Category Archives: Working Boats

OLEO

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OLEO 

Over the weekend Dave Stanaway was passing through Awanui, the historical river port in the far north of New Zealand. Ray parked up and checked on the launch – Oleo that is berthed in the river.  Dave commented that she was an ex towboat in Whangarei. 

Back in December 2019 we had the photo below of her hauled out at Awanui and Harold Kidd at the time commented that Oleo was built for R H Harnett of Whangarei by Tyler & Harvey in December 1910. Her original engine was a 20hp Union. R H Harnett lived at Parua Bay and was a trader on the harbour. He sold Oleo to R B S Hogwood in 1915 and owned Moerangi for passenger and mail work from 1912 until he died in 1936.

Dave also mentioned Ray Morey knows all about her so hopefully Ray will join in and tells us more about her more recent activity. Dave’s older brother Jim knew her then as well.

INPUT ex Hylton Edmonds – Oleo was owned and operated by Larry Walker as a workboat and contracted a lot with her to the former Whangarei and latterly Northland Harbour Board(s), as inner harbour barge and general assist. Larry and son Tommy (great Kiwi blokes) have both now sadly passed (and a lot of Far North history with them too), but I believe Oleo is still in the Walker Family who live nearby at Unahi. Oleo runs a 6 Cyl Ford, and like of small workboats of the day- punched well above her weight.

Probably NZ’s Biggest Classic – TSS Earnslaw

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Probably NZ’s Biggest Classic – TSS Earnslaw

I had cause to spend sometime last week/end in Queenstown and made the effort to take a ‘cruise’ across Lake Whakatipu on the 1912 built coal fired steamer –  TSS Earnslaw. I have visited Queenstown a lot in the past but mainly for business related events and was always running to a tight agenda – not so this trip.

A wedding invitation was the excuse for a visit, so while the rest of the family went for a long walk I boarded the ship, at nearly 160’ in length she is a ship.

Trip included a brief stop at the Walter Peak farm – a very impressive looking complex.

The conditions were perfect and woodys I would encourage you to do it if you are down that way. Enjoy the photo gallery.

And the wedding was a stunner – the best of everything – people, venue, food, wine and music. I think I danced more in one night than in the last 20 years, hopefully no one was filming 🙂

KONINI – A Peek Down Below

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KONINI – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody slips onto WW primarily because home of the 34’ launch – Konini is Queenstown and thats where I am today. Thanks to a tme listing back in Nov 2023 (via Ian McDonald) we learnt that Konini started life as a fishing boat from the east coast of the South Island. Her owner back in 2023 bought it from a fisherman in Bluff.  Her hull is double skin kauri plank and the cabin and wheelhouse were rebuilt about c.2017.

A 51hp Perkins 4.108 pushes her along at 6>7 knots. I’m sure she gets some sideways looks from tourists onboard the TSS Earnslaw, but as they say – ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ 🙂

MISS LIDGARD

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MISS LIDGARD

The launch Miss Lidgard appeared on WW back in May 2013, at the time we learnt a lot about her history and generated good chat in the comments section – see the story link below. Lots of photos and details. https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/05/miss-lidgard/

Miss Lidgard started out as a work boat, built to transport light cargo to the whaling station on Great Barrier Island. Then c.2013 she was converted for game fishing work out of Whitianga. The photo above is from that time frame and comes to us from the Tauranga City Library collection via Dean Wright.

MYSTERY WORKBOAT TA74

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MYSTERY WORKBOAT TA74

Todays woody photo comes to us from the Tauranga City Library collection via Dean Wright.

Based on the photo tag – the date is probably April 1966. The fishing ‘license’ # (someone remind the correct term please) is TA 74.

Anyone know more about the boat and what became of her?

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW CLASSICS 4SALE

OUTSTANDING IN A PADDOCK – Duke of Marlborough

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OUTSTANDING IN A PADDOCK – Duke of Marlborough

When I received the photos above the first thoughts were ………… where and why. 

Chatting with the sender, Ant Smit, I learned that the location was the MacKenzie Basin, which is situated approx. 1/2 way between Christchurch and Queenstown in the South Island. The area is almost the dead centre of the island.

Ant advised that a friend was on a motorcycle tour and spotted the boat and couldn’t not stop and snap a few photos.

I quick chat to my WW steam guru – Russell Ward and we learn she was purchased ex Picton and should currently be viewed as ‘art’. Lets hope there is a long term plan to restore her.

Her back story is a good read and she appeared on WW in May 2020 – link below. We learned then she was made of steel in 1987 and was originally named – James Torrey, and was used for trout fishing tours on Lake Tarawera –  lots of details in the story. In the photo below we see her at Picton when she was running as a commercial passenger vessel.     https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/17/ss-duke-of-marlborough/

Anyone able to enlighten us more on her future 

INPUT ex DAN CONAGH (owner) – I can confirm that I’ve purchased and moved the Duke to a section of land I own in Twizel. Our intention is to restore, repaint and return to service on one of the lakes in the MacKenzie District.

Unfortunately the boat is showing the signs of having been stored next to the ocean in Picton. The hull has some rust that requires attention. The wooden topside has some sun damage. New varnish required, and the PVC roll up sides are beyond repair. The photos in this article are very recent as I was up there on Saturday cleaning up all the coal spread across the floor inside.

SEA DE’IL > SEA DEVIL > SKIPJACK

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SEA DE’IL > SEA DEVIL > SKIPJACK

Todays woody launch has had several names and appeared on WW numerous times, links below to a couple of those stories.

Thanks to Harold Kidd back in 2016 (refer screen grab below) we learnt that when launched she was named Sea De’il, most likely after a well known race horse of the time.

Lots of colour photos from thru out her recent years but we had never seen her as launched. Yesterday while doing a deep dive in the WW archives I found a press clipping that shown the launch at anchor at Reotahi, Whangarei Harbour in the late 1920’s. 

Owned at the time by Jim Hoey her first owner. There has been a lot of speculation re a possible builder so I won’t go down that rabbit hole 🙂

The launch was 30’6” in length, full length kauri planking but must have been stretched at some stage as some sources have her at 33’. 

When launched she was a workboat and whilst primarily working in and around Whangarei Harbour she was a frequent visitor to Kawau, Great Barrier Island, Mokohinau & the Hen & Chicken islands.

NOTE: I’m interested to hear debate on whether the two boats above are actually the same, now that we have an early photo of Sea De’il, there are a few features that do not gel in my eyes – thoughts?

WW 2016https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/24/sea-devil/

WW 2022https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/12/15/skipjack-sea-devil-2/

SEA HAWK + Turbulence At The CYA

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SEA HAWK

On a recent ’Ex NZ Post Office Construction Staff’ fb post, a Dave Hansen posted the top photo ( location Amberley Beach, early 1980’s) his the story was actually about the truck, but the partial photo of a vessel named – Sea Hawk sparked the attention of a reader named ‘Wolf Man’ who supplied a current day photo and advised the vessel was still on the same section.In his post Dave Hansen commented that the section and contents were neglected due to the owner being a guest of the state eg in prison. On a follow up visit the boat and truck were gone. So at some stage the boat returned.

Keen to learn more about the boat and what’s been happening to her these last 40 years.


JOYCE TALBOT RESIGNS FROM CYA
Dockside chatter has CYA Secertary Joyce Talbot resigning from the CYA after 20+ years. An example of missing her attention to detail – in the March 2024 issue of the CYA’s newsletter ’Sheerlines’ , the editor infers that last weekends Classic Woody Cruise To The Riverhead Tavern, was a CYA event – well folks nothing could be further from the truth………. When it comes to the CYA I’m even amazed they know how to spell the word ‘launch’. I bet the editors laptop always tries  to auto correct it to ‘lunch’ 🙂

And I’m told the CYA vice chairperson has also resigned………………………

ec CYA Sheerlines Mar2024

VENTURE – A Peek Down Below

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Russell Wharf – B.O.I.

VENTURE – A Peek Down Below

I last saw the launch – Venture, back in June 2021 when she was berthed at Hobsonville marina. Link below to that story + a Aug 2017 story that has some wonderful photos from her days big game fishing in the Bay of Islands.

Venture was built by Morrie Palmer in c.1964 and while several people have made reference to being designed by Colin Wilde, at best, probably safe to say ‘influenced by’ 😉

36 in length, 12’1” beam and draft of 3’7”. Forward motion is via 6cyl Ford 90hp Diesel engine.

Today thanks to a recent tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a gender down below.

WW Aug 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/08/26/venture-2/ WW June 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/23/can-we-id-this-launch-2/

ANNA ROSA

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ANNA ROSA

Todays woody has got southern boat written all over her, this backed up by her birth place – the Morgan Boatyard in Picton.

The 41’ Anna Rosa has a build date of 1974 so she fits into the ’spirit of tradition’ category. Lots of zoom zoom with a 320hp CAT 3208 engine below decks. With the rego number on her, she is or must have been in survey.

Any of the mainland woodys able to shed some more light on Anna Rosa for us.

Photo and details sent in by John Dawson

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