Time for some xmas goodwill – a little quiz with a cool prize. As always entry is ONLY VIA EMAIL, you can only enter once, all correct entries go into the draw. Quiz ends on Friday December 15th at 6pm. Winner announced on WW. (photos shown above random selection only)
THE QUIZ QUESTION: Which boat builder / designer has had the most boat / name mentions on the WW site – email your entry to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
THE PRIZE: A copy of the Best Selling Book – ’Shipwright, Boatbuilder, Yachtsman’ by Gilbert J. Littler + A WW sweatshirt (L/S, size XL only) + A WW Burgee
Cake Day Entries – It Did Not Win But The Chocolate Cake Was The Best
PATIO BAY CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WEEKEND – 2023
Todays story wasn’t meant to happen, the 2023 Patio Bay Weekend was not on the radar but several woody skippers told me late in the week that they were going so I shuffled the plans around.
Saturday mornings weather and sea state was average but sometimes you just have to make the call and head out. I was also suffering from serious cabin fever, so little boating in the last year.
As the day unfolded the weather improved but from the fireside chat post race, the classic yachts racing down did not have a pleasant trip.
CYA numbers were down significantly from previous years , in fact I was the only launch in the bay.
The venue hosts, the Mahoney family, ensured a great time was had by all, with the emphasis on an old-school / retro boating gathering e.g. open fire / bbq, Pohutukawa and driftwood smoke and the legendary barrel of rum……….. on that subject most were amused when the yacht “Prize” won her division – part of the winning is having to re-fill the rum barrel the following year – I was told Prize’s skipper historically has gone to great lengths to sidestep the expensive.
The assorted collection of photos above is simply to give you a glimpse of the weekend, and showcase the magic of Aucklands woody fleet and Patio Bay. Enjoy (passage photos B15 Frances & dark hulled yacht ex Dennis & Sue Rule) – (some photos below average in definition – long lens the camera).
Xmas Boat Reading – 10+ years ago I asked at my local 2nd hand book store, about an out of print copy of a book titled “Hemingway’s Boat’ by Paul Hendrickson – out of the blue last week I got a call telling me one had turned up – I started to read over the weekend and after just 10 pages put it down, just a gem, to be saved for the summer xmas /ny trip. Best $15 I have spent. If you see one for sale, grab it.
WW recently received an envelop of photographs from retired South Island boat broker – Phil Vining, who these days resides in Motueka.
The above photo was tagged – Tara III , 36’ Chris Robertson built. Phil owned her himself in the 180’s, he sold her to a couple named John & Jane who sailed her around the world. We believe that she is still owned them and these days calls Mana, Wellington home. Todays photo was taken during Phils ownership period i.e. late 1980’s.
Can we learn more about Tara III and get confirmation on her present location.
Todays woody has one of the best back stories we have had on WW – the giff-rigged auxiliary yawl yacht – Caplin was built in Penarth, Wales (UK)I in 1937-38 at the Anderson & Sons shipyard for Commander Robert D. Graham (R.N. ret.).
Graham set off in late 1938 on a circumnavigation of the world, whilst cruising the Pacific he was alerted to the out break of WWII, he headed to New Zealand first stopping in Nelson then Wellington. In Wellington he placed Caplin on the market and returned to the UK to reenlist.
Caplin was purchased by an Oamaru family* who kept her in Oamaru Harbour for nearly 60 years.She then moved to Queen Charlotte Sound , then Akaroa, where her current owners bought her in 2015 and moved her to Golden Bay. Culpan now calls Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour home. Her current owner is the granddaughter of the GT Gillies* (George Thomas Gillies), who purchased Caplin from Cr Graham in Wellington in April 1940.
Caplin is built in pitch-pine planks over oak frames with mahogany and teak trim – specs > 35’ length overall, 9’6” beam and draws 5’4”. Power is via a Yammer 3GM30F diesel.
While her owners have invested significant time and funds to ensure that Caplin retains her original aura, character and pedigree, they have also carefully integrated modern systems and technology to provide peace of mind and comfort – for example – new galley, new toilet , completely rewired + panels and fittings, new bronze winch, diesel heater to name just a few.
Her light and airy saloon makes for a spacious and comfortable vessel both on route, at anchor or in the marina. Caplin attracts admirers anywhere.
12-11-2024 UPDATE – Below decks has been feeling the love, new owner Geoff Fiebig is a man of style and good taste.
Todays photo gallery (bomb) is less than 24 hrs old, as mentioned earlier in the week Jason Prew is criss crossing the South Island scouting off-road tracks to justify to himself the cost of owning a Remuera Tractor 🙂
Yesterday Jason sent in the above gallery and tells me it was just a fluke he was in Akaroa on the right day – yeah right 😉
Enjoy the photos, as always click on photos to enlarge.
60′ Tooronga – owner by A/Cup skipper – Ian Murray
57′ Sinana
THE HALVORSEN STORY
Todays WW story comes to us via the crew at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival and features a video presentation by Tony MacKay on the legendary
Australian boat building dynasty – the Halvorsen family. Tony gave the presentation at the 2023 festival.
Some background on Tony – he has been on board Halvorsen boats all his life, having owned nine substantial cruisers, all of which were significantly and lovingly restored. Through his involvement with the Halvorsen Club, he has passed some of this passion and energy to like-minded owners of these beautiful craft, also assisting with the improvement of skills and historical information. He has also represented the family for significant events at the Australian National Maritime Museum, exhibitions, on water parades, birthdays and even eulogies. It has been a lasting passion.
Tony is a real character and has a very salty Australian vocabulary e.g when referring to a narrow beamed craft he said “it would roll on a wet lawn’.The photos above are just a taste of the many in the presentation – linked below – ENJOY.
Siesta – approx. 45′ canoe stern bridge-decker – Stockholm
Vasa – 17th century warship – Vasa Museum – Stockholm
Oslo, Norway
Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Gothenburg
Probably steel
WOODY EURO TOUR
Todays story comes to us from the camera of Rick McCay, owner of the 1920 MT Land built 47’ launch – Luana. Rick has been tripping around the northern hemisphere. Rick didi a similar trip back in 2017, you can view that story at the WW link below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/11/02/a-woody-on-tour/
Where known I have tagged the locations – enjoy the photo gallery.
A little late posting todays story – its been rather a full on weekend – on Saturday we had our general election, which resulted in a change of government (very happy with that). Then early Sunday morning the All Blacks had a do or die clash with Ireland in the Rugby world Cup which resulted in a well deserved win for the AB’s.
After the final whistle I was in the car and heading north to Whangarei to check out the Whangarei Maritime Festival. The temptation to stay in Auckland and enjoy a celebratory breakfast was very strong but wow I’m so glad I didn’t – I was rewarded with a most enjoyable day out.
I’ll start by thanking Druce Dunlop for alerting me to the upcoming weekend and also say that the organisers did an great job promoting the event on social member. Anyone contemplating hosting a similar event could learn a lot from mirroring the WMF. It ticked all the boxes and was rewarded with a huge turnout.
A wonderful collection of mostly wooden craft on display that given the location / layout of the dockside, allowed the public to get up close and experience the vessels.
Well done to everyone involved – both on and off the water. Enjoy the gallery of images. As always – click photos to enlarge 😉
Following on from Saturdays WW story on the MCC 100th Anniversary weekend, today thanks to the photo gallery the club hosted. We get to see what the area surrounding the MCC looked like in the late 1920’ > early 1930’s. Sadly most of the infrastructure we see in the photos is long gone, but the club and marina have never been in better shape.
We also get a look at a few of the clubs on-the-water outings.
Some of the local businesses in the area took the opportunity to join in on the festivities – well done The Slipway Milford for dressing the yard, special thanks to the ‘gent’ that lent me the navy signal flags and pennants 😉
On the Saturday, despite the weather the MCC held a parade of club craft out of the estuary and along Milford Beach – as always the quicks couldn’t help themselves – video below filmed from Jason Prew’s classic launch – ‘My Girl’, the motorboat attempting to kept up is – ‘Waikiore’,owned by Murray Deeble .
One of the many photos on display over the weekend at the Milford Cruising Clubs 100th birthday celebrations is the one shown above of the stunning yacht. The photo is captioned ‘Yacht at Milford Estuary 192?’ So that doesn’t really help us much 🙂
The photo caught the eye of both Harold Kidd and myself, but drew a blank. Our best was 22>24’ in length .
So woodys can we ID the yacht? WW burgee to the first woody that puts a correct name / builder to her – subject to HDK giving his ‘could be – sign off 🙂
AND WOODYS THE MCC PHOTO EXHIBITION IS STILL ON TODAY – 10AM > 4PM AT 24 CRAIG ROAD , MILFORD
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