Category Archives: Working Boats

RESTORATION OF CLASSIC LAUNCH – TAINUI – UPDATES – RELAUNCHED

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RESTORATION OF CLASSIC LAUNCH – TAINUI – UPDATES – RELAUNCHED

Very pleased to be able to report that the restoration of the 38′ classic wooden launch – TAINUI , built c.1967 is progressing well – recently Blair Boats provided via fb the above images. TAINUI is kauri carvel planked and has a beam of 9’3″.

TAINUI was originally named KAIPARA and was a pilot vessel on the Kaipara Harbour. From that role she was converted to a commercial fishing vessel and then went off to Great Barrier Island, GBI more often than not ends up a grave yard for wooden boats but she was saved by John Sloane who and bought back to the main land. After 8+ years at the boat shed at Whangateau TAINU was moved to Blair Boats for fitting out and re-powering prior to launching.

Recent work has seen the ‘new’ Gardner engine fitted and aligned on reenforced engine beds. The photos show that the head and anchor locker work is almost complete. 

As is becoming the normal these days a jet bow thruster is also being installed 🙂

Read more on TAINUI here https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/08/27/the-classic-wooden-launch-tainui-relocates-north/

11-04-2025 UPDATE ex Blair Boats – new floorboard have been fitted and varnished

24-08-2025 UPDATE ex Blair Boats – the work continues – teak hand rails and anchor roller, engine box undercoated.

10-09-2025 UPDATE – First coat of varnish on the hand rails and teak capping going on the toenail. 

22-09-2025 UPDATE – work continues with bonding and screwing on the laminated teak capping on the toe rail.

01-10-2025 UPDATE – Varnish going on the trim and toe rail

07-10-2025 UPDATE

UPDATE 10-10-2025 – Tainui was moved the outside shelter to free up some space in the shed. Latest work includes – installing custom built bifold doors, bronze potholes and engine vent.

01-11-2025 UPDATE – Bow rails receiving final coat + installed.

UPDATE 30-11-2025

SPLASH DAY HAS ARRIVED

PARADE OF SAIL – 2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL

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©️AWBF2025

PARADE OF SAIL – 2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL

One of the big events during the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, Tasmania is the ‘Parade of Sail’ – the offical opening event. Conditions allowing they get 11 Tall Sailing Ships and over 200 craft sailing up the Derwent River and into Sullivan Cove to mark the start of the festival. 

Today you get to experience the spectacle from about the media boat – a rather large twin hulled motorboat that was perfect for the task. Conditions were a tad challenging for the smaller craft but everyone was well behaved and followed the marshals instructions. 

Enjoy the gallery – only a selection – could only capture what the skipper deemed of most interest 🙂

2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – DAY 6

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DAY SIX – BULLETIN – TUES 11TH

On the big silver bird today heading back to Auckland. Today we have a glimpse at a rather fine speed boat – MISS JAMAR that caught both my self and Angus Rogers eye.

Powered by a 383 ci Chev V8.

2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Day 5 Bulletin

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DAY FIVE – BULLETIN – MONDAY 10TH

DAY FIVE – BULLETIN – MONDAY 10TH

Today woodys we have a gallery of photos of the 1895 Bailey Brothers built yacht – TE UIRA. She was one of the first NZ designed and built racing craft to be exported to Australia (Victoria, Melbourne).

TE UIRA has had a colorful past and been very close to a Beehive restoration several times. Luckily she found the right owner who commissioned a full restoration that was only completed late last year by Cygnet Wooden Boats.

Won’t bore you with the full details but lost my IPhone yesterday, spent hours visiting lost & found + police etc but there are some honest people out there and later in the day I recovered it. So relived.

Lunch was a shared pizza – very good 😋

2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Day 4

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DAY FOUR – BULLETIN – Sunday 9th

My favorite woody

Four seasons in one day today on the weather front but all good post mid day.

Some serious culture today via museum and gallery visits then dock mooching to snap the woodys I’d not photographed and then some R&R at the local watering holes. Public holiday on Monday so crowds could be a little OTT.

Bumped into anyone and everyone that matters in the trans Tasman classic wooden boating scene and made a few new friends.

Lots of activity at the Pacific exhibition, with Johnny Wray’s – NGATAKI, stealing the limelight.

Back at the hotel our wallaby mate came around for dinner and bought the whole family 😄

2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Day 3

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DAY THREE – BULLETIN – Saturday 8th

The first gallery of photos above were taken early evening yesterday, taking advantage of the best light.

Today was overcast all day and a tad cold. A little bit of sightseeing and dining then the ‘Dinghies After Dark’ function at the City Hall. Lots of Kiwis in attendance which is always nice.

It was also time to move on from the fish diet – Beef Cheek Wellington and discovered a new ginger beer ✔️

Also woke up very early and meet a visitor on the lawn, could have been worse eg a snake.

2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL- Day 2

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OFFICIAL OPEN DAY

DAY TWO – BULLETIN – Friday 7th 

OFFICIAL OPENING DAY

Today was when the waterfront comes alive, yesterday you could have fired a shotgun and not hit anyone but overnight and thru out the day the classic wooden craft kept pouring into the surrounding areas.

The highlight of day one is the ‘Parade of Sail’ that sees 11 Tall Sailing Ships and over 200 craft sail up the Derwent River and into Sullivan Cove to mark the start of the festival. At the 2023 festival I was aboard the 110’ brigantine – WESTWARD BOUND, this year I choose the very fast and stable media boat. A perfect platform to capture the event.

Today woodys I post a snapshot of the day and share our culinary highlights- the seafood is next level in Tasmania.

Scallops On A Stick
Seafood Pasta

2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL- Day 1

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DAY ONE – BULLETIN – Thursday 6th

Hello woodys

I’m now in wooden boat heaven – attending the 2025 Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Arrived yesterday mid morning and to use that wonderful Aussie saying – ‘ I’m as happy as a dog with two tails. I attended the 2023 festival and quickly became hooked – search Australian Wooden Boat Festival in the WW search box to view that trip.

I’m adopting a different reporting style this festival – rather than doing massive photo posts each day – there will be some narrative on what we have been up to and some BOATS of THE DAY photos, then at the end of the trip there will be one big story. Why you may ask – well last trip I spent 1/2 my time bent over my laptop editing photos and loading up via very average hotel internet services.

This year I will be trying to enjoy the occasion more and meet more woodys and visit their craft dockside.

Each year the festival has a theme – The 2025 festival celebrates Australia’s deep maritime connections across the Tasman Sea, featuring the debut of Te Karangatahi, the Māori waka taua, and a lineup of NZ vessels including NGATAKI, LADY GAY and TE RAPUNGA. There will be talks, open to the public, on the restoration of NGATAKI and the saving of the DEEMING. These vessels are well known to the followers of WW, so the cameras will be mainly focusing on the hundreds of stunning Australian wooden craft that make up the festival – so I apologise in advance to the connections of these Kiwi boats. 🙂

Lots of activity down at the waterfront as all the festival crew are setting up.

Tomorrow I’m out on the water for the event that marks the start of the festival – the Sail In’ – it’s very spectacular.

WORLDWIDE CLASSIC BOAT SHOW- FREE ACCESS TICKET

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WORLDWIDE CLASSIC BOAT SHOW- FREE ACCESS TICKET FOR WW READERS

As you read this I’ll be winging my way to Hobart for the 2025 Australian Wooden Boat Festival. There will be daily posts of the best thats on display so check in each day.

Readers of WW will be familiar with my addiction to the USA based v-blog OFF CENTER HARBOR, one of the super cool gigs these guys pull together is the annual WORLDWIDE CLASS BOAT SHOW, which waitematawoodys is co-sponsoring this year. The online show kicks off on February 14th – and as a WW reader you get a Free Ticket to the Worldwide Classic Boat Show

See over 1,200 of the world’s best wooden boats at the show. The show is 100% online/virtual, February 14 to March 2nd, so you’ll get free access to everything from your favorite lounge chair at home.
You can CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE TICKET/PASS.

WHAT’S AT THE SHOW? 

  • World Map – Everything related to classic boats on one interactive world map
  • Boats – Beautiful photos and details of 1,200+ of the world’s best classic boats
  • Organizations – Explore festivals, boatbuilders, clubs, museums, schools, etc.
  • Live Presentations – Inspiring presentations featuring experts on a variety of topics
  • People – Connect with other attendees anywhere in the world (right on the map)

Your free ticket will get you into all of these presentations:

  • Arctic Solo Sailor Veronica Skotnes
  • Yacht Restoration w/ Dave Snediker
  • Indigenous and African Maritime Legacies w/ Akeia de Barros Gomes
  • Why Are These the Best Boat Festivals? w/ Port Townsend, France, and Australia
  • Two-Tim Race to Alaska Winner Jeanne Goussev
  • Marine Systems w/ Kevin Ritz from NWSWB
  • Small Boat Design w/ John Welsford, Clint Chase, and Ross Lillistone

+ SUBMIT YOUR OWN BOAT:
They’re still accepting boat submissions too, so you can CLICK HERE to submit your own boat to be in the show.
Enjoy the show

2025 ANNIVERSARY DAY INNER HARBOUR MOTORBOAT RACING

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ONLY TWO THROTTLE SETTING ON MY GIRL – IDLE AND FULL CHAT

Some woodys are pure speed demons eg MY GIRL (#51) below and others with the help of a heart transplant can still lift up their skirts and show a good turn of speed – NGAIO (blue boat) and PACIFIC (white) two good example below.

TUGBOAT RACE START

2025 ANNIVERSARY DAY INNER HARBOUR MOTORBOAT RACING

Due to the weather on the weekend I was able to attend the anniversary day regatta motor boat events on board Jason Prew’s launch – MY GIRL.

The two gigs are the Tug & Workboat Race and the Classic Launch Race – known around the waterfront as as the Tug Off and the Drag Race.

The commercial boats were first away and are always a sight to behold – so much horse power – and great to a mix of very old – WILLIAM C DALBY and current working waterfront tugs.

The main event for me is the launch race, pulled together each year by Jason Prew – it is a handicap race but the adrenalin kicks in and the launch skippers are going at full throttle most of the race. Race results below.

I wouldn’t be true to my DNA if I didn’t comment about the continuing demise of the regatta – each year less and less vessels turning out – aside from small beach launched yachts, the motor boats would have to be the two biggest categories in the regatta. And a very concerning sign – no Navy ship in the harbour as the VIP grandstand………. just saying.

Enjoy the photo / video gallery.

NOTE – AFTER A TECH ISSUE UPLOADING VIDEOS YESTERDAY – WE HAVE RESOLVED THE FAULT AND HAVE ADDED SOME GREAT SAILING FOOTAGE TO YESTERDAYS MAHURANGI REGATTA STORY – SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW.