Just prior to Christmas the owners of Alibi, a rather elegant Mason Clipper, quietly slipped her into Greg Lees shed at Sandspit. I understand that she’s in for a minimum of 3 months for a ‘makeover’ – we have seen some stunning makeovers from the shed in recent times. – Trinidad, Mahanui, Arohanui – so we look forward to following with interest – nudge nudge Greg Lees, photos please 🙂
(Photos ex Mason Marine Clippers fb)
Photo below Oct 1979 – Sea Trial on the Waitemata Harbour ex fb via K Ricketts
INPUT EX ALAN SEXTON – Copy of original Sea Spray article below + more photos from her recent haul out at the Sandspit yard.
You will note the she still has her original engines twin straight 6 Chrysler Mitsubishis.
21-04-2023 UPDATE – A PEEK INSIDE THE WORKSHOP – lots of Awlwood (Uroxsys) being applied 🙂 photos ex Mason Marine Clipper fb
I was contacted by Chris McMullen during the week with a suggestion that I make contact with noted kiwi yachtie and boat builder – Gilbert (Gil) Littler. Now when Mr McMuMullen ’suggests’ something I normally respond pretty quickly, second only to suggestions from Robert Brooke 🙂 24hrs later I’m having coffee with Gil and his wife Susan – why am I telling you this? Because Gil has just penned an amazing book titled – SHIPWRIGHT BOAT BUILDER YACHTSMAN 1962-1992. The 100+ page book is split into 3 sections:
Part One – A brief history of the Bailey Family
Part Two – My Apprenticeship Years
Part Three – My Yacht Racing Years
I have squirreled away a copy for summer boat reading but I did do a quick dive into some of the pages and its a wonderfully refreshing read, more like sitting in a comfortable spot afloat and listening to Gil entertain you with his life story. Lots of photos and illustrations also to view. In CMcM’s words – This book is a gold mine of history and information. Written by a guy on the floor in the boatshop and a foredeck hand on a very famous Kiwi Yacht. By winning the One Ton Cup put New Zealand on the yachting map.
The $40 – + P&P – 100+ page book is self published so obtaining a copy is not as easy as walking down to your nearest book store but it is worth the effort. So to order a copy:
Gil & Susan are currently traveling so do not expect an instant reply 🙂
My 2nd Pick Is The Mahurangi Cruising Club Year Book
Now the title may sound a little boring but the contents certainly are not. Always a fantastic publication pulled together by design guru Steve Horsley. This year the theme is restorations and of interest to all woody boaties is an article on electrolysis. Plus a 16 page photo gallery of the 2022 regatta – all that for $20. As we speak its at the printers – so to secure / order a copy either email BOAT BOOKS crew@boatbooks.co.nz or call 09 358 5691 (Boot Books 22 Westhaven Drive)
Copies will be available at the normal random outlets but BB is the safest bet.
You will have heard me in the past prattle on about the future growth of classic wooden boating being trailerable boats – something you can take home and tinker with. This growth is driven by two key factors – the cost of keeping a boat afloat (marina $) in any of our metropolitan cities and the maintenance of larger craft as the owners get older and less mobile.
Todays woody popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb and at the time the seller was looking for around $13k – try buying a classic car for those dollars.
Approx. 15’ in length and powered by a 25hp Evinrude.
Hopefully Seeke II sold and is now someones pride and joy 🙂
SEE YOU @ 10am SATURDAY @ THE WOODYS BOAT BOOT SALE @ THE SLIPWAY MILFORD – 5 Omana Road – Bring cash
Jason Prew is currently on a road trip tearing up the highways and backroads of the South Island. I was pleased to see he wasn’t totally engrossed in the world of 4×4, the above photos come to us from the Otago Settlers Museum. Link below
The photos above are of a speed boat named Minx built in 1958 by Les Booth, Les also built the mini-me model in front. This would have caught Jason’s eye – he has a radio controlled model of his very quick classic launch – My Girl. Video of 1st run, prior to finishing below.
The Minx speed boat was originally powered by a Hillman Minx 4 cyl engine, but not long after launch this was replaced with a V8, must have been very quick.
When I saw Perano, a 16’clinker kauri built double ender – my immediate thought was lake boat. Built in the 1960’s by Bernie Perano (of the whale chaser family) she is a very cool little ship. The negative of being f/glass encased is off set by the positive of being able to be stored out of the water on her trailer and not needing to ‘take up’ when launched.
Perano it is powered by a super reliable 5 hp single cylinder diesel engine. Made by Yanmar the NTS 70 engine is started by hand it is a slow turning engine with a 2:1 reduction gearbox with shaft drive swinging a bronze 3 blade 13×12 prop. The hull speed of 5.4 knots is easily achieved with fuel consumption of 1 litre per hour. Fuel tank is 10 litres – plenty for a full day out and then some. Thanks to Rob Watt for the tme heads up.
AND ON THE SUBJECT OF LAKE BOATS – Put A big circle around February 5th 2023
That is the date of the uber cool Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. If you are a woody boat owner and have your craft on a trailer – consider doing the trip to Lake Rotoiti – its a blast. Details belowFull details at https://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/wooden-boat-parade/. 5th Feb 2023 (Waitangi Weekend). There is a dinner the night before and a picnic after the parade. Normally well over 100 boats in different styles form the parade.
AND LASTLY – WOODY CLASSIC PICNIC ON TOMORROW AT MOTUIHE ISLAND 1PM – which side decided by weather on the day
WOODY BOAT – BOOT SALE – THE SLIPWAY MILFORD Two years ago we ran one of our most popular woody events – a classic woody ‘BOOT SALE”, hosted by the Slipway Milford. Well folks its on again, circle Saturday 26th November in the diary. Lets be honest, we all collect / hoard boat bits. Could be a good time to gain some more space and earn a few dollars. Waitematawoodys and The Slipway Milford are hosting the sale at their boat yard in Milford, Auckland. Details below. So woodys, be brave and get together anything boat related that you think needs a new home and bring it along – there is only one rule – items must fit in a car boot 🙂 But we will make an exception for grandad’s kauri clinker dinghy. Most of the items will be displayed outdoors and space will be limited so drop me an email to reserve some space waitematawoodys@gmail.com AND IT IS CASH ONLY.
CLASSIC YACHT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
7.00PM THURSDAY 10 NOVEMBER at the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron. The Classic Yacht Charitable Trust would like to invite you, your family and your friends, to celebrate the 125th birthday of Thelma, the 1897 Logan gaff-rigged cutter, and the 130th birthday of Gloriana, also a Logan built gaffer. Our special guest will be David Barker, the world-renowned maritime artist, who has extremely generously created a new painting, which features our classic fleet and entitled “Start”, to assist in our fundraising effort. Come and meet David and find out how you can take home this fabulous artwork. This fun evening, with like-minded classic boating enthusiasts, will also be a crucial fundraising event for all seven of the boats in the trust – Thelma, Gloriana, Waitangi, Ida, Frances, Ethel and Rainbow II. So, please support this event and we know you will have a fun evening.Tickets: $30pp Order your tickets here
6.45am – The StartThe magic hour for boat photography
Heading up the river
Dave Giddens – Auctioneer Supremo
WOODYS CLASSIC CLEVEDON CRUISE REPORT – Sept 2022
Just back from a near perfect weekend cruising with a great bunch of classic wooden boat enthusiasts, up the Wairoa River to the Clevedon Cruising Club for an overnight shindig.
The weekend had all the right ingredients – great weather, cool boats, nice people + mouth-watering food, that always = a winner. Todays photo gallery comes to us from my cameras and Jason Prew’s new out of the box iPhone 14 Pro (I need one, I’m buying one).
By now regular WW readers will be familiar with the format of the weekend – we meet off the entrance to the Wairoa River and then weave our way up river to the Clevedon Cruising Club. The flotilla berths at the CCC dock, in front of their clubhouse, then we ‘open’ the boats for club member to view. Happy hour tends to start early up the river, and this weekend it was even earlier. Later in the day we retire to the clubrooms for a shared BBQ dinner, and live music.
This year the club organised a number of raffles and a mystery auction – the club and Woodys collectively raised over $3,500 for the new fuel jetty. Well done to everyone involved – I indirectly won a new bilge pump (my cabin boy, bid on a mystery package and one of the included items was the pump – and my bonus – he doesn’t own a boat)
Boats participating in the cruise were – Allergy, Awariki, Lady Clare, Lady Ellen, Merita, Mokoia, My Girl, Ngaio, Ngarimu, Raindance, Smooth Operator, Trinidad, Waikaro.
I’ll let the photos tell the story. Below are two videos which highlight the two extremes of classic wooden craft – Raindance at 7.5 knots and Jason Prew’s – My Girl, doing est. 24 knots 🙂 Thanks to Jason and Ant Smit for the footage.
As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉 ENJOY. Details on more Woodys Classic events below.
Ps that dessert plate wasn’t mine and I’m too nice a person to name the owner…… and equally no story as to why there is a photo of a skipper dipping wet on his duck board 🙂
Recently WW received an email from Colin Davies in regard to the launch featured above. I’ll let Colin tell the story :-
“Back in the 1930’s my late father Laurie Davies of Miramar, Wellington owned the above launch. Photo taken in Marlborough Sounds. Except for the photo I knew nothing and I have been trying to piece together the puzzle. Based on the design of the wheelhouse, rectangular windows, stem and stern – I think Joe Jukes designed her and possibly built her, or Rex Rix built her. Similar but smaller than the ex work boat – Wild Duck. On WW there is a photo of Wild Duck attending the Flying Boat with a smaller sister ship (refer #1 below).
I also found several photos on the National Library website taken by Whites Aviation. The key photo is the one looking south, Kilbirnie hills in the right background. The flying boat in the lower right, centre Wild Duck stern on and another launch on starboard side tied up alongside (refer #2 below). There is also a bow on photo of Wild Duck on the left showing the side of another launch on the very left edge of the photo (refer #3 below). I am interested to know the name and whereabouts of the second launch and if it is still afloat. Based on all these photos I think it is my late fathers launch.
I estimate the length at 38 feet, almost the same as Saint Antonio 40 feet, again similar above waterline hull shape. (refer #4 & 5 below) of St Antonio)”.
Can we help Colin with his search to ID the launch and possibly uncover what became of her ?
The 19’ Sutton and Mason 1966 built Marlin Marauder – Marlin Monroe made a very brief appearance recently on tme, probably brief because the asking price was $10k.
On face value that is a lot of classic boat for the money.
Built with double diagonal kauri and powered by Mercruiser inboard + stern leg that sees her topping out at 35mph.
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