Category Archives: Trailer Boats

Mahurangi Weekend – Biggest On-The -Water Wooden Boating Event Down Under  – 200+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

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Mahurangi Weekend – Biggest On-The -Water Wooden Boating Event Down Under  – 200+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

I think I should start today by apologizing to all the partners and bosses out there – I can see a very slow start to the week, might take a few hours to digest the above photo gallery – a selection of photos from Friday night thru until my trip home on Monday.
The weather for Auckland’s long weekend was just ace – for everyone, launches and yachts, for the whole 4 days.
As always the turnout for the regatta was incredible, I would predict record numbers afloat. The woody launch parade saw 25 launches register and another 17 (approx.) joined in on the day. One of the photos above shows some of the parade launches snaking across the harbour. Well done woodys.
If the attendance count was based solely on the number of dinghies at Scotts Landing for the Saturday night party, again it would have to be a record.
I apologize for the lack of photos from the Saturday night party at Scotts Landing, I was unable to attend, I was banned . Now I can imagine maybe one person on any committee could be a dog hater, but for the ‘Mahurangi Action’ (formerly  known as ‘Friends of Mahurangi’) committee to agree on a total 48hr dog ban ashore is hard to believe. But then I was told by a very public figure in the area – none of them have ever had to buy contraception in their lives – they use they personalities. So my question – Is it actually their ‘role’ to decide on whether boat owners can bring Fideo ashore?.
Maybe Mahurangi Action should stick to their core reason for being i.e. the Mahurangi Harbour.
I can imagine the relationship between the Mahurangi Cruising Club, the promoters of the actual boating regatta – the reason we all attend and Mahurangi Action, who run the shore based activities at Sullivans Bay and the Saturday night party, must at times be interesting. If I was MCC I would be appointing an event manager and running a solo event, including a function that the revenue from, would help fund the club. The weekend has got too big – I and a lot that I have spoken to would buy a ticket to attend – food for thought MCC ……..
Ps There were numerous dogs ashore, I was just one of the unlucky one that were apprehended coming ashore. What a waste of rate payers money to have professional security there + a dog ranger……….
A special thank you to Roger Mills for the aerial (drone) photos of Scotts Landing and the launch parade. Also Graeme Finch for topping up my photos with some of his own – thanks Graeme.
The photo below, while out of focus due to distance and 2 moving boats – sums up woody boating perfectly. The launch is Linda and the gathering of life jackets on the bow is the Brooke clan 🙂
Monday also saw the CYA running a launch race as part of the Auckland anniversary day regatta – coverage of this later in the week.
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WAITANGI DAY WOODY BEACH PICNIC – FEB 6 – Put A Circle In Your Diary, All Woodys Welcome. RSVP Below
Woody Waitangi Picnic
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Classic Woody Things To Do In Auckland Today

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Classic Woody Things To Do In Auckland Today
If your aren’t like me and still floating around Kawau Island, its a big day on the Waitemata today with the running of the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta.
The link below has the schedule for the events. The woody favourites are the Tug Boat Race and Classic Launch (drag) Race. Whether you are afloat or shore based, get out and support our regatta.
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To learn more about Tug Boat racing on the Waitemata Harbour – clink the clink below and then scroll down to watch John Street talking on how it all happened – great viewing
WAITANGI DAY WOODY BEACH PICNIC – FEB 6 – Put A Circle In Your Diary, All Woodys Welcome. RSVP Below
Woody Waitangi Picnic

Mandingo

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MANDINGO
Chatting recently with Sam Douglas he mentioned he owned a Max Carter 18’ runabout that he was restoring, obviously I asked for details – below is Sam’s reply.
 
“Launched in 1959, Gerry Gowan commissioned Max Carter to design and build this 18 foot outboard runabout to his specification. As far as I can tell she is kauri framework, solid mahogany trim and mahogany ply. Sometime in the 1960’s she was fiber-glassed to the chine. She has had about 5 outboard changes in her life, starting with a 40hp Johnson and ending with her current 1970’s Mercury 800. It is believed she was the first one of her kind and possibly an extended version of some earlier, smaller Max Carter runabouts. There is believed to be one other boat later built to the same design but Mandingo is the original. She remained unnamed until sometime in the 1970’s when the OBC, where she was a member, required all boats to be named. At the time one of the family was reading the controversial novel ‘Mandingo’ and so somehow the name stuck. Used extensively for cruising and fishing the Hauraki gulf, often to Tiritiri and Rakino she later took up residence at the family bach at Rotoiti where she stayed until the late 1980’s when she was sold to a family friend in Turangi where she resided until early 2018 when I purchased her and brought her back to Auckland.  
 
She had been sitting unused in a shed for 15 years. Unfortunately at some point said shed sprung a leak, dripped down onto the deck and fresh water had left a tide line in her bilge. I bought her as a project site unseen and made the journey down to Turangi early one morning to collect her, not entirely sure whether she’d happily be coming back up with me. The trailer also hadn’t been moved in anger all this time but I was informed it had been driven a few hundred meters recently in order to have one tyre replaced (the other is still the original radial). Aside from the obvious downsides of fresh water and wood, what I did find on arrival was that the fresh water of the lakes where she’d resided for the latter part of her life had been very kind to the custom built trailer and the main outboard as well as the original 1950’s Seagull auxiliary looked in great condition and still turned over freely. The light board too plugged up and worked perfectly. So, with nothing to lose I nervously begun the journey home and with frequent stops to check such things as heat in the bearings and a lot of time spent looking in the mirrors to see if a wheel had yet fallen off, made it back to Auckland incredibly incident free that afternoon. (photo below)
 
She now resides less than a km from where she was originally built, in a shed in my backyard where I am trying to breath some new life into her (and learning a lot on the way!). I have now finished the hull and am working on the decks and interior. One of these days (a longer time after I had initially thought) I hope to re float her, use her extensively in the harbour again and reunite her with her 2 previous family custodians.”
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‘Old’ photos below of Mandingo ex the Gowan family, the 2 black and white water skiing ones are presumed early 1960’s when she had a 40hp Johnson and the colour one 1983, sporting her still current Mercury 800.  Sam believes all are from Lake Rotoiti (North Island).
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Update ex Sam Douglas

Not At The Mahurangi Woody Regatta Today?

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Not At The Mahurangi Woody Regatta Today?

We have a special post for those unable to attend – click the link below to view the stunning 5 minute video Roger Mills filmed of last years regatta.

WAITANGI DAY WOODY BEACH PICNIC – FEB 6 – Put A Circle In Your Diary, All Woodys Welcome. RSVP Below
Woody Waitangi Picnic

Steam Launch Estral

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STEAM LAUNCH – ESTRAL
Marine engineer (retired) Bill Voisey sent in the above photo of his 21’ kauri steam launch – Estral. Estral has a a beam of 8’6” and draws 3’, and was originally built in Port Chalmers, for a Riverton Rocks farmer c.1940s. Bill understands this family (Jaimison) owned and used her until the 1990s.
Bill restored Estral and converted her to steam in the 1990 > 2000 period with the installation of a Stewart Turner 6A steam engine, and a Stirling  water tube boiler.
Video below of engine prior to clean up and painting

Video below showing back of engine showing boiler feed pump, and condensate pump.

The vessel is currently being re painted and tidied up to put it back in the water. Below is a summary of her set up:

Engine. Stewert Turner No 6a, 2 cyl compound,
Pumps engine driven condenser pump and boiler feed pump.
Keel condenser with return to hot well.
Prop 16″x 18 pitch. Hull speed 6 knots .
Stern tube oil filled with mechanical seals?
Thrust block fitted with forward and reverse thrust bearings.
12 volt alternator v belt driven from prop shaft.
Water tube boiler,pressure tested to 600lbs static pressure,stamped by inspector at 400lbs (not marine certified.)
oil fired automatic pressure controlled with Beckett oil burner fitted.
Water level kept by manual control via needle valve bypass.
Engine can be run to atmosphere
Tanning type boiler water treatment used.
Boiler always left with the total boiler system full of treated water filled from hot we’ll by hand boiler feed pump.

30-01-2020 Update – Russell Ward requested more details on the boiler. The below was supplied by Ben Voisey

“The Boiler design is of the type of water tube boilers common in the late 1890’s, taken from an article in book No 5 of the Modeltec magazines Sept 1988 page 27.
I adapted the design to suit the available space in the hull of Estral.
As you can see the design can be varied as to width, height and length with ease.
The headers at each end have only a 1.5 “ gap and the total of the boiler’s water capacity is under 30 litres .
Fuel type can be whatever suits the furnace that is designed, in this case oil fired.
These photos were taken when I did the last boiler clean.”

 
Hopefully I’ll See Some Of You Tomorrow At The Mahurangi Regatta – If You Don’t Make It, We Will Have Coverage In Tuesdays WW Story 🙂

 
WAITANGI DAY WOODY BEACH PICNIC – FEB 6 – Put A Circle In Your Diary, All Woodys Welcome. RSVP Below
Woody Waitangi Picnic

Marlin 17 Rescued

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Marlin 17 Rescued

Have been contacted recently by Keith Bradley concerning a Marlin 17 that he rescued from the chainsaw. The previous owner was about to cut the hull in half and mount it on the wall of the fish and chip shop in Nelson……… 😦

In steps Keith and the woody run-a-about is now 1/2 way thru a re-fit.
When Keith acquired her she had a large crack in the bow, that with help (verbal) from a local boat builder Kieth has addressed.
The project is actually more of a custom re-build than a restoration to as built, but rest easy – she will look a picture when completed.
Keith has set himself a target to have her back in the water for the Lake Rotoiti (Nelson Lakes) classic boat show at St. Arnaud this year, so he better get a move on 🙂
Keith would love to hear from any other Marlin 17 owners to swap notes re his and their boats.
The photo below of Keith’s shed shows an impressive collection of deer antlers  – must be a very good shot 🙂
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Wooden Boat Bureau – advice for buyers and sellers

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WOODEN BOAT BUREAU

OUR AIM: To inform and enthuse interest in the joys of owning and sailing traditional and classic wooden boats. Perhaps you have fallen out of love with your current boat, or are seeking to regain a childhood memory.

OUR GOAL: The promotion of partnerships between wooden boats and owners for the benefit of all.

ADVICE: You don’t have to know everything about the classic boat market. That’s what we specialize in. We are uniquely placed to offer impartial, up-to-date market information and objective advice to both sellers and buyers. So if you are looking for a wooden boat or considering selling – contact

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

To view a sample selection of classic woodys berthed at the virtual Wooden Boat Bureau dock, click this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/17/will-you-be-boating-this-summer/

We are currently accepting select new listings and are always glad to represent buyers who are beginning their search.

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