Category Archives: Working Boats

Mystery Double Ender – Never Judge A Boat On Face Value

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Mystery Double Ender – Never Judge A Boat On Face Value
photos & detail ex Gavin Bedggood

Several months ago Dean Wright sent me a trademe link to a very run-down small double ender motorboat that a friend of his was looking to sell / move on. She was not a pretty sight & at the time I assumed she would be destined for a Beehive (box of matches) restoration.
Well thank god there are people out there with better vision than I 🙂 because as you will see from the photos below her new owner Gavin Bedggood has uncovered a very sweet vessel that appears to have her roots in our colonial coastal farming days.

Gavin has started a post on the boat on the American WoodenBoat Forum, if you click the link below you can see & read more on the journey Gavin as entered on. The one thing with the WBF is that there is a high % of arm chair experts so unless you know the posters you have to view the comments carefully, saying that most of the ones to date on the post are A-Team.
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?206902-Old-New-Zealand-boat-bit-of-a-mystery

A little bit of background from Gavin.
“So I have always had a thing for double enders… don’t know why I just like them.
Three weeks ago I was looking on trademe at old wooden boats just passing the time of day when I see a very cheap double ender for sale ….
It was a mess… small very ugly cabin, rot, no engine, leaking water from above and below… a REAL find…. (not).
The ad says it was once and old life boat, built in the UK from New Zealand kauri.
So I send a message to the seller saying that I thought it could be made into something really nice…
We get talking… I take a boat builder friend with me to take a look… he says, this boat is an utter SH$% heap and I should not buy it… BUT that under years of rubbish additions is what looks like a nicely made, sound hull.
The owner takes a liking to me and basically gives me the boat.
Damn, I should have learned that cheap is sometimes to expensive!

We thought it used in the mid 1930’s in a place called Mokau, on the west coast of the North Island, to row wool out to waiting ships from the beach and bring supplies back in.They were called ‘Surf Lighters’. I received an e-mail from a person who is involved with the Mokau Museum, complete with photos. Its really kind of eerie to see what appears to be my boat in these old black and white images….

Then it was converted to a motorboat and used by the harbour board, then converted for fishing for 10 years, then used ad a private boat. I had plans to turn it into a motor launch with a big open cockpit and low forward cabin…. but as you will see if you read the WBF post the story gets changed and more evidence comes to hand”.

Gavin has to be commended for undertaking this project, so woodys can anyone help Gavin out – all input appreciated – details on surf lighters, similar boats, this boats recent past etc etc.

As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉

AS FOUND

DECONSTRUCTION

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JACKPOT

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COULD THIS BE HER?

 

Whangaroa Walk-About

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Weo_a

Weona

Diomedea

Diomedea

Valerie
Athena
Aranui
Sapphire & Waimana

Sapphire and Waimana

Whangaroa Walk-About
photos ex Dean Wright

Dean took the camera on a wander down to the marina at Whangaroa on Saturday. From the photos above it appears the north are also enjoying our stunning autumn weather. These photos are just what they call ‘happy snaps’ to view some of Dean’s professional photography work click here       http://www.deanwright.co.nz/

I went to the Hutchwilco Plastic Fishing Trailer Boat Show on Saturday & was pleased that I was fortunate enough to have not had to pay the $22 entry fee. There was not much there to excite a woody, but saying that I was surprized by the number of woodys I did bump into, mostly sniffing out small tenders & new fishing gear.

The speedster below was the exception & I only discovered it on the way out 🙂

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The Evolution of a Whale Chaser

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Rorqual 1986

The Evolution of a Whale Chaser
The photo ex Paul Drake (others ex Chris Miller)

Yesterday was one of those days when ww turns up a gem. There are a few photos from the early days c.1960 of the Jack Morgan designed & built Perano whale chaser Rorqual & there are also lots of present days photos but to the best of my knowledge there were none of her in the ‘between years’.

Then whamo out of the blue Paul Drake sends me the above photo of Rorqual hauled out at Mana, just north of Wellington, in about 1986. This would be just before she was rebuilt /re-powered in 1988.
As Paul commented looking at her lying over on her chine, one could be forgiven for fearing for her future, but of course she survived.

Searching ‘Rorqual’ in the ww Search Box will show you a lot more detail, or if your tight on time, this link will taken to a great story on her past https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/03/21/the-launching-of-rorqual/
Now the question for her owners Andrew & Alex Millers (sons of Chris Miller)  –  when is she booked into the time-machine for a trip back to 1986? 😉

Evolution Gallery Below

Rorqual and others

Rorqual 1

Rorqual 1986

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What Happened To The Viking?

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Viking?

What Happened To The Viking?
words & photo ex Mark Davis

This is a great tale – I’ll let Mark tell it 🙂

“I stumbled across your web site by accident after reading an article in the Otago Daily Times about the Elsie Evans. It got me thinking if anyone may know it’ll be yourself or one of your members. My late mum used to tell me of her life growing up in Waihi. Her dad, my grandfather, Walter Caldwell, used to own a well known fish shop in Waihi, called simply Waihi Fish Supply, (which is now a burger bar). To supply his shop he used to have a small number of boats moored at Waihi Beach. This, I think was sometime between the two world wars. Anyway to get to the point, he purpose built a boat to his own design in the “backyard” of the fish shop. This is the boat my mum talked about the most. When finished and launched at Waihi beach, most of the then town, turned out for the occasion. The boat was christened the Viking. Mum told me the Viking was an excellent sea boat and remembers going out on it once or twice. Of course being a “girl” she didn’t know any of the important stuff. The story continues, as the world was plunged into another global conflict in the late 30’s the government of the day commandeered as many suitable boats as possible for coastal patrol etc, the Viking was one of these boats. That’s where the story could end, but as chance would have it someone told mum the boat ended up at the Auckland Maritime Museum on Quay St Auckland. I’ve looked on line but didn’t find any trace of her, (the boat not mum), so put it down to urban legend or similar.

So that brings me to this email. After taking possession of mums treasures after her death I came across a suitcase of old photos. Amongst the hundreds of unidentified photos is a picture of a boat being built in a “backyard” of what looks to be the rear of the fish shop in Waihi, (I have visited and still do visit Waihi many times). The photo doesn’t show much apart from a hull being laid over with planking and not a lot of detail, however if you like detective novels then this may appeal to you or visitors to your web site. Please let me know if you’re interested, one way or the other, and I’ll email you a scan to have a look. As we now live in North Otago popping down to the Maritime Museum to research this further is not on the cards anytime soon.”

So woodys, can anyone help Mark out? Is there any truth in the Maritime Museum story or as Mark says – is it just an urban legend.

Aorangi

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AORANGI
photo ex Historic NZ Photos, ex A Turnball Library. details ex Russell Ward

Aorangi was built by Shipbuilders at St Marys Bay. Powered by two Kelvins which was unusual for a side trawler. The above photo of her slipped is reportedly dated 9th September 1949.

So a question for the work boat woodys out there – what became of her?

Input from Keith Munro – She is owned by Colin Silby and is on the hard stand at West Park at the moment. It belonged to Ginger Gibbs as well years ago. Washed ashore at Te Atatu a couple of year ago in a big easterly and was a major to re-float.

Input from Russell Ward –  photo below of her ashore for some TLC and a chat with friends -(photo ex Carol Forsythe-  Marine Compliance website).
Russell is rather fond of ‘St Kathryn’ that is alongside Aorangi.  In his words “A damn good looker that I’d give houseroom any time”

aorangiashore

Tainui – The old days

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TAINUI - c1940s

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TAINUI – the old days

Photos & details ex Fraser Chapman via Ken Ricketts. edited by Alan H

The above photos show Tainui in the 1940’s & 1970’s.
There have been several posts on Tainui on ww (link below) but these photos deserved their own post, rather than be added to the existing. I’m a little confused because the top b/w photo Ken emailed to me is tagged 1940’s but else where on ww it has been stated that she was built in 1967 for the Auckland Harbour Board.

Tainui is currently at the Whangateau boat yard undergoing an extended restoration which includes a full rebuild on the Gardner engine. Her Kiwi owner lives/works overseas so will be very keen to view these photos, equally we look forward to following her progress at the yard.

Fraser Chapman has told Ken R that he recalls he bought Tainui in the 1980’s off the widow of a Helensville gentleman, who had owner her for approx. 10 years. Tainui was moored at a jetty, on a private property, opposite Herald Island, (probably Beachaven), when he inspected & bought her. He took her to Thames, where he has lived for a great many years. He owned her for approximately 7 years & sold her to the proprietor of a Boatel in the Sounds, who sailed her directly down the East Coast, to the Sounds from Thames, without stopping. This ties in with the existing details in one of the previous posts on herr which states she was on-sold, (presumably by the Boatellier) in Plimmerton in 1994.

When Fraser C., bought her she had a 3 LW Gardner, but whilst on a trip to the Bay of Islands, not long after he bought her, Fraser called on the people at Opua who had replaced her original engine, which was a 3 cyl Kelvin, with the Gardner & actually saw the old engine, which was painted green, still there, under a tree, on the property. Fraser believes it was replaced because the Gardner was more economical & she went faster. Fraser said she cruised at 9 knots all day.

Fraser believes she was built by Coulthard possibly around 1953/55 & the kauri for her milled in Thames at the Twentymans Mill. Fraser was good friend with the Gt. Barrier Island radio operator at that time also, during the early days of her Govternment ownership era. They both spoke often, about her trips to service the lighthouses in the area during that period.

Fraser advises that her new owner John Sloane, rang him in an effort to try to find her, some time back, as John Sloane’s father, along with John as a young lad, had cruised on Tainui with Fraser frequently & John had such happy memories of that era, he contacted Fraser & told him he would like to buy her. Fraser told him that she belonged to the Christiansens, of Gt. Barrier Island, who he thought had had her there for about 10 years. John tracked the boat down & now owns her.

Can anyone confirm the builder / year?

Link to past ww stories on Tainui

Tainui On The Move

Typee

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TYPEE
photos & details ex Brian Cuthbert

Typee is a 33′ Baxter boat built in Whangarei in 1968. Alex Baxter moved to Whangarei about 1958 from Picton where he had worked for Roger Carey for many years.
After Typee he built Pandora (his biggest at 48ft for Brookie Richards) then Valiant (photo below) a sister to Typee which is still line fishing in Northland.
After a brief time trawling in Whangarei Typee ended up in Auckland seine fishing and owned by Ivan Guard. Brian bought  her from Ivans estate in 1993 and has owned her since. For the last 12 years Brian has worked her as a charter fishing boat out of Gulf Harbour.
She is powered by a Gardner 5LW and cruises at a comfortable 7 1/2 knots.

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Update 09-04-2020 – photo below at Gulf Harbor, ex Baden Pascoe

Typee Gulf Harb early2020

Classics at the Sandspit Yacht Club

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Rotomahana & Tuna 1

Rotomahana & Tuna

Rotomahana & Tuna
Tuna
Ngatira
Ngatira
Erinor
Erinor
Erinor
Erinor
Karros

Karros

Classics at the Sandspit Yacht Club
photos ex John Pryor

John sent in the collection of photos above of woodys currently hauled out at the Sandspit Yacht Club & asked the question is SYC the new ‘Traditional Boat Yard’ ? I think I would have to agree with him, a grand line-up & with their impressive haul out set-up + the legendary Greg Lees Boat Builders alongside, you would struggle to find a more woody friendly facility.

All the woodys above have featured on ww before, so to read more on them, use the ww search box.

A true woodys smoke-0

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Kauri Clinker

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16′ Kauri Clinker Work Boat
photos & details ex Arthur Neely

Arthur contacted ww as he has recently started the restoration of the beautiful little clinker work boat featured above and is trying to get some ideas as to her heritage, age, designer, builder etc. He is also keen learn if there is she any historical significance associated to the vessel.

What we know is that she is kauri clinker, 16′ long with a 5’6″ beam and Arthur reports in excellent condition, given her age. She has been in a shed in Hamilton for the past 45 yrs owned by 3 generations of the one extended family. However as is often the case Arthur hasn’t been able to get much of an idea of her lineage before that.

She had a Sea-Mite 4cylinder 20hp petrol engine in her with a shaft drive to a 3 blade fixed prop. Arthur doesn’t think it was the original engine as there are 2 sets of engine mounts visible.
She also had wheel steering installed at some stage, made up of what looks like old tractor parts, but appears to originally had inboard tiller steering.
From old photos Arthur has seen she looks very similar to designs by Logan Bros or Lanes, but he doesn’t know enough to know.
The canvas cover that you see in the photos, Arthur thinks is original.

The only real damage is she doesn’t have a rudder and from what Arthur gleaned from the previous owners, the rudder was damaged and the boat was put in the Hamilton shed for repairs, and that is where she stayed for the past 45 years. The boat is currently in a shed at Dairy Flat, Auckland.

If there are woodys that might be able to help Arthur understand this project better, he would appreciated hearing from you.

Harold Kidd Input

For a start, forget Logan Bros. The last dinghy they built was in 1911 and this boat is 40 years later than that at least. However Arch Logan’s son, Jack Logan, did build many similar launches post WW2 at Stanley Bay. But then, she could have been built by a dozen other very good boatbuilders at that time. Most put their plates on them unless they were retailed by Wisemans for example, when they were usually anonymous.
I think you can forget Lanes too. They had bigger boats to build.

Update from Arthur Neely
The boat was bought by Jock and Edith Graham in 1950 and homed on their property at Graham Rd Puketaha, I understand that is near Hamilton. When Jock died he left the boat to his son John and he has recently gifted the boat to his daughter Vanessa.
The boat was mainly used as a pleasure boat and for fishing on both Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti. Jock bought the boat as he believed that she had been “professional built”. There is some suggestion that the boat had been built in Tauranga but I think this might just be speculation.
To my eye though, there is no doubt that she was built by skilled craftsmen.
I am trying to find out who Jock bought the boat off in 1950 but I think this might be a long-shot, everyone who would know has since died.
There is no evidence of the boat having a name, feedback from the family shows a consistent view that the boat was always called “the bloody boat”.

Valhalla

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Valhalla 2016

Launch day – May 1964
Launch day – May 1964

VALHALLA - 1

VALHALLA
details & photos from Kazik Jascia, Sea Spray magazine (Aug 1964) Ken Ricketts & B Worthington. edited by Alan H

Valhalla was designed & built by John Gladden of Milford & launched in May 1964 for Tony Bullock, as a sport game fishing boat.

She is 40 ft x 12ft. 6 x 3 ft. 6 draft, could sleep up to 7 people, & at date of launching was powered by a John Andrew converted, 100 hp, naturally aspirated, 6 cyl Ford diesel. She also had a 9 hp Lister auxiliary, for trolling, on the port side,  at the time of launching. Currently she s powered by a 130hp Ford Dover engine.

Her original cruising speed was 9.5 knots (now 8.5) at 1950rpm through & “Snow-Nabsted” hydraulic gearbox fitted with Morse controls, with a 2 to 1 reduction to a 3 bladed Henley 24 x 16 propeller

Her hull is single skin kauri carvel construction, with varnished solid teak coamings & decks & hardwood timbers.

Given that she spent time in charter there must be some photos & stories out there so if you can contribute to details on her past, email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com