MERRY WOODY CHRISTMAS Wishing you all a safe and Merry Christmas and happy New Year, hopefully you will get to spend some time with your family and friends. A know quite a lot of you will be finding a WW t-shirt under the Christmas tree this morning, it always makes me proud to see so many of you supporting our amazingly cool wooden boating community. On a personal note, while must of us didn’t get to spend a lot of time a float in the last 12 months, I did get to rubbed shoulders with a lot of you online and I never cease to be amazed by your friendship and generosity. The feedback and input I get from people is what keeps me motivated to write a woody story everyday. To those that have sent in stories and photos, I thank you for sharing them with us.
While the covid plague restricted the use of our boats, a lot of maintenance and restorations have been happening at yards and sheds and in the spring we saw a lot of classics re-entering the scene.We have also seen a large number of folks buying classics and a high percentage of younger owners, making the switch to wood.
It is my intention these holidays, technology and wifi access allowing, to keep publishing the daily stories. But if for some reason I miss a day, just check in again the next day. I ask that if you see anything woody related over the festive period you take a photo and send it in to waitematawoodys@gmail.com I’m always looking for content.
On a business front it was a big year for the Wooden Boat Bureau, and both myself and David Cooke would like to say thanks to all the people that we helped sell or buy a wooden boat in 2021 – The markets still active with buyers looking for well presented, smart looking woodys – so remember the WBB if you are thinking of buying or selling https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/01/wooden-boat-bureau-advice-for-buyers-and-sellers/
At What Number Do You Stop Being A Collector & Become A Hoarder? – Maru The fleet of classic vessels under the wing of Jason Prew grew over the weekend after a trip to Cooks Beach to extract the 24’ Mullet boat – Maru. Built be Clare and Collings, her sail number was #12. The clip below from the Boating NZ archives records how Mr Prew acquired the vessel.
The 24’ Lake Rotoiti based woody – Rambler was built by Joseph Anderson in the Big Omaha Valley near Matakana and launched in 1913. It took 3 years to build the boat and she was one of the first boats to be built with a kauri strip plank construction. Rambler was used to travel to Auckland as it was easier by boat than by road. After returning from World War 1, George Anderson, Joseph’s son, used Rambler to travel to Kawau Island for cray fishing, trapping possums and hunting deer. These trips also became the delivery for mail and provisions to those living on Kawau.
In the mid 1930’s, Rambler was sold to the local cobbler in Matakana and the boat was used for fishing trips but later was left in the mud in a sorry state. In the 1970’s Rambler was sold and given a major refit including having a top cabin added.
Rambler was discovered in Howick in 2000 and was brought to Lake Rotoiti, Rotorua by her current owners, where she was refitted with a revamped interior, hand made cedar mast, bronze and brass fittings and a number of other improvements. Approx. 1990 her engine was changed from a petrol Chev 4 to a two cylinder 20hp Chinese diesel. This still goes but needs to be replaced. Amazingly Rambler has had only four owners in her 108 year old life, and now is on the market, awaiting her next custodian. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.
The First Yacht Confirmed For The New CYA Heritage Basin Marina
If you were asleep all week, might be a good idea to click on the image below to catch up on the controversy around the probable selection criteria for classic CYA vessels berthing in the new CYA 40 berth waterfront marina.
click image to view
WW Quiz Winners – The answer to the Friday quiz re the number of boats Collings & Bell built turns out to be very questionable – Ron Wattlen in his book states over 1000 (see screen grab below) turns out it was a lot less – so woodys to be fair & kind (pass me a bucket) all entries went into the draw and the two winners of a copy of the book – ‘C J & A J Collings – Designed & Boat Builders’ are:
• Ross Dawson – Papakura • Dean Wright – B.O.I. (copies are in the mail)
50’ HALVORSEN MOTOR CRUISER – MINOCQUA Todays story from the Australian Wooden Boat Festival – ‘Folk Boat’ video series features the stunning Minocqua and her custodian, Andrew Cannon AM. The 50ft vessel was built and designed by Lars Halvorsen and Sons in 1947. The luxury motor cruiser is a great example of an early post World War II boat. She has now been berthed in Hobart for nearly 20 years and Andrew loves escaping his busy life, to spend time cruising the D’Entrecasteaux Channel on Minocqua. Sit back and watch the story above.
THANKS FOR VOTING
If you missed the results from Tuesdays POLL on the NZ Classic Yacht Association’s new Heritage Basin marina – its was a clear winner for the marina to be open to all CYA vessels, with 85% voting for this option. In comparison only 15% voted from it being used by YACHTS alone, via invitation, and these yachts would be pre WWII, NZ designed and built, and preferably gaff rigged, A Class vessels. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see what people with sawdust in their veins want. Over 1,000 votes received and the second highest day in terms of individual visitors to the WW site. Thank you again for all those that took the time to connect with the story. We will keep you posted.
The 1955, 38’ Supreme Craft built, ex game fishing classic launch Aquarius first appeared on WW back in Sept 2018, at the time she was hauled out on Waiheke Island and in a very sad state and we were reaching out to find a passionate woody that would take her under their wing – see that story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/09/01/aquarius-sos/ In April 2019 we reported that someone had stepped up to the mark and Aquarius was being transported back to the mainland and hopefully restored – see that story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/04/16/aquarius-saved/ Then in June 2020 we got to have a gander at the scope of the project, lots of photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/06/10/aquarius-restoration-update/
Now thanks to a tme listing we get a peek at the almost finished job, the listing tells us the interior need finishing and a final coat of paint to the exterior. I understand a lot of work has gone into the project – could be an easy entry into woody boating for someone prepared to roll their sleeves up.Her forward motion is via twin Ford 85hp diesel engines. Below is a peek at her journey 🙂
UPDATE 22-12-21 – photos below from the past sent in by Shamus
30-10-2022 UPDATE – Recently popped up for sale on tme. Still a work-in-progree but some bling being assembled to go on her 🙂
RESULTS OF YESTERDAYS CYA HERITAGE BASIN POLL – 85% BACKING FOR OPEN TO ALL CYA VESSELS – Over 1000 votes cast. Very high number of individual people visiting the site yesterday, 2nd only to a Mahurangi Regatta weekend story. Thanks also to all the emails and calls – I understand peoples hesitancy to comment ‘publicly’ on the site 😉
I had an email from a long term CYA launch owner “Greetings Alan, In my anger I voted thumb down when I wanted to vote for all wooden boats in the marina. Anyway to change it?”
At the start of the month, we got a glimpse of the 1968 John Lidgard designed and built launch – Pescador. WW link below to that story. At the time I was contacted by Phil Vining with the promise of more details on the boat. https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/12/01/pescador-a-southern-woody/ True to his word, Phil contacted me yesterday – I’ll let Phil tell the story:
“The WW story about ‘Pascador’ – A Southern Woody certainly brought back some fond memories for our family. I have also noticed Pascador in the Motueka Marina looking very smart and well looked after – she is a real credit to her current owner. The last time I visited the area I also took a photo of her to show my father who owned her back in the early 1980’s. I have good memories of taking my very young family out cruising on her in the Sounds at the time. Not long after dad sold her she went to Havelock and was lengthened by the next owner to create a bigger cockpit. At this time I owned Vining Shipbrokers Ltd and we had her listed, probably late 1980’s. Early this week I visited the Vinings Office and owner Ian Michel has done a great job of keeping the records from back in my early days. He has digitized all the old typed up listings so good to find a listing for Pescador in the system. As you can see, she was a quality design & build by John Lidgard back in 1968 … the good thing is she looks in better shape now than back then.”
TOMORROW ON WW – THE NZ CLASSIC WOODEN BOATING MOVEMENT – WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?
The launch Eldon was built in 1971 by Tauranga Boat Builders, so slips into the spirit of tradition woody category. The original owner was Eldon Jepson – thence the name.
Her specs are 48’ long and built with single skin kauri. It is believed that during construction, Tauranga boat builder Ted Gilpin, was often on hand, to assist in various ways, adding, the ”Gilpin touch,” which is very evident in her design & styling. When launched she was powered with twin Perkins 6-354 6 cyl. 130hp diesels.
Jepson sold her to an unknown person, not too long after she was built, who in turn, sold her to John Mayson, around the mid 1980’s. During John Mayson’s stewardship, of around 20+years, she was kept at Pine Harbour and used extensively for game fishing, from Tutukaka, up to North Cape, as well as general cruising, around the Hauraki Gulf.
She changed hands again (06-05-2008), to Dean Pollock, who continued to keep her at Pine Harbour and later sold her (22-07-2010) to her present owner, Peter Flood. She was transported by road to the Kaipara Harbour, where she was initially moored at Pahi, but they had a major bird mess problem there, so she was moved to Tinopai, where she presently lives.
In 2015 Peter Flood replaced the original 6-354 Perkins,130 hp with 2 x 6-354T, artificially aspirated 6 cyl. 1978 model Perkins, rated at 185 hp each. These had come out of 2 Commer fire engines, which had only done around 50,000Km., & having been in fire engines, had naturally been fastidiously maintained. Being a farmer and very handy, Peter marinized them himself. The engines were matched to the original Borg Warner gearboxes and heat exchangers off the original engines. He left the new engines with uncooled exhaust manifolds, which whilst they get warm, have created, no problems, in any way, as her engine room, under the bridge-deck floor, is apparently very well ventilated. The engines are mated up with a truck type silencer on each exhaust, with wet stainless steel exhausts for the last 4 feet, before they reached the hull skin fittings, so they are almost completely silent.
Peter Flood commented to Ken Ricketts that Eldon is an important part of his family and she is used all the time. In the last photo above of Peter at her helm, on the Kaipara Harbour that Eldon appears to be in excellent condition.
Thanks to Ken Ricketts for pulling the core of this story together and special thanks to the following gents for sharing details and photos – Harold Kidd, Brian Worthington, John Mayson, Dean Pollock and Peter Flood.
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