Category Archives: Working Boats

RONAKO – ANOTHER CLASSIC WOODY NEEDING SAVING

Posted on by
Reply
RONAKI – ANOTHER CLASSIC WOODY NEEDING SAVING

There is a fb page titled – ’Sitting there rotting, help save me’ which has a NZ version. Recently a gent named Bill Webb posted seeking anyone that might be interested in his 30’ mullity named RONAKI (note – boat most likely 28’ in length)

Bill states that RONAKI was built in 1903 and is still a solid boat thats has a lot of history behind her.

Bill also commented that she needs a new home asap and its his view that it wouldn’t take a great deal of work to get her looking beautiful again.

RONAKI has been out of the water about 3 years.

There is no mention of price – its not ‘free to a good home’, so being located in Waihi it will be a big ask to find a buyer.

There is some colourful chat on the fb page – worth a visit 😉

Photo below c.1990’s when owned by Jason Kinghorn.

HOW MANY OF THESE CLASSIC CRAFT WERE SAVED.

Posted on by
Reply

HOW MANY OF THESE CLASSIC CRAFT WERE SAVED.

While using the WW search box yesterday for the SOS – SOUTHERN MAID story I typed in SOS and was amazed how many WW stories had SOS in the headline of text (selection above)

Ata glance not many of them were saved. The common denominator was lack of timing, in most cases WW was contacted with less than 24hrs notice of an appointment with a back-hoe.

Click on this link to see all the SOS stories . https://waitematawoodys.com/page/2/?s=SOS&submit=Search

Also any update on the classic launch – SILENS, last I heard , $500 would have secured ownership. A great project boat, hopefully saved.

SOS – SOUTHERN MAID – CLASSIC 1929 MOTOR LAUNCH NEEDS SAVING

Posted on by
5

SOS – SOUTHERN MAID – CLASSIC 1929 MOTOR LAUNCH NEEDS SAVING

The 42’ 1929 wooden motor launch – SOUTHERN MAID, built by E.R. Lane in Picton has just popped up on tme with a call out for someone to help save this significant southern woody. Current owner is unable to continue the upkeep of the vessel and the call has gone out for a new owner to step up.

As we can see from the photos below, she hasn’t always been in the ‘as presented for sale’ condition.

There must be a woody follower in the South Island that can bring the SOUTHERN MAID back to the condition she deserves. ( thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up)

CLASSIC WOODEN WORKBOAT – OCEAN SPRAY – BEACHED IN 1967

Posted on by
1

CLASSIC WOODEN WORKBOAT – OCEAN SPRAY – BEACHED IN 1967

Todays classic wooden workboat is seen aground at Santoft on the west coast of the north island (Manawatu – Wanganui region). The photo comes to us from Chriss Taylor, via Maurice Sharp fb.

Thanks to a comment from John Hair we learnt that at the time of the mishap the vessel was named OCEAN SPRAY, later named  KERIMOANA. John also commented that these days her home is Tonga.

Any input on design / builder.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – PIRATE + Win A WW Cap

Posted on by
Reply

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH- PIRATE + Win A WW Cap

Recently WW was sent the above photo of the 46’ Leon Warne built (1939) classic wooden launch PIRATE by Derek Gerritsen.PIRATE has made many appearances on WW – links below.

 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/14/pirate-a-peek-down-below-4sale/  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/05/30/beautiful-boats-attract-beautiful-people/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/06/24/the-waitematawoodys-x-factor/

WWhasn’t seen this particular photo. The crew shirts suggest the photo was taken during a game fishing tournament and possibly indicate the dateisn’t as old as the boat appears in the photo.

Woodys that can correctly name the crew go into the draw towin a WW cap.Note the more correct names = more chances in the draw.ENTERY IS VIA EMAIL ONLY TO– Entrycloses at 9am 10-06-2026

1908 CLASSIC WORKBOAT WOODYS PICNIC

Posted on by
2

1908 CLASSIC WORKBOAT WOODYS PICNIC

Todays woody photograph was taken by A. J. Watson and originally published in the Auckland Weekly News in February 1908.

The photo captures the Thames fishing fleet departing for a community picnic ‘up the river’, which usually refers to a trip toward Kopu or further up the Waihou River, a common tradition for the local heritage groups and fishing families to celebrate a successful season.

While the full names of every vessel in the 1908 fleet are not all documented in a single public list, we can identify several based on the registration numbers visible in the high-resolution original:

Identified Vessels

T 547 (Left): This is the DREADNOUGHT. It was a well-known launch in the Thames fleet during this era.

TS 35 (Right, background): This vessel is the VIKING The “TS” prefix was common for Thames-based sailing or auxiliary vessels.

T 514 (Right, foreground): This is the MIZPAH. 

 Historical Context- The fleet shown here represents the early motorisation of the Thames fishing industry. At this time, many of these launches were owned by local families (such as the Judd, Maxwell, or Mears families) or by the growing Dalmatian fishing community that revolutionised the Hauraki Gulf fishing trade.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

CLASSIC WOODEN MOTOR-SAILER –  KAIKOURA – A Peek Down Below

Posted on by
Reply

CLASSIC WOODEN MOTOR-SAILER –  KAIKOURA – A Peek Down Below

The 36’ classic wooden motor-sailer – KAIKOURA was for sale earlier this year, and it must have sold because I had numerous people enquiring about her – she ticked a lot of boxes and her size was an added bonus i.e. not too big.

KAIKOURA was built in Wellington in 1959, builder unknown, for a Mr. Palmer, it has been commented that she was a ‘Scottish Drifter’ design. She was used as a pleasure craft by the Palmer, then Blundell families through the 1960s. In the early 1970s Kaikoura was commercially used by ‘Mana Island Transport Services’ then from 1972 till 1974 as the Wellington Police launch. Kaikoura’s fourth owner from 1974 to 1999 was Mr George Jannis. George added masts and sails initially and a new engine, new keel bolts and fuel tanks in 1988. Kaikoura made many trips to the Sounds over these 25 years, then finding a home there with a new owner till 2008. From 2008 to 2017 Kaikoura, now based in Dunedin, was frequently used as a harbour and peninsula pleasure launch and occasionally entering, and winning club sail races (in her class of one).  Ten days after taking ownership of “Kaikoura” in late 2017 her owners did the first of several trips to the bottom of Stewart Island, they also made a winter trip to Wellington, the Sounds and D’Urville Island.

Forward motion is via a Cummins B Series 6BT5.9 As you would expect for a Southern lass she is very well appointed.

Given my attraction to the work-boat look, in another life she could have been mine 🙂

SAD NEWS ON THE EX WWII NAVY 72’ SHIP – KUPARU News reports have her abandoned off Ninety Mile Beach on the West Coast of the North Island over the weekend. Crew all safe and rescued by helicopter. 2018 WW story on the vessel here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/10/04/hmnzs-kuparu-hdml/

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – RIO RITA

Posted on by
2

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – RIO RITA

Back in December 2014 WW was helping find a new home for the 1929 Collings & Bell built classic wooden launch RIO RITA, At the time she was named RESOLUTION (a 1971 name change) – this link gives us a gander down below https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/12/01/resolution/

If you use the WW search box there is a lot of intel on the vessels provenance.

Last week she popped up on the social media scene and its pleasing to note that she has reverted to her original name and as we can see from the photos above – owner Peter Meister is looking after this almost 100 year old classic wooden launch.

CLASSIC WORKBOAT – TE TUI + MYSTERY LAUNCH

Posted on by
2

CLASSIC WORKBOAT – TE TUI + MYSTERY LAUNCH

We have two woodys of interest in todays photo – firstly the Auckland Harbour Board launch TE TUI seen in the forefront looking very smart for a ‘workboat. The photo came to us from a Chris Wood post on the ’Tug & Workboat of NZ fb page. Chris commented that she operated at Westhaven Marina or the Harbour Masters loft at the end of Queens Wharf. Frequently used for wharf soundings. The Engineers Dept. had  a similar boat named – TE WAKA.

Chris asked what became of these boats. B Worthington commented that TE TUI resides in Tauranga these days.

Can we get an update on her status and builder etc and also TE WAKA.

The second woody of interest is the sedan top launch behind TE TUI, any thoughts on her name.

LAKE TAUPO CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH – ROMANCE – GETS SOME TLC

Posted on by
2

LAKE TAUPO CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH – ROMANCE – GETS SOME TLC

Todays woody story is really prompt to Paul Drake the owner of the Lake Taupo based 1914 Bailey & Lowe built launch – ROMANCE to send in a story on the recent upgrade.

If it had not been for woody Steve Pople (MV Royal Falcon) recently mooching around the Lake Taupo docks we wouldn’t have know she had received some TLC.

So fingers crossed Paul reads todays story and gets his ‘A into G’ 🙂

Lots photos and details on Romance in this Sept 2014 WW story  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/22/8829/