Well I suppose its still afloat and providing a waterfront home to her owner but ………………..
Todays ‘woody’ is according to her tme listing – 46’ in length, launched in1935, and built from kauri carvel construction.
There is mention of her once being a mussel trawler in the Coromandel, and possibly spent time in Auckland and the Kaipara Harbour.
These days she is best described as a house boat, not to my taste but there is always the chance that someone will fall in love with her and take her under their wing. Or maybe a prop on a movie set.
CLASSIC WOODYS CRUISING THE HAURAKI GULF – SUMMER 2023/24
Now todays post is the one you have been waiting on – the classic wooden (mostly) craft that I spotted around the Hauraki Gulf over the Dec 27 > Jan 5th period.
Probably the best turn out of woodys that I have seen – seems it just wasn’t me suffering from cabin fever 🙂
As always some photos are good, some not so good – direction of sun and distance dictates that. Mostly I’m taking photos as a visual account.
Enjoy the gallery – broken into locations – I have endeavoured to list the craft in the tagged section.
I hope you all survived New Years eve, these days its always a struggle to last to midnight 🙂
I’ll make a new year prediction – 2024 will be least expensive time to buy a classic wooden boat for the next 5+ years. Prices were very deflated thur-out 2023 but they won’t stay like that – so if a classic craft is something you have on the bucket list – check out the link below. There are others that for privacy reasons do not appear on the list so if you are or are going to be in the market in 2024, let us know. https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/16/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/
On a recent mooch around Bayswater marina I spotted her looking rather smart – some one has spread some TLC on her – a very salty looking small ship, the canoe stern making her near perfect.
Photo below ex K Ricketts taken during her period doing survey work
Todays woody photo was sent in by Peter Radford who spotted the photo on his sister-in-laws wall, sadly no comments/ notes on the back.
Recently another woody – John Dawson sent in the bottom photo with the comments that he believed the 32’ Rawhiti I was built c.1905 by Bailey & Lowe for Caesar Roose of Mercer.
Started life as a ferry. What became of her after that is a blank to WW.
As you would expect of anything that came out of the Bailey & Lowe shed, she has wonderful lines. The small cabin ‘fits’ perfectly. Very unpractical but as designer William Atkin once said – ‘lack of headroom is one of the least objectionable features a small boat can have’ 🙂
21-12-2023 INPUT ex RAY MOREY – In both of those photo’s Caesar’s baby sister Mary is fourth from the bow of the young girls. This was a picnic outing to what was called “The Rocks” at Pukekawa and later the site of Smeed’s Quarry”. Somewhere I have the complete list of all on board, included is the local P.C. plod. That launch was later sold to Walter Dwenn, Ceasar’s wharfinger at Port Waikato and when in season he was a whitebait buyer, the launch was renamed “Seagull and he sold to the cannery at Tikorahi, up towards The Elbow. After Walter passes away his son Sammy sold it but I don’t know where she went. This was about the very early 50’s. I have a photo somewhere of her alongside the LST when she came in to Port Waikato
22-12-2023 Photo below ex Ray M. of Rawhiti in later life. As mentioned above, called “Seagull” a play on words, Walter was a whitebait buyer in season and seagulls like whitebait too.
Time for some xmas goodwill – a little quiz with a cool prize. As always entry is ONLY VIA EMAIL, you can only enter once, all correct entries go into the draw. Quiz ends on Friday December 15th at 6pm. Winner announced on WW. (photos shown above random selection only)
THE QUIZ QUESTION: Which boat builder / designer has had the most boat / name mentions on the WW site – email your entry to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
THE PRIZE: A copy of the Best Selling Book – ’Shipwright, Boatbuilder, Yachtsman’ by Gilbert J. Littler + A WW sweatshirt (L/S, size XL only) + A WW Burgee
The 40’ ex work-boat Sierra was built by Joseph Fell at Kohukohu on the Hokianga Harbour in 1917, making her 105 years old. She had a complete rebuild in 1998. Forward motion is via a Ford 120hp diesel engine.
She started life as a work-boat in Hokianga and later become the Hokianga ferry. Later on she worked in Auckland as the Customs and Doctors boat on the Auckland Harbour. She also assisted with building the Auckland Harbour Bridge & Glenn Brook Steel Mill.
Sierra has made several appearance on WW – links below for more details and photos. For those woodys looking for a classic with deep workboat roots the vessel Sierra presents as a very affordable classic. Interested parties are asked to contact the Wooden Boat Bureau at waitematawoodys@gmail.com for more details and viewing.
The photo above comes to us from Papers Past > NZ Herald 5 March, 1928 and show the 35’ launch – Ika after she had been salvaged and towed into Whangarei Harbour.
The launch had set out from Auckland on a fishing trip but her (near new) 15hp engine broke down near Tiritiri Island and she started to drift off shore. The weather on Tuesday 27 February 1928 saw her drift approx 50 miles and in addition she was taking on water. The crew of 3 put a mayday call out and the R.M.S. Niagara located Ika near the Hen & Chicken Islands. Her owner/crew made the difficult decision to abandon ship and Ika was left to drift with the expectation she would sink.
While the crew were steaming to Sydney aboard Niagara, the vessel Eva put out to salvage Ika and towed her to Whangarei.
Question of the day is – who designed / built Ika and what became of her
(Photo sent in by K Ricketts)
BAYSWATER 12M MARINA BERTH – SHORT TERM RENTAL / PURCHASE – very attractive pricing. Email waitematawoodys@gmail.com
SOORY FOR LATE POSTING OF YESTERDAYS STORY – I SET THE CLOCK TO PM INSTEAD OF AM
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