Some times I go on a little bit about excessive / OTT fly-bridges on old boats & have been known to use the words ‘a block of flats’ – I was sent the photo below which would have to win 1st prize 🙂
The term ‘A block of flats’
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Category Archives: Working Boats
Ngaroma
NGAROMA
photo ex Merv Stockly
Following on from yesterdays ‘Aquila’ post & the debate over the identity of the launch in the background, Merv Stockly sent in the above 1954 photo of Ngaroma.
Ngaroma was owned by Merv’s wife Lyn’s father, Don Ross, who was game fishing with Ngaroma out of Whitianga until around 1962.
Any woodys able to pad the details on Ngaroma out e.g. designer, builder, other owners, todays whereabouts?
Update from Merv Stockly (edited by AH) – ‘Ngaroma’ was designed and built by Collings and Bell in 1910 but she was launched as `Hazel’ for an E.R. James, an American living in Ponsonby. She is listed in Harold Kidd’s book on classic lauches as `Hazel’. Don purchased her as `Ngaroma’ and used her for game fishing charters until he later updated to `Miss Lidgard’.
Don will be chuffed to see her on ww . I print out your daily `woody’ for him each day after we give him breakfast. He lives for the sea and boats but now at 92 can only remember and look at pictures.
The small photo below was sent in the Brian Worthington & show Ngaroma fishing out of Whitianga with a big black marlin on her counter. The Aldermen Islands can be seen in the background.
Koputai – Sailing Sunday
KOPUTAI Sailing Sunday
Todays post is one of the ones I love, lots of details & lots of both old & current photos.
Koputai is a heavily built pilot stye hull weighing almost 40ton. She was built by Miller and Tunnage of Port Chalmers and launched in 1939. She served as a pilot vessel until the early 1990s when she returned to Miller and Tunnage to be converted to a pleasure boat. Since she has circumnavigated NZ twice including Chatham Islands, Great Barrier Island, Stuart Island and the Three Kings.
In 2013 her owner, Louey Sandlant, circumnavigated the South Island after fitting rigging and sails to the boat. They spent April-June in Fiordland with friends coming and going. The boat was perfectly suited to this life with spacious living quarters, a warm wheel house, plenty of food storage and fridge freezer space that easily accommodated 7-9 people long term.
On this trip she averaged 1L/NM at 6-7kts and didn’t get to make much use of the full set of sails. On passages Koputai will motor at 6.5-7kts with some sail for steadying. If there is a good blow she will sail 6-9kts with the engine backed off to idle or just over, this brings the fuel consumption right down & can halve the fuel consumption, making long passages very affordable cruising.
Despite the GM Detroits reputation for noise and thirst, Louey reports they have found it to be a very pleasant piece of machinery to live with. It has been very well set up with a 4.5:1 Allison box turning the large propeller and a sound insulated dry muffler set up with a wet exit making it quiet and smooth. Like most Detroits she runs like a clock.
In the sailing department Koputai has a traditional Bermudan style cutter ketch rig. Louey generally always has the mizzen hoisted for stability and with the stay-sail forward this configuration is balanced and happy up to around 35+kts., in lighter airs the full main and code zero style jenoa as well goes nicely up to around 24kts, she will get along at 8 kts off the wind with engine just ticking over. She feels solid pushing into heavy weather and will safely hold her own against most NZ coastal conditions and her owner wouldn’t hesitate to take her offshore. Koputai has been in survey.
Koputai has had a lot of time & money sent on her – in 2012 and 2013 she under went extensive restoration work, including:
-Complete deck re-corking and refinishing
-Complete new Kauri covering board
-Cabins stripped and refinished and windows refitted
-New stainless steel staunch-ens
-All repairs have been done with top quality treated kauri
-In 2013 she has also had a new sailing rig fitted with Canadian Oregon masts, standing rigging and all new sails made by classics sail maker Bud Nalder.
Everything that has been done to her by the current owners has been done with the highest quality products available for traditional boat building and completed by an experience boat builder to a high standard of durability. A useable finish is achieved while maintaining her traditional style.
The rig was designed to suit the era and fit with the original lines to make a well rounded, practical motor sailor for extensive cruising and expedition.
Recent work June 2014 includes; Full repaint above and below the water, new shaft bearing, new zincs, exhaust through hull fitting removed and inspected and refitted, prop removed checked and cleaned, shaft bearing replaced, shaft inspected and cleaned
Now the sad / good news – Loueys sad news is that Koputai is now for sale – the good news is the some lucky boaty is going to get to own one of the best restored, set up motor-saliers around. I don’t normally put prices on ww but I believe this to be such great value – this time I have – NZD$195,000.
If you wanted to a have a South Island experience for a while, there is a mooring in Nelson that is available to rent or purchase by negotiation and she will be delivered anywhere in New Zealand. I have to say that she would also make a great live aboard.
Her owners are currently cruising north over the next month via Great Barrier so if any ww followers are interested – contact Louey on 0274948028
Some Specs:
Leingth 17.1m – Draft 1.95m – Beam 4.7m
-Engine; GM Detroit 671 New 2008 4090hrs – Dry muffler wet exit. 180-200hp
-Running gear; Allison gearbox, 3 1/2″ bronze shaft, 53″ bronze propeller, solid bronze rudder and shaft with hydrolic steering (new main shaft bearing 2014)
-Genset; Newly reconditioned 2.5kva Mase (single cylinder yanmar)
-Fuel; 1700L – Water; 2000L
-Power; New batteries all round feb 2013 – 2x290ah AGM deep cycles. 2xNS220 start batteries
-Anchoring; Nilson maxwell 3500 winch (new 1000w motor 2012.), 13mm galv short link chain (New chain 2012.), 80lb manson plow
-Refrigeration; Large 200l freezer/chiller with engine driven compressor(new compressor and switches 2013) Dometic 3way automatic fridge freezer (new 2011)
-Sails; Main, Mizzen, Staysail and Genoa (new 2013)
-3m inflatable dingy with yamaha 8hp – Or a 4.1m inflatable thundercat with a 50hp yamaha with cradle
-lifting gear with elect capstain for loading tenders up 450kg also very handy for lifting anchors and gear on board.
Update 27-08-2020 Photo below supplied by David Balderston, as per his 2015 comments
The Birth Place of Many Woodys
Freemans Bay c1961
Baileys Yard c1961
The Birth Place of Many Woodys
photos ex Chris McMullen ex Gilbert Littler
The two stunning aerial photos above of the Beaumont Street boatyards, taken in the early 1960’s by Whites Aviation, were sent in by Chris McMullen via his friend Gilbert Littler. These days Gilbert lives in Boston, USA but in the 1960’s worked at the Baileys yard (2nd photo above) as a boatbuilder. Gilbert was back in NZ recently to sail on Chris Bouzaid’s Rainbow II during the ‘One Ton Revisited Regatta’, which they won.
Chris commented that back in the 1960’s when the photos were taken, any interested young boy could go into a boatyard and watch what was going on. No health and safety regulations. An older guy told Chris one day “Don’t be a —— boatbuilder sonny ‘’ “Better to be a builder.” He told him the boatbuilding industry was too unreliable, hard dirty work and way under paid. Well Chris says he was right, but he ignored the old boys advice and some how survived, with no no regrets.
There are a lot of woody’s in the photos. Lots of history too. Lowes old yard is just south of the Atlantic oil depot. Chris’s old firm, McMullen & Wing Ltd, set up a travelift operation there to replace the St Marys Bay haul out, taken by the Harbour Bridge approach.
Chris commented that they filled the site with brick and concrete from the Union Steam Ship building. The date about 1980. The site was leased from the old Auckland Harbour Board and had some very restrictive conditions over activity and building on the site. It was too tough and Chris got out and left it with his business partner the late Eric Wing. He sub leased it to Kip Kempthorn who eventually bought the lease and managed to change the terms through negotiations with the new land lord “Ports of Auckland “. Chris isn’t quite sure how he managed that but it happened. What is on the site now would never have been allowed under the original lease. The McMullen & Wing site was next to the old Harbour Board slip and is now called Orams number two yard. As an aside Chris recently bought back their original travelift that has been worked flat out for over 33 years.
(remember to enlarge a photo, simply click on it)
Esperanza II
ESPERANZA II
details ex ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H. photos ex B Worthington
The story of how Esperanza II, an American Chris Craft arrived in NZ started in about 1948 when the Fuller family of the Bay of Islands had an American couple, fly over here, to go game fishing on one of their charter boats.
They (probably Snooks Fuller) met the couple personally & instantly hit it off & became instant friends. As a result of this, the extremely wealthily Americans invited them back to America, to stay as their guests, at their waterfront mansion. They accepted & in due course fulfilled the invitation & were amazed at everything the saw. Their hosts had numerous cars, mostly Cadillacs & several boats, one of which was a fabulous virtually brand new 36 foot Chris Craft launch, which was tied up at the bottom of their garden.
They went out & about in the hosts cars & one day the hosts asked the Fullers if they liked the car they were in that day & of course they said they did & their hosts said words to the effect, “well you better take it home with you.” The Fullers naturally thought the hosts were just joking & passed it over.
In the next day or two they went out in the Chris Craft & of course that was out of this world for them, the like of which they probably had never seen in NZ. Once again they were asked if they liked it & of course they said – they loved it, so once again, the hosts said to the effect, “well you better take it home with you.”
Very shortly after they returned home, they got official documents telling them that the car & the boat were on their way to NZ. The Fullers must have been blown away with the Americans generosity.
Esperanza II became the ultimate luxury game boat of her era in “The Bay,” with many dignitaries & prominent guests aboard. She was originally a fairly fast boat, powered by 2 very large Chris Craft V8 petrol engines, when she arrived, these were eventually replaced with Ford diesels.
From the photos above, taken over the years, it appears that she is still alive & well & Ken understands she was in Whangamata fairly recently for a period & is possibly in Auckland these days.
The details of the above ‘story’ were told to Kens family in the 1950’s by friends of the Fullers. Can any one confirm & add more details from her past?
Iris
IRIS
photos & details ex Chris Manning & Harold Kidd
Harold has advised that Iris was built by Ernie Lane for E.A. Johnson of Havelock in 1923 and was 40′ x 8’6″ x 3′ 5″ and originally had a 1918 H.C. Doman 2cylinder 15hp, later a Fairbanks Morse then a Kelvin.
Chris added that she was sold to the Orchard family for fishing duties mid 20th century (ish). Later while at Picton in the 1960’s she suffered a major fire while apparently the gearbox was being cleaned out with petrol. Some of the fuel spilt into the bilge and caught fire from some dodgy bilge pump wiring. After the fire Bill Orchard hauled her out and stripped the hull/house so she looked like a big canoe. She was rebuilt with a couple of extra planks all around, new deck and new house. Hence the big change in her lines from the oldest images to the newest.
Chris thinks Iris was sold to Athol Sadd of Blenheim in the seventies and was used as a commuter between Picton (later Waikawa) and his property in Ruakaka Bay. Apparently Athol had a bit of a scare with a rail ferry in in the fog one night/day and within a few days the ‘starship enterprise’ radar scanner arrived.
In 1986 she was re-powered from the 471 GM that Bill Orchard put in her to a 671 Detroit (she has a size able engine box in the aft cabin). The engine is rated to 180hp at 1800RPM. Peter Rothwell fabricated the running gear having a 2 inch 316 SS shaft with a 4 bladed 26/24 Nalder and Biddle propeller. She goes really well such that the propeller holds the engine at a whisker over 1750 RPM (with prop speed). The prop has a bare 3/4 inch between the blade tips and the hull – a bit of copper sheathing is required there.. Economy wise, she burns about a litre a mile at about 12 knots. At 1800RPM with flat water, a clean bum and no passengers she can touch 16 knots.
Mark Rogers and Chris bought her in partnership in 2009 and have progressively refitted her. Chris said she will never be ‘finished’ but she will steadily improve, his quote is ‘Boat Finished > Man Die’ 🙂
Iris also has a sister ship, the Mavis, which is alive and looking very nice in Havelock.
Photos of Mavis below ex Chris Manning
Mavis
Mavis
Gunk-holing up the Weti River in a 1902 Logan
Gunk-holing up the Weti River in a 1902 Logan Motor Boat
photos ex Jason Prew at the helm of Otira
Despite the CYA Launch cruise / picnic being cancelled Jason Prew & Nathan Herbert + crew decided to launch Otira, the 1902 Logan day boat at Gulf Harbour & explore the upper reaches of the Waiti River. They made it passed the Silverdale road bridge, which is an impressive distance, along the way they passed an ‘interesting’ array of vessels. Enjoy 🙂 As always – click on any photo to enlarge.
For reference see below a recent photo of Otira at Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade
2015 Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show – Nelson Lakes
Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show – Nelson Lakes
photos & details from Greg Lees & Gary Drummond
As featured on the ww post ‘Summertime’ Greg Lees daughter Rosie recently launched a run-about / speed boat that she built. No sooner had she splashed it but she was off down south (home) with the the boat in tow. Post launch the first major outing for the boat was the Nelson Lakes, 2015 Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show. Rosie had entered Summertime in the “Best New Build” competition category & Greg reports that she missed out on this award, the winner being a 14 year old whom had built a mini hydroplane, and according to Greg, he deserved the prize. Nor did she win best ‘Outboard Boat’ or ‘Powerboat’ prize.
BUT – she won “Best Boat of the Boat Show”. That young lady is a winner 🙂
Rosie is pictured in one of the photos above with a bottle of Mumm champagne, she has been carrying that bottle around with her since it was given to her by Barbara & David Cooke at the launching of Summertime – given the absence of a cork its safe to assume it was cracked at the prize giving.
Rosie went on to win her race in the ‘Over 40 hp’ division the next day. A T-shirt was the trophy.
In the photos above there is a red row boat – one of very popular, Ian Oughtred designed, St Ayles skiffs, this one ‘Kaikoura Lass, was built in Kaikoura as a community project.
The event is a magic gathering of classic boating enthusiasts & the organisers welcome all i.e. not just wooden vessels , plus classic cars are invited along to the weekend so its a hit with young & old.
Note: Press clipping below from the Nelson Mail
Pioneer II
PIONEER II
photos ex Terry
This ones a mystery to me, I was sent the two photos with a note saying the smaller one is of the launching from Collings and Bell at St Marys Bay.
Who can tells us more about Pioneer II ?
The Minerva
THE MINERVA
A great read by Russell Ward
In my youth –well I’m still young ain’t I? – I used to admire a lovely old counter-sterned boat that used to moor in the Wade River. It is now not on the cruising agenda, but we quite often used to call in as part of a cruise. Sometimes if it was a really lumpy trip across to Tiri, we’d sneak down the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and sneak our way up to Stillwater to lick our wounds. There was a thriving motor camp and store there and at night the silence was profound. Just nature all around. The tide was very strong and every day, about sunset, an old Labrador dog used to ease himself into the river and swim across to the Stillwater side. He would end up miles down river because of the tide and we never saw his return swim. Maybe he had a girlfriend or food source over on the other side. The term “dogged determination” sprang to mind.
But I digress. Moored just under the headland that is upstream of the WBC moorings was a fine old ship. She had the rather gracious name of “The Minerva”.
(From Steamers Down the Fith by the late Bill Laxon).
Built as an Auckland harbour ferry in 1910, she was relatively shallow draft to cope with the creeks and estuaries. She was fitted with a coal fired scotch boiler and two 14 nhp compound engines made by George Fraser and Sons -a pioneer Auckland engineering company. This firm ran from 1862 -1955 and was a major builder of the heavy machinery a developing country needed especially when there was gold to be found in them there hills. For those interested, there is an early 1900 reference to the company at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZH19000926.2.72.8. The firm transmogrified into Tappenden Motors in the ‘50s and the asset stripping raids occasioned by Rogernomics sealed the company’s fate. It was under the spaghetti junction down from the University’s Owen Glenn Building.
The Minerva’s time on the Auckland Harbour came to an end in 1922 and she was taken round to the Kaipara (where her shallow draft was an asset) by Charles West to be converted to a tug for towing timber to the McLeod’s mills. As an aside, John McLeod was the first settler in Helensville. A sawmiller, he built his wife Helen a stately villa. And you always wondered why it as called Helensville.
The good ship steamed until the late 1940s. With an abundance of timber scraps, it had been good economics to keep her in steam. Now when I used to see The Minerva in the 1950>60s in the Waiti River, she had been diseasiled but I subsequently found out that her boiler went to a market gardener down south and one of her engines was left abandoned on the Helensville wharf up to the mid 1950s. As Bill Durham said in Steamboats and Modern Steam Launches “Come and get ‘em”. Alas the boiler has yet to be found and everyone seems to have forgotten her engine. Anyone who knows where it is can happily contact me and all will be treated in confidence.
The Minerva’s time as a workboat came to an end in 1945 when she was converted to the pleasure boat I knew. Lewis McLeod retired and took her over to the milder east coast where I first met her. She went seriously downhill when she was sold for commercial fishing and even worse things in 1964. The Minerva presently lies under cover at Kerikeri somewhat north of here and a group is fighting to restore her. As an aside Russell would love to know how she got the name The Minerva.
(as an aside, the writer Peter Gill, of the great story above in the ‘Bay Chronicle’ was a previous owner of my old girl Raindance, named Lady Gay (Gai?) in Peter’s day)
