Category Archives: Tales & Yarns

Your Harbour Needs Your Support Today @ 3.30pm

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Open letter to Ports of Auckland
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Stop Stealing Our Harbour

C’mon Ports of Auckland, stop stealing our harbour!

So no-one would notice, you snuck through a resource consent just before Christmas to extend Bledisloe Wharf nearly 100m into the Waitemata Harbour. No public notification, no public consultation.

You plan to begin work on the extensions next month despite public outcry.

Apart from destroying views of the harbour from Queens Wharf – views we Aucklanders paid $40 million for – the Bledisloe extensions are the thin end of the reclamation wedge.

Once the extensions are in place, you will simply apply to fill in the gap so you can park thousands of cars and stacks of containers.

We are not against Ports of Auckland operating in the city but we are against you grabbing more space, narrowing an already congested Waitemata Harbour and blocking connections and views between the city centre and the harbour entrance – that belong to Aucklanders.

In 2013 Len Brown promised a study of the social, cultural, environmental and economic effects of Ports of Auckland’s place in the city before any further expansion. We are still waiting for that study. Doing the study will not cost the city any jobs or the Council any dividends. Until it’s done, you MUST stop all expansion work including the extension of Bledisloe Wharf.

The Waitemata Harbour is one of Auckland’s greatest assets, one we hold in trust for future generations. Through your actions it is now under further threat.

Aucklanders deserve better than this.

If you own something that floats – get out there today at 3.30pm to show you care.

 

Some Photos from the day

 

 

 

Which Boat Today ?

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Which Boat Today ?

If your names not Tony Stevenson that’s not a question many of us ask ourselves. When I picked up the Jan/Feb issue of the uber cool kiwi lifestyle magazine – NZ Life & Leisure, I discovered that there is someone else out there that’s been bitten by the classic boating bug, big time 🙂 Enter Charlotte & Richard Stevens, their menagerie of boats includes – ‘D’Urville’ a 70′ kauri, Laurent Giles designed motor boat, built by McMullen & Wing in 1975 – ‘Mickey Mouse’ a 1967 Ford 10 powered Albatross Motors speedboat – ‘Carvel’ their exquisite 1962 Norm Keen designed & built lake boat – a Frostbite, a Lazer, numerous canoes/kayaks & paddle boards AND a 45mph V8 powered ski boat. That ww followers is an impressive collection.

The article is a both a great read & a wonderful visual insight into the life & boats of Charlotte & Richard & we thank them for sharing it with us.

Todays post has been reproduced with the permission of Fairfax Media. The spectacular photos are from the camera of Tessa Chrisp & the words from the typewriter of Rebecca Hayter (NZ Boating editor). Check out the magazine at their website     http://nzlifeandleisure.co.nz

Note: if the images above are a little hard to read – you can view it here as a PDF file, click the blue link 😉

Lake Rotoiti

Iris

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IRIS
photos & details ex Chris Manning & Harold Kidd

Harold has advised that Iris was built by Ernie Lane for E.A. Johnson of Havelock in 1923 and was 40′ x 8’6″ x 3′ 5″ and originally had a 1918 H.C. Doman 2cylinder 15hp, later a Fairbanks Morse then a Kelvin.

Chris added that she was sold to the Orchard family for fishing duties mid 20th century (ish).  Later while at Picton in the 1960’s she suffered a major fire while apparently the gearbox was being cleaned out with petrol.  Some of the fuel spilt into the bilge and caught fire from some dodgy bilge pump wiring.  After the fire Bill Orchard hauled her out and stripped the hull/house so she looked like a big canoe.  She was rebuilt with a couple of extra planks all around, new deck and new house.  Hence the big change in her lines from the oldest images to the newest.

Chris thinks Iris was sold to Athol Sadd of Blenheim in the seventies and was used as a commuter between Picton (later Waikawa) and his property in Ruakaka Bay.  Apparently Athol had a bit of a scare with a rail ferry in in the fog one night/day and within a few days the ‘starship enterprise’ radar scanner arrived.

In 1986 she was re-powered from the 471 GM that Bill Orchard put in her to a 671 Detroit (she has a size able engine box in the aft cabin).  The engine is rated to 180hp at 1800RPM.  Peter Rothwell fabricated the running gear having a 2 inch 316 SS shaft with a 4 bladed 26/24 Nalder and Biddle propeller.  She goes really well such that the propeller holds the engine at a whisker over 1750 RPM (with prop speed). The prop has a bare 3/4 inch between the blade tips and the hull –  a bit of copper sheathing is required there..  Economy wise, she burns about a litre a mile at about 12 knots.  At 1800RPM with flat water, a clean bum and no passengers she can touch 16 knots.

Mark Rogers and Chris bought her in partnership in 2009 and have progressively refitted her.  Chris said she will never be ‘finished’ but she will steadily improve, his quote is ‘Boat Finished > Man Die’ 🙂

Iris also has a sister ship, the Mavis, which is alive and looking very nice in Havelock.

Photos of Mavis below ex Chris Manning

Mavis
Mavis

Arapawa

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Te Mahia c1920
Owned by Watsons, East Bay
Owned by Watsons, East Bay
New wheelhouse ex Des Tierny
Lake Rotoiti 2015

ARAPAWA

photos & details ex Rachel Jamieson (one of the powerhouses behind the Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade)

Rachel is very keen to find out more about her mothers launch, Arapawa. Like a lot of old launches Rachel has uncovered a mixed bag of info, alot conflicting but recent discoveries are looking good – Anyone able to confirm or correct the info below ?

Below are two excellent letters from Pete at Eco-Tours in response to Rachel contacting him. Read below (edited)

Letter #1 (Pete to Rachel)

“Was good to receive your letter Rachel, I was contacted by Trevor Watson several months ago asking for info. My opoligies for not responding.
I have had a search through my notes but couldnt find much detail. She was probably built by Ernie Lane, I would suspect in the early 1920’s, for a Mr Bay who started the guest house at Te Mahia .
Old Joe Hebberly thought that she was origionaly called the ‘Gannet’.  She was always distinctive due to the vee stern, the only one like it in the Sounds.
I was told that she had a Bolinger 2 stroke that you had to stop and start running in opposite direction  to run in reverse ! She was sold to Tim Watson in East Bay on Arapawa Island who changed her name to  the Arapawa.
They added a small wheel house, later got Jack Morgan to build up a raised focsale head and new wheel house, this transformed her into a fine looking nicely proportioned vessel. Tim also re-powered her with a new BMC in 1957.
Mr Mike Povia ( Poiea ) bought her and was scalloping dredging out of Havelock, she was then purchased by Des Tierney, who bought her back to Picton, He extended the wheelhouse, (not sure who did the build, )  he also fitted a  75hp 4 cylinder Ford, had her for 12 yrs before selling to Alex Jamerson.”

Letter #2 (Pete to Rachel)

“Have just rang old Des Tierney about his ownership of the Arapawa, he didnt know about builder or origional owner.
He said that an old timer told him that it had been built in Titirangi, a bay in the outer Pelorus Sound, but didn’t have any specifics or year.
There was a  prolific boat builder in the next bay by the name of Claude Wells, I will to some checking and see if any of his family remember the Gannet.
The hull type gives you something to go on re the time of birth. The launches built around 1900 had counter sterns, then compromize sterns then they built torpedo sterns before they settled on the straight transome stern. Although I have one of Ernie Lanes boats built for my grandfather in 1914, it looks identicle to the Arapawa so she could be 100 yrs old, I dont think it would be any older than that. Like I said the really distinctive thing about the Arapawa was the vee transome, ( Very special. )
I will give old Jack Hanson a ring, the boat builder who would of raised the focsale head and built the new wheel house , he is in his nineties and would be the only man alive who could shed light on this mystery…… so will be intouch if I can find any new info.”

Gunk-holing up the Weti River in a 1902 Logan

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Gunk-holing up the Weti River in a 1902 Logan Motor Boat

photos ex Jason Prew at the helm of Otira

Despite the CYA Launch cruise / picnic being cancelled Jason Prew & Nathan Herbert + crew decided to launch Otira, the 1902 Logan day boat at Gulf Harbour & explore the upper reaches of the Waiti River. They made it passed the Silverdale road bridge, which is an impressive distance, along the way they passed an ‘interesting’ array of vessels. Enjoy 🙂  As always – click on any photo to enlarge.

For reference see below a recent photo of Otira at Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade

Winsome II

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WINSOME II

details / words from Harold Kidd. photos ex Ken Ricketts ex Brian Worthington
Winsome II was built by Lane Motor Boat Co in 1924 for David Teed, the Mayor of Newmarket (after whom Teed Street is named) with a 100hp Stearns engine and named Maude T (about the 4th of that name). Teed died in 1925, prematurely, and his estate sold her to Captain Emanuel who renamed her Latex (a very long story there). Emanuel sold her to W S Pratt, the manager of the Northern Roller Mills in 1931 and she was bought for the RNZAF in 1941 for service at Tauranga, a secondary seaplane base. She was sold by the Crown in 1946 to Andrew Donovan who removed the, by now clapped out, Stearns and replaced it with a brand new 1946 Chrysler 8 cylinder marine engine, renaming her Winsome after his daughter but added the “II” when he realised that the Pickmeres still had Winsome in Whangarei.
Andrew kept her for many years. He died in 1989. She went to Whangarei where she was kept in the Town Basin. Then she was sold to Havelock where I saw her recently, still in splendid order.

When Andrew registered her on Lloyds Yacht Register in 1964 he put down that her designer was W. Hand, the famous American yacht and powerboat designer of the twenties and thirties. No mention had ever been made of that before but there is likely to be more than a germ of truth in the claim in that US yachting mags like Rudder and Motorboat and Yachting were avidly followed by New Zealanders, providing more relevant models for our waters than, say, the English mags. Certainly, it is likely that the design for Maude T/Latex/Winsome II was lifted from a Hand design published in such a US mag and that US “look” was faithfully reproduced.

Despite what the Register of British Ships says, Pratt did not own her through to 1941. She was owned in Tauranga by D Cambie from about 1935 onwards and used for gamefishing which is why she was taken over by the RNZAF for Tauranga work in 1941 as a local launch in good nick, I imagine.

Note – Winsome II has been featured before on ww but with poor photos – the above photos warranted an updated post. Alan H

12/03/2015– a recent photo below of her in Picton marina wearing her WW II livery.

22-10-2015 Update
The photo below from the Northern Advocate, Monday, February 12, 1973 was sent in by Judy Donovan, Andrew Donovan’s daughter, it shows Winsome II starting in the first Bay of Islands international billfish tournament. The start was a ‘Grand Prix’ style e.g. a drag race 🙂

27-01-2021 photo below added

Marie – A call for help – Sailing Sunday

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Marie L2 – Lipton Cup Jan 1933

Marie L2 – Lipton Cup Jan 1934

MARIE – A Call for help
photos from PapersPast – NZ Herald

There are very few yachts that so clearly reflect the essence of our kiwi yachting roots, that evoke the memory of days gone by & that rekindle the desire to relive ones past as does the ‘Mullety’ . There iconic yachts are unique in that even today there is a strong active fleet & they are still competitively sailed. The Lipton Cup is one of the events on the sailing calendar & in 2012 will celebrates its centenary.

The purpose of todays post is to plant a seed in the minds of our classic boating community, that hopefully will result in this rather famous mullet boat being on the start line of the 100th Lipton Cup.
How will this happen?  by someone – an individual, a group of enthusiasts & or a corporate sponsor stepping up to the mark & taking custodianship of Marie. Lets be very clear, we are looking for a genuine restorer no dreamers, no gunners i.e. “I was gunner do it but now its in the shed”.

I’ll let Harold Kidd tell her story

“Errol Fensom has done a great deal to foster and preserve old mullet boats. He still owns the 24 footer MARERE (I1) but, some years ago rescued the 22 footer MARIE (L2) and preserved her for restoration.
Errol reckons it’s time to pass MARIE on to an energetic restorer or syndicate of restorers, so she’s available for free to a good home.
Her history is impeccable.
Roy Lidgard built her in 1918 on his return from WW1. He was working at Lane Motor Boat Co at the time and built her in their yard in Mechanics Bay. She was an instant success, eventually winning the Lipton Cup 5 times, 1923-5 and 1930-1. Her owners over the years have included Roy, Fred and Vic Lidgard, Ashton and Berridge Spencer, Milton Wood, Gordon Kells, L.R. Matthews and R.H. Wood, A.L. Barker and several others more recently, all sounding like a Who’s Who of Auckland yachting.
She’s had a strake or two added and the centreboard removed, although the case remains. A lead deadwood has been added of considerable weight and that goes with the yacht, almost enough to recast and provide the 1 ton of internal ballast required by the Restrictions, usually a major outlay. There is no rig.

This is a great opportunity to restore an authentic and important 22ft mullet boat in time for the centennial Lipton Cup race in 2021 which the Ponsonby Cruising Club will most certainly promote widely.

Contact Harold Kidd or Alan Houghton for more information.”

Harold@hklaw.co.nz      or     waitematawoodys@gmail.com

 

As always ww is interested in more photos & details so if you have any – send them in.

Update & photo from Dennis Rule
I believe I owned this boat in the early 1970’s, approx. 1973 – 1978, although she was then named Vagabond. I was told by her previous owner that she was Marie and the racing history he supplied supported that theory. She was certainly relatively narrow in the beam which I believe was a point of difference in Marie. She had been built up, cabinised, and her rig shortened by then and had a Ford 100E petrol engine with no reverse. The centrecase leaked like a sieve (recall that 1,000 pumps at a pint a stroke was the daily routine when sailing her). I shudder to think that I took my wife and two infants all over the Gulf in her in that condition with floorboards often floating. When I sold her to buy a Southerly 23 I thought she was a gonner, so it is fantastic to know she may have another chance.. I kept her on a mooring at Bucklands Beach (the pics are at BBYC hardstand).
Incidentally my brother Arnold Rule and his son Alan have owned the 26′ mulletty Bluestreak since 1973. I believe there is a story there.
I would love to know if the boat I owned is the Marie.

CYA Classic Journal #99

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CYA Classic Journal #99

For the ww readers that non CYA & RNZYS members, I have attached the latest edition of the CYA Classic Journal. To view a better quality  version click the below link below. Enjoy 🙂

CYA_APRIL2015

Tiri – Radio Hauraki Quiz

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Tiri – Radio Hauraki Quiz

photo ex Chris Leech & the limited edition book ‘Radio Hauraki – The Pirate Years (1966-1970)’ by John Monks.

OK who can ID the classic launch at the rear of the photo?

The Minerva

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THE MINERVA
A great read by Russell Ward
In my youth –well I’m still young ain’t I? – I used to admire a lovely old counter-sterned boat that used to moor in the Wade River. It is now not on the cruising agenda, but we quite often used to call in as part of a cruise. Sometimes if it was a really lumpy trip across to Tiri, we’d sneak down the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and sneak our way up to Stillwater to lick our wounds. There was a thriving motor camp and store there and at night the silence was profound.  Just nature all around. The tide was very strong and every day, about sunset, an old Labrador dog used to ease himself into the river and swim across to the Stillwater side. He would end up miles down river because of the tide and we never saw his return swim. Maybe he had a girlfriend or food source over on the other side. The term “dogged determination” sprang to mind.

But I digress. Moored just under the headland that is upstream of the WBC moorings was a fine old ship. She had the rather gracious name of  “The Minerva”.


(From Steamers Down the Fith by the late Bill Laxon).

Built as an Auckland harbour ferry in 1910, she was relatively shallow draft to cope with the creeks and estuaries. She was fitted with a coal fired scotch boiler and two 14 nhp compound engines made by George Fraser and Sons -a pioneer Auckland engineering company. This firm ran from 1862 -1955 and was a major builder of the heavy machinery a developing country needed especially when there was gold to be found in them there hills. For those interested, there is an early 1900 reference to the company at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZH19000926.2.72.8.  The firm transmogrified into Tappenden Motors in the ‘50s and the asset stripping raids occasioned by Rogernomics sealed the company’s fate. It was under the spaghetti junction down from the University’s Owen Glenn Building.

The Minerva’s time on the Auckland Harbour came to an end in 1922 and she was taken round to the Kaipara (where her shallow draft was an asset) by Charles West to be converted to a tug for towing timber to the McLeod’s mills. As an aside, John McLeod was the first settler in Helensville. A sawmiller, he built his wife Helen a stately villa. And you always wondered why it as called Helensville.

The good ship steamed until the late 1940s. With an abundance of timber scraps, it had been good economics to keep her in steam. Now when I used to see The Minerva in the 1950>60s in the Waiti River, she had been diseasiled but I subsequently found out that her boiler went to a market gardener down south and one of her engines was left abandoned on the Helensville wharf up to the mid 1950s. As Bill Durham said in Steamboats and Modern Steam Launches “Come and get ‘em”. Alas the boiler has yet to be found and everyone seems to have forgotten her engine.  Anyone who knows where it is can happily contact me and all will be treated in confidence.

The Minerva’s time as a workboat came to an end in 1945 when she was converted to the pleasure boat I knew. Lewis McLeod retired and took her over to the milder east coast where I first met her. She went seriously downhill when she was sold for commercial fishing and even worse things in 1964. The Minerva presently lies under cover at Kerikeri somewhat north of here and a group is fighting to restore her.  As an aside Russell would love to know how she got the name The Minerva.

(as an aside, the writer Peter Gill, of the great story above in the ‘Bay Chronicle’ was a previous owner of my old girl Raindance, named Lady Gay (Gai?) in Peter’s day)