Category Archives: Yachts

Wooden Boat Festival – 30 Wooden Boat Photos 

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Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival – 30 Wooden Boat Photos 
 
Todays photo essay of over 30 photos was captured by NZ Traditional Boatbuilding School trustee, Kere Kemp. Kere has just returned from the 2019 Festival and in Kere’s words “the festival was 3 great days of wooden boat jewellery everywhere you looked”.
 
I’ll let the pictures tell the story – remember you can enlarge a photo by click on it 😉
Enjoy
ps – nice to see the WW cap made an appearance 🙂
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RSVP– you and your boats name + approx. numbers to sueedwards@xtra.co.nz

Sorceress SOS – Washed Ashore

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Sorceress SOS

Was sent the photos above today from Keith Ottaway of Sorceress ‘ashore / washed up’ under the Pohutukawa’s at Little Shoal Bay on the western side of Northcote Point. Keith understands she went ashore at low tide on Thursday and has been pushed up under the trees by the rising tide wave action. The tide today was too high for Keith to ascertain if there is any terminal damage.
Sorceress has appeared on WW before, link below, she is a fine ship – someone needs to save her before its too late 😦

UPDATE from Keith –She is flooded by damage to the after  keel bolts – after wooden keel section has pulled away from keelson – with broken bolts. Water was draining still at low tide so its only a small leak at this stage. The hull looks OK at the moment  – but that keelson damage may be the issue. Hope its not a chainsaw salvage. There is a lot of Kauri in there.

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30-09-2019 UPDATE  Photo below from John Hilt of the the yacht aground and being pushed ashore by wind & tide.
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RSVP– you and your boats name + approx. numbers to sueedwards@xtra.co.nz

A-Class Racing on the Waitemata

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A-Class Racing on the Waitemata

Today’s feature photo is from a photo essay that Mike McGehan sent in. If my eyes and memory are correct Left > Right

A15 Prize, A17 Ngatoa, A14 Ngataringa, A18 Tawera, A27 Arohia

Anyone able to put an approx. date on the photo?

Mondays WW story will be a goody – 30+ photos from the camera of Kere Kemp who has just returned from the 2019 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. Great photos from a gent with a good key for woody talent 🙂 A tease below

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RSVP – you and your boats name + approx. numbers to sueedwards@xtra.co.nz

 

 

Marnine

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MARNINE

Must be the week for the big girls, yesterday we had a feature on the 56’ Turongo coming onto the market and today we see the 1961 Lane built – Marnine.
Marnine measures 50’ and has a 15’ beam and weighs 25 tonnes so very similar in size to Turongo.
Marnine has made numerous appearances on WW – links below. The first one contain a great insight into her past from Terry Porter, son of her original owner Fred Porter.
Today we see her hauled out in Auckland for some TLC.

 

MULLET BOAT MAST SOS
The boys at The Slipway Milford have a 22’ mullety hauled out which given her existing masts is in 3 pieces and looks like a shark has had a chew, there is an urgent need for a suitable replacement.
Not fussy if its wood or alloy – anyone got one up in the rafters? Contact Jason Prew jason@slipway.co.nz

Happy Hours V13

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Photo below taken when Happy Hours was collected ready to transport to Alan Craig’s shed.

 

HAPPY HOURS V13
 
I have been contacted by Alan Craig from Craig Marine looking for he next owner of the18’ mullet boat – Happy Hours V13. 
Built by Billy Rogers in 1949 to an earlier Logan design, she was a copy of Secret  (V3) but is a much fuller boat so must have been modified during building. She was first owned by Billy Rogers’ brother in-law and then by Lieutenant Commander J. Lennox-King.
 
Happy Hours is currently sitting in one of Alan’s sheds waiting to be finished. But Alan commented that he has not been near it in a couple of years, he is a very in demand wooden boat builder and the current work schedule is very motor-boat focussed.
The yacht was acquired from the NZ Traditional Boatbuilding School before being passed on to Alan. 
I understand that Alan’s exceptions in terms of a price are not great, he is more interested in Happy Hours going to a good home.
Alan has the mast and rudder plus fittings etc for it too.
 
So woodys – anyone looking for a classic wooden boat project?
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23-09-2019 Input from Robin Elliott

Owners:
N.C. Wensor 1949?/52+?; F. Simkins 1955?/56+?; Peter & Frederick Boyle 1958+?; R.D. Wood 1959?/60+?; Lt.Cdr J. Lennox-King 1961?/68+? ; Dean Herbison 2007/16+?; Alan Craig ?/2019+?

Happy Hours was built for Noel Wensor (billy’s Bro’ in law) in 1949. Lennox-King did not own her until the early 1960’s. Dean Herbison bought her in 2007 when she was hauled out at Okahu Bay.

Des Townson  – A Sailing Legacy – Perfect Fathers Day Present – Ordering Details Below

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Des Townson  – A Sailing Legacy

Back in July Brian Peet contacted me about his latest book publishing project, Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy. Brian asked if I would like to attend the launch night, a smallish gathering in the dinghy locker at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron – of course I said yes and a few days later an advance copy of the book arrived via courier. Well that buggered my plans for that day 🙂
I later asked Brian if I could sneak a couple more onto the invite list, which happened. Then Brian lets me know that things have snow balled and the launch was now in the main ballroom at the RNZYS, things had stepped up a few notches.
Fast forward to last night and the who’s who of yachting is crammed into the Squadron. My guess would be 400+ people. Speakers were the Squadron Commodore Ian Cook, Des’s younger brother – Bill Townson and Brian Peet. Ian built six Zephyrs under Des Townson’s supervision, won the National Champs in 1980. Bill Townson is a skilled boatbuilder, yacht designer and amphibian aircraft designer/builder.
I sneaked in early any took a few photos and videos of some of the exhibits, which included a Starling, Zephyr, Mistral and a 1956 replica of Des Townson’s first commercial design Nimble. What most caught my eye, was the Townson 2.4m dinghy on display that had just been built by Allan Hooper at the NZ Traditional Boatbuilding School. Its for his own use, but if you ask me it should be should be on display somewhere. Talking to Allan I understand the school will have ‘build your own’ kits and how to classes – perfect opportunity to own a Townson.
I later filmed Brian’s talk / presentation, see below – it is a wonderful insight into how the book came about and challenges Brian had over the 10 years it took to complete it.
 
As I have said before – its a great read, buy it, you won’t be sorry – as Brian said last night – it is a “sailing book, about a sailor, written by a sailor”.
 
Enjoy the video, then buy the book – either via the website https://destownson.co.nz  or if you prefer to do a bank transfer, email Brian with your name and postal address and he will reply with bank account details – its that easy info@destownson.co.nz
 
Oops nearly forgot –  Details on how to win a copy of the book on WW, later in the week.

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Mansion House Opening Labour Day 1979

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Mansion House Opening Labour Day 1979

The above photos of Mansion House, Kawa Island were sent in by Juliana Cooke.
Quite an impressive turnout but a lot of plastic floating in the bay, and also the tenders tied at the wharf are predominately plastic.
Still I can spy some well done Woodys at anchor.
These days you wouldn’t see the ferries rafted up like that – Fullers far too precious to do that, but these days on a peek holiday period – one would have broken down, one would be out for annual maintaince and the remaining ferry would be running 1hr late 🙂
06-09-2019 Input from Neil Chalmers –  see below, souvenir cover bought on the day at Kawau. Neil recalls Sir Keith H (Governor General) arriving in the SeaBee widgeon (or was it a goose) and giving a speech at the opening.

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JEANETTE C23 – Updated Story

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Start of a cruise down the gulf. Barbara, Dick’s elder daughter at the tiller.

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Jeanette cruising. Ngataringa coming up astern. Takapuna shore in background.

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Wet decks from stiff westerly. Running close during race to Islington Bay. Dinghy lashed on deck for more speed. Rangitoto on port bow.

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(This picture dated 28 January 1961, so must have been sent to Bob when he’d returned to the UK. ) Jeanette at the start of the Trans Tasman Race. Bob. Bill Patterson at tiller. Bob Watham in the cockpit. Harry Pope up forward.

JEANETTE C23 – Updated Story
 
Back in June 2019 I did a story on the 1933, Ted Le Huquet built yacht Jeanette, WW link below, this prompted Drew Glasgow to send in the photos above taken in the early 1950’s by his late father Bob Glasgow, who often sailed in her, together with Dick and Barbara Bakewell, who bought the yacht off Ted Le Huquet.
According to Bob’s description, written on the back of one photograph, she was a 34′ marconi-rigged cutter.
 
I have captioned each photo with text supplied by Drew from the back of the photos, penned by his father.
Question of the day – any one able to tell us how the above yacht ended up in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, USA? Is it a Kiwi boat or just been named by a Kiwi?
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Fiddlers Green

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FIDDLERS GREEN

It is believed that Fiddlers Green was built c.1930/40’s and probably started life as a motor launch used for fishing and accessing the holiday homes in the Abel Tasman area. In 1976 she was rescued and converted to a sailing ketch and given the name Fiddlers Green

She measures 14’ in length, has a 5’8” beam and draws 2’6”. Her hull is kauri and the deck, cabin-top and framing timbers were replaced in 1990. She is a regular attendee at the Antique Classic Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti (Nelson Lakes) and in 2018 won the award for best sail boat.

She is for sale on trademe and comes with a custom built (2012) galvanised trailer.

Looking For A Clinker Dinghy?

Chatting with boat builder Greg Lee he told Dale, the yard foreman is currently building a clinker dinghy to a Roy Pariss pattern. So far, Dale has glued all the lands  and just put in the surfboard clear epoxy risen because it is UV stable (photos below)Another coat or two and he will start on the ribs. When finished the intention is to sell her. Knowing Dale and his work she will be a stunner.

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BOAT PORN

Adrian Pawson is mid-way thru a re-fit on his Frostbite – Kiteroa, 1st coat of gloss went on yesterday – looking very smart 🙂

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Mystery Boats October 1939

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Mystery Boats October 1939

The above photo is tagged ‘Auckland’s Fine Holiday Week-End’ and is dated October 1939.
And interesting mix of craft hauled out, given the stated date, I would have thought it was a little late in the year to have that number of yachts with their rigs out.
Any one behave enough to name them?
Des Townson Book
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The postman/lady delivered a special parcel today, I have been sent one of ten review copies of the book ‘Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy’ by Brian Peet. It is a big read (both in size and weight – 1.8kg) with 340+ pages loaded with tales, details and hundreds of photos and line drawings.
The Foreword is written by our own Harold Kidd and I’m sure Harold and author Brian Peet won’t mind me quoting from it.
“It is without doubt, the most intimate and accurate portrayal that we will ever see of Des Townson and his yachts, but it also provides insight into that vibrant network of highly skilled people – yachtsman and yachtswoman, yacht designers and yacht builders – who have made the last 75 years of the sport in New Zealand so amazingly successful home, and on the world stage.” HKD
The on-sale date is 18th September  – I will do a review before then.  BUT GOOD NEWS waitematawoodys have two copies on offer as prizes – details to follow 🙂