Category Archives: Working Boats

Komutu + What To Do On The Long Weekend

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KOMUTU

Woody Ian McDonald has been on a wee road trip up north. Ian sent in the above photos of Komutu hauled out at Whangarei. All we know is she was built in 1950 by Curnow & Wilson in Motueka.

Komutu is 44’ in length , single skin and powered by a GM 6/71 diesel engine.

Can anyone tell us what she has been up to in the last 69 years ?

Input from Brian Kidson – Komutu was designed by Cliff Nalder for himself and built by Curnow and Wilton of Port Nelson. Cliff was the Nalder of the Nalder and Biddle, marine engineers with Curnow and Wilton, next door on the same 200ton sidways slip way. Komutu was launched in the December 1952 at 42ft x 12ft x 3ft 6inches. Komutu hull was seam batten carvel planked white pine from Golden Bay over rata frames with hollow sections frd running aft to a straight flat transom. Her original engine was a 165hp 6/71 GM said to have come out of a Sherman tank. Cliff used her between Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds where he had a bach, until he sold her about 1967 to a Keith Robson. Has had five or six of owners since then.

Further Input from Brian Kidson – Brian sent in the photos below (ex Bill Nalder & Phil Robson) The shows her under construction, then post launching and lastly c.1960’s.

Input from Mark McLaughlin – The new cabin was built by Blenheim boatbuilder Arthur Watson in the late 1980’s. Arthur showed us over her when he had nearly finished the cabin while she was on the hard in Havelock for the refit.

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BUSY WEEKEND ON & OFF THE WATER THIS LONG WEEKEND

  1. Friday – sees the start of the annual Coastal Classic Yacht Race to Russell in the Bay of Islands. The start is always a great spectacle, best viewing spot being up North Head, Devonport. Follow the race on-line, details here  https://www.coastalclassic.co.nz/watch

2. Saturday > Monday  – the Tino Rawa Trust are again hosting the classic yacht and launch exhibition at Te Wero Island down at Auckland’s Viaduct. This year the event celebrates the contribution immigrant boat builders had on Auckland’s maritime history. Particular focus will be on the Logan and Bailey boat building dynasties. Event open each day 10am > 4pm – Entry is free. Read more on the event here https://tinorawatrust.co.nz/events

3. Its Labour Day long weekend – time to load the boat up and get out there 🙂

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Highlander

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HIGHLANDER

I have been having ongoing chat with Bay of Islands woody and photographer Dean Wright, he is about to undertake a build / installation of a new wheelhouse for his almost 100 year old (99) 33’ Bob Brown built ex gaff rigged cutter – Arethusa, these days presented in work-boat / launch style.  The wheelhouse will be made from Iroko and the big question is yellow or red Uroxsys (Allwood) primer.
Dean sent me a sample of the timber and I have done a 1/2 and 1/2 varnishing job – the result? Not much between it, slight golden tinge to the yellow section. I think the natural colour of the Iroko is just so strong that the primer tint makes little difference.
I have attached at the bottom of the story a photo comparison of the existing wheel house and the plan for the new one – very smart.
Anyone back to todays story – Dean email me mid-week and said “check out what’s parked in our bay tonight” and sent the above photos of the 49’ Highlander. Designed by Roger Carey but not built by Careys. Wheelhouse designed by Don and Peter McManaway.
Dean mentioned Highlander was featured (page 127) in the 1988 book ‘By Boats We Live”, written by Joan Clark. The book records the history of the boats built by Roger Carey. I have reproduced the page below, have a read – its very good
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Arethusa – New Wheelhouse

INA + Woody Classics Weekend – Stillwater Picnic Cruise Update

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INA + Lots of vintage motorcycles joining in on the Woody Classics Weekend

Must be the week for Miller & Tunnage  woodys, Baden Pascoe will be wetting himself.
Ina is a 32’ kauri fishing boat, still in service targeting Blue Cod.
All I know is the forward motion comes from a Ford diesel.
Ina was for sale early this year for not a lot of money – as the architects say ‘ good bones’, could be a good mule for a pleasure boat conversation.
FREE to a good home – anyone looking for a winch – drop me an email and I’ll point you in the direction of the donor :-).  waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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HAVE YOU RSVP’ed TO THE WOODY CLASSICS WEEKEND – STILLWATER PICNIC CRUISE ?
# RECORD NUMBERS OF CLASSIC WOODYS HAVE ALREADY CONFIRMED THEIR ATTENDANCE
# WE WILL HAVE A FANTASTIC COLLECTION OF VINTAGE MOTORCYCLES JOINING US ON THE WATERFRONT LAWN.
RSVP TODAY   sueedmonds@xtra.co.nz
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Orere

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ORERE

Todays vessel, Orere is pictured here on 16th October 1923. Harold Kidd has commented that she was built by the Auckland Harbour Board in 1921.
For a work-boat she is rather pretty.
Can anyone tell us the designer and what became of her.
Harold Kidd Input – She was designed by Bill Clare, like TE HAURAKI. She was still on AHB strength until 1940 at least.
‘Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy’ book winner
Yesterdays quiz / draw for a copy of the 334 page just released book was won by John Hunter, Taupo . John correctly told us that there were 116,000 words in the book. The answer was discoverable on the Des Townson website. FYI it was the most entries WW has ever received for an on-line competition. Many thanks to everyone for entering, fingers crossed I’ll do another one prior to Xmas.
Well done John and for the everyone else, copies are available to buy at the link    https://destownson.co.nz . It is a limited print run so I would suggest you grab a copy, before it sells out. Perfect Xmas present for yourself 🙂
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RSVP– you and your boats name + approx. numbers to sueedwards@xtra.co.nz

Aria + WIN a copy of the Des Townson book

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ARIA

Todays vessel is the 47.5’ ex-work boat Aria, built in 1938 by Miller & Tunnage to tow barges of native timber, retired from duty in 1963, then used as a fishing trawler and pleasure use until 1981.She then received a total refit including all new topsides for extended blue-water Pacific cruising, the refit included a rebuilt 1963 Gardner 6LXB, (now 150hp).

Reviewing her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald), Aria is very well fitted out for cruising or live aboard. Won’t win a beauty competition but a very salty looking woody.

WIN A COPY OF THE JUST RELEASED BOOK –  ‘DES TOWNSON – A SAILING LEGACY’
A ground breaking book that chronicles the life and design work of one of New Zealand’s most successful boating legends. Over 400 photographs.
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HOW TO ENTER 
Answer, correctly, the question below and you will go into the draw for a copy of the brilliant 334 page book. Entry is via email only -send your answer to the link below waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Q: How many words are used in the book?
Hint – you will find the answer here  https://destownson.co.nz
Entry closes at 8pm on 09-10-2019. Winner advised on WW.
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RSVP– you and your boats name + approx. numbers to sueedwards@xtra.co.nz

 

Wooden Boat Festival – 30 Wooden Boat Photos 

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Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival – 30 Wooden Boat Photos 
 
Todays photo essay of over 30 photos was captured by NZ Traditional Boatbuilding School trustee, Kere Kemp. Kere has just returned from the 2019 Festival and in Kere’s words “the festival was 3 great days of wooden boat jewellery everywhere you looked”.
 
I’ll let the pictures tell the story – remember you can enlarge a photo by click on it 😉
Enjoy
ps – nice to see the WW cap made an appearance 🙂
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RSVP– you and your boats name + approx. numbers to sueedwards@xtra.co.nz

Woody Classics Weekend #2 – Waterfront Picnic Cruise

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Woody Classics Weekend # 2

WOODY CLASSICS WEEKEND #2 – WATERFRONT PICNIC CRUISE

Good morning woodys, following on from last months impressive event that saw 15 classic launches cruise to the Riverhead Hotel – We can confirm details of the 2nd event –  a cruise on Sunday 20th October up the Weti River to the Stillwater Motor Camp. The venue is situated in a stunning waterfront location on the upper reaches of the Weti River.
Depending on our cruising speed – approx. 1 1/2 > 2 hours from the Harbour Bridge. Scroll down to view photos I took when last there.
GREAT NEWS – we have access to the private deep water jetty, which makes the trip more pleasant.
And your’e best mate – Fideo is welcome, but on a lead please.
 
We will send out more details closer to the event, but for now – do two things:
 
1. Put a circle around Sunday 20th Oct in the diary and note the important times on the poster above. 
 
2. Send a quick RSVP email to Sue Edmonds at the address below – just need your name, vessel name and approx. and if you know it, the number of people aboard.
 
Remember – participation in the Woody Classics Weekend events is open to anyone and everyone, you don’t even have to own a boat – only one condition – you have a passion for wooden boats.
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Where and when did we go wrong

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WHERE AND WHEN DID WE GO WRONG
I just love the photos above, back then even smaller boats and boats with outboards still looked like real boats. I’d like to think that if something like these boats were around today they would be popular.
The caption on the top photo reads ’The Latest Development of Outboard Motor-Boating.  A 20ft. V-bottom cabin boat built at Tauranga for use with a large-size outboard motor’
The SeaCraft runabout photo is via Peter Murton and again shows us that even small craft can look very salty.
Next week/weekend at the Auckland Viaduct Boat Show you will see some terrible examples of companies NOT using the skills of a designer or marine architect  – but there will be some cool examples e.g. Dickey Boats from Napier seem to get it right every year 🙂
HIGHEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE EVER VIEWING waitematawoodys YESTERDAY

Interesting day yesterday, WW struggles with the UK market, despite lots of promotional activity we just can not seem to crack it. Yesterday was the biggest number of individual people ever on one day visiting the WW site, with UK visitors 2nd in numbers to NZ for the 1st time ever. Checking out the stats the WW story titled ‘Electro-Chemical Damage Update’ by Chris McMullen was the single biggest viewed page.

I can only assume that somewhere in the UK, maybe a wooden boat building school or a tech university etc told all their pupils to check out Chris’s findings – what ever the reason its great to see the WW site and Chris’s research findings getting exposure around the world 🙂

Te Hauraki

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TE HAURAKI

The photos above show the ex workboat – Te Hauraki, built for the Auckland Harbour Board, in her current presentation, as owned by Rodger Moore.
Previous to Rodger Moore, Te Hauraki was owned by John Street – in the video below John talks of his ownership period and sale to Rodger. Turn your sound up, its a great tale.

Input from Martin Howson – Great story from John Street, for many years Te Hauraki was stored in a barn in Wellsford while owned by George and Alma Hansen, they bought her after she had languished on a mooring in Little Shoal Bay and motored her up to Mangawhai Harbour from there she put on a transporter and into their barn waiting for George to fit a new engine ,that never happened meanwhile she just sat surrounded by vintage cars and covered in bird droppings. After George died she was sold to the Kaipara Harbour where she had a powerful engine fitted and blew away the opposition at the next Pahi Regatta. The rest of the story we all know thanks to John.

Taieri Lass

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TAIERI LASS
Taieri Lass’s name came from her first role as a 1947 Miller & Tunnage 40’ work boat – built to carry freight up the Tier River.
She is powered by a Ford 4 cylinder diesel engine.
Currently moored in Purau Bay, Lyttelton Harbour, her owner for the last 15 years. During her owners period, the wheelhouse was extended to accomodate a kitchenette, fridge and bench setting.
Her trade listing is a little light on details but from the photos she appears to have good bones and crying out for  someone to complete the conversation to leisure use.
Remember to check in Monday for a photo essay from todays Woody Classics Weekend cruise to the Riverhead Hotel.
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