Category Archives: Working Boats

THE LINORA

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THE LINORA

Todays woody is the launch – Linora, built in Fairle, Canterbury, in the South Island by Guard & Cuthill. She was built for a R W Butcher of Auckland. In the above photo we see her being transported down Stafford St in Timaru, no doubt on route to launching.

The inland town of Faire may seem an odd place for a boatbuilding yard but in 1970 Dick Guard and Graham Cuthill commenced business there in an old ammunition factory. Initially building small row boats, at 60’ The Linora was the largest they built. In total the yard built 10 launches and over 130 row boats.

Thanks to Peter Grant for sending in the press clipping  / photo of the story that was penned by Dick Guard.

Do we know what became of the Linora – rather a large woody to ‘disappear’

INPUT ex NATHAN HERBERT – photo below from NH show that Linora sent time as a fishing charter boat out of Auckland, named Florence Kennedy II (images are from archives nz and akl libraries)

10-03-2024 UPDATE: I suspect that we have ‘merged’ two boats into one. Greg Philpott has advised that Florence Kennedy was built for Len Sowerty and named after his wife. 

The Lenora was built for a Mr. R W Butcher as mentioned in the article below.

ONE WEEK TO THE CLASSIC WOODY LUNCH CRUISE TO THE RIVERHEAD WATERFRONT TAVERN – RSVP TODAY

email baot name and approx. crew numbers to waitematawoodys@waitematawoodys

RSVP > waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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KIRIKIRIROA – A Peek Down Below

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KIRIKIRIROA – A Peek Down Below

Well after two days of ‘wall2wall’ classic woody porn it was always going to be a big challenge to back up with a run-of-the-mill story, so I thought its Wednesday so must be time for a Work Boat Wednesday story.

Todays woody is the Terry Bailey built 1983, 36′ ex workboat – Kirikiriroa , a woody thats been on my top 10 list ever since I first spotted her at Gulf Harbour marina many years ago. Built from strip plank kauri.

She was originally built for the mussel industry on Great Barrier Island and later used for various fright and cargo transportation. While not currently in survey (on hold), she is still capable of carrying 5 ton of cargo.

AND – down below is a 70hp 4LW Gardner…………….

Kirikiriroa recently popped up on tm , thanks Ian McDonald. I could own her but I’d have to stop churning out WW everyday, I’d be too busy polishing that engine 🙂

Link here to the previous WW story  April 2016 Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/04/15/kirikiriroa/

2016 photo ex K Ricketts

07-03-2024 Input ex Russell Ward – Kirikiriroa was ashore at Gulf Harbour for a tidy up when I had Hinemoa’s Boat up for the same several years back.
The sign in the wheelhouse appealed to me somehow.
She was looking a bit tidier back then, but she’s an appealing wee boat for a real man.

HAVE YOU RSVP’ed FOR THE WOODY CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD TAVERN – SATURDAY 16 MARCH

RSVP > waitematawoodys@gmail.com

AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Off The Water Gallery – Part 2

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AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Off The Water Gallery – 70+ Classic Woody Photos

Today we focus on the spectacular collection of smaller woody craft that were displayed in and around the viaduct events centre – to a large % of the shows audience that had some salt in their veins this was a trip down memory lane.

Just so much care and attention has been furnished on these wooden craft. Sadly I suspect that a lot are now in the ‘display’ category. And as we all know with wooden boats you have got to use them or else they deteriorate quickly and then the cost to bring back is just too steep.

The minders / owners of the craft on display were overrun with people wanting to rely their own experiences and memories of the boats. Hopefully the show has ignited some interest in finding the craft that they enjoyed in a past life. The was certainly no shortage of owners looking for new blood to take over their artefact.

Enjoy the gallery and remember you can enlarge the photos if you click on them and the link to the other half of the festival – the classic woodys berthed dockside is below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/03/04/77770/

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Dockside Gallery – 75+ Classic Woody Photos – Part 1

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AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Dockside Gallery – 75+ Classic Woody Photos

Slight change of format today. Normally we do one big gallery of event photos, but the 2024 Auckland Wooden Boat Festival deserves two stories – why? Well in the eyes os of the woodys I spoke to, the off-the-water (in the shed) exhibition was on equal footing to the exhibition afloat. So woodys come back tomorrow to see the off-the-water gallery, you won’t be disappointed.

From my mooching the #1 feedback I got was ‘where do they all come from’ i.e. people have never seen this number of classic wooden boats together #2 (from owners) was ‘it is so great to meet all the owners / caretakers’. I think a lot of people were quietly hoping their partners were thinking “there are other zany people out there, my partner isn’t the only eccentric old boat nut in town”.

For a three day outdoor event in Auckland we were gifted to have two (Fri/Sat) days of amazing weather, Sunday was a on/off rain day but it didn’t seem to slow down the people. I believe over 8,000 people were counted thru the dock-gate (it was free entry).

The photos tell the story today – its takes a lot of people to pull something like this off, so well done to all those that rubbed up against the show and well done Tony and team for pulling it all together.

PART TWO – THE OFF-THE-WATER SECTION – LINK BELOW https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/03/05/auckland-wooden-boat-festival-off-the-water-gallery/

AS ALWAYS – CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

AND YES I DID BUY THE T-SHIRT 🙂

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

HELENA 8363 – Sailing Sunday

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HELENA 8363 – Sailing Sunday

Recently WW was contacted by Daniel Keat who owns the yacht – Helena. Daniel was reaching out to uncover more on the craft. Daniel has owned Helena for approx. 4 years and is working away to bring her back to her former glory.

Story goes that she may have been built c.1920’s and built in Helena Bay, hence the name. She’s made from 1&7/8” thick kauri. When the wind is off-duty there is a Perkins 6.354 to help the forward motion.

In her early days Helena fished out of Dunedin and Lyttelton , and fishing out of Nelson when in 2012 an Irish boatbuilder bought her and completely rebuilt her except of the hull (thats an Irish statement). Recently Helena has been at the Norsand Boatyard in Whangarei, Northland where Murray Wilkinson commented that she maybe older than the stated c.1920’s.

So woodys – can we help Daniel out re Helena’s past.

27-02-2024 UPDATE – photo below of Helena on sea trials off Onehunga ex Baden Pascoe

RSVP > waitematawoodys@gmail.com

MOTUEKA MARINA – TIDE IN

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MOTUEKA MARINA – TIDE IN

Almost always when John Burland sends in photos from the Motueka marina the tide is out, not in todays photos from earlier in the month.

So woodys today we get to see the woodys afloat and its certainly a better look 🙂 Enjoy.

The ‘ditty’ was sent in by Dave Stanaway – Dave commented – ‘Below is a ditty I learned as a 12 year old. An old retired seaman thought good for me to learn as I spent all my school holidays on towboats. Funny thing was when studying for second mate I was told to forget such a ditty.’

RSVP > waitematawoodys@gmail.com

FAITH – A Peek Down Below

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FAITH – A Peek Down Below

The 1968 30’ Phil Lang designed and built launch – Faith has made several appearances on WW – links below – lots of details & photos from her past

https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/01/faith/https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/06/faith-flash-back-friday/

Faith is a well travelled old girl, originally built by Phil as his own boat for commercial fishing out of Whangaparoa, Auckland. She later went to Northland then to Dunedin, South Island (Port Chamlers & Carey Bay). Then up to the Marlborough Sounds. These days she resides in Picton.

Forward propulsion is via a 38hp Nanni diesel engine that gives her a cruise speed of 6.5 knots.

Thanks to Ian McDonal for the tme alert. 

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

OPANUI – A Peek Down Below + Woody Lunch Cruise Details

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OPANUI – A Peek Down Below + Woody Lunch Cruise Details

Todays woody sedan launch – Opanui, was designed and built in 1964 by Phil Lang for Robert Chamberlain of Chamberlain Island (now Ponui } , Built to tow barges up to 70′ long around the Hauraki gulf she is an incredibly strong boat, made from 1 1/4 inch strip planked kauri.She is approx 38′ long with a 10’6″ beam & 3’6” draft. Her original 6 cylinder 130 HP Perkins diesel 6354 still powers her and cruises at a comfortable 6>7 knots.
Thanks to Ian McDonald spotting a tme listing we get to have good look at Opanui. From the listing she appears to be well maintained and well fitted out for cruising.Current home is the Bay of Islands.

CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH CRUISE & CATCH UP AT RIVERHEAD HOTEL
After the brilliant (but long over due) summer we have had so far this season it will be great to get together to a catch up and swap cruising tales. So its time for a lunch cruise to the Riverhead Tavern – Saturday 16th March. Details below –

RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com with boat name and approx. crew numbers.
DATE: Saturday 16th March TIME: Meeting at Lucas Creek area at 11am. Arriving hotel at 11.30am TIDE:  HW @ 1pm – 3.3m  Looking forward to catching up 🙂

ANN MARIE – A Peek Down Below

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ANN MARIE – A Peek Down Below

The 33’ 1912 Bailey & Lowe launch recently popped up on tme so today thanks to Ian McDonald we get to have a gander down below.

Her story is that she was possibly built as a port service vessel for use in the South Island. Her current owner has had her for 24 years, and in that time crossed from Wellington (North Island) to the Sounds (South Island) numerous times.

Forward motion is via a 65hp Bedford 220 diesel (keel cooled) that gets her along nicely at 7 knots.

Anyone able to shed some light on her past.

KOKIRI – In The 1950>60’s

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KOKIRI – In The 1950 > 60’s

A couple of weeks ago on WW we ran a short story on the launch Kokiri, link below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/03/kokiri-lake-rotoiti-parade-now-sunday/

As so often happens on WW the story was read by some one with a past connection to boat – I have reproduced Trish Kidson’s (from Nelson) note to me below

“Hi from Nelson – It was a thrill to see Kokiri featured on your post last week.  I have so many happy childhood memories of trips around the Abel Tasman coastline with the owners of the time, Mr & Mrs Nalder.  

I’ve put together a wee bit more information (below) and also added some photos ex the late John Evans collection (as seen above) as she was in the late 1950’s onwards while in the Nalder’s hands.  Sorry, the photos are taken off my late father’s slides so not best quality but may be helpful to have in your database for future reference.  

PS:  “Escape”  is Percy Vos design / build, launched in 1940 and bought by my parents in 1967 who brought to her to Nelson where she remained in the custody of our family for 46 years. Last we heard she was moored in Whitianga.” 

KOKIRI (Newt & Nellie Nalder)

As previously mentioned by other WW viewers, Kokiri was built in Nelson by Allen Westrupp in late 1950s at his Tahuna workshop for well-known locals Newt and Nellie Nalder as a replacement for their previous boat, Kotare (built in 1951 by Nelson boatbuilders Curnow & Wilton).  They had used the launch Kotare for taking passengers and friends along the Abel Tasman National Park coastline or for fishing trips.  

Like her owners, Kokiri is remembered with much affection by many locals who frequented the Park as she was often seen pottering along the coast or on a mooring in Anchorage. 

After the Nalder’s sold her, Kokiri remained in the Kaiteriteri/Riwaka area and was lengthen by the new owners.  Her original length is unknown but as a comparison, yacht Escape is 28’6” (as seen in the photo of being towed up the Nelson Harbour on the day Escape was launched in Nelson, 1967).

Photos: (late John Evans Collection) Apologies for the quality – they are taken off Dad’s slides