Category Archives: Working Boats

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

SLOW MOVING TUESDAY

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Souvenir
Atheena
Ave Gitana

SLOW MOVING TUESDAY

Has been a few weeks of back to back woody boating activity, so today is a case of slowing down – So when the WW email inbox pinged with a note from Bay of Islands woody photographer – Dean Wright, my eyes lit up. As always Dean was sending in some great photos from mooching around the Bay of Islands aboard his magnificent woody – Arethusa .

Todays are from Deans weekend trip to Mimiwhangata and starting at the top we see one of my favourite workboat woodys – the Roger Carey designed (1954), built by Curnow & West Nelson Boatbuilders craft – Souvenir in Deep Water Cove.               

Souvenir is one of those boats that looks perfect from any angle. And of course there is a Gardner (6L3) below 🙂 Link below to July 2023 WW story –https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/07/05/souvenir-work-boat-wednesday/

Then we have – Atheena heading out of Mimiwhangata.

And lastly – Ave Gitana in Pip Bay ( this was 2>3 weeks ago). Link to Sept 2021 WW Ave Gitana Story below –                    https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/09/29/ave-gitana-workboat-wednesday/  we learnt back then she was previously named Mason Bay

Today I’ll doing something very un-boating related – but to me very chilling out – 1st one to guess what that is, its an inside project – wins a WW burgee – entries via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com . Closes off at 6pm.