CAN WE ID THIS1930’s SAILING CRAFT AGROUND AT SULPUR BEACH – The Portland
Today’s woody photo comes to us from Owen Aspden. All we know for certain is the location — Sulphur Beach, Northcote, Auckland — and the era, circa 1930s.
The yacht appears to be deliberately ‘on the hard’, likely for a bit of maintenance or perhaps loading or unloading stores. But what’s her name — and can anyone identify her?
A short and sweet post today — I’m busy doing a little boat maintenance of my own.
20-10-2025 INPUT ex TOM ROWLING – The vessel is ‘The Portland’. Tom did his boys time in her in 1959. She is now lying derelick in Owaka River South Otago. The the first picture below is her entering Port Motueka 1959, and the second one is taken at Awanui probably about 1920. In the third photo we see the vessel as of recent times.
Today’s WW story has a nice twist – usually, we post old photos and hope that, if we’re lucky, a few more recent ones turn up later. This time, it’s the other way around.
The 39’ RARANGI, a 1951 Lane Motor Boat Co. build, first appeared on WW back in December 2021, when a tme listing gave us a rare peek below decks and a look at her on her marina berth. Link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/12/12/rarangi-a-peek-down-below/
Fast-forward to last week – woody John Dawson sent in the photos above, finally completing the circle. Always great when a classic like RARANGI resurfaces to remind us how enduring these classic launches really are.
Fingers crossed we see an upturn in the profession in NZ. The UK are facing the same challenges we are eg an ageing workforce resulting in the numbers of traditional boatbuilders declining, plus the people who haul boats, step masts and carry out seasonal servicing – the skilled hands who keep the yards working year-round – are becoming fewer, older and harder to replace.
Full weekend details in the downloadable PDF file below, which includes the entry (free) form for the sailing events.
Leaving the Whangārei Maritime Festival on Saturday, I made the rookie mistake of thinking, “I know a shortcut.” I didn’t. Instead, I found myself deep in the industrial maze of Port Whangārei.
The upside? I stumbled across a couple of woodys hauled out at Oceania Marine — home to the biggest travel-lift I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Tucked away among a line-up of serious commercial tonnage was today’s mystery classic wooden launch. She’d clearly had some recent TLC and looked about ready to be splashed again.
I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the generous helping of zinc hanging off her stern gear… seems the message about no / over-zincing hasn’t quite made it this far north yet! 😅
So, woodys — what do we know about this mystery craft? Any sharp-eyed locals able to share her name and history?
15-10-2025 UPDATE ex owner – Launches name is VALIENT, once called PLAY-BOY, Possibly built by Bailey & Lowe. 32′ in length. Has spent several extend stints as a long-line fishing boat. Once owned by the RSA Fishing Club in Whangarei, they did the name change. In a previous life was moored in the Waitangi river. Currently powered by a Nissan diesel.Has undergone a rolling restoration with lots of structural work, which included over 800 new copper rivets.
WOODEN CLASSICS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THE 2025 WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL
Early Saturday morning I pointed the car north and arrived in Whangārei just in time to catch the soft early light — perfect for photography and well before the dockside crowds arrived.
Whangārei’s Town Basin really is the ideal setting for a maritime festival — easy dock access, great viewing angles, and plenty of nearby cafés and attractions. Add in the buzz of the Saturday markets and you’ve got all the ingredients for a standout event.
Wooden boat numbers were a little down on last year, but a few visiting commercial vessels — including Customs, Pilot boats, fishing craft and a pair of Waka — helped round out the fleet. From a public point of view, it was still an impressive line-up. Given the number of classic boats that have migrated north in recent years, it would be great to see more of the region’s wooden heritage on display next time around.
It was great to catch up with so many familiar faces — clearly the new highway was busy with Aucklanders heading north for the weekend.
All up, a thoroughly enjoyable day. Hopefully today’s photo gallery will inspire a few more of you to make the trip in 2026.
And there is always a few foody pix – hands down the best two seafood fritters ever – one mussel and the star – one whitebait. And a free KOWHAI coffee because she liked my WW t-shirt.
FYI – when I’m at an event I point the camera at what catches my eye , sometimes I miss a few boats but I like to think the photos are more like someone strolling the docks rather than someone trying to capture the whole caboodle 🙂
WELL, THAT’S SORTED – TWO CLASSIC LAUNCHES NAMED MA CHERIE NOW IN AUCKLAND
Yesterdays WW story (scroll down to view) certainly delivered the goods in terms of clarifying the questions around two launches named MA CHERIE.
Firstly Murray Deeble advised that yesterdays launch is berth in the Milford marina, Auckland.
Then Dave Forrest contact WW re the other Ma CHERIE , as seen above, mentioned in yesterdays story – I’ll hand over to Dave – “My name is DaveForrest and I am the new owner of the vessel called MA-CHERIE and I have owned her since May this year. She is currently moored at Te Atatu , West Auckland. My MA CHERIE was built by Garth Lane in 1960/61 in Panmure , Aukland . Her name when first built was ma- Cherie then in 1999 her name was changed to ADI KUILA and went to Fiji as a charter boat. Then came back to NZ in 2001. Murray Sole from Whangamatā had her then. In 2002 a new owner was recored as S.C.R. Holdings Ltd in Te Atatu”
Dave also commented that he has an extensive documented history on the vessel. The WW link below from July 2014 has a great collection of older day photos , including her Fiji days. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/22/adi-kuila/
28-03-2026 UPDATE ex owner DAVE FORREST – MA CHERIE seen below relaunching after some TLC.
LOOKING FOR INTEL ON THE CLASSIC LAUNCH GRAHAM JOHN > WLLIAM STEER > HIPPOCAMPUS
Back in Nov 2022 we ran a story on the the launch – WILLIAM STEER, via the WW comments section and numerous fb pages we have learnt that she was built by Don Clarke in the late 1950’s in Motueka and launched in c.1961. As launched she was 36’ in lengthened powered by a Ford 6 cyl. diesel engine. Shortly afterwards she was acquired by the Drummond family in Golden Bay, who changed her name to GRAHAM JOHN. The Drummonds extended her (6’) and repowered her. She ‘worked’ as a scallop boat.
Unsure of the dates but ownership changed to the McFedries family, father Don and son Brett had we in the Tasman Bay / Marlbourgh Sounds region.
In 2022 we learnt that the boat was owned by Hagar Parvin (purchased off Don McFedries)who had renamed her HIPPOCAMPUS and was undertaking refit.
Colin Starines (nephew of Don C) once commented that he has no record of the boating being named WILLIAM STEER, would be nice to clarify that.
Can anyone update WW on where the launch is now – Napier?
INPUT ex MIKE O’DWYER – Hippocampus is now owned by Mark Parvin, who, with the help of his father Peter, resheathed the hull in ply/glass. The rest of the boat was brought up to a weather-tight condition as well. The boat is currently moored on the piles by the Napier Sailing Club.
And FYI the ex- Greymouth Pilot boat William Steer was moored here in Napier a while back. The owner at the time was converting to live aboard. Up North somewhere last I heard.
WATERFRONT HAPPENINGS
News this week that the Auckland wooden boat festival is returning in 2026 to the viaduct. Dates are March 13 >15th. More details at the event web site https://www.aucklandwoodenboatfestival.co.nz/
Organisers are looking for suitable classic wooden craft for inclusion, application process / form on the website.
REFLECTIONS ON THE 2025 PORT TOWNSEND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL– 80+ Photos / Videos
One of the bucket list classic wooden boating events is the annual Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. From all reports the 2025 event was outstanding. While its easy to go on-line and find a link to a professional overview, in my eye there is something special about viewing a festival attendees collection of boats – sure the light or camera angle isn’t alway perfect but you get a raw edge, which appeals.
Today thanks to kiwi John Oates we get to share what appealed to John’s eye.
One of the festival features that sets it apart from a lot of events is the ability to go aboard the boats and talk to the owners. There is something for everyone – food & drink, live music, kids activities, movie screening and lots of opportunities to get on the water.
One of this years ket themes was tagged – ‘A Gathering of Maritime Legends: Celebrating Shipwrights’. The festival brought together shipwrights from some of the world’s most iconic maritime institutions—craftspeople who keep the art of wooden boatbuilding alive with skill, heart, and tradition.Via a mix of talks, presentations and hands on gatherings where the public were able to rub up against the legends.
Enjoy the gallery – I did. As always click on photos to enlarge ;-
Ps John has promised another photo report featuring more classic sail boats ✔️
As I have mooched around the bottom end of Waiheke Island over the years, ono of the craft I have spotted most frequently is the 26’ BESSIE FLORENCE, link here to a Jan 2016 WW story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/01/16/bessie-florence/
BESSIE FLORENCE is a ‘mini’ trawler designed by Jay Benford and built in 2006 by Paul Jessop of Waikawa, Picton for Cook Strait fishing and Sounds use. With her build year and construction method (glassed ply) she sits outside of what we would label a classic wooden boat , but probably slides into the spirit of tradition family.
Forward motion is via a 30hp Yanmar 3GM30 diesel engine that which averages approx. 3 litres per hour when cruising at 5-6 knots.
Recently her owner made the call to move the craft on and I can report that her new owner will be relocated BESSIE FLORENCE to the Coromandel area and changing her name to TOBY.
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – LADY TANA > KHUTZE CRUISER > FURIOSA – ORIGINAL OUTSHINES REFIT
Back in Jan 2020 WW ran a story on the 1971 wooden launch – LADY TANA, built by Oliver & Gilpin. At the time we learnt a lot about her via the WW comments section. We have repeated them below.
Now thanks to an email from woody John Dawson, we get to see LADY TANA as launched. A pity about the ‘additions’ …… refer below photos.
Jan 2020 ex Matthew Keys – Lady Tana was built for my grandfather Harry Keys by Oliver and Gilpin in 1971. He cruised extensively in Northland in the early 70s with Whangaroa being a favourite. Tana rock in the Kerikeri inlet is named after the boat after it struck the rock. Kelly Tarlton made the rescue temporarily patching the hole. The boat was sold to Warwick Ross in Tauranga where it stayed for many years. In the 1980s it was renamed the Khutze Cruiser and ran booze cruises out of Paihia for a while.
May 2023 ex Donna Cowslip – My name is Donna Cowsill my grandfather Syd Deadman bought the Lady Tana that was in the 80s. Was the 2nd biggest pleasure boat in Whitianga. Did a lot of game fishing with my dear grandad, can’t remember the year he sold her but he regretted it big time. He down sized to the Waimaro nice boat but nothing could beat the Lady Tana. Queen of the sea
Oct 2024 – ex Tara Busby – She is renamed FURIOSA (Mad Max) and based around Northland/Hauraki Gulf as a liveaboard fishing and diving platform. We dropped the Lady name because she’s more of a bitch than a lady. She’s not elegant and pretty but big, strong and solid! As new owners we intend to modify her appearance to reflect her new name.
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