Category Archives: Tales & Yarns

Sailing Sunday – Neil Chalmers

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Sailing Sunday – Neil Chalmers

Now if there was an award at next months CYA Prize Giving ( May 20th @ RNZYS – 7.00pm) for ‘Nicest Bloke’, Neil would win it, in fact every year. You would have to walk a long way to find anyone that did not have a nice thing to say about Neil. He will be embarrassed that I said the above but its true. Always there when you need some advice or encouragement & most of what he does goes un-noticed.
Now Neil attended the 2015 Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobert & packed his box brown – below is a selection of ‘stuff’ that caught his eye. I think he included the zoom zoom boat to keep the launches happy 🙂

Check out the price on the dinghy……………….

 

Esperanza II

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ESPERANZA II
details ex ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H. photos ex B Worthington

The story of how Esperanza II, an American Chris Craft arrived in NZ started in about 1948 when the Fuller family of the Bay of Islands had an American couple, fly over here, to go game fishing on one of their charter boats.

They (probably Snooks Fuller) met the couple personally & instantly hit it off & became instant friends. As a result of this, the extremely wealthily Americans invited them back to America, to stay as their guests, at their waterfront mansion. They accepted & in due course fulfilled the invitation & were amazed at everything the saw. Their hosts had numerous cars, mostly Cadillacs & several boats, one of which was a fabulous virtually brand new 36 foot Chris Craft launch, which was tied up at the bottom of their garden.

They went out & about in the hosts cars & one day the hosts asked the Fullers if they liked the car they were in that day & of course they said they did & their hosts said words to the effect, “well you better take it home with you.” The Fullers naturally thought the hosts  were just joking & passed it over.

In the next day or two they went out in the Chris Craft & of course that was out of this world for them, the like of which they probably had never seen in NZ. Once again they were asked if they liked it & of course they said – they loved it, so once again, the hosts said to the effect, “well you better take it home with you.”

Very shortly after they returned home, they got official documents telling them that the car & the boat were on their way to NZ. The Fullers must have been blown away with the Americans generosity.

Esperanza II became the ultimate luxury game boat of her era in “The Bay,” with many dignitaries & prominent guests aboard. She was originally a fairly fast boat, powered by 2 very large Chris Craft V8 petrol engines, when she arrived, these were eventually replaced with Ford diesels.

From the photos above, taken over the years,  it appears that she is still alive & well & Ken understands she was in Whangamata fairly recently for a period & is possibly in Auckland these days.

The details of the above ‘story’ were told to Kens family in the 1950’s by friends of the Fullers. Can any one confirm & add more details from her past?

Easter Cruise

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Easter Cruise
We have just been gifted with one of the best Easter weekends in a long time & even the water temp was good.
We headed out on Raindance on Friday morning & headed for Rakino Island / northern end of Motutapu Island.
Spotted a few classics at anchor in Waikalabubu Bay

Compass Rose


Ngahi


While having a few sundowners on the 1946 Lidgard launch Monterey owned by Sue & Mark Edmonds, this sail & oar boat slipped past, dropped anchor & then up popped a wee boom tent. Come morning they were away to their next destination – seems wooden boats & young love go well together 😉

Snapped a few photos  – dusk at Waikalabubu Bay


Looking down at Woody Bay on Rakino Island


If I won Lotto, this would be mine – one of the best views of the outer gulf you will find.


An Oops
Now deep down I’m an honest bloke, so best I own up before someone drops me in (there are eyes everywhere).

On Saturday morning I decided to go for a nosey around Rakino Island, I was looking for Governor Grays first gulf residence, in Home Bay. I understand that its a smaller version of Mansion House, Kawau Island – his 2nd home. Rumour has it that Rakino was too close to Auckland for his ‘antics’ ???
Anyway back to me……….. I now have some new rules :
1. I’ll stop being nosey & stop gunk-holing in small bays
2. I’ll now always wear my glasses when reading charts
3. I’ll never trust the GPS 100%
4. I will trust Navionics on my iphone
5. I’ll remember that the depth sounder is only telling you what you have just passed over, not whats ahead.
6. I’ll always be nice to the owners of large alloy runabouts with big outboards

Yeap – I ran aground – big time e.g. bow out of the water. Story goes like this. Charts & GPS tells me there is a rock in the middle of Home Bay, yes I can see it. Now supposedly you can circle around it………… Well not these days………… Luckily only doing 3>3.5 knts but enough to drive Raindance up onto a bank/ramp that was a mix of sand, mud & loose rock + there was a falling tide……….. And no amount of shoving or reverse thrust would budge her . No cell coverage to call Monterey in the next bay………. Doing the – do I – do I not call Coast Guard (that would have been embarrassing) & then a kind, wonderful local bach owner appears on a kayak & he has a boat anchored near by……. 5 minutes later we pull her off. Went around to Woody Bay & slipped over the side – other than a 1/4 inch deep, foot long, scrape on the keel – all is good, so the only real damage is a severely bruised ego  🙂
Cant believe I didn’t take a photo but the truth is I was bricking myself 😦
Screen Shot 2015-04-05 at 8.14.41 PM

Google Earth doesn’t lie 😉

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Kiariki – 1964 Easter Cruise – Jack Brooke Collection #19

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #19 – Kiariki Easter Cruise  1964

Another Jack Brooke drawing, published on ww thanks to son Robert for making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Today’s post is the 19th featured – this one features the March 1964 Easter cruise to Gt Barrier & Kawau Islands. Given Jack did the drawing we can only assume that JS was the snorer.

The illustration of the 1907 A-Class Logan ‘Victory’ (A8) is recording that she was involved in a very big gas explosion on 30/03/1964 while moored at the Barrier. The culprit was thought to be a leaking gas cylinder connection. All 6 crew on board survived but 2 had to be transferred to Auckland Hospital by amphibian plane.

Victory is a very lucky vessel – she is now owned by the artisan shipwright/builder Marco Scuderi & is being restored at his yard. Lots of photos & tales from the past at this link http://www.mcnshipwrights.com/victory.html

Crew on board: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Judith Brooke & John Salthouse

Your Harbour Needs Your Support Today @ 3.30pm

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Open letter to Ports of Auckland
_________________________________________

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