Category Archives: Working Boats

Stewart Island Woodys

Posted on by
6

Stewart Island Woodys


Olaf Wilg has just returned from the deepest south and commented to me that the main bay in Oban was full of lovely looking brave little work boats. Olaf liked the look of Tequila and Rawhiti and the lovely Ranui is the ferry to Ulva Island. 

A woody that has relocated South and these days calls Stewart Island home is – Wairangi. She is one of Olaf’s favourite boats of all time. A loss to the Waitemata but certainly adding to the Southern woody fleet. You can see / read more on her at the WW links below – you will see she started life south of the border.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/18/wairangi-4/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/03/05/wairangi-3/

Would be nice if a southern woody could tell us more about these woodys 🙂

(Olaf, ever the perfectionist – apologises for the picture quality – all shot on an older mobile phone) 

Pacific – 105 Year Old Woody Get A New Heart

Posted on by
5

Pacific – The 105 Year Old Woody Get A New Heart

The 1917 Joe Slattery designed and built launch – Pacific, is a special boat – 105 years of one family ownership puts her into a very elite league.Now in the care of of Nathan Herbert, Pacific has sent the last 5 months hauled out getting a heart transplant i.e. a brand new FPT/ Iveco N45A 100hp diesel engine. The old green Lister sadly just didn’t provide the reliability and safety for a vessel that does the cruising miles that Pacific does.

Late yesterday afternoon Pacific had a ‘Claytons’ relaunch at the Milford Cruising Club’s slip. Not surprisingly after 5 months on the hard she had a big thirst, Jason Prew from The Slipway Milford was on hand with a large capacity extra bilge pump, but it wasn’t required. Fingers crossed the flow will abate when she goes back in again later today.

Whilst hauled out there was a serious dose of TLC done to Pacific, I’m looking forward to a better peek down below at the Mahurangi Regatta this weekend. Search PACIFIC in the WW Search Box to view / read more about Pacific past.

12-01-2021 Update – Pacific has been hauled out recently at The Slipway Milford, for a dose of annual maintenance + a new decks – looking very sharp. And these days do donr escape the yard without a Jason Prew paint job 🙂

16-10-2021 Ready to splash


I spotted Fleetwing, below,  at The Slipway Milford yard getting prepped for Mondays Auckland Anniversary Day regatta launch race. 

Takitimu

Posted on by
5

TAKITIMU

In the above photo of Lake Te Anau South Island, the launch has been tagged by Lew Redwood as being named Takitimu but with my eyes I think it is spelt Takitumu. So the first question today woodys is – does anyone know the correct spelling and second Q – what became of her?


Interesting day today on the Americas Cup scene – forecast is for some decent wind, so I predict the English will clean up against the Italians and secure a finals spot in the PRADA CUP. And will the Americans get their boat back together and then be competitive in the semi finals. If they do, I’ll be stretching the 4G network next weekend at the Mahurangi Regatta to get coverage 🙂

KOTARE – The Most Affordable Waterfront Apartment In Auckland

Posted on by
2

KOTARE – The Most Affordable Waterfront Apartment In Auckland


Over the last few years we have seen a surge in the number of workboat > pleasure boat conversions. Bang for bucks you can end up with a lot of boat.Todays woody Kotare has appeared on WW before, link below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/03/05/kotare-3/

At 50’ Kotare would be one of the best conversions I have seen and is now offered for sale – owned by a fastidious passionate woody, everything is presented in as perfect condition and is ready to motor off into the sunset or just stay at the marina and enjoy waterfront living.

Expressions of interest to   waitematawoodys@gmail.com

31-03-2021 More photos & video added

Pilot + Woody Quiz

Posted on by
4

Far North Mystery Workboat – PILOT
Woody Brett Stanaway has taken his launch Seabee to the Far North this summer, even ventured as far as rounding Cape Reigna. While in Hohora he spotted the above woody. Those rather substantial belting indicate she was / is a workboat. In my eyes, there is a certain whale chaser look to her.No name visible so we will have to rely on the WW workboat boys for help ID’ing her.


Most likely the last day afloat today – special thanks to those that sent in photos over the xmas/ny period. Keep them coming 

Input from Dean Wright – she is called PILOT and has been on WW before 🙂

https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/05/23/pilot/


WOODY QUIZ – WIN #1 Selling Book

All correct answers to the question below go into the draw for a copy of Brian Peet’s #1 selling book – Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy. Enter via email only to this address waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Q – Identify the item in the photo below eg – what is it, who would have it and where would you see it? (Thanks to Harold Kidd for the photo)

La Rosa – Flashback

Posted on by
7

LA ROSA – FLASHBACK


I just love opening the WW email inbox, particularly when out of the blue you get a treasure trove of photos on a boat that you know but do not have much content from her past.The other day Alan Duckworth contacted me to say he came across the WW site while searching for new photos of the 1923, Ernie Harvey built launch – La Rosa. Bob King, who owned the vessel for 50 odd years and significantly modified the ketch, was Alan’s grandfather. 

The above gallery of old photos are from Bob King’s ownership period. Alan recalls that the motor was a Lister, compression start, that could run for hours on bugger all fuel.


The current owner of La Rosa – Ward House will love the photos – hopefully his good friend Baden Pascoe will alert him to the story. You can see and read more about La Rosa at the WW links below:
https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/16/la-rosa/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/02/27/castaway-la-rosa-on-the-slip/

Input below from Mark Erskine

“I was interested to read about La Rosa and what a wonderful antique engine she has.

I see “Graeme” posts the engine is a 26 HP Lister HW2, but it is a Lister JP2M.

The JP2M specs are: Capacity: 2,868cc. / HP: 21 @ 1,200rpm. / Weight: 2,576 lbs/1.168 tonnes

https://www.stationaryengineparts.com/Lister-Petter-Engine-General-Specs/

They were made from 1936 and 1954 apparently (haven’t been able to confirm), so it would be interesting to see if the owner knows the age of the engine.

Like all of the old Lister / Petter water cooled range of engines, the JP2M is built so big and heavy and runs so slowly that if properly serviced, maintained and used, it should never wear out in marine use 😁 “

https://www.marinepowerservices.co.uk/engines/past-engines/90-1952-lister-jp2m

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/01/wooden-boat-bureau-advice-for-buyers-and-sellers/

Mystery Workboat Conversion

Posted on by
8

Mystery Workboat Conversion 
According to her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) the above woody is – 44’ in length, built of kauri, powered by a 1978 Detroit 150hp diesel and calls Waiheke Island home. And that woodys is all we know.

I’m sure we can uncover more details. The conversion looks very tidy and the wood stove would indicate she has spent time in the our southern waters.


Stunning weather afloat, photo below of Raindance in Garden Cove, Waiheke Island – we sneaked in before the fizz boats and SeaLegs arrived.

Happy New Year + Kewpie

Posted on by
4

HAPPY NEW YEAR + KEWPIE

Well good riddance to 2020, while it was a great year for WW, most of us have been impacted in some way by CV-19 and the lock-downs.Fingers crossed that we do not see another wave hit our shores.Now putting all that to one side  – I hope you all saw the new year ‘in’ in-style and are not to dusty today.

We have been mooching around Waiheke Island tucking in out of the wind. Had some stunning days, so are very glad we made the call to head out, otherwise I’d be at home moaning about the weather – sometimes you just have to go 🙂


Todays woody story is the old workboat – Kewpie, did many years on the Waitemata Harbour as one of the legendary – Blue Boats, servicing the inner islands.These days you will find her on Tauranga Harbour doing day trips. So woodys if you are down that way – shop local and support kiwi businesses – take a tour.

Special thanks to Thomas Guthrie for the photos

Input and photos below from Cameron Pollard – KEWPIE was never one of Aucklands “blue boats”. She was part of the well known Fullers Bay of Islands fleet.
Did a stint as a charter boat operating out of Westhaven for a while and also Tauranga.

Boat Less These Holidays

Posted on by
1

Boat Less These Holidays
Consider a cruise on board a very classic looking wee ship on Lake Taupo. The Ernest Kemp isn’t a true woody (steel hull, wooden super structure, she was designed by Bruce Askew and built in Whangarei in 1980. Named after Alfred Ernest Kemp, the last member of the Kemp family to live at Kemp House Kerikeri. She briefly earned a living transporting passengers down the Kerikeri inlet. She was then sold in 1981 to business interests in Taupo, where she remains to this day.

You can read more on her history here. https://ernestkemp.co.nz/about-us

Ernest Kemp is 47’ in length and has a 3’ draft, perfect for the sometimes swallow lake waters she operates in. Powered by twin 4 cyl. Ford 73hp diesel engines that give her a cruising speed of 9 knots. 
Ernest Kemp offers scenic cruises on Lake Taupo  during the day and an early evening cocktail cruise. Details here https://ernestkemp.co.nz
photo below ex Angus Rogers

RUSSELL , BAY OF ISLANDS – c. Late 1930 > Early 1940

Posted on by
1

RUSSELL , BAY OF ISLANDS – c. Late 1930 > Early 1940

During a spot of spring cleaning Gary Stanborough came across the photos above taken by his late father, Gordon Stanborough in the late 1930’s or early 1940’s when visiting Russell. The top photo shows the game boat Alma G II in her early days.

Of particular interest to Gary was the car ferry on the Russell foreshore and presumably the original Knoxie. A great look back at the area 80>90 years ago.


The photo below was sent in yesterday of a Flemming 55 on fire at Opua, be careful these holidays accidents happen so easily on a boat. In the 2nd photo (NZH) there is a woody on the left, all that smoke would not have been pleasant i.e. melting plastic 😦