Category Archives: Yachts

Christchurch Model Yacht Club

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Christchurch Model Yacht Club

We tend to think that classic pond yacht racing was an Auckland gig, but the gallery of photos above, ex Helen Harris fb, gives us a flash back to in Hagley Park, Christchurch when Lake Victoria was formed in 1897. A swampy depression – the rim of which was used for penny-farthing cycle racing – was graded, lined with clay and pugged by draught horses, then filled with water from artesian bores. The club was then formed and opened the next year.Such was the enthusiasm of the gentlemen who formed the CMYC at their special meeting held in Warners Hotel, Christchurch, on 17 June 1898, that they went on to have fifteen more meetings in the remainder of that year. Not only did racing get started on Victoria Water but priority was given to building a Pavilion for club rooms and the storing of model yachts.

The top photo of the start line for the 1899 Opening Day race, has a very impressive fleet, and if you were wondering how they got them all lined up – there was a long rope stretched across the lake, restraining the fleet.
CYA COMMITTEE MEETING TONIGHT (zoom) – HOPEFULLY THE ELECTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS (listed below) WILL BE SEEKING CONFIRMATION OF THE INTENT OF THE NEW 40 BERTH HERITAGE BASIN SUB-COMMITTE (listed below) IN REGARD TO THE MIX OF CLASSIC VESSELS ON DISPLAY:
CYA 2021-22 (elected) committee – Rachel Orr, Jonathan Curtis, Richard Cave, Jason Prew, Jason Davies, Kathryn Hobcraft, Lisa Lewis, Peter Jones, Steve Pople
Heritage Basin (non elected) sub- committee – Chad Thompson, Andy Ball, Jason Davies

SV Britannia

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SV BRITANNIA

Todays woody is the 38’ gaff cutter Britannia, built in 1898 she has been owned by the same family for 110 years. The video is hosted by Anne Davis who talks us thru how she fell for Britannia and become the 4th generation proud owner.Its a great watch – enjoy 🙂

ANYONE KNOW SOMEONE THAT LAYS / FITS BOAT CARPET – I have the carpet and a template of sorts (1st photo below)– so probably need to check measurements > cut & edge trim.The grey ‘carpet’ (top) was what came with the boat 15 yrs ago, fitted perfectly but looked like it should be in a Haines Hunter. I fitted other carpet (2nd photo below) but have never been happy with the job. So help (paid) wanted. Drop me a line  waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Bob Brown – Boat Builder

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The Boat Builder Bob Brown

Woody Dean Wright was reading one of the recent WW stories that featured a Percy Vos built hydroplane ( https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/10/17/woody-hydroplane/ ) and this prompted Dean to let me know that when doing a bit of research into his boat – Arethusa’s builder Bob Brown, he found the photo above of a land yacht that Brown built in 1933 – capable of over 40mph. In the photo we see the land yacht on Orewa beach.

Read more about Brown, the land yacht and his other boats below – https://m.facebook.com/Timespanner/posts/robert-birt-brown-of-northcote-with-his-home-made-land-yacht-1933-a-locally-buil/1306944202691525/  Sadly the following year Brown aged 50 and his son both drowned at the same beach (Orewa) after getting into difficulties while swimming. 

WE HAVE ANOTHER CYA COMMITTEE ZOOM MEETING ON TUESDAY NIGHT

I wonder if anyone in the last 4 weeks has grown some gonads and will front the elephant in the room e.g. clarification of the 40 berth Heritage Basin sub-committees intent i.e. will the classic vessels berthed there be a true representation of the CYA’s Classic Yacht Policy, as per the constitution – “New Zealand or foreign designed yachts, launches, dinghies, boats, vessels of all sizes, description, ages, whether powered by wind, steam, combustion or otherwise’. OR woodys – a parking lot for what I understand the sub-committee openly refers to as ’The Heritage Sailing Fleet’. Read more by clicking the Tui banner above.

The original conceptual sketch*, below, of the CYA’s current marina (Heritage Landing) certainty portrayed a fair mix of craft 🙂 *david barker

Beautiful Classic Cruiser – Racer

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Beautiful Classic Cruiser – Racer

Let me draw your attention to a scary fact  – there are only 10 weeks till Christmas Day, so my question to you is – will you be on the water over the Christmas / NY holiday period?If you have been thinking that 2021 is the year you move up to owning a classic wooden holiday home – read on.

KIARIKI
Woodys with age-less classic looks, racing pedigree and un-rivalled provenance are very few and far between in New Zealand, so when the time comes for an owner to start looking for the next custodian, the drums start beating.

The yacht Kiariki was designed by owner Jack (John) Brooke and built by John / Jack Logan / John Salthouse and launched in 1959. Using the best kauri, her specs are 40’ x 8’9” x 6’. During the Brooke family ownership period she was always one of the top 3 yachts in the K Class fleet. But to the Brooke family Kiariki was as much a family cruiser as a racer, and John Brooke had a wonderful ritual of recording every cruise in the form of a chart overlaid with caricatures of notable and amusing events – refer examples below.

After a period of ownership outside of the Brooke family – Russell Brooke acquired Kiariki back in 2009, completing the ownership circle – grandfather > grandson and commenced a restoration at the Salthouse Yard – Russell’s brief to the yard that originally built her was simple ‘return her to the thoroughbred form she was in when she was launched’. The work included her decks stripped, caulked and painted – new fastenings, teak rails, sea-cocks, hatches and skylights. The cabin top roof was replaced and her interior was refitted. Not surprisingly her planking did not need repair – originally fitted by Jack Logan, his perfectionist approach meant the hull was still as good as it was when it was new.

I would recommend that anyone interested in Kiariki or in fact the K Class, should purchase a copy of the magnificent book ‘K CLASS – The Hauraki Gulf’s Iconic Racer – Cruiser’.

Chatting to one of the leading lights of the K Class division, they had this to say “Kiariki is one of the faster and larger boats in the fleet and of course with great provenance.  I was on board a few years ago and she certainly appeared to be one of the best in the group”. Another K Class owner commented that he recalls that in Kiatiki’s last season of serious racing, she beat Katrina (one of the fastest boats in the fleet – then and still today) across the line in 11 straight starts – so whilst a very comfortable cruiser, to use the horse racing term – Kiariki has got legs.

I can advise that we have been tasked with finding the next custodian for Kiariki – so woodys if you or someone you know wants to be cruising this summer – initial expressions of interest to waitematawoodys@gmail.com  

30-10-2022 UPDATE – Kiariki has had a post winter tidy up, and will be ongoing detailing over summer. The K Class would have to be one of the smartest looking keelers afloat.

Woody Hydroplane

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WOODY HYDROPLANE

Today’s photo is a kosher woody – built from kauri planks, she measures 16’x7’, flat bottomed, and powered by a 4 cyl. Cirrus-Hermes aero petrol engine. She had a top speed of 45mph, consuming 4 gallons per hour. I suspect after one hour you would have been deaf for the rest of the day. And woodys – she was built by one of our boating building royalty – none other than – Percy Vos. (photo ex Andrew Donovan collection)


SEA SPRAY MAGAZINE – Volume 1 – No.1 December 1945

I was ‘flicking’ thru my much treasured copy of the above (thank you Dave Giddens) and my eye stopped on page 23, titled ‘Jottings Of The Month’ which talked about the decommissioning of Auckland’s yachting fleet that had been laid up during WWII.

Page reproduced below – mentioned are – Ariki, Tawera, Little Jim, Rainbow, Tamatea,Ranger, Iorangi, Ngatoa, Prise, Rawene and Aramoana.
Also covered in the article is the sad loss of life of the skipper (W. E. Lawrence) of the 1913, Les Coulthard built 22′ launch – Minx. Lawrence drowned in Patiki Bay, Waiheke Island trying to retrieve Minx’s tender that had come adrift while at anchor. See & read more on Minx here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/06/27/minx/

A Couple Of Woodys Needing ID’ing

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A Couple Of Woodys Needing ID’ing

Now in the photo above we see on the right a launch that one would have to assume is the 1933 Arnold Couldrey designed and built launch – Eileen Patricia. I bounced the photo of Peter Mence, ER’s custodian and he is in agreement. The question of the day – what’s the yacht under tow? Peters guess was the yacht be by Teddy, that wa Slater wrecked off/on Kawau Island.

See WW story below, note there is a mismatch of dates, but we get that with old stories. Enlargements of the two vessels below + a link to Peter and Jennis stunning restoration of Eileen Patricia. (photos ex Andrew Donovan collection)
https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/04/26/the-wreck-of-teddy-sailing-sunday/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/05/20/the-launching-of-eileen-patrica-1933-classic-motor-boat-50-photos/

The Wooden Boat Centre – A Peek Behind The Door

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The Wooden Boat Centre – A Peek Behind The Door
Today we have a short video, narrated by Paul D’Olier from The Wooden Boat Centre in Franklin, Tasmania. The video #2 in a series is titled ‘The Boat Builders’ and show cases the courses being run at the centre. I have listed below a link to the another in the series – wonderful images and words, do check them out.

The videos are bought to us by the good folks at The Australian Wooden Boat Festival, if you haven’t already , put a line in the diary for 10>13 Feb 2023, this event is a serious bucket list item for all woodys.


Wilson’s Boat Yard. 

Rahiri L16

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RAHIRI L16

Today’s photos of the Mullet Boat L16 were sent to me by Cheryl Hill who was having a lock-down tidy-up and came across a collection of sailing photos that belonged to her father Ian Hill. Cheryl doesn’t know whether the yacht was a family boat or just one that one of her Dad’s mates owned.

The top photo was tagged – ‘Tiri Passage Easter’ and may have been 1947.

Jason Prew pointed me in the direction of the Ponsonby Cruising Club’s 2000>2001 Year Book, which had a ‘Mullet Boat Register’ at the back and the sail # L16 is alongside the 22′ Mullet Boat named – Rahiri. So we have confirmation Rahiri was still on the scene in the early 2000’s.

Can any of the Muttet Boat crowd enlighten Cheryl as to Rahiri’s past and present where-abouts ?

Rangi – Sailing Sunday

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RANGI -Sailing Sunday

In the top photo we see the B Class yacht – Rangi on the slipway at the W.G Lowe shipyard in Auckland, just prior to the start of the first Trans-Tasman Yacht Race in 1931, I believe there was only 3 yachts entered – Oimara (Australia), Teddy (Norway) and Rangi (NZ) – Teddy won.

In the second photo we see her being towed to the start line, and in the bottom photo, on the left is Alan Leonard, owner of Rangi, alongside Alan, steering the yacht is Master Lowe, the grandson of the builder of Rangi. The occasion is welcoming Rangi back into Auckland after the return voyage from Sydney. 

The race was held again in 1934 with only two boats entered – Te Rapunga (Germany) and the legendary Ngataki, with Johnny Wray at the helm – won by Te Rapunga. 

The photos comes to us from the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection.

UPDATE: John Newsham has advised that Rangi was originally named ‘Schopolo’ and was built as a ‘schnapper’ boat for the inshore fishing trade – see photos below (ex Little Ships) . She was driven ashore at Cascade Bay, Norfolk Island when the crew was ashore after a wind change (1951)

UPDATE: Photo below, ex John Newsham, of Ngataki and te Raupunga at the state of the 1934 race. Ngataki (photo ex Century of sail) was sailed to Tahiti in the 1930s – John’s father’s cousin – Nip Colebrook was in the crew. John often used to see Wray cruising around Waiheke in his pre-war launch. He would always gave him a big wave  – mid 1960s.  

Peggy Bawn

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PEGGY BAWN – 1894 G.L. Watson Cutter

Today thanks to the UK site ‘My Classic Boat and Bob Aylott we get to have a peek at one of the best classic yachts ever – Peggy Dawn, her owner Hal Sisk shows us around his beautiful 1894 G.L. Watson 36ft Cutter. Filmed in Cowes and The Solent on a day with not a lot of wind.

Hal Sisk also gives us a great insight into the genius of designer G.L.Watson.

If the above video has wet your whistle for more on the water time – check out below these links form the WoodenBoat Forum 

Link below to very cool vicarious cruising experience http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?279187-Cruise-of-the-Ketch-Julia
If you have more time – read the back story about the boat and the fit out – get tips and photos http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?279187-Cruise-of-the-Ketch-Julia

Anyone know Adam Leyden? If so, ask him to contact us at waitematawoodys@gmail.com