Category Archives: Yachts

Bill’s Boat

Posted on by
1

Bill’s Boat – this story needs a happy ending

Over fifty years ago I regularly helped a friend in Gisborne who was building a Tahiti ketch.

He was a most fastidious person and stories associated with his obtaining a
kauri tree in Coromandel, shipping the trunk to Gisborne where he milled it
into ten metre long planks, and then going about construction are legendary.

When it was fully planked, bulkheaded, decks and cabin tops fitted, along
with lead keel, Bill had to vacate the premises he was working in. He bought
an industrial property, built a workshop and accommodation on it, and
shifted the boat there as well.

At that stage Bill had other distractions and covered the boat hull under a
corrugated iron roof at the back of the property, and never did any
more work on it.

He recently passed away at a ripe old age and his Executors have asked me to
assist with its disposal in view of my knowledge of its history and
background.

I have recently inspected the boat closely and can confirm it is in the same
perfect condition it was in when I helped Bill  move it fifty years ago
(albeit suffering from a thick layer of dust and cobwebs which have accumulated
over that time)

It was primed with a coat of red lead primer, inside and out , prior to
moving. The boat was well caulked and there appears to have been absolutely
no movement in any of the planks since, and I suspect if dropped in the
water today, the hull would barely leak a drop.

In its current storage situation it is impossible to photograph it properly
but I have done what I can to illustrate aspects of its construction. The photo on                   the trailer was taken during its removal about fifty years ago.

Many of these boats were built worldwide, and Googling “Tahiti ketch” 
accesses a huge amount of information on them. They are not every
yachtsman’s cup of tea, but for someone with a taste for classic
yachts, and the ability to complete the fit out, acquiring this boat could be
a dream come true.

Ian Miller

09 4250952

Launches & Yacht at Tauranga Regatta

Posted on by
Reply

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Launches & Yacht at Tauranga Regatta

Would be interested to hear if anyone has another view but pretty sure these photos are from the Tauranga Regatta that used to follow the Auckland to Tauranga race in the late 1920’s – 1930’s.

The Guthrie family launch Alcestis (now Raiona) can be seen heading towards the bridge between the white hulled yacht & the bigger dark hulled steamer??. What made the ID easy was that Roger & Graham Guthrie’s grandfather (Hugh Douglas Guthrie) always wore either a captains hat or as in the case here – a white Panama hat.

 photos ex Roger Guthrie

Nga Toa & Queenie

Image

1

Nga Toa & Queenie

Nga Toa & Queenie

Two old classic’s – only one of which has survived.
Queenie C1 – Logan Bros 1904. Currently moored at Whangaroa, Northland.
Nga Toa A17 – wrecked in Wellington in the 1980’s.

Location – Tauranga?

Harold Kidd Update: 

Probably during the Tauranga Regatta that followed the Auckland-Tauranga race during the 30s.

photo ex Roger Guthier

Old style family sailing

Image

1

Old style family sailing

2

An early 1980’s montage of how cruising used to be. CYA member Graham & Roger Guthrie aboard Michelle II, a 38′ Chris Robertson sloop during a 5 days Easter 1981 cruise around Waiheke. Looks like everyone had a great time.

Comments from Roger Guthrie

THE YACHT IS CALLED MICHELLE 2.BUILT BY CHRIS ROBERTSON.PURCHASED BY ROGER GUTHRIE 1981.BUILT FOR A CHAP SURNAME OF ROBSON.WAS MAKING MARINE WINCHES ETC IN AUCKLAND. HE HARDLY USED IT BUT LOVED THE WORK HE DID ON IT.IT HAS A KAURI HULL AND LOTS OF VARNISHED TEAK IN THE COCPIT AND CABIN SIDES.ENOUGH TO DRIVE ANY OWNER TO MOVE ON. I SOLD IT TO A CHAP CALLED FOWLER IN AUCKLAND WHO LIKE ME WAS GOING TO KEEP IT FOREVER BUT LIKE ME FOREVER IS NOT LONG WITH THAT AMOUNT OF WORK.SHE WAS A VERY PRETTY BOAT AND WAS ONE OF ABOUT 10 36 FOOT TO 38 FOOTERS BUILT AT ABOUT THAT TIME.I UNDERSTAND IT WAS SOLD TO AN AMERICAN WHO GOT IT TO THE U.S. AND SPENT A YEAR GETTING IT CLEARED FOR IMPORT BECAUSE IT WAS MADE FRON AN INDIGINOUS TIMBER OF N.Z…HE ENTERED IT IN A COMPETITION AT SAN DIEGO MARINA AND WON “PRETIEST BOAT OF THE SHOW’ SO I WAS LATER TOLD

30-01-2025 INPUT ex Rob Rowdon – Built by Chris Robertson finished by Robert Rowdon for himself. Rob went on to build Townson yachts Sonnet and Caper. 
We owned the Michelle II for three years and was well used

Avante / Avanti

Posted on by
4

Matiatia 1949/50

AVANTE/AVANTI
A message from the new owners.AH
We have recently purchased Avante – a motorsailer from 1946.
We are trying to find more history on her – if any of your members can help.  We found her Registered # carved in as 178442 and Nett Tonnage to be 2.02 tonne
What I have found out from Maritime NZ is:
Her registered name is Avante even though her plaque say Avanti
She was registered in NZ in 1949 and her registration closed in 2003 under Section 91 of Ship Registration Act
Her year of build was 1946 by Bruce Eady in Auckland.  She was designed by Brian Donovan,with a cutter rig and is double diagonal Kauri with carvel plank.
Construction started in 1939 by Brian and his boatbuilder brother Des but nothing was done during the war until 1945 when Brian sold her to Bruce Eady and Bruce put on the third skin and completed the job.
She was launched at Mission Bay in 1946 with a 4 cylinder Gray auxiliary.
Eady sold her to N R Sanson in 1954.
She was in the Sanson family for many years, at least until 1990.
She was stolen in 1973 for a while.
She has a registered length of 8.58 meters.
I have attached some photos of her as we found her in Tauranga – at present she is on our front lawn and work has started on her refurbishment.
Any info anyone may have would be great. Email Ann at
tobinhnz@xtra.co.nz
Note: Thanks to Harold Kid for input re known history
SIDEBAR 1(AH)
B/W photos,  just before launching, supplied by Don Currie , those dad worked with Bruce Eady on Avanti. Avanti was completed on an emptly section on Cogrington Crescent, Mission Bay, his father and Bruce worked on the boat in a partnership.  Don’s parents met through Avanti (one of his Mum’s aunts lived a couple of houses up the road in Codrington Cr), they are still together, and I understand they were right chuffed to hear that the boat is about to get a bit of a birthday.
SIDEBAR 2 (Ken Ricketts)
Photo added of Avante taken in 1949/50 in Matiatia when he was 12 years old
SIDEBAR 3 (by Bruce Eddy ex Ken Ricketts)
I and Graeme Currie worked on her together during the war.  Materials were scarce we had no electricity so everything was done with hand tools.  I remember carving out the original mast by hand what a job.
The correct name or the name i christened her is Avanti.
The two crew mentioned in the photo at Matiatia are John Kernahan and Vern DeGroot.  Graeme and I spent hours riveting and with his design brilliance, we installed a gray marine in the cockpit, reverse position driving a 2 to 1 chain reduction.  Petrol shortage made us build a heat exchanger to switch to kerosene.  The lead keel we moulded on site with firewood from scrape suffering many personal lead burns.  Originally I installed a small wood burner stove and we made our own style toilet.  The rig was my own design and given a good wind on a reach we would keep up with many yachts.
SIDEBAR 4 (by Ann Tobin, current owner, ex Ken Ricketts)
Currently she is sitting on our front lawn in Kaikohe – the photos on waitematawoodys are the day we hauled her out and had her trucked up in May this year.  She hadn’t been out of the water (or off her marina berth at Bridge Marina Tauranga) for 9 years.
We have found an amount of rot in her (mainly just the planks) and she is slowly drying out.  At present the interior is gutted – she had been leaking through the cabin top and the inside was completely ruined.
Avante is now powered with a Sole Diesel – which we have out and intend to have blasted and painted (at present sitting on our garage floor on a pellet) – The engine would not run – a starter motor issue we believe.  Steve (my husbands) father has worked on these engines so looking forward to getting it going.
I believe that the previous owner used her as a batch basically in Tauranga as he lived in Huntly.
I have attached some photos of her at home for you (added to the montage above AH) – you can see where we have started stripping paint and some of the areas of rot we have found.  There is also a couple of the cabin top which is now sealed and Steve has started to fiberglass.  It had a type of cloth over it which has split – never been repaired – and therefore was leaking like the proverbial sieve!
Sometimes I think we are mad – but others cant wait to see her back in the water.  Wooden boats are in my blood – Mum and Dad did a similar thing with “Isa Lei” back in the 90’s – we see she has just been resold by a guy in Whitianga.

Waitangi Relaunch

Posted on by
Reply

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

WAITANGI

The big question around the waterfront was answered today when the 1894 Robert Logan snr. classic yacht Waitangi was re-launched following her recent ‘refurbishment’. As the photo’s shows, Henry Ford would approve – she is black. There had been some ‘debate’ as to whether W should revert back to the white that she sported for a large part of her life, while across the ditch in Australia. Personally I like the black & it makes her the only classic you can sight from a distance & say ‘there’s Waitangi’.

A crowd of over 100 assembled at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on Sunday to celebrate & reflect on Waitangi’s history and the achievements made to ensure her future is preserved. The Classic Yacht Charitable Trust is a wonderful group of people & their vision, passion & tenacity for classic wooden boats is to be admired & supported. Check out their website http://classicyachtcharitabletrust.org.nz to view their fleet & the many ways you can become involved.AH

A pictorial record of her restoration can be viewed here http://classicyachtcharitabletrust.org.nz/gallery.htm?gallery_id=51

Cabin Fever?

Image

1

Cabin Fever?

Cabin Fever?

What a great day to get out for a walk, so head down to Auckland’s waterfront & take in the sights, grab a coffee or pinot in one of the many cafes & bars. Then stroll along to the CYA’s Heritage Landing & catch a look at the just re-launched Gypsy. She moved into Heritage Landing on Wednesday & is looking very sharp.

New Zealand’s Finest Yacht – Rawhiti

Image

Reply

New Zealand's Finest Yacht

Click the link below to view the magnificent restoration of the Logan designed & built – Rawhiti, . Article is as it appeared in the UK Classic Boat magazine. Click bottom left or right side of ‘pages’ to turn. Also clicking on the page will enlarge it (to read text).

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1vnw3/ClassicBoatFebruary2/resources/30.htm

Polaris

Posted on by
2

POLARIS

Story & photos supplied by Russell Ward

Here is a very interesting little boat that has been out of circulation for a while. I have been looking after her since 2005 and she is a shadow of her former self, but in a stable state.

Polaris, a 25’ pilchard trawler was built for a local fisherman by the name of Pearce by H Pearn & Sons Looe Cornwall 1935. The main engine 2 cyl Kelvin with similar engine as port wing engine. Construction is larch and pitch pine on oak frames. As an economy, the planking was not caulked –just fitted well. Pearce employed crews for both his boats and Polaris fished out of Polperro Cornwall until 1947 when she moved to Penarth Wales –I have one of her life rings with homeport Penrath still visible painted on it. She suffered a bilge fire from wing engine exhaust which was dealt with by sinking the vessel.

She was taken over by a boat builder who converted her into a pleasure boat with a strange cabin. In 1950 she was bought by the coroner  Col Kenneth Treasure of Tenby Wales. We think the good Colonel had her rebuilt with a rather more aesthetic cabin and I have a copy of a post card of her in Brixham

1954 found her in the ownership of one Griff Board with a Lister diesel installed. Board took the ship to Brixham where, in 1956-7 she was spotted by Wally Sharples who had seen her when he went to Brixham to see the Mayflower replica. The vessel had an extensive overhaul.

1958 Sharples, his family and apprentice John Penney emigrated to Adelaide and Polaris was shipped as deck cargo on “Queensland Star” 1960  found Sharples and family with Penney in Auckland along with Polaris which was rigged with a gaff mainsail and moored at Bucklands beach. Sharples cruised extensively in the Hauraki Gulf, Bay of Islands and Whangaraoa. I can remember seeing her round the bottom end in the ‘60s looking as pretty as a picture.

In 1970 Sharples and his wife moved to Opua, Bay of Islands and Polaris was moored there. Sharples died onboard after a fishing trip and the boat passed to his apprentice Penney.  1993 Jack Barber and Faye Christian bought Polaris from Penney. They used her extensively but the years were catching up with the ship and she was brought ashore for extensive hull work. This was well under weigh with the hull timbers almost all replaced when Jack Barber died 30 September 2002.

The son of the first owner was in touch and emailed a picture of her in her original form. Some part of me says she should be finished off like that.

Not often a boat travels so many miles on other boats’ keels. Even more fun is the knowledge of a boat’s travels halfway round the world leaving a lot of people who fell in love with her.