Category Archives: Working Boats

Southern Isles

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SOUTHERN ISLES

The above photos were sent to me by Ross Ashby in response to a comment on WW about Southern Isles. These days she is based in Clevedon, Auckland & from the photos appears to be being very well looked after.

Ross commented that originally he understands she was fitted with a Lister engine but now has a Gardner 6LX ( a bit overpowered) & the original wheel house was added to, but not by Ross

What more do we know about Southern Isles?

Input from John Wicks:

“Ah! My teenage (and later) “sweetheart”.! Built by and for Tom Wells at Wakatahuri in Forsyth Bay, just outside Pelorus Sound.. Typical Wells shape and construction. Original (main) engine was a JP3, Lister which was hand started and fed from a 10 gallon tank abo ve it. The tank was topped up from the main fuel tanks by a semi-rotary hand pump – not much to go wrong there!
Originally she had a 2-cylinder Lister wing engine to port. Not many boats her size had a stand-up-and-around-in engine room.
Her original smaller wheelhouse had a swivel helm seat which came (IIRC) from the old Wellington-Nelson ferry “Matangi” which was wrecked at wakatahuri by the Wells’ Sounds Wrecking Company. The helmsman’s knees went under a horizontal tram-style wheel. Avery comfortable place to steer from.
Accommodation was under the raised foredeck, and was a step or two up from your usual fisherman’s “2-berth coffin” 🙂 with a small but well thought out galley (with one of those green and cream small gas ranges that used to be common) two settees and a table. The backs of the settees were pipe-cots which could swing up to make two more berths. I’d reckon it’d be a bit cramped with 4 aboard though.
There was a hold for gear under the aft deck, and the toilet was partially bulkheaded off in the port aft corner of the engine room.
Just about all the above has been changed over the years – sadly IMO.
Like most of the Wells family’s boats, Southern Isles was used for numerous commercial and pleasure purposes. Tom Wells took her on a cruise right around the South Island in (I think) the 1950s
As is probably obvious from the above screed, at the time she was my idea of what a launch should be!”

AND A REMINDER NUDGE – CYA XMAS PARTY TOMORROW AT PATIO BAY.

If you have not experienced the weekend before, you must, its hands down after Mahurangi weekend the biggest gathering of classic wooden boats in NZ & the Saturday BYO BBQ ashore is legendary. See you there. Photos below from last year in the bay + see more here   https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/12/05/a-woody-weekend-cya-patio-bay-invasion/

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Olive Rose

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OLIVE ROSE

Ian McDonald gave me a nudge yesterday about the 50′ Olive Rose being 4sale on trademe, my initial reaction was that I was sure I had covered her story previously but a quick WW search, said no.

She has just popped up on tme & if you believe the story – must be sold in the next 2 weeks. Reviewing the above photos & the bidding to date, she would have to be the cheapest waterfront accommodation packages in Auckland. Her owner has spent a lot to money on her, $30k alone on the 6LX Gardner 127hp engine.

Built in 1910 she must have had a good life as a commercial boat but her current configuration is all about cruising / live-a-board. She is built like the proverbially brick out-house & she should be able to do laps of NZ.

Check out the listing for more details.

Anyone able to comment on her previous life?

04-07-2018 Harold Kidd Input – Snorky (Norman John) Inglis &  Rose Smyth were married in 1916. So, the long story is that Snorky named his first passenger launch OLIVENE (1915) after his highly successful racing 14 foot sailing dinghy of 1911, which in turn had been named after his younger sister Olive Jean Inglis (b1892). OLIVE JEAN (1919) was the second boat and named after his sister too. Number three was named OLIVE ROSE (1925), I guess because he now had three OLIVE boats that formed a little fleet, so he put his wife’s name in as well as his sister’s (to keep the peace?).

 

 

 

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association 2018 Calendars

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Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association 2018 Calendars

Readers of WW will know that Chris Miller & myself each year make the trip to Lake Rotoiti (North Island) to attend the Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, every Waitangi weekend. It is one of those events that you just have to attend at some stage. The link below will give you a peep at what the weekend is like.

While we are there Chris & I bang off a lot of photos, some of which the LRC&WB Association use to produce their annual calendar. The 2018 edition is hot off the press (printed by the  great team at Quality Print in Taupo).

The calendar (A3 size, sample below) makes a great Xmas present for any woody – hell buy it for yourself, that way, you get something you want 😉

The price is the same as last year:  $15 for 1 or $40 for 3.  Courier is $6.50 (rural delivery is extra).

To order:

  1. email Rachel Jamieson on zea.rachel@gmail.com  with the your name, address & how many you want.
  2. Transfer the payment (remember to include postage) to this bank account 12 3155 0140546 00   AND please use your name and calendar as reference.

And in case any of you were wondering – neither Chris, myself or WW make a cent from these calendars – it is all about the boats & the people that do all the work to maintain them & host the very cool event. So woodys, even if you only order one calendar, it makes a big difference to the Lake Rotoiti woodys 🙂

Link below to the 2017 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade  – enjoy  https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/06/lake-rotoiti-classic-wooden-boat-parade-2017-160-photos/

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Irwyn

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IRWYN

Looks can be deceiving, Irwyn falls into the ‘Spirit of Tradition’ category with her build date of 1997.

At 21.32’ & a beam of 7’6” she is wouldn’t be the biggest boat in the bay but she certainly has the salty look.

Planked construction & pushed along by a 24hp 3cyl Yanmar diesel, she has a leisurely cruising speed of 5 knots. Irwyn is currently for sale & with some TCL & a lick of paint she would make a very nice wee ship.

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe listing heads up.

In Case You Missed The Advice – TODAYS CYA OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO FAIRWAY BAY, GULF HARBOUR HAS BEEN CANCELLED –  it was an early call to cancel but a peek at the below will tell you why 😉 But do not despair, I have a woodys event for you very soon, details in the next few days.

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Skagen

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SKAGEN

One for the workboat woodys today, Skagen is a 36’ Danish double ender, built by Salthouse in 1973. She has a beam of 10’7” & draws 4’11” with a carvel kauri hull. Powered by a mighty 5LW Gardner diesel, 4 berths in 2 cabins, toilet, gas cooker, radar, 2 x GPS chart plotters, depth/fish finder, autopilot, hyd. steering, electric capstan, easy walk round side decks, wheelhouse side doors, steadying sail.  A very salty ship that you would feel very safe in.

She spent over 10 years in commercial fishing on the East Coast & has recently been restored.

Look at the Kim Kardashian backside on her – that’s a work of art 😉

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the trademe listing.

Input from David Glen –  Skagen’ was moored in the Whangapoua Harbour, off Matarangi Wharf, for the best part of the last 20 years. She was owned by a local resident who worked in the local forests. She caught my eye at Matarangi in 90’s and she appeared to be well maintained, but seldom used. She looks good in the pics.

Out At Kopu

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OUT AT KOPU

Above are a couple of ex work boats hauled out at Kopu – Deodar & Patricia Jane. The photos were sent in by Baden Pascoe from a recent trip to the Coromandel.

Deodar we all know & has been featured on WW before but what do we know about Patricia Jane? she is a rather large old girl – Baden commented that she looks like a converted South Island fishing boat.

Great story tomorrow on a rather stunning yacht that has been brought back to life & now calls Lake Hood (just east of Ashburton, South Island) home.

27-05-2019  Input from Julie Moore. – Julie advises that her 80 yr old father, Kevin Probyn used to own the Patricia Jane. He had been looking for his old boat for some time,  wondering what had become of it. And they discovered the photo on WW. He purchased it in1970, from Picton where it was built. It’s a 50ft kauri ship & had a Gardner 8L3 engine. Kevin had it based in New Plymouth as a trawler and owned it for about 3 or 4 years, when he sold it to an outfit in Hawkes Bay.

 

A Woody On Tour

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A Woody On Tour

Woody Rick McCay & partner Roz have just returned from a jaunt around Europe, during which Rick took the above photos. Some very impressive woodys on show but I would expect nothing less from Rick, he has a very impressive collection of classic wheels & keels, one being the 1920 MT Lane, classic launch Luana.

The photo collection includes some wooden work boats in Syracuse, taxi and hire boats in Venice, Rick commented that some of which have more than a passing likeness to Tony Mason’s clippers. Rick even thought he had found a classic motorbike (below) but on closer inspection that famous Italian maker, Kawasaki, made it 🙂

Roz & Rick made a visit to Circolo della vela Sicilia, the America’s Cup challenger of record, set on a point at a beautiful beach at Mondello, near Palermo. Rick announced they were from Nuova Zelanda and just called in to say Hi. How impertinent of Rick, this guy goes purple in the face and shouts Privato! Privato!, which is pronounced Pi** Off. We are fortunate in this country with our freedoms, imagine the drama if they had tried to sit on their private beach 🙂

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INONIE (Enone, Aenone) > India

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INONIE (ENONE, AENONE) > INDIA

I have had a request for information on the wee ship Inonie, seen above. Firstly, some background, Inonie was built by Robert H. Shakespear in Auckland in the early 1900’s. He built her in his stable loft, after hours, mostly by candle light. The carving on the bow was done by his wife, Elsie.

When complete the Shakespear’s used Enone to get to & from Little Barrier Island, & also to transport produce and farming goods between Little Barrier, Tiri & Auckland.

At some stage her name was changed to India.

These days she is owned by Rick Osborne who lives in Renwick, near Blenheim, in the Marlborough region, & possibly has been re-powered with a steam engine. I’m sure Russell Ward will be able to confirm this & even maybe supply a photo.

She was also owned at some stage of her life (perhaps a long time?) by Grant Tylden who was Robert Shakespear’s nephew (on his wifes side).

So woodys – can we flush out more info on Enone’s past?, particularly mid > old life.

(Photo credits & details – J Russell via the Hocken Collection, University of Otago and Nathan Herbert)

Now Robert Shakespear had a great eye & pair of hands – the clinker below, Maire, he built at Little Barrier Island.

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Input from Russell Ward

I first came across (I’m sure it wasn’t Enone. Ionone? Maybe Inone?) when Neil Cox -an electrician at Ngunguru had not long bought her from Jim Francis (Lady Margaret). He also got what was reputed to be her original engine -or at least an early one- a single cylinder Zealandia. Hoyland and Gillett made a lot of them from their works at the bottom of Stanley Street -just opposite the pub. They ceased production around WW1 and Gillett took up selling cars while Chas Hoyland went to live and make boats at Clarks Beach on the Kaipara. He was quite a racer at their regattas around WW1 and is worth an article in himself HAROLD!

But I digress.

Neil was obsessed with making her into a steamer -he probably got infected like many others by my 17′ steamer Gypsy. He made up a 4″ x 3″ O B Bolton design single cylinder engine from patterns sold by Winters in NSW. He also had made a fine coal fired, vertical fire tube boiler to Stuart design updated to pass NZ Marine Dept specs. Same as I have in Romany -I paid him a portion of the design and certification fees for the rights to use the design.

I didn’t think that Neil got a lot of joy out of her and I don’t recall him using her much. Captain Percy Ginders would confirm. A lot of his problems were that he had a grate or thick steep plate in the firebox that was perforated by well spaced 3/4″ holes. It was insufficient to let enough air through to get a good fire going, but Neil was selling up and off.

I bought the Zealandia from him about the time I launched Romany and Neil -departing for Oz- sold off Ionone to an antique dealer at Sanson (I think) late ’90s.

I didn’t see much of her until she appeared at one of the early Lake Rotoiti (St Arnauds) events. She was called India by then but again, she didn’t see to be steaming.

Rick Osborne bought her a few years back and at last she has a worthy enthusiastic owner. He has done her the honours and has also ditched the Bolton engine for a twin cylinder engine that will be much easier to live with.

Input from Harold Kidd

Neil Cox was a good auto-electrician and a member of the Vintage Car Club with Jim Francis, vintagesteamer and yrs truly. I visited him in 1990 when he moved up to Ngunguru to discuss the rewinding of a magneto. Even then such people were becoming thin on the ground. I was very taken by this craft (and more by the Zealandia than the steam plant, with which things were not going well).

Her name was spelt INONIE. When I knew him, Bob Shakespear had a garage at Gills Road Albany where he had a collection of interesting cars including a Stutz Straight 8. He sold INONIE to Jim Francis about 1960 when she had an Australian Simplex engine. In fact, her first engine was a 3hp Kapai, not a Zealandia, and she was first launched in March 1910.

The inter-related Hobbs/Shakespear famiilies had used her at Whangaparaoa to take produce out to their Logan keel yacht FRANCES to take to Auckland markets.

Shakespear worked for the Logan Bros and was involved in ILEX and built FRANCES at Logans’ yard as a close twin to VICTORY. He also built the clinker keeler PANDORA to service his little farm on Little Barrier where he was custodian for a while….big story.

Further Input From Russell Ward – photo below of India at Lake Rotoiti (Sth Is.) 2011. Also photo of the wee Zealandia engine that Jim Francis said was in her when new.

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MV CLEMATIS – An ideal floating bach

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MV CLEMATIS – An ideal floating bach

WW readers will be familiar with my views on how compared to the price of waterfront property these days, you can buy a classic wooden vessel for a fraction of the cost, that offers the same benefits + more.

Clematis at 45’ is one such vessel, launched in 1939 & built of kauri by Miller and Tonnage Ship Builders in Port Chalmers for J. Falconer & Sons of Timaru.

Her past has seen her serve with the New Zealand Maritime Department, initially in the NZ Navy during WWII & with the various other ad hoc parties until 1995. She was the only vessel still attached to the navy, serving from WWII until c.1995. She was seconded to the US Navy during WWII & during this period she was refitted on three occasions and even given a copper bottom by the Americans for her use in the Pacific Islands. She was later a training boat for the Maritime Department and Ministry of Fisheries.

She was eventually sold to Christchurch businessman, Bryan Mullaly, in 1995, who based her in Picton. Later use saw her working for a time in Lyttleton as a whale watch boat. Back then (c.1995) she was powered by an Isuzu truck / bus engine, converted to marine use, this replaced a Gardner diesel.

Mullaly sold her to her present owner, Pam Holt in 2003 & Pam brought her up to Coromandel & Gt. Barrier, where Clematis became her floating home. Her large saloon, galley, 2 cabins and spacious covered deck made her ideal for enjoying the spectacular scenery and sea life.

With lots of blue ocean miles under her belt, Clematis is a proven seaworthy boat. Having been in MSA survey (expired) for 18 passengers, 10 to Great Barrier Island.

Pam’s days afloat are over & she is looking for a new custodian for Clematis, whether as a floating bach or a fabulous event venue or for sightseeing cruises.

You will see in the photos that she has recently had a lot of TCL applied & is now offered for sale. Interested parties can contact Pam direct at pamclem@hotmail.com

B/W photos below from launch day.

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Input from Russell Ward

Below are two photos, the colour one is a shot of her on Otago Harbour set to Russell by Ian Mclean –she spent a lot of time in Dunedin –Sea Cadets boat.

The b/w photo shows Clematis on the right in working rig. To her starboard is Aorangi’s bow, Shenendoah and over astern a smattering of the pride of the Auckland fleet. Centre stage, wearing her original funnel in pride is Melodeon.

This pic would be in the ’50s or early ‘60s. A view of the viaduct before it became a eating and watering and posh boat hole 🙂

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Input from Peter Marshall

Actually, Brian Mullaly sold CLEMATIS to me around ’95 and I took her to Lyttelton. She was put into survey as a commercial boat in 2001 but was almost immediately involved in the destruction of the marina at Magazine Bay and was out for the 2001-2002 summer season.
Expertly and comprehensively repaired by Stark Bros., CLEMATIS then operated as Godley Head Dolphin Company watch out of Dampier Bay and around the Banks Peninsula until ’95 when I gave up the cause of making Lyttelton a reasonable environment for chartering and she was bought by a young woodworker from Auckland.
As an added note, she was lent to the Yanks during WW II, who took her up into the Pacific and clad her hull in copper to protect her from worm and used her as shallow water picket duty. The Navy League had her on Otago Harbour for around 30 years, and scads of harbour-dwellers knew the sound of her old Gardner.

Irish Woodys

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IRISH WOODYS

Good friends & supporters of Yachting NZ via their winery ‘ Lawson Dry Hills’ – Tim & Pauline Evill have been on an extended promotional tour of Europe & Tim being a passionate woody has been sending me a selection of woodys spotted on tour.

The photos above are from Dublin & Galway, Ireland, Dublin being one of my favourite world cities & a must do if you are in the UK, so many people do Europe but never hop a plane across the sea to the Emerald Isles.

The first photo shows a very smart motorboat that was for sale on the Dublin canal. Amazed Tim didn’t buy it, he has a habit of collecting stuff 🙂
The next photos show some beautifully restored Galway hookers in Galway port. Still used for fishing.