Several WW readers gave me the heads up on the tme listing for the 36’ launch – Patina. She started life as a passenger ferry in the Marlborough Sounds, but these days is a live-a -board in Wellington.
We are told she was built in 1913. Looking at the stunning shaped stern – this date is possible.
A very sage woody told me once, when you buy a classic wooden launch, value wise, all you are buying is a floating shed for the engine and that is where the true value lives, in the case of Patina, that is so true. Back in 2007 she was re-powered with a 40hp Yanmar diesel that has only done 150 hours.
Anyone able to confirm / add to what we know about Patina?
Back in April 2021 Dean Wright sent me the above photo of Anne-Marie, somehow it slipped into the ‘bottom draw’ of the WW hard drive, so today she gets her day in the sun. The photograph was taken at Tutukaka Marina.
Can anyone tell us more about this ex work boat and when she was converted to pleasure use?
21-03-2022 Input from Phil Vining – In the comments section Simon Manning commented that he thought Anna Marie was the old “Lady Fisher” that was one of the original Outward Bound work boats before being upgraded to a pleasure launch. That is my memory as well. There was a question as to who built her. I visited the Vinings Office and they had a old listing in their files, refer below.
VERY QUIET ON THE HERITAGE BASIN NEWS FRONT…………
……………. First Tuesday of the Month today = another Classic Yacht Association committee meeting, no doubt the Heritage Basin marina bigots will table another mock report on the efforts to negotiate with the Auckland Council controlled Panuku Developments to ensure all CYA vessel owners get access to the new >40 berth marina, at approx. $100 a month berth rental, for a minimum term of 3 years.
Today’s woody launch photo comes to us ex Lew Redwood’s fb – I apologise in advance if it has appeared b4 on WW – so many stories, so many boats…..
It would appear that it was either a postcard or the sender wrote a note on the back. I have enlarged the note – hopefully someone can make-out the name of the lake, it is beyond my eye sight 🙂
Woody – Shamus Fairhall spotted the above photo in an OP Shop last week. The launch is named – Thelma and is a straight stem, counter stern of the early milk maid style hull. No idea of the builder but the photo was taken on the Frankton arm of Lake Wakataipu.
Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake in the South Island, in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. Lake Wakatipu comes from the original Māori name Whakatipu wai-māori. With a length of 80 kilometres, it is New Zealand’s longest lake, and, at 291 km², its third largest.
The back says it is a printed from a 1910 photo from the Muir and Moodie collection – National Museum.
Any of the woodys able to shed some light on Themla? Got to love the wharf, looks very flimsy in relation to the standard of attire of the onlookers 🙂
Todays woody fits into the spirit of tradition mould – designed by Salthouse, and built be John Gladden and Fred Bailey, her owner of 32 years. Fred was the founder of Broadbill Lures.
Built from 3 skin diagonal heart kauri (below the water) and 2 skins above, then glassed over. Approx. 50’ in length with a 14’5” beam and drawing 3’5”.
The zoom zoom is via a matched pair of 220hp Detroit diesels delivering 13>19 knots.
Whilst I’m a vocal critic of flybridges added to classic woodys – Broadbill is a fit-for-purpose ‘workboat’ that the big game fishing crowd would call a ‘Custom Sportfisher’ and looks the part 🙂
She was for sale back in mid 2019, so probably has a new owner these days.
In this story Harold Kidd commented that translation in Maori of Moeroa is ‘Long Sleep’ and that in the past during a paint scraping exercise the name – Wikaro was uncovered.
She recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald), so we now know a little about her – 32’, built c.1912>15 and powered by a Nissan TD23 70hp diesel engine.
The listing states that the boat has suffered some damage to the bow (timber and capstan) and that the photos are from earlier when her paint had been ‘refreshed’, so needs some TCL.
Home is on the Manukau Harbour, so a wee lift and road trip would be required if the Waitemata was an intended home.
A very salty looking woody that deserves a new life / owner.
Built in Wellington in 1929 by B.J.L. Jukes in Balaena Bay. Jukes had built in 1926 two sister ships – Vagabond and Nereides. Ruapani was commissioned by the NZ Govt Tourist Dept for use on Lake Waikaremoana, to carry passengers from Hopuruahine to the Lake House Hotel.
When the hotel closed in 1965 she was sold to Peter Ash’s company – Waikaremoana Launch Services. Ash replaced the original 40hp Thornycroft petrol engine with a Perkins 84hp diesel and operated her on the lake for another 11 years.
In 1976 Ash sold Ruapani to her first private owner, Noel Tong, who sold her in 1984 to her present owner – Ken Menzies, that woodys is 38 years ago, very impressive.
Menzies initially kept her on the lake, but in 1990 trucked her to Evans Bay, Wellington (his new home). The move was a very lucky break for Ruapani as Menzies engaged well known Wellington boat designer – Bruce Askew to undertake a major rebuild / restoration of Ruapani. The work involved redesigning the above deck area to a style similar to Nereides, below deck the engine was shifted aft to accommodate two large cabins forward. The change to salt water necessitated upgrading a lot of her ‘hardware’ and the addition of freshwater tanks – life on the lake equaled a permanent supply of fresh water.
These days Ruapani is berthed in Picton Marina and is a wonderful boat for cruising the Marlborough Sounds. Ken Menzies commented that Ruapani was maintained very well by the original launch master Frank Smith and she remains in sound condition after 92 years.
The gallery of photos above date from when Ruapani was on Lake Waikaremoana in the early 1930s, thru to approx 2004. The top photo is a recent shot and perfectly shows what a magnificent woody Ruapani is. And a lucky woody to have had 38 years of continuous ownership at the hands of a devoted owner.
The photos were shared with us by Ken, and the details I have extracted for numerous WW comments and newspaper clipping.
A Helping Hand Needed
Alice Morrison is the owner of the classic woody launch – Taurima (WW link below) which is currently in Tauranga. Alice has been trying for months to move her to Whangaroa, or at least Whangarei but due to weather and availability she has not yet been able to. So woodys – anyone out there that could help Alice relocate Taurima? Alice is prepared to pay, but is short on intel on who could / would do this. You can comment in the WW comments section or contact Alice direct at alice.morrison3@gmail.com https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/13/24919/
Regular visitors to this site will be familiar with my enthusiasm for the uber cool website – offcenterharbor.com (screen grab above), last year the crew behind OCH during CV-19 lock down pulled together a world first, an online virtual woody boat show and today I can advise that its on again in 2022. With a slight twist – this year access is complimentary thanks to the generosity of the OCH founders. Details below
And because I couldn’t not give you a woody treat today – check out this link to a great OCH video, it is one of my favorite videos, I’d be a little embarrassed if I told you how many times I’ve watched it 🙂 Its titled ‘Live Well: The Cruising Smack STORM BAY with Tim Phillips‘
The Show is a completely online event from February 18th-27th, which means you can enjoy this gathering of the world’s best classic boats from wherever you are (without leaving the comfort of your favorite chair).
Our friends at Off Center Harbor have used the power of the internet to put nearly everything in the world related to classic/wooden boats on one big interactive Google map…
WHAT’S “ON THE MAP” AT THE SHOW?
The Map – Everything related to classic boats is on one interactive Google map
Boats – Over 1,000 of the world’s best classic boats (with photos and details)
Organizations – Explore festivals, boatbuilders, clubs, museums, schools, etc.
Live Presentations – Inspiring presentations featuring experts on a variety of topics
People – Connect with other attendees anywhere in the world (right on the map)
YOUR BOAT COULD BE IN THE SHOW:
You can submit your own classic/wooden boat to be in the Show! Again, the Show is entirely virtual/online and will be open February 18th to 27th at ClassicBoatShow.com, and…
2022 will be remembered as the no frills regatta – no small boats, no beach activity, no beach party (band, bbq’s), no prize giving – but woodys it still rocked. Great turn out of both launches and yachts, and the weather gods delivered a breeze that provided some of the best racing we have seen in a long time.
I was told by someone that should know – that the budget for previous regatta’s is knocking on the door of $50,000 – maybe CV-19 has been a relativity check and maybe – less is more 🙂
I’m told Peter Brookes has Rawhiti in the groove, she is smoking the rest of the fleet – well done skipper and the grey haired crew 😉 for taking out the A division + Little Jim backing up last years Logan Trophy win with another win.
Tomorrow we will have a look at Mondays launch drag race for the quicks – conditions were below average on the inner harbour – correction, bad everywhere, I had the 2nd worst passage back from Kawau yesterday – 4.5 hours of my life I’ll never get back 🙂 . If I ever see the prick in a very large Riviera that went past me at full chat less than 50m away in the Rangi Channel and almost rolled me – he will get a bottle of Thai Fish Sauce in his air-con intake.
No real story today, just a photo gallery from the weekend – sit back and enjoy. Remember click photos to enlarge. No photos from the Scotts Landing casual gathering – no need for a record ;-).
Special thanks to Murray Deeble and Glen Keeper for sending in photos 🙂
Update 02-02-22 Mahurangi weekend photo gallery below sent in by Graeme Finch
The 34’ ex workboat Arahi last appeared on WW back in May 2020, link below. Now thanks to tme we get to have a better look at her. Arahi started life in 1940 as a survey boat for the Auckland Harbour Board,finishes up c.mid 1970’s. We know she spent time at Great Barrier Island. After a refit in Auckland she was transported to the Wanganui River in 2019, where she still resides but is looking for a new owner.
A very sweet wee ship and topped off with a 4 cylinder Gardner (4LW) diesel engine, that sips approx. 4L an hour. There must be a buyer out there for such a salty classic vessel.
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 15+ million views 