Category Archives: Yachts

CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT ASTRID – ANOTHER PIECE OF HER STORY SURFACES

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CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT ASTRID – ANOTHER PIECE OF HER STORY SURFACES

Sundays WW story on the classic wooden yacht – ASTRID,  https://waitematawoodys.com/2026/10/04/where-is-astrid-the-search-for-a-classic-wooden-yacht/  , prompted Mark McLaughlin to send in todays update / input. Over to Mark 

Further to Sundays storyon Astrid, there was an Athol Burns thread on Boatdesign.net about 14 years ago where the topic of Astrid came up. An ex-owner (now residing in the USA) came forward and provided some colour photos from his ownership and he made the following comments:

I was partnered with a friend we owned ASTRID in Auckland for a few years. I too was wondering what became of her and stumbled onto this forum. I have included some photos.

She had a single banger gas engine with a huge flywheel crank start. The name eludes me. It was kind of cool in it’s annoying way. Cranking made for some funny times.

She sailed quite well with a bit of a struggle pointing as you can imagine. We decked her out with some Lidgard sails including a full radial reaching chute. From memory she was built in Kawhia. I had a copy of the Seaspray article but it has since disappeared.

She was in Westhaven when we bought her. 

https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/who-is-athol-burns.38688/page-2

WHERE IS ASTRID – THE SEARCH FOR A CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT

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WHERE IS ASTRID – THE SEARCH FOR A CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT

Last week WW was contacted by Mark Panther who is trying to track down the current location of the Athol Burns designed 23 foot double ended cutter ASTRID. I’ll hand over to Mark to tell the story. The Sea Spray articles area get read.

“I believe ASTRID was built by George Gould in the early 1950s. This boat is of some significance to me, as my parents sailed her to Tonga, Fiji and back home in 1957. The story of the trip along with photographs was published in serialised form in the 1960 August, September and October editions of the Sea Spray magazine.

From all accounts, she was a bit on the slow side, but handled a number of adverse weather events on that trip very well. 

Bluewater sailing in those days differs from the current methods. Windvanes or autopilots were not available, so it was watch on, watch off hand steering, and safety consisted of a small folding canvas dinghy rather than a liferaft, with sextant sites when you could get them.

The top photo shows her hauled out on the old WWII seaplane base concrete ramp at Sawene Bay, Fiji for an antifoul. 

I believe she was owned by a Mr Brian Brown at Waiheke in the early 1990s, and I had heard a rumour she was located at Whagapoua on the Coromanel some time later.”

So woodys can we help Mark out with an update on what became of ASTRID and where she is today.

PART ONE – SEA SPRAY AUG 1960

PART TWO – SEA SPRAY SEPT 1960

PART THREE- SEA SPRAY OCT 1960

A CLASSIC POND YACHT LOOKING FOR HER IDENTITY

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A CLASSIC POND YACHT LOOKING FOR HER IDENTITY

Todays woody story is a shout out for someone who might be able to answer a few question.

WW was contacted recently by David McWilliams, from Melbourne, Australia asking for help concerning a pond yacht his father built.

The model carries the name WAIRAKEI. It is an impressive craft, standing approx. 6’ tall.

On old photo has the name WAIRAKEI , built 1899 Logan Bros, Auckland written on her stern. However he photo is most likely the 1904 34’ Logan built gaffer rigged yacht – WAIRIKI. So there is a degree of crossed wires / confusion in play.

So woodys –

1. Did Logans build a yacht named WAIRAKEI and if so what year

2. Does David’s pond yacht look like a Logan build

If the answer is yes to the above – do we know what became of her.

Hopefully Mr Kidd or Mr Elliott will be able to help solve the mystery.

And On The Subject of Classic Pond Yachts – I said good buy to one of my favourites yesterday , pictured below. Bought on trademe for $120. An architectural design firm saw the model in a WW story and ‘just had to have it’ for a client reception project – I said no 3 times, then the offer was enough that I couldn’t say no. There’s money in these models if they look the part and are near to original .

CLASSIC NORTHLAND WOODY – COQUILLAGE + WOODYS KAWAU CLASSICS PARADE

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CLASSIC NORTHLAND WOODY – COQUILLAGE + WOODYS KAWAU CLASSICS PARADE

Now I suspect as soon as this story goes live someone will inform us that the yacht is either plastic or steel. But she looks the part 🙂

I spotted COQUILLQGE tied up at Dockland5 in Whangarei earlier in the month. 

Can we learn more about her.

CIRCLE THE DIARY – LABOUR WEEKEND CLASSIC WOODY EVENT – KAWAU BOATING CLUB SPRING SPLASH

122-YR-OLD CLASSIC WOODY GETS A WELL-DESERVED MAKEOVER

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Sept 2024
Sept 2026

122-YR-OLD CLASSIC WOODY GETS A WELL-DESERVED MAKEOVER

Back in Sept 2024 WW posted a photo of LEXIA, the 26′, 1904 Chas Bailey Jnr built classic wooden yacht berth in the Milford Marina. At the time I commented about her condition. The top photo is from 2024.

Fast forward to Sept 2026 and LEXIA has been hauled out at The Slipway Milford – refer 2nd group on photos, sadly below the water was in a similar condition to the 2024 photo. 

BUT – great news, she is getting the full treatment as seen in the 3rd group of photos. 

Lucky that no-one tried to sail her, the mast and boom were very suspect in several places.

CLASSIC MULLET BOAT WAIATA’s POST WAR TRIP > JAPAN

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CLASSIC MULLET BOAT WAIATA’s POST WAR TRIP > JAPAN

Todays woody tale features the 1934 Dick Lang built 26’ mullet boat – WAIATA (H15). Probably the most travelled mullet boat ever.

Chris Leech sent in a link to a fb post by the boats owner – Steve Rhodes, Steve had shared details and photos on the ’Sitting There Rotting….’ page.

We learnt that WAIATA was taken over in c.1939 by the Royal NZ Airforce for use in a R&R programme during the war. Fast forward to March 1946 and the airforce loaded WAIATA onto an English aircraft carrier named GLORIA headed for Japan where she continued her R&R duties for the J-Force.

WAIATA returned to NZ in 1948, and returned to civilian ownership. The article below is dated from the year 2000 and provides more background.Steve Rhodes commented he bought WAIATA awhile ago in disrepair and pulled her out and is spending ‘shiploads’ on doing her up. In the b/w photo above we see WAIATA on the aircraft carrier GLORIA along with our troops and the Corsair planes.
Great history, keen to learn more about the future plans for the ‘yacht’ (I suspect from the photos she is now better described as a launch)

MYSTERY WOODEN MOTOR SAILER #2 – WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – WAIMARIE

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MYSTERY WOODEN MOTOR SAILER #2 – WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – WAIMARIE

Today we have another pilothouse classic woody berthed in the Whangarei Town Basin.

Again as per yesterdays vessel she looks very salty and could be from foreign shores. 

Can any of the northern woodys help us out regarding the vessel.

INPUT ex PETER STRINGER– she is name WAIMARIE, and was launched in 1963 – 47′ in length- more details in the article

IMPORTANT EVENT DATE ADVICE – THE OVER NIGHT BBQ CRUISE TO THE CLEVEDON CRUISING CLUB IS NOW NOVEMBER 14

MYSTERY WOODEN MOTOR YACHT – WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – Riddle of the Sands

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MYSTERY WOODEN MOTOR YACHT – WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – Riddle of the Sands

Todays wooden was spotted yesterday in the Whangarei Town Basin. I’m not sure how you would describe / classify her – ‘pilot house motor sailer’ / pilot house yacht … open to input. Not a design we see much of in NZ.

Given that WTB is a magnet for international cruisers maybe she is from foreign shores. What ever her roots she is quite a big girl.

Can any of the northern woodys help us out regarding the vessel.

Speaking big girls – the rear on 65′ ARCTURUS, the 1930 John G. Alden (USA) designed schooner is a work of art.

18-09-2026 INPUT ex MARK MCLAUGHLIN – Originally called Solaris, now known as Riddle of the Sands. She is a ferro Hartley Tahitian hull built at Span Farm, with deck and wooden superstructure built by Jim Young.

THE IDEAL COMPACT CLASSIC MOTORSAILER

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THE IDEAL COMPACT CLASSIC MOTORSAILER

There are a few ‘hard to achieve’ things in classic boat design – one is to create a motorsailer that doesn’t look like a compromise between a yacht and a motor boat and second to create a craft 30’ or less that to the eye looks proportional correct and visually appealing. Most get it wrong.

On a recent web forage on the Wooden Boats of Tasmania fb I came across todays woody that straightaway caught my eye. 

The boats name is HUON KELLy and is a design by Terry Lean and tagged ‘Cloudy Bay 30’, built in Tasmania at the Wooden Boat Center in Franklin c.2005/6. The fb poster, Andy Mac,  commented that 4 sister craft were built between 2005 >2011.

A quick google search popped up a broker video , link below, from 6 years ago when she was for sale in Sydney. Check it out, a very impressive woody packed with everything you would want aboard but discreetly hidden to give a heritage look.

SPIRIT OF TRADITION LIONEL JEFCOAT WOODY

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SPIRIT OF TRADITION LIONEL JEFCOAT WOODY

During the week WW was contacted by John Spooner concerning his 35′ yacht – GLOWWORM. Built in 1971 by master boat builder Lionel Jefcoat to a Cox design.

As we can see from the photos GLOWWORM is a very salty looking vessel and wouldn’t be afraid of the odd blue water wave, probably GOOD THING GIVEN HER HOME PORT IS WELLINGTON.

Check out the stove, would be very cosy down below at anchor.

Do we know anything GLOWWORMS past.