More Mahurangi Regatta Photos ex Chris Miller
No words to today – just eye candy 🙂
Mahurangi Regatta 2014 Snapshot
Just returned from the regatta, another great classic event. Above is a selection of photos from the weekend. Most of the regular classics were in attendance & have been photographed to death before. This selection are just images & boats that caught my eye & I post to give you a ‘taste’ of the weekend. I’ll feature some in more detail over the next few days.
If you click on the photos, you can view bigger images in a slide show format.
Enjoy
ps Anniversary Day regatta today so another opportunity to see some of the classic sailing fleet up close + the Tug / Work Boat race is always a hoot.
CORONA CHRISTMAS CRUISE 1938/8
photo collection ex Peter Nunn
NZ Antique & Classic Boatshow
Nelson Lakes National Park, February 2014
Classic boat-lovers have the opportunity to indulge in a long weekend of glorious hydromatic relaxation at St Arnaud in the Nelson Lakes National Park, with this year’s NZ Antique and Classic Boat Show linking with Waitangi Day.
Some photos from the 2010 event here http://classicyacht.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=810&hilit=NZ+Antique+%26+Classic+Boat+show
The show is set for the weekend of February 8 & 9 and Coordinator Pete Rainey says if people can wangle Friday off they’ve got a four day mini-holiday.
“It’s the same weekend as Taste Marlborough and a Tasman Makos’ game in Blenheim so it’s an excellent time for North Islanders or Cantabrians to see what a varied range of action the Top of the South can offer,” he said. “Being a month earlier than usual means the weather is more stable for visitors who want to pack in a bit of mountain-biking, some exploration of the Nelson Lakes National Park or a few visits to our famous vineyards and art galleries.”
But for the true enthusiast, there’s no reason to wander further afield than the shore of Lake Rotoiti where the Classic Boat Show takes place.
“There will be the usual range of boats…cedar kayaks, jet boats from the 60s, clunky clinkers and veteran wooden yachts,” Rainey said. “From early morning on both days of the weekend you can wander around the boats on land, chat with the owners, view displays with stories of restoration and rebuild and then watch the races on the lake in the afternoon. We have a lot of fun, from the slightly chaotic sail-past to the Seagull dinghy race with its Le Mans start, which always has some poor bugger who can’t get his motor going.”
Another attraction this year is the new Nelson Lakes Classic Boat Museum, alongside the Clinker Café and gift shop complex at the St Arnaud village. It will be open with boating displays all weekend.
The NZ Antique and Classic Boatshow is now in its 16th year, and continues to grow in the number and quality of craft presented, as well as the number of people coming to view the boats and the action. Judging will take place on Saturday, ahead of an evening awards ceremony at the Alpine Lodge. At stake is the Jens Hansen Trophy where the judges are after good looks as well as history, construction and a boat with a story to tell.
Other awards include prizes for best new restoration, best steamboat, best jet-propelled craft and best themed display. Races will be held for yachts, row boats, seagull motored dinghies, poppers, canoes, child rowers and swimmers.
All boats will be checked for noxious aquatic weeds, and oil leaks before entering the water; and boaties are reminded to be aware of minimising the spread of didymo. And remember DOC has released Kiwi into the National Park very close to where the show takes place, so no antique and classic dogs please!
More info at http://www.nzclassicboats.com
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Corona Christmas Cruise 1938/9 (#2 in series of 4)
CORONA CHRISTMAS CRUISE 1938/8
photo collection ex Peter Nunn
Sterling – Launch Race Winner 
Sterling – Launch Race Winner 
Strathalan – 2nd Place Launch Race 
Kumi – 3rd Place Launch Race 
Moanalua 
Lucille 
Rorqual 
Maggie 
John Dory & Tuna 
Kailua 
La Rosa & Strathalan 
Lillian 
Lillian 
Alpheus 
Lucille & Raindance 
Iorangi 
Unknown 
Jeunesse -won best looking launch in the bay 
Maggie & Summer Wine 
Hayden Afford looking very happy (r Michelle Knan)
CYA Patio Bay Race Weekend / Xmas Party
A fantastic weekend – as always – nice boats, nice weather & nice people.
This year we had approx. 60 classic’s in the bay & over 200 people went ashore for the post race CYA Xmas party at Bert & Margaret Woollcotts bach.
In the launch race (mark-foy start) the placings were – 1st & winner of the Rudder Centennial Cup – Sterling (Brett Evans), 2nd Strathalan (Keith Munro), 3rd Kumi (Hayden Afford)
I’ll let the photos tell the story of the weekend.
Enjoy
More great photos from John Bertenshaw here
The Mullet boat Waitomo / Disgraceful
Hello – I wondered if anyone might be able to help, I’m trying to track details on a Mullet boat my brother Neil Thompson, who now lives in Australia, used to own.
The boat was named Waitomo – he tells me she was known as “dizzy” or disgraceful from early 70’s to late 80’s as she was a wreck, laid up on the mudflats of Birkenhead for many years and someone wrote on her side in mud – this boat is disgraceful and the name stuck like the mud!
He is wondering where the boat has got too – all he knows is that it was trucked to the Bay of Islands in 1999 and possibly purchased by a gentleman who belonged to the Opua yacht club.
Sorry it’s not much to go on but I wondered whether this might ring any bells. My brother is coming across in January and is keen to see the boat again if we can locate it.
I tracked down these pics from the web and I’m not sure of the dates.
Many thanks for your help! Lisa – contact email below
Lisa.Thompson@radionz.co.nz
Harold Kidd Input
Strictly speaking WAITOMO isn’t/wasn’t a “mullet boat”. She is/was a 16 footer S Class of roughly mullet boat configuration but in miniature.
Her registered number was S40 originally but changed to V244 (as shown in the images) as she was either over 16ft or was lengthened to 18ft.
I think her original name was BUNGAREE and she was built about 1929.
She was called DISGRACEFUL in 1953 when her owner was Charles Lindegreen and Eriksen, followed by Glen Thompson of Westmere.
Alan H Update – I think some wag has had a little ‘play’ with the photos in the past, the helmsman looks a bit too curvaceous & its not from the normal mullet boat diet of meat pies and Lion Reds 🙂
Robin Elliott Update 23/12/13
I’m not so sure that the is/was Bungaree, although one cannot rule anything out.
Bungaree appears as S-40 in 1929 and is around until around 1933 when she vanishes.
In 1938 S-40 was allocated to Leilani, a square bilge ‘sharpie type’ of English design built by Roy Brummell, and famously photographed in the NZ Herald, in serous cruising mode, decorated with RAF roundels and with crew wearing US Navy gob hats. (HDK – see the S-class file of photographs now in your possession).
To also confuse, a 16-foot mullet boat type, but ROUND bilge, named Leilani and carrying S-4 was wrecked in Okahu Bay in 1898 and her hull towed away to the tip.
Disgraceful appears as S-40, owned by Erikson & Lindgreen in 1951, then B.S.G. Keene of Whangarei in 1957. I also have an unsubstantiated note that she was built in Whangarei just prior to the War, and she is similar to a couple of unknown (to me anyway) mullet boat types in an old Whangarei photo album that I must get back from the WCC..
Around 1960 she re-appears as Waitomo registered as V-244 because the AYMBA had stopped registering boats for the S-class and all boats less than 18-feet were registered as V’s. Loads of confusion anyway because the V-200 numerical series was begun in 1955 to cater for the 18-foot Flying Squardon V’s (V-201 Envy, V-202 Quandary, V-203 Quiz). By the early 1960’s when Waitomo came along the AYMBA was only half-heartedly registering 18-footers and probably didn’t give a toss that Waitomo was nothing like a Flying 18.
During this period her owners were :L.K. Murray 1961?/63+?; D.O.(Stuart) Munro (Hamilton East) 1965?/77+? (still shows as owner in 1978 NZYF); and Shane Kelly (ex Sea Spray editor) some time in the early 1980’s.
I remember seeing her on the hard at Okahu Bay in the mid-late 1980’s. She was VERY deep chested and probably drew the best part of 18 inches, quite tubby like a little Loloma which for a 16-footer was really unusual.She was wrecked in Okahu Bay in 1989 & her hull towed away to the tip.
Photos below ex Pam at Whangateau Traditional Boat yard
The top photo is Fleetwing S11 on the left and Des Demona on the right (18 ft mullety), they are laid up in the backyard of 96 Vermont Street Ponsonby in 1942 for war times.
Pam would like to know who built Fleetwing and what happened to her? The photo was given to Pam from Des Pittams a previous owner of Des Demona.
Anyone able to put a make to the van towing Des Demona.
photo & details ex Ken Ricketts. edited by Alan H
Tuirangi’s original sail number was C35, but changed to F35 when the federation created the new “F” class, she remained F35 until the current system was created.
Built by A. (Bill) Couldrey & originally owned by Jack Allen, son of Henry Allen, (Tiromoana, the 1938 37′ Couldrey designed & built launch). Jack owned her from the late 1930’s until well into the 1970’s (even possibly the early 1980’s). Jack was a fitter & turner by trade, who was trained by Ken’s father, who said Jack was the best apprentice he ever had.
During WWII Jack was called up to join the war effort, in the Airforce, overseas, so Tuirangi along with a number of other yachts & launches, was pulled up on the sand at Judges Bay beach & covered with what was effectually a custom built hull fitting shed, of very strong timber & boarded up for about the next 5 or 6 years & she eventually sailed back on the world again in 1945.
Jack was a very traditional yachtie, of the highest order, adhering to all the best & oldest traditions of yacht racing. He refused for a great many years to even have an auxiliary engine, preferring to “row” the Tuirangi to her anchorage or moorings, when entering a crowded bay, or when there was no wind, (or both), with her dinghy. It was well into the 1950’s before Tuirangi had her first Ford 10 car engine conversion fitted.
When Jack married his wife Doreen, in the mid later 1940s, many thought he would soon replace Tuirangi with a launch & follow in his father Henry’s footsteps (Tiromoana). But no, not even when their children came along, did he falter in his love of sail.
It was only after the children arrived he actually fitted the engine, Ken recalls on many occasions seeing perhaps a dozen or more, pure white “pennants” flying from the stays & halliards in the late 1940’s & 50’s. Jack made one further concession to marriage & children when added the “dog house ” to the rear of the cabin top, to make for more comfortable family cruising.
While Jack passed away a year or 2 ago its hoped that Tuirangi maybe still alive & well – any more info on her past & current whereabouts would be appreciated.
Update from Neil Chalmers
Tuirangi is currently moored at Mahurangi . New photo shows her before Jack Allen fitted the doghouse.
And Neil – also pointed out the correct spelling of Tuirangi (now corrected). I used to think I was a shocker but Mr Ricketts is worse than me 🙂
Harold Kidd Update
Jack Allen had already ordered TUIRANGI from Bill Couldrey when war broke out in September 1939 with the intention that she would be launched before Christmas. However, she wasn’t finished and launched until after March 1940, understandably. Her first race appears to have been the Combined Clubs race to Matiatia in November 1940. Jack raced her consistently in the 4th Division with the Squadron for many years and did well with her.
The Boats of H Pickmere
photos ex Dean Wright. details by Alan H
Arethusa was used extensively by Hereward Pickmere during WWII when he was employed by the Lands & Survey Dept. to survey Northland’s coastline. Arethusa started off life as a gaff rigged cutter (see b/w photo with a 30’ long boom), she was built in 1917 by Bob Brown at Sulphur Beach, Northcote. Carvel planked kauri – 33′ 4″ with a 11′ 7″ beam. She was converted to a launch in approx. 1955 after being wrecked & salvaged post a grounding on Farewell Spit on a passage from New Plymouth to Nelson. You can view some wonderful old images of her & the Pickmere family cruises on Dean’s website:
http://deanwright.co.nz/arethusa-log-sub/123-pickmeres-my-arethusa.html
Arethusa was sold in 1943 & the Winsome acquired. She is described as a 34′ flush-decked launch built by Bailey & Lowe (that will please HDK) in 1918 with a draft of 2′ 7″ & had previously been owned by Hereward’s father since 1923.
Both boats still live in the Bay of Islands & you can view further details on Arethusa here: http://deanwright.co.nz/arethusa.html
photos – the 2 colour photos of Arethusa and Winsome together were taken by Dean earlier this year in the Bay. The b/w sketch below of Winsome is ‘borrowed’ from Pickmere’s Atlas of the Northland coast.
Update 25-07-2018 ex Arethusa owner, Dean Wright. The cutting below show Arethusa leaving Auckland on-route to Suva.
Woody Weekend on the Waitemata
The Waitemata Harbour was a pretty magical place this Labour weekend – we had an impressive collection of wooden classics visiting.
The classic 1929 motor yacht Nahlin, owned by industrial designer / inventor James Dyson is currently berthed alongside the CYA’s Heritage Landing. Nahlin has a very impressive history of ownership & was once ‘The Royal Yacht’ – details on her history & restoration at the link below.
http://www.glwatson.com/detail/Nahlin__Classic_Motor_Yacht/527/26.aspx
We also had the ‘Tall Ships’ berthed at Princess Wharf for the long weekend & their arrival & departure was very impressive.
At the other end of the scale the super yacht (ship) ‘A’ was anchored in the middle of the harbour, this boat divides people into to camps – love it or hate it – me I love it. One of the crew skills is the ability to abseil – thats how they clean the windows 🙂
And even my favorite woody made it off the marina for 3 days of spring boating.
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