Category Archives: Tales & Yarns

The History of Bonita

Posted on by
11

Following on from yesterdays WW story on Bonita , link below – today we document the life of the launch – that was built in 1923 by E.R. Lane in Picton. It takes us up to 2016. Its a wonderful read and how lucky are her current and future owners to have such a detailed history. We thank Beth Gordon, daughter of the original owner, for researching and writing the story – special thanks to current owner Richard Neighbour for sharing it with us. I will let Beth tell the story – enjoy https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/07/borato/

The following is a partial history of this launch compiled by myself, Beth Gordon. Thanks to H Kidd, M Hatton, G Ruffell, J Bunt, J Shallcrass, E Guard, C Guard, A McManaway & R Brownlee. Further corrections, additions and comments are most welcome.

Ernest Richard Lane learnt the trade in his father’s yard: T M Lane & Sons, Mechanics Bay. He “went to America to further his knowledge of boat building and also attended a Naval College in San Francisco to learn the architectural and designing side of the business” [Picton Builders, The Seaport News 01 April 2011]. He came to Picton in 1907 and purchased Carl Brunsill’s business at the Spit.

Ernie Lane’s boat building shed and slipway was located at the eastern aspect of Picton Harbour south of Shelley Beach. Access was by the early footbridge across the Victoria Lagoon from Waikawa Road. The Bonita was built in 1923 and fitted with a 12 hp Kelvin Marine Engine (benzine fuelled). “Bonita is a feminine name as well as a word meaning ‘pretty, nice’ in Spanish & Portuguese … also ships and submarines of the US Navy were named USS Bonita – submarine 1926 -1937.” [Wikipedia website, June 2011]

The earliest possible owner was Charles Forbes who died in 1927 aged eighty-eight. But there is a possibility it was Mrs Renwick who bought the launch for her nephew.

In 1927, the Bonita was sold through A A McNabb, Barrister and Solicitor, Blenheim as receipted on 6th October 1927. Joseph William Bunt paid £305.0.0 for her. The receipt states “… price of launch Bonita as she lies at Picton … & waiting in Mr Lane’s shed”.

An H M Customs document gives the principal dimensions of the Bonita as:

• Length 36 ft                • Length of keel 32 ft     • Breadth   8 ft 6 ins  

• Gross tonnage 3.7       • Net tonnage 3.0

Owner & Skipper JW Bunt At aged twenty-three, Joseph William (Bill) Bunt was issued with the NZ Certificate of Competency as Engineer (Restricted Limits) on 11th June 1930. It reads “has been examined and found duly qualified to act as Engineer of a Ship propelled by Gas, Oil, Fluid, Electricity or other Mechanical Power than Steam plying within restricted limits”. This New Zealand River Service qualification allowed him to use the launch commercially. The Bonita was apparently at that time licensed to carry 40 passengers.

Early photographs: Bill Bunt, skipper – undated but likely to be pre-1940

The original double-ender launch had a low profile cabin (two fixed porthole windows on each side) with open foredeck which could be covered with canvas.

Fishing Party, Queen Charlotte Sounds -undated

The Picton Harbour was not always a calm mooring place as proven by the events during a severe storm in August 1938:

“LAUNCHES PILED ON FORESHORE … between 4 and 6 p.m. when several pleasure launches moored in the harbor were wrenched from their anchorages and in spite of valiant efforts by residents more than a dozen boats were soon being forced towards the beach … presented a sorry picture, with launches resting at grotesque angles practically all the way from the rowing sheds to the railway embankment … the launch Bonita, owned by Mr W. Bunt, Picton since refloated …” [Papers Past: The Press 11 August 1938; Website: Auckland Libraries Heritage Images, Auckland Weekly News 17 August 1983]

In the early years of ownership Bill used the launch for day fishing trips, charters, perhaps goods service and personal outings. In the summer of 1938-39 (following his marriage) he may have relied on the launch for income as he made 30 trips between December 23rd and February 26th to places such as: Double Bay, the Grove, Bay of Many Coves, Ship Cove, Tory Channel, Ely Bay, Torea, Whaling Station, Onahau Bay, Te Iro Bay. He kept notebooks in which he recorded the outgoing costs and money coming in eg: in 1947 a survey cost £1.10s, wharfage £3.0.0 and 24 gallons of petrol cost £3.12s. [Bill Bunt notebooks: family documents]

One memorable 1948 fishing trip to Tory Channel was written up in the local newspaper and republished fifty years later:

“NEARLY CAPSIZED – mishap in the Sounds. With their anchored launch caught in a fierce williwaw and water pouring over the gunwale of the capsizing vessel, a Blenheim fishing party narrowly escaped disaster about four miles below Dieffenbach, in Queen Charlotte Sound yesterday afternoon at the height of the big nor’westerly gale. The gust which was estimated at well over 70 mph, was fortunately of only a few seconds duration, and it passed before the launch,   Bonita, could turn turtle. But those few moments when it was poised on its side, with six of its occupants thrown on the floor of its cockpit with water cascading over them and its owner, Mr W Bunt, blown overboard and clinging desperately to the anchor chain, were nightmare ones for all concerned.” [Marlborough Express 2nd January 1998]

George Moore, Bill’s nephew was on board on this occasion and confirms the situation.

At some stage the wheelhouse was added and canvas extended to fit over galvanized pipe framing of the foredeck. The canvas rolled back to provide forward seating in good weather. Access was from aft through the wheelhouse door and past the engine. This seating under the canvas canopy doubled as sleeping quarters.

Bunt children on Sounds trip – undated c1950   

“In later years Dad had a wheelhouse added, on top of which was stored the life raft. He moored the launch on the harbour between the Foreshore and the Railway Station probably now close to the Edwin Fox dock. The clinker dinghy was tied up above the high tideline on the lagoon near the old road bridge. My memories are of walking through the tidal mudbanks where the dinghy was tied up. At low tide we had to drag the dingy down to water’s edge before it could be rowed under the Waitohi Bridge out to the moored Bonita. I learned to row here and remember the sound of the water lapping as we rowed under the bridge, especially at high water. When Dad was rowing, I was the bailer using a discarded tin can. Usually the dinghy was left on the mooring when the Bonita was out. But, sometimes for special outings in the Sounds, it was towed along. Passengers and goods were loaded and later after a tiring day, unloaded at the small launch jetty near the main wharf.” [Beth Gordon, 2011]

For the annual surveys, repaints and repairs Bill may have used different slipways in Picton. Certainly in the latter years he had the Bonita up on Jack Morgan’s slipway situated near to the wharf on the Freezing Works side of the harbour. 

Bonita – Morgan’s slip c1952

“In 1952 I remember spending time at Morgan’s slipway when the Bonita was up for maintenance and painting. I recall spending time playing around under the boat and around the boatyard while Dad was working on it. The smells of paint, rusting metals, sea and whatever tidal changes bring to shore, still linger. I remember the green oilcan used to oil the engine – a treasure I still have.

I also remember helping Dad repair the ribs on the dinghy when he ha it in the backyard at home. He steamed the replacement ribs to bend them and I was encouraged to hold the dolly while he hammered the copper rivets in place. A most responsible job I thought then.                                                                                                       .

I also have fond memories of some of our family my times in the Queen Charlotte Sounds with the launch and sometimes the dinghy too: Governor’s Bay (beach picnics using the ladder placed over the bow to disembark), Double Cove, Torea Bay (fishing and swimming over the side), Tory Channel (fishing), Te Iro Bay (visiting Reg & Joan Jackson to pick cherries), Double Bay (beach picnics and collecting cape gooseberries). And I remember using the galvanised bucket when caught short. This bucket had a rope attached and was used for all sorts of liquid activity, mainly for washing fish and cleaning the deck down.

Some of these were long days out and once I was given the job of steering the boat while Dad cleaned up. We were inside of Mabel Island and obviously I was meant to steer for a very short time. I managed to run her on to the rocky shore just north of the freezing works. I was terrified until Dad inspected the damage to the bow – only a paint scratch or two!” [Beth Gordon, 2011]

 Bill Bunt sold the Bonita after thirty years, date (?mid 1950s) for an unknown price.

The next owner was Ernie Pye of Ngakuta Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound. He used her in conjunction with his holiday baches to take holidaymakers out on fishing trips.

“Ernie and Florence Pye … had a large launch which he used to take people out fishing for five shillings a day …” Audrey Palmer, Ashburton recalls early years of the 1950s. [Kennedy T. Ngakuta Bay – Marlborough Sounds 1832 – 2000. T F Kenney 2000]

Edward Guard at age twenty-one, bought the Bonita for £1200 in 1959. He stripped her out to the hull and put in a new deck. The topside was rebuilt: cabin, wheelhouse, bulwarks and a mast added. The cabin was then separate from the engine. Belting was attached to the bulwarks and ballast also added to keep the launch lower to the waterline for stability. This work was done by Leslie Francis (Billy) Guard at Pukatea Bay, Admiralty Bay in cousin Jack Guard’s old shed.

The alterations were done so Edward and his brother John Guard could use Bonita for net and line fishing and cray fishing, based from Port Underwood, Kakapo Bay and/or Picton. Her license number was PN48.

Bonita – post 1960, photo: E Guard
Edward in clinker dinghy, photo: E Guard

The Bonita was sold in 1967 to Stan Howie and relocated to Kaikoura where she was used for commercial fishing – # PN 6221.

“Stan Howie … purchased his own boat, the Bonita, from Port Underwood, which he fished on for about 3 years. About 1968 Stan and his mate were fishing and were caught in the Clarence area by a severe southerly wind when on the Bonita … forced them to head home. It took them 7½ hours to get back to Kaikoura.” [Garbes Pam & Norma, 2004. Kaikoura Fishermen, Kaikoura District Museum & Archives, NZ]

 Stan Howie sold to Jim Shallcrass who took delivery of her on 31st August 1970.

“Jim sailed her to Picton on the 1st September 1970 – a 12 hour trip. On the 28th September the same year while out fishing an oil line on the motor broke. Was towed to Picton, the motor was seized. While she was on the slip for repairs at Jorgesons boatyard at Waikawa Jim had them change the cabin structure to give more aft deck space. She was back in the water 11th December 1970. Jim fished her from Picton, in Cook Strait crayfishing and gropering.” [Shallcrass email, 2011]

“Another mishap was while she was on a mooring in Resolution Bay, August 1971 during a southeasterly gale. In the night she dragged her anchor. In the morning when checked at first light she was found bouncing on the beach. Jim managed to get on board and get the motor going to drive her off, but found there was no steering. Instead he hung a tyre over the side and managed to get her alongside another boat and barge in the corner of the Bay. It was damaged too.The Bonita had lost her rudder so Jim called up and got a tow to Picton. It was so rough they weren’t very happy to come and get him. Jim had to keep pumping her out. While she was on the slip for repairs she was refastened, new engine beds, new keel bolts and a collision bulkhead was put in.” [Shallcrass email, 2011]

When Ed Guard viewed the photo in “Kaikoura Fishermen” he said the front of the wheelhouse alteration (changed to slope backwards) was done by Shallcrass after purchase from Howie. [Edward Guard, Blenheim 2016]

Bonita was next sold in March 1975 to a Nelson scallop fisherman. Richard Chadwick was the new owner and he and Chris Guard took her by sea from Picton to Nelson. Chris had a Ford diesel motor put in and she was then used for scalloping, for a very short while. On one trip home coming into the Port of Nelson near the bar/gap, the load shifted and she capsized. Bonita was towed to port, righted and then kept working until Chris sold her to buy a larger boat which was more suited for scalloping.

The next owner was a young scallop fisherman – Murray Ross Probert. Apparently he fished on the West Coast with Bonita for a few trips, but changed to fish out of Nelson. His father (Tom Probert) sometimes went out with him.

“I gave him a bit of a hand and did a bit of work on her. She had a 4 cylinder Ford diesel motor at that time.” [Tom Probert, 2011]

Murray had the Bonita in the Croisilles area in late November 1977 when she sank.

“BONITA, fishing vessel: On November 29th 1977 a search was mounted for the Bonita when she failed to keep a pre-arranged meeting with other fishing vessels. The body of skipper Mr M R Probert, was found floating in the sea off Okuri Point, west of French Pass, but there was no trace    of the vessel, which was last seen at 7pm the previous day between Okuri Point and Croisilles Harbour. The Bonita is presumed to have been lost during storms overnight. A double ended        vessel, 11 metres long, she was based in Nelson.’ [Ingran C W N, 1984. New Zealand Shipwrecks 1795 -1982, 6th Edition, page 453. AH & AW Reed, NZ]

There followed a marine court of inquiry which apparently resulted in differences in fact and assumption.

“As Murray had not reported in I did a search the next day. I found Murray’s body about six kms   away from where later the boat was located. There was a Court of Inquiry which did not get all the facts correct. It was a clear calm day when there was a technical problem with the water hose. The launch was seaworthy but not suitable for lifting. The inquiry should have asked whether the Bonita was fit for purpose. She was not suitable for lifting.” [Chris Guard, 2011] 

Some five months later, Allan (Cat) McManaway was trawling and by chance hooked the boat which was sitting in 23 fathoms. He got the help of Chris and John Guard to salvage her and they towed her back to Nelson. Apparently, once the boat was drained of water, some of the electrical system and the engine still worked. Allan checked with the Marine Insurance firm and was told insurance had been paid out. This meant that technically the wreck belonged to him, the finder. She had sat in “rotten row” near Nalder and Biddles yard for quite a period of time. He sold Bonita to be salvaged.

About 1980 Les Ruffell bought the wreck for a small sum, took her to a shed in Blenheim and completely rebuilt her above the hull. Apparently, the matai deck had been eaten out and was completely gone. The Bonita then went to Havelock and Les used her commercially to service Pelorus Sound mussel farms. He commuted between his home in Mary’s Bay, Homewood and Havelock. Under Les’ ownership the Bonita was used and shared with John Pickering and Robbie Brownlee.

“John and Robbie did a deal with Les Ruffell, who had the Bonita and bought his own mussel  farm, license 86, in Old Homewood Bay. He provided the food and whisky, and the three did their own farm work and used contract harvesters.” [Dawber, Carol 2004. Lines in the Water, River Press, NZ]

About ten years later Bonita was bought by Les’ son, Gary Ruffell, Canvastown for private use. Bonita is now again moored in Ngakuta Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound. She is run by a 78 hp diesel motor and is most reliable. On viewing a recent photo Ed Guard said that ballast has been removed as the launch is sitting higher in the water. [Edward Guard, Blenheim 2016]

Bonita – Ngakuta Bay 2014 photo: Margaret Hatton

JULY 2022 UPDATE – THERE IS A TENTATIVE SALE OF BONITA AND SHE WILL BE RELOCATING TO AUCKLAND

I’LL GIVE A WW CAP TO THE WOODY THAT CAN ID THE NEW OWNER

2022

The Moreton Bay Classic – PART TWO – The Race

Posted on by
3

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

The Moreton Bay Classic – PART TWO – The Race

Following on from yesterdays story showcasing the inaugural running of the Moreton Bay Classic – probably the biggest classic one day on-the-water event in Australia, today we get to see the race fleet up close. The last group of photos are from the post race festivities in Horseshoe Bay.                                                                                                                           If you missed yesterdays story – scroll down to view it or click this link  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/04/the-race-social-event-that-stops-the-bay-the-moreton-bay-classic-part-one/

As mention yesterday – the time is long overdue for an event like this on the Waitemata – no drag racers, no show ponies, no big ego’s or bad attitudes and no 24hr marathons  – just a good old fashioned woody day out accumulating in a bay for a BBQ. Details soon. 

The Race/Social Event That Stops The Bay – The Moreton Bay Classic – PART ONE

Posted on by
5

The Race Social Event That Stops The Bay – The Moreton Bay Classic – PART ONE

Todays mega woody story comes to us from Brisbane based woody Andrew Christie, who regularly sends in reports from the woody movement from across the ditch. Todays is a goody, so find a comfy spot and enjoy 🙂 Take it away Andrew – 

“For my part I have long looked across the Tasman Sea towards the Waitamata Harbour with envy.  The number of classic boats and classic boat events there is the stuff of magic and dreams for a wooden boat tragic.

Here on Moreton Bay in South East Queensland, its own boating paradise, we had nothing to compare until a grudge match between young Jacob Oxlade and Paul Crowther, bubbled to the surface in a throwaway challenge that snowballed in to the largest event for classic wooden boats that Moreton Bay has ever seen last Saturday, 25 June 2022.

Jacob Oxlade, 24 a qualified Master has the good fortune, skill and presence that has seen him become skipper of the South Pacific 11 a 72 foot vessel designed by Eldridge MGuiness and built by the famous Norman R Wright & Son in 1962.  Jacob skippers the South Pacific from Far North Queensland to Tasmania and has formerly skippered other known Moreton Bay Classics, Bali Hai, Mohokoi, Lady Brisbane and others.  Paul Crowther is a member of a successful business dynasty who has recently become the proud owner of the Mohokoi a 70 foot vessel built by Wayne Tipper in 1995.

Jacob in South Pacific was escorting Paul to Myora on North Stradbroke Island, an anchorage favoured by salty Classic Moreton Bay Cruisers as Paul got to know the ropes. As it happened, Mohokoi was ahead of the South Pacific and Paul slowed to let Jacob enter the anchorage first.  As is the nature of such things, an argument then ensued about who was first and who was fastest.  The gauntlet was thrown down by Paul and the challenge accepted by Jacob.  It was on.  The “Race that Stops the Bay” was suddenly being promoted on local classic boating social media but quickly became the “Event that Stops the Bay” to accommodate fears relating to insurance and other regulatory matters that tie down our modern nanny world.

Jacob hoped to attract perhaps eight of the known larger classic vessels and about ten smaller ones for an event he hoped would be reminiscent of old photographs he had seen of the processions of classic boats that escorted the Britannia up the Brisbane River on the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s visit to Queensland in the 1970s.

Jacob regrets that the entry form he published was not designed to accommodate the sheer volume of entrants that he had to process.  Thirty-One classic vessels registered to actively participate in a race of 10.9 nautical miles from Green Island near Manly Harbour in Moreton Bay to South West Rocks at Peel Island. Seventy-One classic vessels registered as spectators.  Jacob counted One Hundred and Twenty Classics in the post-race anchorage of Horseshoe Bay and more again were present close to shore before the starting gun. Entries continued to pour in after close of registration and even on to the day of the event itself.

Jacob is cognisant that each of these classic wooden boats is unique and special.   He inherited his love of them from his father Paul Oxlade who would take him boating from a young age, where Paul Oxlade would point out each of the old Queensland woodies, being able to name their owners, builders, build dates and slip ways, a remarkable skill seemingly only shared by the now Skipper of the Lady Brisbane Mark Nielson.  Such was his father’s inspiration that Jacob became a Master in his own right who desires to share his love of these classic vessels with his own younger generation.  He believes he has come some way to achieving this goal with what is to become a regular event in what is now known as “The Moreton Bay Classic”.

The race format was kept simple with the primary focus being on a day out and participation which had to be both easy and free as an antidote to our post Covid 19 world.  It was not a navigation event or log race. It was simply a race from post to post but with a handicap on each boats’ start times set by William Wright, a third generation boatbuilder and naval architect with the Norman R Wright & Sons dynasty who handicapped them according to their waterline length, horsepower and top speed.  First across the finish line was the Coral Sea, followed by Floodtide, Lady Mac, Nyala and Tamara.  A best and fairest award of a Garmin watch was won by the Skipper of Mohokoi, the decision being made by John Stewart, Commodore of the Breakfast Creek Boat Club.  The watch was donated with thanks to Gordon Triplett from Garmin.

Because this year’s event occurred spontaneously and without much notice, a fact belied by the sheer number of participants, it is intended to hold the event once more next year to allow those people who missed out a chance to attend, after which it will become bi-annual, to be held in the winter of each year of the Tasmanian Wooden Boat Festival.  The timing is designed to take advantage of the beautiful Winter conditions Moreton Bay experiences and to allow those vessels making their way North for the Winter season both from Tasmania and the South generally to participate. The date has already been set at 24 June 2023 which coincides with the commencement of the Queensland School Holidays and which avoids conflicts with other events listed on the Boating Industry Association’s calendar.  In the event of poor weather a contingency plan for celebrations at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron’s Canaipa campus are in place.

It is Jacob’s intention that next year all of the classic vessels will be entered as participants with any moderns to be registered as spectators as he explained there was confusion in the minds of classic owners unfamiliar with the format of the new event this year with the result many were shy, entering only as spectators.

At the conclusion of the race festivities continued with a presentation that occurred on the beach at Horseshoe Bay, where a feast of seafood, a lamb on a spit, and a pig on a spit was provided free of charge to participants.

Jacob focused specific attention on safety and an avoidance of inconveniencing non participants, the course being designed to avoid conflict with bay ferries or creating wake on local beaches.  The event was run in consultation with Maritime Safety Queensland and the Water Police who reported no negative occurrences from the event.  Congratulations must go to Jacob and Paul for their thoughtfulness in providing both general refuse and recycling bins at the beach function and for organising a clean-up of the beach the following day such that it was left in better condition than before the presentation.

Thanks must also go to Paul Crowther who paid for the spit roasts and a live band out of his own pocket, Bryant Engineering, the Queensland Gardner specialists who provided the seafood and who operated the rotisseries and set up and pulled down the beach facilities the day before and after the event and to Tony from Tony’s Boats and Marine who paid for bread, onions, napkins and the other bibs and bobs that made the barbeque a success.

The event was filmed by Nick Cornish who runs Game Rod Media so expect a quality documentary about it in the near future.  A Facebook group for the Moreton Bay Classic features footage of the vessels and the event and provides updated information future events.

With a view to keeping the event free to participate in, Jacob and Paul are looking for sponsors and are floating the idea of providing a cap or pennant to commemorate each future event which will bear sponsor logos.

And so a new event was born, the fruit of a throwaway challenge, but which highlighted the health of classic wooding boating in Moreton Bay.  Make sure you support the Moreton Bay Classic and see you on the waters of Moreton Bay on 24 June 2023, and suffer in your jocks on the Waitemata Harbour as it is warm and dry here in Queensland.”

I think waitematawoodys needs to look into pulling a similar event off on the Waitemata – back to you all ASAP with details 🙂 Alan H

The Race – below is just a tease – come back tomorrow for photos from the course 😉

Ubique

Posted on by
Reply

UBIQUE

The crew behind the Australian Wooden Boat Festival (Hobart) are very clever with their promotional support to promote the bi-annual festival. One of the tools / channels they use is a very cool video series (tagged Boat Folk) that showcases the festival and the people and boats connected to the area. I have posted some of their previous ones on WW.

Todays video showcases a beautiful local built vessel named – Ubique. Very few boats have the pedigree of Ubique both historically and which has spawned a thousand blue water cruising dreams. Famed yacht designer, Lyle C Hess, originally based the design for Ubique (pronounced U-bee-qway) on the legendary Bristol Pilot Cutter – the epitome of yacht design in the mid 1800s to early 1900s. 

Ubique is a sister ship to Taleisin, being commissioned by Brad Hampton via the Shipwrights Point School of Wooden Boat Building at Franklin, in Tasmania. Now, owned by David and Michelle Shering, the boat hosts many quiet family sailing voyages in the Channel. Click play and enjoy – I did 🙂

The dreaded covid was the kiss of death to the last festival so next years event – 10>13th February 2023 will be huge. Hope to be there myself.

Check out the 2019 festival below

Nothing Changes Much in 110 Years

Posted on by
2

Nothing Changes Much in 110 Years
Most significant transport vehicles in our lives e.g. automobiles, airplanes, trains have evolved significantly in the last 100 years – except for water-craft. Sure we have foiling catamarans contesting the America’s Cup but the above launch designed and built in 1910 still has the wow factor and would turn heads in any bay in 2022. The propulsion has advanced but in terms of drop dead looks – La Paloma is still a 10/10.

I was sent the photo by one of the overseas WW readers who commented that in the Frank Hellsten ‘colourised’ photo we see the boat building team posing at the launching of Josef Jonsson´s motor yacht – ‘La Paloma’ at the Engelbrektsson yard in Örebro in 1910. The owner is on the right with a rope. His sweater is marked with the name of the boat and the letter KAK (Kungliga Automobil Klubben – The Royal Automobile Club). At that time the KAK activities also included motor boats. The original b/w photo was taken by Samuel Lindskog´s and is on display in the Swedish Digital Museum.

Post launching the vessel must have be transported to a port as Örebro, which is conveniently located between Stockholm and Gothenburg, is land locked, (there is a lake). The city has always been a hub for transport and trade and attracted craftspeople and small business. Now days Orebro is Sweden’s sixth largest city.

Little is known of what became of La Paloma other than she in use at least until WW2.

We Lost A Woody Ex Workboat Yesterday

Dave Stanaway dropped me a note to advise that the ex Marine Department Fisheries and Radar launch – Tio was demolished at Pine Harbour yesterday. Dave’s cousin Hamish Stanaway took the photos below. She had been under water for a while. Dave commented that he did his advanced radar course on her in 1982 in Auckland. Neil Lineham was engineer on her. She made an appearance on WW back in Jan 2020.  https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/01/31/tio/
Always sad to see a back hoe anywhere near a wooden boat 😦

ENA – Australia’s Finest Steam Yacht

Posted on by
Reply

ENA Australia’s Finest Steam Yacht
The other day I stumbled across a photo of an amazing classic woodys named – End, I assumed that it was of US / Europe  origins but a quick search online and there she is next door eg Australia. Some background 

Ena is a 116′ steam yacht that was designed by Sydney naval architect Walter Reeks and built by WM Ford Boatbuilders, Sydney, in 1900  for Thomas Dibbs, the commodore of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. It was used as his private vessel for entertaining guests on Sydney Harbour and Pittwater until the beginning of World War I. In 1917 the yacht was purchased by the Royal Australian Navy and used as the auxiliary patrol vessel HMAS Sleuth in the waters around the Torres Strait and Thursday Island, before later being used as a training ship tender based in Sydney. In early 1920, the navy disposed of the yacht and it returned to private use until later in the early 1930s when it was sold to Tasmania.

Based in Hobart and under different owners SY Ena was used for a number of purposes including transportation of produce and fishing. It was converted to diesel power in the mid-1940s and renamed Aurore. After sinking in the early 1980s, the yacht was re-floated and eventually restored as a steam yacht close to its original configuration.

Ena subsequently circumnavigated Australia, as part of a visit to Western Australia during the 1987 America’s Cup and then served as a private charter vessel. Ena is now owned by the Turner family, one of Australia’s leading maritime families ( they founded the Sydney Maritime Museum) and she is based in Sydney at the Australian National Maritime Museum where it is part of the National Maritime Collection, and is also listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.

Ena considered to be one of the finest examples of an Edwardian period steam yacht in the world.

Maire – Where Is She Now

Posted on by
4
Kawau Island 1950’s
1954 ex K Ricketts
Early 1980’s
Post 1989

Maire – What Became Of Her

Woody Greg Philpott is on the hunt for the ex work-boat Maire, Greg has pulled together the below intel on the vessel but the trial drys up late 1998 >> on wards. Greg would also like more inset into when she was operating in Auckland in the 1960’s/1970’s. Have a read and let us know if your are able to close the story off. 

Maire was built by Roy Lidgard, in his boatbuilding shed in Smelting House Bay on Kawau Island around 1949. She was approximately 42 feet long and originally powered by a 4 cylinder, 88hp Kelvin diesel.

Maire was used by the Lidgards for their own use, towing and workboat activity mainly to tow logs from the Coromandel and barges of ships dunnage that had been milled by the Lidgards on Kawau Island for supply to Union Steam Ship Company ships in Auckland.

She was acquired in the mid 1950’s by Alwyn (mostly called Allan) Horsfall who was then the owner of the Mansion House property on Kawau Island.

It looks like she ended up in Auckland for much of the 1960’s and 1970’s and ownership possibly rested with a Theo Brian Thomas who was based around Panmure. From there Marie was sold to Andrew Paterson who converted her for charter fishing use in the 1980s and operated her firstly out of Sandspit and later out of Whitianga. During his time of ownership of Maire, in July 1981, Paterson removed the Gardner engine and gear box to install a GM motor and also changed the wheel house windows giving them a forward rake.

Marie was sold in 1985 to Neil Hopkins who also operated her out of Whitianga along with his son Grant. Next owner was Ross Packer who owned her from 1996 until 1998.

It is at this point that the trail goes cold; she was sold and believed to have been relocated up north to either Mangawhai or Mangonui. And her name was changed. At one point, one of the previous owners was contacted by the Marine Department questioning why all identifying pieces from the boat (life rings, name board etc.) had been found on a beach at Great Barrier. She was also later apparently seen up on the hard at Te Atatu as an unfinished project.

INPUT from Grant Thomas 

I had also been wondering what had happened to Maire. My Dad was Brian Thomas and he bought her off Horsfall approx. 1962.

I never realised she was originally used for towing etc but that would explain the extra lower belting etc. We owned her for 10 years and used her as a snapper fishing charter boat in the weekends plus went cruising on her in the early years. I was told that Horsfall sold her as she drew too much for the Sandspit run. Lidgards then built the Kawau Isle which looked just like the Maire but less draft.

Maire was 40 foot and drew 5 foot 6″ but 6 foot steaming. She was very slack bilged and use to roll  badly. We kept her up the Tamaki River at Waipuna Rd on the jetty Dad built. We used to slip her at Owen Woolleys yard but she was 20 tons and really too heavy for that slipway. So Dad built his own slipway which is still operating today. I have a great photo of her on the slip.

We did all sorts of commercial work with her, she was a very capable vessel and she was always kept well painted.At the same time we owned the HDML Alert and so there was always a huge amount to do. I spent most of my younger years working very hard trying to maintain these two boats. We also ate a hell of a lot of fish as my Dad was a top fisherman and Maire was a popular boat to charter.

INPUT from Colin Silby

Maire was sitting awaiting repairs shall we say at the Te Atatu boating club when sold. The new owner renamed her Lola May after his mother and sailed her down to Christchurch. On her return back up she settled on a sand bank off Waihi. As the tide dropped she lay over and flooded. I was involved in her salvage and brought her to Westpark where she was on sold.

27-02-2024 UPDATE – sadly she seems destined for life as a tiny-home or as materials.

The waitematawoodys X Factor – PIRATE

Posted on by
4

The waitematawoodys X Factor – PIRATE

One of the great things about the WW site is its ability to bring together past owners of woody classics with the current owners. Two examples in recent weeks

1. Alan Warren dropped me a note re the launch – Pirate , that was owned by Keith Warren in the period 1989>1994. Alan included the above stunning photo and commented that the photo was mounted near the kauri saloon table. Collectively we were able to get a high res copy of the photo to Pirate’s new owners.

2. Over the last year I have been trying to coordinate with Kennedy Warne for his 90+ year old father Ken Warne, son of Leone Warne who designed and built Pirate, to visit the boat – covid popped it’s head up every time there was a planned meeting – well last weekend the stars aligned and the family got to visit Pirate at Pine Harbour marina . Owners Tracy and Alan were shocked and thrilled when the Warne’s handed over the original line drawing done by Leone Warne for the boat. 

UPDATE ex Kennedy Warne

The below photo (of Dad with the Gilders in Pirate’s saloon) was taken when we meet the owners. It was just so good to reunite Dad with a launch that he had seen being built when he was a nine-year-old boy at Russell. We were able to supply Alan and Tracy with a couple more photos from when she was launched, and, as you noted, with the pencil plans, with their edges well chewed by sliverfish. Interestingly the plans showed she was originally planned as a 42-footer. At some point Leon must have decided that wasn’t enough, and she grew. 

There is an interesting story of how she was named ‘Pirate’ – it’s recounted in Neil Illingworth’s book ‘Fighting Fins’, refer the relevant pages below. 

Tracy & Alan Gilder + Ken Warne

01-10-2022 UPDATE: There was a NZ National Film Unit movie made under the same name ‘Flying Fins’ the youtube link below was sent in by K Ricketts. An interesting insight into the Big Game fishing scene in the far North – but all too cruel for me. As an aside I tracked down a copy of the ‘Fighting Fins’ book mentioned above – stashed away for summer cruising reading.

Bill Couldrey And His Boats – Help Wanted

Posted on by
5

BILL COULDREY AND HIS BOATS – Help Wanted

Book author and publisher – Jenni Mence (she will hate me using that intro, but its true) whose last book was the uber cool – ‘K CLASS – The Hauraki Gulf’s Iconic Racer Cruiser’, has committed to another mammoth publication. This time focusing on the Arnold Francis (Bill) Couldrey design and boat building bloodline.

Currently in the final research phase, Jenni has called out to WW readers for help identifying the boats and discovering / confirming things like –  the boats built and when, the current owner and/or anyone (owner or otherwise) who has a story to tell about the boat. Jenni would also love to talk to anyone who has memories of Bill himself.One has to assume many of the boats won’t have lasted the distance, however there may still be stories or family photos hanging around of them.
To help keep things semi organised we have broken it into loose categories

MULLET BOATS / 18 FOOTERS & SAILING DINGHIES

# Athena # Shamrock # Hawke # Limerick # Mamaru # Surprise 

# Desdemona # Lanai # Freedom # Nancye # Sonoma # Salome 

# Tamarus # Gay # Maui # Nudger # Kea # Mawera. 

YACHTS

# Gayleen # Awatere # Tarawai # Ocean Phoenix

LAUNCHES

# Pirimanu # Kereru # Cleone # Manunui # Reremoana # Tirimoana # Lisa Ann

# Rag Doll # Natalie # Cabaletta (may have previously been called Latitude) # Deborah Ann

Any further information anyone has on any of these boats – or other Couldrey boats we may not yet have identified would be really appreciated. 

As a reward for your input, everyone that helps out will go into the draw for a copy of Jenni’s K CLASS book + the best photograph submitted (judged by Alan H) also goes into a draw for a another copy of the book. Thats 2 Copies To Be Won. Draw Close off date is August 1st – just in time for Father’s Day

Initial Contact To Jenni Mence at jennimence@gmail.com

The Biography of Pearl Diver

Posted on by
Reply
Launch day Nov 1965 – Westhaven
Birkdale c.1968

The Biography Of Pearl Diver  

The build of the 30’ launch – Pearl Diver was started in 1960 by Ken Rickett’s friend Lloyd Burnand. She was built in an old corrugated iron shed, at his parent’s home, in Ngapipi Rd Orakei.  Lloyd bought the boat as a kit set off Shipbuilders, who supplied a good number of kit sets, all between about 28′ to 34′, during the years 1960-66. Over nearly 6 years Lloyd assembled / built the boat. At the time he was in his early 20’s (photo above of Lloyd outside the shed). Being somewhat of a perfectionist Lloyd put only the best of everything into the  build and the launch was his pride & joy between 1965 to1982. 

She was built of 3 skins of kauri, on opposite diagonals, held together by ‘Epiglue’, a very strong adhesive, this combined with through fastened copper nails, made her like a proverbial brick outhouse.   The coamings were fibre-glassed over marine ply, with a very distinctive, futuristic for the day, window styling, which was partly created by Lloyd purchasing and having professionally cut up, a windscreen from a 1950’s Chev Impala car, and using the 90 degree rounded corner sections of the windscreen glass of this, for her front screen corners. The rest of the boat was finished with a product called ‘International Poly 707’. 

Original power came from a 6 cyl. 100 h.p. intermittent and 86 h.p. continuous rating Ford diesel, which drove through a 2 to 1  Borg Warner gearbox & reduction gear, to a 20 x 22 Henley propeller. This engine was replaced c.1994 with a 180 h.p. inter-cooled artificially aspirated Ford diesel, which she still has today. 

Lloyd was a keen aqualung diver from way back in the very early days of the sport i.e. the mid1950’s. He even fitted a portable 3000 p.s.i. petrol driven, aqualung compressor on Pearl Diver. The boat was named after his passion for diving and his wife named Pearl – a habit of many ’smart’ boat owners back in those days 🙂 The launch was kept at several locations during Lloyd’s tenure  – Westhaven, Bayswater and the Tamaki River, but her best home was at the bottom of Llyod and Pearl’s waters edge home in Birkdale. There she would sit on a wooden cradle for winter maintenance. Note: click on photos to enlarge

Ownership Timeline

• Lloyd owned her until c.1982, when she passed to Pearl & her second husband Steve Lomax, kept on a swing mooring at the Sandspit, Warkworth. • Sold in c.1987/8, to a Mr C Bradshaw. For how long unknown – anyone able to confirm timings.  • Late 1980’s or early 1990’s appeared for sale with a Titirangi phone number – price $50k  • Mid 1999 she appeared for sale again with a Northland phone number. Price $75k, (new 180HP engine fitted). The ad photo shows a fly bridge added. The owner was Graham Eastgate of Tutukaka. • Eastgate sold her to Doug and Raewyn Marsh in July 1999 and they relocated the boat to McLeods Bay, Whangarei Heads. • July 2004 the Marshs sold the launch to Barry and Julie Spencer. The Spencers relocated the launch to Doves Bay, Kerikeri in August 2004. • Present owner, Reb Aplin, inherited Pearl Diver off the estate of Barry Spencer, Barry was in his 70’s, when they bought her and for a number of his later years Reb mostly cared for her, on his behalf, as age prevented Barry from doing much of her maintenance. When Barry passed away, late last year (2021), at age 89, he bequeathed Pearl Diver to Reb, who took the boat over a couple of months ago, and  is going through her, and bringing her right up to the minute, in every respect. Hopefully considering removing the block of penthouse. She is still moored at Doves Bay, Kerikeri. 

Special thanks to – Ken Ricketts for pulling the bones of this story together and the following people for their time, knowledge and sharing of photos – Pearl Burnand-Lomax, Warren Burnand ( Lloyd’s son), Val Schmidt (nee Burnand, Lloyd’s sister) and present owner Reb Aplin.  Story edited a lot by Alan H