Category Archives: Yachts

Fritha

Posted on by
13

Screen Shot 2019-02-23 at 5.08.01 PM

Screen Shot 2019-02-23 at 5.12.32 PM

FRITHA

Chatting with Chris McMullen and he mentioned that he had been recently contacted by Morgan Dawicki, the captain of the 74’ Brigantine – Fritha that Chris built back in 1986 for Jack R Butland. Chris commented that Jack Butland came to him with a modern design of what some one imagined a old time sailing vessel should look like. Chris was horrified and found him a nice design depicted in a 1940’s Rudder Magazine he had. They tracked down the designers son and bought the plans. The result  was ‘The Fritha’ and a very happy owner. Chris said he owed a great deal to the Butland family. McMullen and Wing built them three significant wooden boats. The first order placed was when Chris was under thirty years old.

These days Fritha is owned by the Northeast Maritime Institute, USA, who have recently dedicated a room to Jack Butland at the Institute, check out the opening here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5L13LucfDQ

Her captain – Morgan told Chris that they are doing their best to share the lovely lady with our Kiwi friends and to share in her memories. His words were “She truly is the most beautiful boat on the water (in my opinion!) The craftsmanship is impeccable and it is nice to make the acquaintance of one of her builders”.

As of late, she has been spending the winters in North Carolina and summers in Buzzards Bay as a sail training ship for local high school age students. We mostly sail around Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

The Butland’s are a very old New Zealand boating family and their name has been alongside some of our best  examples of NZ boat building e.g.

J R Butland • an H28 then a Sailar 40 then the Fritha.

Ken Butland • Triton then Sirdar.

J M Butland • Thetis built by Lane Motor Boat Co. Panmure.

• Dufesne built by Max Carter.

• Durville built by Steel Yachts and Launches (McMullen and Wing)

• Inverness built by McMullen and Wing

Pleasant Surprise – while mooching around Mahurangi during the recent regatta weekend, a gent by the name of Tony McNeight unbeknown to me did a sketch of my Raindance, and it popped up on facebook. If you ever want a sketch / drawing of your boat, give Tony a call  021 925 031

IMG_0641

Eileen Patricia Restoration Update

Posted on by
4
Screen Shot 2019-02-18 at 9.49.08 AM

1933

Screen Shot 2019-02-18 at 9.51.14 AM

2014

IMG_0702

2019

IMG_0701

Screen Shot 2019-02-18 at 9.50.28 AM

EILEEN PATRICIA RESTORATION UPDATE

Last Sunday we went for a drive out west, well more nor-west, to Helensville. The destination being Marco Scuderi’s classic boat yard to view the almost complete 1933 Arnold Couldrey designed and built motor launch Eileen Patricia.
EP first appeared on WW back in November 2014 as Linden  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/11/9603/  and then she was desperately crying out for a new owner. With the help of Nathan Herbert we identified that she was previously named Eileen Patricia and in her as launched style was a very pretty woody. I encouraged any Woodys looking for a project to step-up.
Peter Mence did just that and quickly purchased her and trucked her off to Marco’s shed. Fast forward 4+years and a launch date is looking imminent. As you would expect from Marco, Peter and Jenny the standard of work is just faultless – some would say OTT but not me – EP is perfect in every way.
So today we have a sneak peek at her as she nears completion. I didn’t take a lot of photos as we will save that for the launching.
Also got to catch up with the other projects Marco has underway – an almost total rebuild of a Riva Super Aquarama (the varnish work on her is amazing) + a new build of a Rozinate day sailer (photos below) and the next cab off the rank – the 1906 Logan 38′ A-Class Keeler – Victory A8.

HELP WANTED – Does anyone have one of the below in their shed?

Woody Baden Pascoe is looking for one to fit a 16′ dinghy.

IMG_5709

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – 2019 Photo Gallery

Posted on by
2

Screen Shot 2019-02-17 at 7.50.14 AM

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – 2019 Photo Gallery

For the first time in yonks I missed this years Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, but thanks to the Jason Prew and Rod Prosser we get to see a cool collection of photos from the day ( 9th February 2019) . As always it is a huge day with a diverse collection of craft fronting up for the parade and most event picnic. It would have to be one of the most fun woody events on the calendar.
As always – click photos to enlarge – Enjoy 🙂
IMG_5727

Rata – A Woody Project

Posted on by
8

IMG_0573

IMG_0570

RATA – A Woody Project

Anyone up for a project? Woody Jeff Norris recently sent me the above photos of Rata, she was once the fastest launch on the Kaipara back in the 1940’s/50s.  It once had a petrol V8 Fairlane engine in it.
It was owned by the Hargraves family from the Pahi region many years ago, that was before it had a conservatory built on it.
Originally it would have been a flush deck speedboat and as such she won all the races in its early days.
So woodys – can anyone share more on her past & is anyone tempted to take her on? She will need more than just a spray with Wet&Forget 🙂
Harold Kidd Input – RATA was built for Ted Hargreaves of Batley in February 1911 by H.N. Burgess of Judges Bay with a 6hp Automatic engine. She was 27ft x 6ft 6ins. Still in the Hargreaves family in the 1960s. There are several photos of her from the 20s through to the 60s at the Matakohe Museum. A thoroughbred and a very worth restoration project!
???Pollards????
Lost Boat – Taurima
 The other day in the NZ Herald – SideSwipe section a reader was trying to track down her families (Neil & Janice Hudson) old motorsailer. Its called Taurima & was built in 1977 by John Gladden at Milford. She had an interesting past – she sank at the Poor Knights in 1996 & was towed to Tutukaka by Grant Ogle Salvage. She then sat just of the motorway in Albany for approx. 5 yrs & then in c.2000/1 was sold to someone in Tauranga. Neil is now 85 and would love to know what became of the boat.
Can anyone help the family out with info on Taurima?
Taurima

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 – Photo Parade – Part 3 – 90 photos + video

Posted on by
Reply

Photo 8-02-19, 18 21 59

Photo 8-02-19, 18 22 14

Photo 8-02-19, 08 45 37

TAMARIKI – Peter Mortimer

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 – Photo Parade – Part 3 – 90 photos + video

For the few of you that have seen enough beautiful boats in the last few days, I promise today will be the last AWBF photo gallery. But for the record Tuesdays AWBF WW story out performed Mondays story and had in fact the highest number of views of any story on WW in the last 12 months 🙂
Today our gallery comes to us from the camera of CYA NZ Chairperson – James  Mortimer. On top of capturing some great photos, James was in a very unique position at the festival – his father Peter was exhibiting the 1979, Gary Wheeler built yacht – Tamariki (photo above), which was the only NZ flagged boat in attendance, and they briefly had the past two NZ CYA chairs and the current one on board for a beer at the same time, nice.
Again, different person = different perspective – enjoy and remember , click on photos to enlarge.
And as a bonus we also have a video of the James Craig leaving her dock – would be nice to have a vessel of her presence based on the Waitemata. Filmed by Andrew Christie.

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 – Photo Parade – Part 2 – 337 photos

Posted on by
2

DSC05566

DSC05184

DSC05461

DSC05551

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 – Photo Parade – Part 2 – 337 photos

One of the interesting things reviewing all the photos that have been sent in from the festival is that each person ’sees’ the festival through different eyes – so what they end up photographing is very different from someone else.
Todays collection from Fiona Driver and Rod Marler is a perfect example, it is a very different view from yesterdays and also shows the scale of the event. Worthy of its own WW story.
I could have edited the collection down, but the photographer/s are very passionate woodys so if the image appealed to them, I’m confident it will to you. Enjoy 🙂
Scroll down after todays photo gallery to view more of the festival in Part 1 of the coverage.
And remember , click on photos to enlarge.

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 – Photo Parade – 200 Classic Wooden Boat Photos – Part 1

Posted on by
2

DSC05172

AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL 2019 – HOBART, TASMANIA – PHOTO PARADE 200 CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PHOTOS

5P7A0484

Well woodys while I was gutted that I had to cancel my trip to the festival, I honestly believe that we have ended up with a better view of the festival. I have been inundated with photos from woodys from both sides of the Tasman. The coolest thing is that the show is so big and the exhibitions so broad, that there have hardly been any duplications – my new best Aussie woody friend – Andrew Christie has excelled with photos from the air (drone) and on the water (he borrowed a clinker dinghy from the ‘Living Boat Trust’ and rowed around the docks). My kiwi woody friends –  Colin and Sheryl Pawson + Fiona Driver and Rod Marler + James Mortimer  have supplemented Andrew’s photos with more stunning photos from their camera’s. As an aside Andrew won the AWBF 2019 short film festival, with his entry ‘Wooden Boat Lunacy’ featuring a Billy Holmes built motorboat – Folly III. This short film has been featured on WW – link here    https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/11/08/folly-iii/
Rather than mix them all up – I thought it would cool to group them by photographer. There will be more to share with you over the next few days, seems like everyone has maxed out the mobile data packages 🙂
Remember you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them – Enjoy
Andrew Christie

 

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0824.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0828.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0830.JPG

 

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0825.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0835.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0837.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0838.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0839.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0840.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0841.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0843.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0842.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0845.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0846.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0847.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0849.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0850.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0851.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0852.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0853.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0854.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0855.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0856.JPG

 

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0857.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0858.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0859.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0860.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0861.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0863.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0864.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0865.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0866.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0867.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0868.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0869.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0862.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0848.JPG
5P7A0462
James Mortimer
Photo 8-02-19, 08 45 37
Colin Pawson
IMG_0072

 

 

Fiona D and Rod M
DSC05510
DSC05551
DSC05604
DSC05177
DSC05624

A Very Big Woody Weekend Down Under

Posted on by
1

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0855.JPG

IMG_0003

IMG_0031

A Very Big Woody Weekend Down Under
This weekend is a very big woody weekend DOWNUNDER, we have the Lake Rotoiti Classic& Wooden Boat Parade in NZ and over in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia – it’s the bi-annual Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
Both events are huge and will be covered by waitematawoodys. Starting with the AWBF tomorrow (Monday). I have Woodys at both events sending in photos, including drone video footage, which brings a whole new perspective to our coverage.
The photos above come to us from Colin Pawson & Andrew Christie
Below is a short drone video of the fleet in what they call the Parade of Sail on the River Derwent. Many thanks to Australian woody, Andrew Christie for this video and tomorrows photo gallery.
P-CLASS P500 DAFFY DUCK
We cover everything on woodys – from mega events to a guy trying to track down the P-Class yacht his father built for him 55 years ago 🙂 Does anyone know the where-about of P500 (Duffy Duck) ? Paul Silva would love to know that she is still around and if possible have a look at her. He’s also keen to buy her – so woodys can anyone help Paul out?

A Woody Picnic – 1963 & Today

Posted on by
8

Screen Shot 2019-01-20 at 4.48.51 PM

Screen Shot 2019-01-20 at 4.46.34 PM

Screen Shot 2019-01-20 at 4.47.47 PM

 

Screen Shot 2019-01-20 at 4.46.57 PM

A Woody Picnic

A collection of photos today recording the Devonport Yacht Club annual picnics, some are dateD March 1963 but there appears to be a mix of two venues – probably Islington Bay and Motuihe Island.

The photos come to us from Mitchell Hutchings fb page.

The challenge today is to Chris Leech to ID some of the craft. Nathan Herbert has already commented that in the 2nd photo above, the launch on the left is Lady Mary, before the addition of her dodger/wheelhouse + flying bridge.

Input from Chris Leech – 1st photo shows Sundowner being bought to the DYC for launching. The 2nd is of her afloat

The 3rd & 4th are of Southern Belle post the fire and as restored
Image4
Image3
Image1
Image2
WAITANGI DAY PICNIC REMINDER TODAY – CYA Picnic at Motuihe Island today,  happening around midday – weather will decide which side. Look out for the big CYA flag on the beach. 
Screen Shot 2019-02-05 at 10.00.26 AM

 

Athena

Posted on by
11

Athena

ATHENA

The above motor-sailer, Athena, was spotted by John Wicks at Te Kouma Village, Coromandel.
John commented that she was a sturdy looking old girl and wondered if the woodys could shed some light on per background?
Input from Cameron Pollard – ATHENA was built by Des Donovan (Andy’s brother).
Des bulit her at his devonport property and had her craned into the tide off devonport wharf.
Originally had an AEC but that was replaced by her next owners the Johnson family.
They fitted a new 6lx gardner which is still in her.
She is currently hauled out at kopu for a paint.
Her present new owners completed a 9 year rebuld/ transformation on her and is a absolute credit to them.
The stories on Athena over the years have more up and downs than a busy hotel elevator some good and others not.
It’s very good to know she finally made it back to the water.

Update 2 from Cameron P

She ran over a bit of nz. ( like many still do). There was a photo album on board with pictures of her on the rock that Des took while sitting in the dinghy.

Sadly when the tide dropped so did Athena.
She filled up and skidded off the rock.
Story has it she was lost for quite a few days as the tide took her for a underwater voyage.
When she was later found and salvaged the mud and foul inside her was quite unreal.
Des,s photos showed her tied alongside the harbourboard slipway getting repaired.
I think the Johnsons purchased her not long after.
A. Johnson snr owned Lady Margaret (col wild one) before Athena.
Photo below ex Cameron of her at Kopu, looking vert smart
Athena @ Kopu

Update 23-02-2020 –  The top photo of Athena is dated January 1962 and shows her about to be launched at Devonport. She was built by Des Donovan.

The 2nd and 3rd photos are dated 12 March 1967 and Athena is ‘wrecked’ north of Elephant Cove.
Athena Launching Day
Ken Ricketts Input – ATHENA replaced the 32 foot ADARA Des D had built himself c1948/50 which was an identical sister ship to building contractor Fred Steele’s FAYE, & they both built those 2 boats together, at the same time, alongside each other, on the North Shore.
Big story tomorrow – Achilles re-launched + the end of a era – boatyard closes + 90th birthday party – 60+ photos
P1050195