Category Archives: Yachts

VICTORIA CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL – Vancouver – Dockside Tour 

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VICTORIA CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL – Vancouver – Dockside Tour 

Last week we had a story about Peter Knowles and his travel to the Victoria Wooden Boat Festival vis his v-blog ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. Peter very briefly showed us some of the craft arriving – today we get a dock-side wander, complete with captions for the classic woodys.

I hope the people at Auckland’s maritime museum see this video – re their upcoming Auckland wooden boat festival next year. The stand out observation is the mix of yachts + launches + work boats + small craft – it is all mixed in together and thats what works all around the world – not rocket science……………..

INPUT ex Neil Chalmers – Great video , at 2 56 there is the NZ yacht ‘Two Sisters’ (was sail no. F3) . Has a Woollacott look about her. I often wondered where she got to .

A picture of her at Bon Accord Kawau appears in the ‘Cruising in NZ Waters’  by GR Paul (below). This was the go to book in the 1960’s before to the RAYC Cruising Guide was published.

REMEMBER BOAT BOAT SALE 11am SATURDAY @ MILFORD SLIPWAY – 5 OMANA ROAD, MILFORD $BRING CASH$ WW MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

TARANUI Approaching The Ton 

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TARANUI Approaching The Ton 

Having just found a new owner for the John Gladden built motor-salier – Taranui (heading south), I uncovered another yacht of the same name deep in the WW files.

The Taranui featured above was photographed in Oct 2022 by Dean Wright at the Havelock marina. 

At the time we learned that this Taranui was owned by Evan Walker and she this year is about to celebrate her 97th birthday.

Built in Pigeon Bay Banks Peninsula by Edwin Bailey.  Has had only 4 family owners since 1926.  Robin Kidd did a piece on her in Boating NZ in November 2000 not long after we took her over from my father. 

09-0902023 UPDATE EX OWNER EVAN WALKER – Her exact launch date is not recorded, but the log of her building in Pigeon Bay kept by the first owner Campbell Hay, has Edwin Bailey and Joe Wheeler leaving in December 1926. So we assume that she was launched about then. Surprising really as the log is meticulous and lists all the work as it was done, the hours worked, and includes a full list of materials.

Weather permitting I’m boating today – aboard a grand old Lady, if it happens, photos to follow 😉

VICTORIA CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Video

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VICTORIA CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Video

For several years I have been ‘following’ on-line a YouTube weblog named ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. The Chanel is hosted by a gent named Peter Knowles and Peter has been recording the restoration of 3 classic wooden cruisers, plus we get to go/see his annual cruises in and around the Vancouver, British Columba, Canada area. Amazing location.

Earlier in the week Mark McLaughlin posted on WW a link to Peter’s latest story that includes a visit to the 2023 Victoria Classic Boat Festival – see above. Well worth checking out, lots of boat porn to view + I would encourage you to check out the past episodes of – ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. Link to more details on the site here https://www.youtube.com/@TravelsWithGeordie/about  Warning it can get slightly addictive 🙂 

A Flashback To the Late 1920’s – Early 1930’s

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A Flashback To the Late 1920’s – Early 1930’s

In Wellington there is a wonderful group of classic wooden boat enthusiasts that ‘reside’ under the umbrella of the ‘Wellington Classic Yacht Trust’ – they excel at everything and outshine the Auckland based Classic Yacht Association on so many fronts, particularly the 3 F’s – fun, friendship and fraternity. Recently the WCYT publicised on their website http://www.wcyt.org.nz/ a photo essay of classic craft from the Dow Collection. The photo above is one of the featured photos and is of Ngakuta Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound. The collection viewable in the link below is a selection from two albums owned by Doug Gow. It appears the person who took the photos was a crewman (name unknown) on the D Class cruisers HMS Diomede and HMS Dunedin and when off duty a crewed on various boats. The photos date to between 1928 and 1931.

LINK  http://www.wcyt.org.nz/abode/getCategoryProducts.do/_siteId__708/method__getCategoryProducts/_categoryId__6608

RSVP waitematawwody@gmail.com

Elsinore

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ELSINORE

Todays photo is from the Tauranga Library collection (but is tagged Nelson) and comes to us via Dean Wright.

It would be nice if we could learn more about Elsinore but the main reason for posting the photo is that it is just such a cool photo.

it has all the feel good vibes written all over it – clinker / motorboat > sail / gaff rig/  beach railway haul-out and everything in proportion, even the name plate is perfect. Maybe a small porthole on the cabin side, but that is just me being OTT.

Enjoy the photo and weekend 🙂

INPUT ex John Burland – excerpt below from the NZ Gazette 1944 wherein a J. Chapman applied for (declined) a fishing license for Elsinore. The location being Motuka supports the ‘Nelson tag on the photo. Where is she currently?

Half Moon Bay Marina Mooching

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JOCELYN
RAINBOW

Half Moon Bay Marina Mooching

Earlier in the week I found myself at HMB marina with some time to kill so went for a wander.

Three woodys in different stages of getting some winter TLC.

JOCELYN – The 49’ Brin Wilson built launch, possibly to a Hacker Craft design, appears to be getting a varnish refresh. She is one of those craft that are just so much bigger out of the water. Read more about her here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/01/28/the-history-of-mv-jocelyn/

UNKNOWN – has a Lanes / Picton look to her – I’m sure someone sharper than me can tell us her name. Impressive back to bare wood restoration underway.

RAINBOW – the 1898 Arch Logan built gaffer has just had a birthday – lots shinny paint and varnish on display + the masts was revarnished , that is a titanic undertaking – well done. I was on-hand as the team from Boat Haulage were dropping the stick back in. An impressive of collection of origami on display 🙂

MYSTERY YACHT 23-07-23 VECTIS

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MYSTERY YACHT 23-07-23 – VECTIS

Recently woody Simon Smith commented that all the mystery launches were a struggle for the stick & rag brigade that follow WW. Simon sent in the above photo , so today can we ID the yacht and possibly the design.

INPUT ex Jim Lott – Hull looks like an early Bert Woollacott. Could well be Vectis, but only if she was later rerigged. When I had Vectis in 1972-6 she had two sets of spreaders and the boom was a bit shorter.

INPUT ex Robin Elliott – Although the boat is Vectis, that “23/7/23” date is a bit dodgy. Vectis was not launched until 1930.
NZ Herald 15/11/30: Mr. Wollacott’s new cruiser Vectis, which, is ready for launching at Devonport during this week-end was registered in the C class, although her waterline length of 27 feet would qualify her for the B class if length alone was the deciding factor. Vectis is 31ft overall and a wholesome type of cruiser.

I can’t just leave you with one photo of a yacht so check out the short film below of Auckland’s North Shore in the 1920’s. It was filmed an advertisement for the Devonport Ferry Company showcasing what the shore offered.

For the time poor just fast forward to the 4:14 mark – some great footage of the Devonport waterfront and craft hauled out at the Devonport Yacht Club + Bayswater in its heyday , how did we ever let that gem of a location slide into the condition it is today?.

Further on there is some excellent sailing footage and I love the pond yachts. ENJOY (ex Ngatira Tronga Sound & Vision) – CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW

https://www.facebook.com/100022491815652/videos/377063966386661/

Manutere – Sailing Sunday

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Manutere – Sailing Sunday

Another great photo shared with us by Dean Wright from the Tauranga Library archives.

We see the yacht – Manutere alongside a wharf, dated April 1964 and given the bridge in the background – has to be Tauranga.

Can anyone enlighten us more on the yacht (motorsailer?).

Short story today, waking up in the Waikato after a highly esteemed woodys 80th birthday party last night – great party, topped off with an All Black win 🙂

Taioma

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TAIOMA

Chatting online last week with Laurie Jury from Blair Boats and he commented that currently had at the yard a yacht named – Taioma that was built by the Lidgard Bros. in 1948, Laurie understands she was probably designed by Fred Lidgard.

Taioma ended up on the rocks in the Bay of Islands and was rescued from being scrapped.

The original plans were for Blair Boats to spline and fiberglass her (she is also carvel planked kauri) for the gent that ’saved’ her. So far the yard have removed the interior and repaired most of the broken ribs (about 20 of them) , scraped off all the paint and started to clean out the joins in the planks ready to spline. Laurie advised that unfortunately her owner now has other commitments and the boat is now looking for a new custodian to take on the project.

Fraulein Maree

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FRAULEIN MAREE

The 36’ Fraulien Maree would probably just just slip into the CYA criteria as a classic, designed and built by Jim Ashby in 1967. Her tme listing states that she is a Mullet design, someone from the yotting fraternity will have to explain that. Built with kauri planks on Kowhai frames and matte decks. Rather a sexy stern.

Her interior is very salty with that classic Herreshoff look – white panels with varnished trim.

When the wind dies there is a 30hp Vetus diesel to push her along.