MAJOR ACCESS UPGRADES AT MILFORD CREEK LED BY WOODEN BOAT ENTHUSIASTS
Interesting day yesterday on the water, gave Dave Giddens a hand taking his woody motor yacht – ALLERGY to the Slipway Milford for a haul out .
For all the wrong reasons the day started bad eg late leaving her waterfront berth meant we were time poor re the Milford Creek tide / access and the forecast was for deteriorating conditions as the day went by.
ALLERGY is a big girl – approx. 58’ LOA and a beam of 14’ and two good sized masts. Saving grace less than 4’ draft.
Well with an outgoing tide, a NE up the bum that was gusting 20>25 knots we ordered up the bridge to be raised and lined up the fairway poles.
I believe no one captured the run, which is just as well. Short answer is we made it – but:
1. We both shook hands once under the bridge
2. Every skipper of a vessel moored in the Milford Marina should thank ALLERGY for pruning the Pohutukawa trees on the bank
3. A small donation is probably due to Project Crimson
4. The Slipway BBQ won’t have to buy firewood for a few months
Lastly – FOSTERS deserve a medal for their mast work 40 years ago – nothing budged 🙂
ONE MAN, ONE CRAFT – IS THIS SPAIN’S LAST REAL SHIPWRIGHT
Good friends Pauline and Tim Evill escaped the rain and cold of NZ and have been mooching around Europe. Tim dropped me a note about a famous old boat builder known as Pepe de Pacho, in Castropol in Asturias, northern Spain who was the oldest member of a family of wooden boat builders that had been working on the Rio EO from the same tiny boatyard for almost one hundred years.
After a visit to the boatyard, where no one was home, he headed to the marina and managed to track down the old man after much detective work. It was a wonderful experience. A asked Tim to pull a story together – which today we great to share.
In Tim’s words – “As we travelled along the magnificent coast of Asturias, passing one beautiful seaside town after the other, I decided to go looking for a legendary character whom I had read was revered as the last traditional shipwright in the area—Pepe de Pacho. After numerous false forays and clumsy attempts with Google Translate, we finally fell upon a group of salty sea dogs who got on the case for me, called around, found Pepe at home having lunch and wrangled an invitation to the great man’s house.
Now retired from building full-size boats, Pepe de Pacho or Pepe as he is known, turned his talents to the most intricately detailed model boat building. The exquisite samples of his work are now displayed in part of his home in a small museum. There, he continues to build his intricate wooden models and keeps the tradition alive in miniature.
When a couple of curious Kiwis suddenly turned up armed with nothing more than eagerness and spanglish he was extraordinarily magnanimous and generous with his time—even though he spoke barely a word of English. With a permanent smile,he took his time to show us around whilst describing the history of the original of each model whilst I smiled and nodded and sadly caught only about a tenth of what he regaled me with.
After about an hour of awe struck admiration of his entire collection of over 90 boats, we shook hands, posed for photos and bid a fond farewell to Pepe and his lovely wife. A modest man of immense talent and irreplaceable knowledge and craftsmanship.
As we left Pepe advised us to go and learn Spanish and come back again! Every boat has its own story, he said, and without the language, we’re missing too much history.”
Below we have the story of Pepe’s very salty life – its a great tale, I hope you enjoy the read. (as always you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them)
Pepe de Pacho: The Soul of the Asturias Boatbuilding
Tucked along the estuarial shores of the Río Eo in Asturias lies a living relic of Spain’s maritime past—not in a grand museum, but in the humble home of Pepe de Pacho, one of the last true carpinteros de ribera, or traditional boatbuilders, in the region. Born José Félix González Vijande in 1946 in the coastal town of Piñera (Castropol), Pepe inherited more than a family name—he inherited a calling.
Roots in the Ría del Eo
Pepe’s journey into the world of boats began not in a classroom but at the workbench. His father, Marcelino “Pacho” González, established Astilleros Pacho in 1944—a modest shipyard that would become the heart of a multi-generational tradition. By the age of 14, Pepe was apprenticing alongside his brother Carlos, shaping timber and learning the rhythms of the tides and the wood grain under his hands. The workshop, later relocated to Berbesa on the Eo estuary, became a vital node in a once-bustling network of small boatyards lining the Asturian coast.
Throughout the mid-20th century, the Pacho yard built robust wooden vessels for fishing fleets from Galicia to the Basque Country. The craft they were most famous for were the handbuilt, Lateen sailed ‘Pacho’ boats. 6 metres long traditional Cantabrian sailing boats with a rounded hull and folding centreboard that have become the favourite class racing boat of the region. These weren’t just pleasure boats—they were lifelines for coastal communities and the main form of local transport carrying salt, wine and produce for centuries.
Reputation for Mastery
Pepe earned a quiet but steadfast reputation as a craftsman of integrity. Among those in the know his boats were prized and desired for being incredibly seaworthy and superbly built. He possessed an intuitive understanding of how wood moved with water. Colleagues often noted how he could “read” the timber—knowing by touch alone if a beam would flex too much under pressure or hold fast in a swell.
But it wasn’t just skill with tools that defined him. It was his dedication to keeping the traditions of Asturian boatbuilding alive in an era increasingly dominated by fiberglass and mechanization.
A Shift to Miniature, Not to Retirement
When Pepe finally retired from full-size boatbuilding in the 1990s, many assumed he would quietly fade from the maritime scene. Instead, he pivoted into an entirely new phase of artistry: the construction of model boats, each one a precise and poetic tribute to the vessels he once launched into the Cantabrian Sea as well as noteworthy craft from all over the world.
“I retired many years ago, and these are the only boats I build. All my life I worked in the shipyard founded by my father, Marcelino, known as ‘Pacho’. Now it’s my nephew Martín, who’s in charge of it,” explains Pepe as he shows us each of these scale replicas of ships that once left his shipyard, some of which can still be seen sailing the Eo estuary.
Using the same materials—local chestnut, pine, iroko—and the same techniques, Pepe began to produce handcrafted miniatures that mirrored real historical ships down to the finest plank and rivet. His first model, built in 1977, was merely a curiosity. But in retirement, he dove into the practice in earnest, creating over 90 unique pieces, many of them now on display in a personal museum in his home. The construction process is exactly the same as that followed in the construction of a real boat: it begins with the keel, placing the frames, fixing the stem and sternpost and nailing the sheathing planks, continuing with all the elements that go in the interior and from the deck upwards, especially the rigging and sails, made by the no less skilled hands than those of his wife Mirita
These models aren’t toys—they are scaled time capsules. From traditional fishing boats and rowboats to, English Tugboats and legendary schooners like El Industrial, Pepe’s work captures an exact scale model of history in each perfect centimeter of wood and rigging. Every curve tells a story, and every example is the result of countless hours of painstaking labor.
What a pleasure it was to meet Pepe who is understandably proud of his incredible body of work, and sustifiably so. But he was also so delightfully humble when I praised his astounding craftsmanship and meticulous work. Pepe is always eager to share his passion for boats big and small and anyone who wants to see his ‘museum’ here, at his home, just has to let him know before coming. Visits are free. Good luck.
A Legacy Beyond the Eo
Though he remains modest, Pepe has quietly become internationally respected in maritime heritage circles. His models have been featured in exhibitions, publications, and even cataloged in a book authored by his brother-in-law, Ignacio Vares. His daughter Aida created a website to showcase the collection, ensuring these vessels—both large and small—remain accessible to future generations.
Local efforts to preserve his legacy continue. The town of Castropol is preparing a new edition of the book chronicling his work, recognizing not just Pepe’s craftsmanship but his cultural importance as a living link to an endangered maritime tradition that fortunatley still lives on, in the capable hands of Pacho’s nephew at the same little shipyard on the banks of the Rio Eo where little has changed for one hundred years.
I’m a big fan of the Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club, they seem to have the mix right when it comes the wooden boating community. Recently I was chatting to Roy Jones (Roysie) who among other things pulls together the clubs newsletter. Roysie mentioned a project he had been working on and promised a story – and today woodys we get the enjoy that story – I’ll hand over to Roysie to tell it.
“Fifteen years ago The Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club was gifted a 14ft clinker hulk which came with a remarkable provenance. Built by Ernie Lane in 1920 for Mr John Brownlee, son of the timber tycoon, William Brownlee of Havelock, the boat was in a sorry state and owned by Club Member, Noel Johnson.
Noel’s initial attraction towards Ruru was that, when he lived in Havelock as a child in the mid 40’s, he can vividly remember Ruru resting in the creek near the present causeway, whilst owned by the Havelock butcher, Mr Johnny Buncombe. Playing in Ruru, he would often be chased off and Noel miraculously relocated the boat again in 2003 on the Holdaway farm near Blenheim.
The Holdaway’s had purchased Ruru in 1948, from Johnny Buncombe for 100 Pounds, and who himself, had bought her from the Brownlee’s in 1933.
Now in a very sorry state, Barry Holdaway gave the hulk to Noel who intended to restore her. Aged 80, he realised it was beyond him, and Noel wisely gifted the craft to the Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club in an effort to preserve her, and it worked.
Ruru as restored in Jan 2010
Ruru is the Club’s flagship and is utilised on all the club runs as such. Roy had a little to do with the restoration and always admired her lines as created by Ernie, she was now available for all to view and admire. So last Christmas he borrowed Ruru for a week and after setting her up, took her lines off and drew them up on the computer. From these he created a table of offsets and after lofting out, began construction early in the New Year.
Ernie created a built-down style of deadwood almost a bustle, presumably to ensure the engine could be low as possible and with a fairly level prop-shaft, but this was difficult to recreate.
He must have steamed the kauri planks tightly to achieve the curvature around the stern deadwood rebate. Roy elected to use Meranti 9 mm marine ply rather than timber purely due to supply constraints. While gluing the lands removed the need for nailed and roved laps, it still required steamed American Oak ribs. This was the only job Roy required assistance with and co-opted a couple of retired members in the club to assist with the morning’s task. Peter Baker & Keith Henson willingly helped out and this is the norm amongst the Clinker Club members, advice and assistance is most often always freely available.
Propulsion System We originally installed a Stuart Turner P66 twin cyl. 10 hp engine in Ruru, but this was overpowered, so we swapped it for a P55 5 hp which proved more appropriate, however, the Stuart Turner became problematic for the numerous skippers in the Club. We have since settled upon a Lifan Chinese 6 hp and this has run well for 10 years, but is quite noisy. Roy considered this and, after speaking with new member, Tim Barton about his neat little electric 12ft’r, Billy O Tea, decided to also install an electric system in the Ruru clone.
With Tim’s advice on where to go for the Chinese supplier, Roy ordered a 4kw, 1000 rpm 48v dc motor and controller, which duly arrived about 4 weeks later without problem. At around $3,500 landed, he considered it reasonably economical.
Subsequent to that major decision, he continued construction, framing the deck and glassing same. Unlike Ruru, he made the top strake varnished with a sub belting along the bottom edge in a more traditional style. Lacking more traditional hardwoods for the beltings, standard Quila timber decking was utilised and machined to suit; merely because it is readily available and reasonably economical.
The dc motor is considerable, weighs about 30kg developing 39 N.M.
The universal is a CV joint from a wreckers, and the thrust bearing just aft. The motor output shaft is 35mm!
Having decided upon electric propulsion, Roy decided to throw the cat another goldfish and fitted hydraulic steering to enable comfortable curved seating in the stern without a the tiller interfering with guests seated there.
Once again, Roy went online and researched hydraulic steering systems. Having been quoted over $2000 locally, it cost less than $500 for a full set imported and landed at the door in 3 weeks.
The short S.S. rudder tiller penetrates the transom quite unobtrusively, to the ram below deck and can be disconnected from the rudder when removing for trailing.
The Electric system enabled a centre console with motor and battery installed beneath, leaving a huge area amidships, where an engine is usually placed. A forward curved seat fits neatly behind the curved foredeck coamings. The large 48v lithium battery required is situated under the front seat of the console, while the motor and drive train is beneath the foot level lid below the helm.
The 48v 100 amp hr lithium battery is the blue item & takes up the full width of the compartment. The silver item is the motor speed controller that came with the motor. The yellow lead is for connecting to the 48v HD charger.
Roy purchased the 48v 100 amp hour Lithium Ion Battery from Auckland along with the new trailer, driving up and back being cheaper than freighting both down to Marlborough.
He also installed a GPS Plotter & Sounder plus a Victron battery management system from Burnsco. This is a magic device providing a shunt in the neutral supply and thus determines the present battery voltage, the currently used amps & watts, plus provides a range in hours and minutes left in the battery. It is supplied with a 50mm gauge but the best method of readout is by Bluetooth to a cell phone enabling all the readings on one screen.
The greatest dilemma with electric boat propulsion systems is range anxiety, knowing how long you can actually cruise for, at the present power usage. Well, the Victron system diminishes this to a normal fuel level concern, if you run at full power then your fuel range will be minimal, but with sensible throttle use many hours are available. Roy intends to calibrate the range from GPS speed, Shaft rpm & amps drawn. These are shown further on.
Tim provided his figures, and for example at 3.3 knots Billy O Tea draws 5.2 amps, at 5 kts she draws 22 amps but at 5.4 kts, draws 50 amps indicating her best hull speed is just below 5 kts. i.e. 100 amp hour battery at 22 amps = 5 hrs motoring, and you can always slow down!
We used GPS speeds & digital tacho rpm figures with the Victron gauge providing the current drawn. Roy will do similar with Toroa EV, (her new name now she is completed.) Toroa means Salvins Mollymauk (and the EV is electric vessel!).
Ruru like most clinker hulls is a very seaworthy craft and it is on record that when Ernie Lane completed her, she was motored around from Picton to Havelock by a Mr Doug Pickering. This is a daunting trip for a 14ft Clinker, even today, and he is reported to have had fuel trouble near Cape Jackson, Doug simply tied Ruru to some kelp while he cleaned out the fuel line of shavings! Ruru was fitted with a Scottish Kelvin of about 5 hp from new and to have motored the 60 odd miles around the Cape was an impressive feat 105 years ago!
When one considers that she was built shortly after the First World War, it is remarkable that it was obviously intended she would have an engine from new. It wasn’t a retrofitted engine installation as is usually the case with this vintage. Perhaps this would indicate the wealth of the original purchaser, Mr John Brownlee?
With the helmsman and passenger sitting in the stern sheets. Toroa EV rides high in the bow but with passenger forward she sits nicely to the waterline.
Roy advised that Toroa EV took 5 months to construct at old farts pace… i.e. 5 hr per day knocking off at rum o’clock. He takes great delight in creating clinker craft, believing if the boat is pretty, it will become a 100 year boat. (only pretty boats last 100 years because their owners love them!)
The Picton Clinker Club members own many small clinker & classic style boats and are committed to salvaging and restoring these wonderful small craft, often saving them from various scrap heaps or bonfires.
Toroa EVPerformance
Revs Speed Amps
350 2.1kts 2.4
450 2.6kts 3.5
650 3.4kts 6.6
800 4.1kts 11.7
970 5.3 kts 16
1070 5.4 kts 21
1250 5.9 kts 39
As you can see, any attempt to exceed 5 knots hull speed causes the amps load to dramatically increase, up to about 4.5kt is very economical indeed but a little more and range diminishes dramatically. Exactly the same of a combustion engine I guess.”
All Alone & Very Cold – (overnighting due to mast height)
CLASSIC WOODYS BOAT SHOW AT OBC
On Sunday we held the inaugural classic woodys boat show – hosted by the OBC Marina.
WW was holding hands with Auckland’s – Outdoor Boating Club on Tamaki Drive as they celebrated their annual open day. Magic location and set up – check out the club here https://www.obc.co.nz
As it seems to always happen at woodys events, the weather was 10/10, a perfect winners day. Check out the photo gallery above.
The day had all the ingredients for a fun family day out – Nice boats + Nice people, topped off with classic trailer boats, classic cars, food/coffee trucks, kids activities and a bonus – the team from LEGASEA , the kiwi hero’s that are dedicated to restoring the abundance, biodiversity and health of NZ’s marine environment – check out the website https://legasea.co.nz
Enjoy the photos, it was a great day and everyone left with a smile on their face.
MYSTERY CLASSIC LAUNCH AT WESTHAVEN IN 1967 + BOOK REVIEW
Earlier in the week I was sent by.John Burland a link to a fb video that featured the 1967 visit to NZ by ‘Miss Wool USA – 1966’.
I won’t bore you with the link, but it shows her touring NZ, of interest WW is that in the video there is a very brief shot of Westhaven marina, Auckland.
I have taken a screen grab that show a rather large wooden launch, an interesting mix of styles – bridge-decker, tram top + dog house.
BOOK REVIEW – ‘WATER ROADS – Boat Travel and Tourism in New Zealand from 1840’
Recently a copy the above 530 page book appeared in the WW letterbox, I was amazed the letterbox didn’t collapse under the weight 🙂 The last time it would have carried the books weight would have been when NZ Post was still printing telephone books.
The author is Neville Ritchie and to quote Neville – “the book tells the story of water-based tourism in NZ” and focuses on the small boat operations established to take visitors to tourist attractions on overnight cruises. It also takes the reader on a history tour od boating building in NZ. The story starts at the top of the North Island and finishes off at Stewart Island.
As an indication of the extent of the content we start off c.1840 with maori in ex whaleboats and end with the electric foiling ferries on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.
As indicated above its a monster of a read, I can see myself consuming it in bite size chunks over an extended period of time.
If your a serious marine historian your bookcase will be lacking if you do not have copy.
WIN A COPY – Answer the question below correctly and you will go into the draw for a copy of the book. Entry By Email only to > waitematawoodys@gmail.com.
Entries Close 6pm Friday 18-07-2025.
QUESTION: In the early 1900’s what were the words commonly used to describe (small) motorboats?
THE RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – ARIANA (TE KAWAU) – PART THREE
Following on from Mondays story on Sven Wiig’s classic wooden vessel – ARIANA, previously named GLENROWAN and TE KAWAU. Sven has just sent in Part Three.
Todays story takes us up to current and woodys we will have to wait for the final part for a little while, but rest assured there will be one 😉
And as highlighted in Part One Sven is looking for any intel on her past , and is very grateful for those that commented last week.
“Now I just had to make a new one and put it all back together. Hummm. My fellow boat owners all came to check out progress and I got the distinct impression that they thought I had killed her. If I am honest I was wondering this myself…. I was going to need lots more kauri. Fortunately Solomon came up with the goods, a couple of large beams that had once been part of a bridge (thanks Mate). One of these was sawn up to make a new inner. I sourced some beautiful bronze screws and fitted the inner back into the boat. I was most relived to see that the stern was now back in shape. All the seams had closed up and she had a nice round bum again. I clearly had done something right. Next up was to make up the new outer. Grown hardwood wasn’t an option so I decided that I was going to laminate one. I made a former and laminated up the new outer.
New Inner being fitted up.
Outer laminated and roughed into shape
New outer stem being fitted. The inner and outer where then bolted with bronze rod to new horizontal knees inside the stern and at the top of the bulwarks. Whew.
Now where were we. Bulwarks. I finished prepping for the bulwarks. Fortunately Olaf was back in the country for a Summer break. What better way to relax than giving his brother a hand fitting the new plywood? A couple of exhausting days later and we had the first layer on.
A second layer was added at both ends for added strength and a certain amount of flare.
Olaf went home to England and I finished the Bulwarks off with some trim and paint. The bronze rubbing strips were replaced and another milestone reached. The whole top half of the boat was now complete, well almost.
To celebrate I made some bling for her. New nav light and dorade boxes.
Recently I passed another milestone. Four years on the hard. Every year I tell myself that this summer she will be back in the water. I have only a few more months now if that dream is going to be achieved. We will see. I have moved onto getting the inside back together. New tank cradles have been built and today I installed her new diesel and water tanks. Next up will be building a new sole for the wheel house and replacing the cabinetry that John the previous owner had made from trees felled on his farm. I am looking forward to that. Will let you know how I get on.”
CLASSIC WOODY HOKIANGA TRIP REPORT + AUCKLAND’s OKAHU BAY HAUL OUT UPDATE
Recent Barrie Abel pointed his car north and checked out the Hokianga area. Highlight was a visit to the Kauri Museum, as seen in the above photos.
Barrie also spotted a mystery launch (last above) moored right up the head of the Hokianga Harbour, distance prevented being able to put a name to her but Barrie was told it was a locally owned craft.The ‘bush’ photo features the renowned kauri tree named Tane Mahuta. Also seen is a bronze casting of the dolphin OPO, that entertain beach going at Opononi in the 1955/56 period.
OKAHU HAUL OUT / HARD STAND UPDATE
Thanks to the tireless efforts of numerous concerned citizens and the Auckland Yacht & Boating Association, we have the opportunity to influence the final decision of whether or not Auckland boaties get to retain some access to this prime waterfront boat maintenance area. Links here to view the newsletter https://mailchi.mp/3cc024ff5cfe/press-release-okahu-bay?e=d030fd704b And link here to view a copy of the full press release.
THE RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – ARIANA (TE KAWAU) – PART ONE
Last week we ran a story from Sven Wiig on his wooden vessel – ARIANA, previously named GLENROWAN and TE KAWAU. Sven was looking for any intel on her past , as he undertook a rather epic restoration project. As I always do I asked for some regular updates and photos – well on Saturday the email inbox started to groan when Sven’s email arrived. Slightly different format today, but it suits the story – as told by the man himself.
THE NEW DECK
In May 2020 we bought ‘Ariana’. We knew she needed some work, there were obviously rotten bits here and there and the deck seemed a bit spongy in places but looking inside all seemed pretty sound and she had a brand new engine. How can we go wrong? The owner made me an offer I couldn’t refuse as he said he thought I was the right person to take her on and he wanted me to have her. So we bought her and had her transported down to Wellington and the same truck then took our old boat ‘Primadonna’ up to our good friends in Auckland.
Ariana arrives in Wellington
We enjoyed Ariana for a year just cruising the harbour and taking friends and family out for picnics. A year later I had a break in work and decided now is the time. Ariana was hauled out at Evans Bay I had six weeks before the next job and I was going to have the boat back in the water before I had to leave town. No problem pull the old ply up put some new ply down, easy. That didn’t go to plan. Pulling up the old ply revealed, compost. A bodged previous repair had been letting in fresh water for many years. I enlisted a friend to give me a hand and we kept digging. We discovered the entire deck structure, sheer clamp, carlins, cabin coamings and bulwarks were all rotten. At this point I made a panicked call to my brother Olaf who is a qualified boatbuilder and asked for advise. ‘No worries, you got this, one piece of timber at a time.’ My partner was less encouraging advising me that the only way forward involved a chainsaw and a skip bin. She was right. I seriously considered this option. Couldn’t do it, I had been entrusted with Ariana and I was going to save her. To encourage my madness Olaf came down from Auckland and gave me a hand to start laminating up the first section of sheer clamp. I continued demolishing pieces of the boat. In between I made new bits to try and keep spirts up. I pulled out the old fish hold, still under the rear deck, to discover ballast in the form of river stones and rusty railway iron. The pile of debris grew, less and less of Ariana remained.
My friend Bede discovering the extent of the rot.
Rotten wood and ballast.
Six weeks passed and I had to go back to work. I had some shear clamp and carlins in place and I had a destroyed boat. Several months passed while I was away working and I returned with new energy. Realising I was never going to get it done alone I convinced two clever friends to give me a hand. Pete, Marc and I started replacing deck structure, framed up and new front cabin and replaced planking where the rot extended into the top planks. Broken ribs were sistered with laminated white oak and riveted in place. We were making some good progress…
Front cabin framing underway.
Fiddly time consuming work.
New deck beams installed.
Then the budget ran out and work ground to a halt. Months passed with me only finding the odd weekend here and there to move the project forward. Slowly I finished the deck structure and created a small dog box extension to the wheelhouse, above the old fish hold. One day this will be a cabin for my son. A year had past and finally I could start laying some plywood for the new deck. A job I had optimistically thought I would be doing nine months earlier.
However before I could lay the ply at the stern I decided I had better investigate the lazarette hold. Something wasn’t right back there. I wasn’t to find the full extent of the un-rightness of this area for some time, more of that later. First was to chip out all the concrete that had been poured into the bilge. Several days of extremely unpleasant work later I had removed the concrete to reveal and section of keel or deadwood near the cutlass bearing that was all punky. Degraded by electrolysis. The anodes and bonding wires had taken a toll. I cut back the punky wood until I found good solid timber. Sealed it with epoxy and went looking for some more Kauri. Some large Kauri beams were sourced and a section of keel patched in with new floors.
Last of the concrete.
Keel patch coming together.
Moving on I built a hatch for the lazurette and laid the last of the plywood. Fibreglass was laid. She finally had a deck again and another year had passed. Two years into a six week project and I was maybe half way finished.
To Be Continued………
THE WINNER OF YESTERDAYS DES TOWNSON QUIZ RE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL DESIGNS – IS KEN MULGREW WITH THE ANSWER 74. As recorded in the Brian Peet book – Des Townson A Sailing Legacy.
CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – ARIANA / GLENROWAN / TE KAWAU
Earlier in the week WW was contacted by Sven Wiig the owner of the classic wooden ex workboat – ARIANA. ARIANA made an appearance on WW back in Oct 2020 – link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/01/10/ariana/
I’ll hand over to Sven to tell the story –
“Today I had a bit of a breakthrough researching my boats history. You may remember I bought ARIANA in about 2020 and have been searching for more information ever since. A while back I discovered that before she was named ARIANA and before GLENROWAN she was named TE KAWAU as shown in the top photo above which I had just discovered.
The other photos are also from the 1950’s. She was then owned by Bill Ryland and fished out of Wanganui. Bill owned her until 1974 when she was sold to the Turner family and moved to Nelson where John Turner ran her. Sometime in the 1980’s she changed hands again and was renamed GLENROWAN then to the John Stewart who had her converted then I bought her.
So I’m hoping someone knows who owned her before Bill? The Turner family knew of the boat in the 1940’s as old man Turner fished on her then, possibly out of Picton. My best guess is that she was built by Lanes of Picton but searching the records does not come up with her name. I have been told that she may have been built in Lyttleton so maybe Millar Bros? She is similar to other boats built by Lanes and Millar and Tunnage so who knows?
ARIANA / TE KAWAU is currently still on the hard where I have been undertaking a major rebuild / restoration of her.”
WW has asked to be kept updated on the project, so fingers crossed for more stories. In the mean time can we learn more about this classic woody.
Check out the size of the snapper on the trailer in the b/w photos
Todays woody story has a twist to it – while the launch KOURA is a genuine classic wooden boat her days afloat are over. Not by neglect or mishap – read on to hear her story and hopefully one of you might be the next custodian.
At the time she had been transformed into a land based ‘man-cave’. Her new ownershad bought Koura to enable Chris Devereaux – a passionate boatie – to enjoy owning a vessel again despite being confined to a wheelchair. The family had many happy cocktail hours aboard her and their grand children had fun sleeping aboard and playing captains and pirates in the holidays. Restoring and creating the KOURA as she is today gave Chris a purpose and much joy.
Sadly Chris succumbed to his auto immune disease in late May and now partner Barbara Harris is selling their Whangarei property and KOURA needs a new home.
So woodys – if any of you are interested in buying her and continuing her story Barbara would love to chat. Whilst KOURA would be very cool as a ‘man cave’ , there must be a grandad out there with some spare land that he could install KOURA on. Me thinks that overnight you would become #1 grand parent.
If you or someone you know has room in their life for KOURA – initially contact Barbara at Bjaneharris1@gmail.com
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