced to single lane, so traffic was backed up for miles, and each ‘pass’ took 20+ minutes. And that was just one of numerous minor projects that looked like they had been turned into major projects given the number of orange cones 🙂 

Above we have a photo of a launch named Tassie that was sent in by Mike Mulligan and comes from the family collection. The photos tagged ‘H.M.S. Tassie – Mr & Mrs Gilmore & tart at the back’, one can only assume the ’T’ was well known to the photographer, hopefully or else a strong legal letter might be coming my way 🙂

Do we know anything about Tassie?

Input from Nathan Herbert – Certainly a Coulthard. Coulthard’s daughter told me a story about an issue of non-payment involving Tassie or Tassie II in which he refused to let the boat leave at the railway/wharf(was she being shipped down country?) until accounts had been settled.Photo below ex Rosemary Robinson’s grandfather Coulthard collection.

Big Win For Bayswater Marina Berth Holders

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Big Win For Bayswater Marina 

U-turn By Council Set To Block Bayswater Marina Development Plans

Owners of Bayswater marina, who also own – Pine Harbour and Hobsonville marinas) who were planning a 119 unit housing development on the adjacent land suffered a major blow last week, when Auckland Council withdrew its support for the proposal. This was a huge turnaround from what most had assumed was a happening thing.  Read below – (Article below – Reproduced ex ’The Devonport Flagstaff’ community magazine)

Ngarunui 1970s > 1980s

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Half Moon Bay Marina Jan 1978
Pre purchase travel lift haul out at Half Moon Bay – Jan 1978
Pre purchase inspection at Half Moon Bay – Jan 1978
Leigh – Aug 1978
A permeant roof being built over the cockpit – Oct 1978
Flying bridge being built at Half Moon Bay – Dec 1978
Flying bridge being built at Half Moon Bay – Dec 1978

Ngarunui 1970s > 1980s

Back in 2015 when Ngarunui  first appeared on WW Robin Elliott commented that to his mind she is the best looking boat in the Bay (Bay of Islands). Since then Ngarunui has mad numerous WW appearances – links below. The 2016 one gives a great insight into the building of Ngarunui and the 2022 give us a look down below.

Last week Mike Mulligan sent in the gallery of photos above from when his family owned her, they purchased her after selling the launch – Patina, approx. time line of ownership is late 1970’s > 1987.

During this period Mike’s father fitted the Yammer auxiliary engine and fly bridge.

Ngarunui  was designed and built by Jim Young in 1955 for J.A.K. Spicer and C.R. (Russ) Pollard. She is 48’x46’x11’8″x4’3″ and was originally powered with twin GM 165hp diesels of 1942 vintage (ex-USN) + an 11hp Coventry Cub. These days the engines are a 200hp Doosan and a Yanmer auxiliary. 

2015 https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/06/03/mystery-boat-03-06-2015/

2016  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/22/the-building-of-ngarunui/

2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/07/22/mystery-launch-1967-whangarei-noumea-yacht-race-start/

2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/03/16/ngarunui-a-peek-down-below-4sale/

Westward – AWBF ‘Boat Folk’ Film

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WESTWARD – AWBF ‘BOAT FOLK’ FILM

Our friends at the Australian Wood Boat Festival have just released another film in the ‘Boat Folk’ series.

Todays one is on the 1947 Tasmanian built 43′ yacht – Westward. 

Westward started life designed as a recreational fishing yacht but prior to completion was converted to a racing yacht. Quite a successful one – winning the 1947 and 1948 Sydney > Hobart race. 

After a long life of extended cruising Westward was donated to the Maritime Museum of Tasmania. These days she is back home in her home state and has been restored as a floating exhibit at the Constitution Dock in Hobart.

You can see and read more about Westward here http://www.maritimetas.org/collection-displays/westward

Remember – the next festival is this coming February 10>13th more details here:

Classic Boating Fallacy

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Classic Boating Fallacy 

I have been meaning to write this story for a long time – one of my biggest frustrations with the classic wooden boating movement is that a lot of classic boat owners have this line on auto play when invited to a classic woody gathering –  “I’ll attend when I have finished doing up the boat” – FACT: 95% of us never finish ‘doing up the boat’ – its a rolling project. 

In the mean time woodys are missing out on catching up with other like minded human beings to – socialise, get advice, swap ideas and most importantly – using their boat.

A couple of weekends ago at Clevedon I was reminded of why we come together when one of the boat owners commented to me how much they appreciated that everyone opened up their boats and invited people on board for a chat. This allowed them to gathering ideas for their own project.

It’s not just dock-side blather – at Clevedon we had woody boat owners there that had the following industry experience – boat building, sail maker, rigger, canopy fabricator, marine insurance consultant and marine brokerage. You can’t access / buy that resource in one place anywhere.

Todays woody is the launch Ngarimu from Thames, been owned by Bruce Rowe for 10+ years and soon to be hauled out and taken home for some serious TLC. Bruce has made the long haul from Thames marina to attend several Woodys events – Riverhead, Clevedon and Paeroa. Each trip the experience helps him get closer to starting the big project. 

UPDATE – In Thames today – photo below very ‘fresh’, first time I’vee been there with the tide in 🙂

So woodys – ditch the Woody events are a beauty pageant attitude and just join in – you won’t regret it 🙂

Below I talk about why I started the WW weblog and the spirit behind it.

Whats the waitematawoodys website all about

Dedicated to the study and appreciation of classic wooden boats. WW was founded upon a desire to tell the stories and a need to the archive history of our classic wooden boats, the craftsman who built them & characters that owned and crewed on them. Visiting this blog is like a bunch of people in the boat club bar, there will be stuff discussed you know, stuff you know nothing about and stuff you want to know more about. That’s what waitematawoodys is about – gathering stories, photos, history, reminiscences.