BELFAST
Todays woody – the 32’ Belfast was built by Jack Guard in 1940 and has spent time in survey, based on her presentation that would have to have been a while ago. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.
The owners are pushing a sale with the suggestion that she be hauled out and re-purposed as a ’tiny home’.
Can we expand on her past life.
WHY NO WOODEN BOAT REGATTA TODAY
Today we should have been floating around the Mahurangi Harbour enjoying what has become the biggest one day, on-the-water boating event in New Zealand – the annual Mahurangi Regatta. I have posted a link below to a previous regatta to remind us all how good it can be.
Sadly the weather gods dealt us a crap hand and we all get to stay at home. I understand and support not going ahead with the event this weekend (Auckland’s 3 day Anniversary Day holiday weekend) BUT what I can not understand is why wasn’t there a back up plan in place to run the regatta the following weekend, which is also a 3 day holiday weekend. The organisers of the regatta should have just made the call to run with next weekend.
This lack of forward thinking means the wooden boating movement misses out on the fun, friendship and fraternity that is acquired rubbing up against like minded woody enthusiasts. We need this to maintain our passion for another 12 months.
As I type this I can imagine the team of volunteers at the Mahurangi Cruising Club and other groups involved – thinking “bloody smart ass, why doesn’t he put his hand up to help” – short answer – ‘already too busy with WW’ BUT at your next committee meeting how about adding to the agenda – How Do We Future Proof The Regatta’ and ‘Is It Time To Appoint A Paid Event Organiser’. If the regatta isn’t already as big as the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta it must be very close – be brave and pull on the big boys pants.
ENJOY THE FLASH BACK https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/01/29/mahurangi-regatta-2019-the-biggest-best-classic-wooden-boat-regatta-in-nz-90-photos/
Great early morning video of some of the fleet at anchor in Sullivan Bay. Cameraman/’pilot’ is Neil Lawton
ENDEAVOUR GETS A BIRTHDAY
Todays woody – the 1953 A. Couldrey designed, Brin Wilson built launch – Endeavour is currently out at the Slipway Milford for some serious TLC. The launch as been owned by the Beachman family for many years, originally by Borrie Beachman, then sold to Jack Matich and converted to a motorsailer (photo below) for commercial fishing on the Kaipara Harbour. Borries nephew, Paul Beachman bought the vessel back and returned her to a sedan launch. These days Paul and son Brin look after Endeavour. I’m very happy to see the mast is down, I have been nudging Paul about revarnishing it for years 🙂
Endeavour has made several appearances at woody events and its always cool to see the whole family enjoying the boat.
Link to a previous WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/31/a-friday-quiz/
03-02-2023 UPDATE ex Harold Kidd – ENDEAVOUR was designed by Bill Couldrey but NOT built by him. Brin Wilson built her for Borrie Beachman.
Ethel Big Game Fishing
The passage of life sometimes is a tad scary – recently I have been doing several stories based around Whangaroa Harbour in the Far North and yesterday the phone rings and one of the last standing relatives has passed on – and where is the funeral – Whangaroa, so tomorrow the car will be pointing north. These events are never good but in her mid 90’s, it will be a celebration of life.
Anyway moving on to todays story – thanks to a Lew Redwood fb post we get to see a c.1931 photo gallery of the launch – Ethel in / around Whangaroa Harbour, in her big game fishing heyday. Regular WW readers will known my personal views on this heinous practice – one photo is tagged ‘Mako shark being killed with a spade’. Ok its not a spade, but seriously how barbaric is that.
(Photos ex The British Museum collection)
Get a Wee Bit Excited About The Upcoming Mahurangi Regatta – next weekend – Jan 28th.
Valhalla At Whangaroa 1932
In the above March 1932 photo we see the launch Valhalla alongside the wharf at the Whangaroa Swordfish and Big Gamefish Club in Northland.
Two very impressive Mako sharks are being weighed in – must have been a hell of a battle to land that pair in a boat the size of Valhalla 🙂
I’m a bit light on intel on Valhalla – can we learn more on her?
(Photo ex Lew Redwood fb)
INPUT ex Greg Philpott – below press clippings. I wonder if she survived the fire i.e. rebuilt.
WEDNESDAY WOODY QUIZ – Win WW t-shirt + a Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Calendar
⎈ Name the boat yard and location (approx) in the photo below – and your are in the draw for a WW t-shirt + LRC&WB calendar. ENTRY ONLY VIA EMAIL TO THE ADDRESS BELOW (entries close 6pm 18-01-2023
waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Bay of Islands Classic Wooden Boats
Bay of Islands WW contributor Dean Wright sent in the great photos above from when he and partner Deb were out for a few days just b4 xmas.
Dick and Colleen Fisher’s magnificent Akarana is seen anchored in Orokawa, as is Enterprise.
The photo of Shenandoah was taken by Dean as she came through Wai iti Bay, Moturua Island. I would be a little amiss if I didn’t comment on the brightwork – please someone give her the TLC she deserves.
A nice photo of the 1929 Lanes Motor Boat Co. 35’ launch – Valerie under way.
The sedan launch in the last photo is well known to me, but I just can’t recall her name…….. Nathan Herbert has advised it’s Waihora.
The photo below ex David Cooke is of Akarana heading to Te Puna Inlet yesterday, where she and Trinidad are escaping the unpleasant swells the B.O.I. are experiencing.
Weigh In Time At Whangaroa
Todays photo, dated 1938 by Tudor Collins ex the Auckland Museum via Glen Ngapuhi and Len Redwood fb shows several launch off the wharf at the Whangaroa Swordfish & Big GameFish Club.
Can we attempt to name the boats L>R? My contributions – I think of the two dark hulled craft, stern in, the one on the right (middle) is Ethel.
INPUT EX NATHAN HERBERT – These game fishers are the Marlin, the Rosemary and the Wanderer II
Woody On Wheels
Last year on fb John Bertenshaw posted the photo below of a 1963 woody MGB , photo taken at the 60th anniversary of the MGB model.
Adi Kutla / Ma Cherie Flashback
The 50’ Lane Motorboat Co. 1962 built launch – Adi Kutla / Ma Cherie has appeared several times on WW, links below. Lots of photos and details there. Today thanks to Eric Sanderson we get a peek back in time – location is Auckland but no dates.
WW August 2014 https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/22/adi-kuila/
WW October 2016 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/21/ma-cherie/
PANDORA NLD319
The workboat Pandora was designed and built by Alex Baxter in Whangarei.
Used extensively thru-out the Pacific and Australia, do we know what became of her?
(Photos and details ex Lew Redwood fb)
PACIFIC GETS A TICKLE UP
Happy New – todays the first story for 2023 and Pacific is a very fitting woody to welcome in the new year with – during the winter of 2022 Pacific sent time on the hard having some delayed maintenance issues addressed and some creative comforts added. I’ll let owner Nathan Herbert tell the story:
“Bit of an update is due after Pacific’s most recent haul. In past attempts, the prop shaft wasn’t able to be drawn out more than 150mm so I had always been nervous about the situation up there. This time with the help of Seagar Marine and The Slipway Milford, we by brute force and a makeshift large slide hammer removed the shaft. It was found to be pitted, and then very badly pitted in one section where she ran in a highly noble bronze bush about tube centre. Three bearings were subsequently rammed out; one lignum vitae, one fibrous and one bronze. The Tube was found to be thin walled gunmetal and had almost completely de-zinced to mush. The mystery bitumen bath on the keelson was found to be a crude repair some decades old, hiding bad corrosion. A boring bar was made from the old 3.6m tail shaft extended to 5m and with unholy effort the remnants were removed and the hole gradually bored out to accept a fibreglass stern tube. This tube was epoxied in, with two Vesconite and one rubber cutless bearing installed, topped off by a Chatfields blue water dripless seal.
Interior works included re-configuration of the saloon to cater for modern(or at least 1970s) needs and finished in kauri and honduras mahogany. A lightweight cradle was made for the RIB when in commission, and a Francis searchlight fitted to the bridge deck.
There are always extras attended to along the way such as minor/insidious leaks but they fade in the memory compared with the newfound smoothness of a new, dry drivel ine”
2021 saw major updates to the zoom zoom – link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/01/27/pacific-the-105-year-old-woody-get-a-new-heart/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/02/03/pacific-sea-trial/
29-10-2024 INPUT ex JOHN DAWSON – JD sent in the photos ex fb below of PACIFIC’s new cockpit refit
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