Queenie On The Whangaroa Harbour
Woody Robin Elliott sent in the above photos of Queenie sailing on the Whangaroa Harbour over the xmas / ny period. Queenie was built by Logan Bros & launched January 1904 for James Kirker. She is a ’25-foor Linear Rater’. Her current owners are Henry and Theresa Roberts of Whangaroa.
REMEMBER AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY DAY REGATTA TOMORROW, GET OUT & ENJOY IT. ON THE WATER OR FROM ONE OF THE MANY VANTAGE POINTS 🙂
Woody Alan Sexton sent me the above photos of Ngatiranga & advised she has just appeared on the hard at Sandspit. Alan was told she has been sitting in a shed in Wellsford for around 30 yrs. & she will be recommissioned & based at Sandspit Yacht Club.
Now I have floating around in the old head details that were told to me years ago by Steve Horsley but I do not trust the memory, so could a few woodys enlighten us with details on her & where she has been etc 😉
23-01-2017 Update
The photos below of Ngataringa are dated 2010 / 2011 & from Jacques De Kervor (emailed to me by Ken Ricketts), they show some of the damage resulting from her collision & the start of the repairs to her 3 skin kauri hull. Great to see her ready to return to the water – her owner, Greg Scopas, is a saint for hanging in there with the project.
Help ID Tawera’s Crew
Over the xmas /ny break I dumped into woody John Simpson while anchored in Oneora Bay, Waiheke Island one day. John is a kiwi but Melbourne, Australia based these days. John had a request – read below
“Please find attached photo (circa late 1940’s/early 1950’s) of ‘TAWERA’, an A Class keeler sail no. A18 that was launched in 1935 and first owned by Scottie Wilson of Wilson and Horton fame.
Of the x5 crew pictured; my father Bryan Simpson is front (now, 92 years young, living in Melbourne and ex-Auckland Herald), Scottie is on stz (perhaps cleaning fish) with the ID of the remaining crew members unknown by me. The approximate sailing location is also unknown by me (perhaps near Waikapou Bay where Scottie had his bach on Waiheke Island, but not sure about that). Bryan is unable to recall details surrounding the photo.
Thank you for offering to post on waitematawoodys.
If any woody can fill in the gaps, that would be much appreciated.”
KORARA
Korara was built in 1962 by Snow Waters to a design by naval architect, John E. Powell, UK. The 37’6″ design is for a ‘sport- fishing’ motorboat which can cruise at a good speed in the rough conditions of the English Channel without slowing.
She is a very practical boat with an extremely well built kauri carvel hull. Zoom zoom comes from a 120hp Ford diesel that sees her cruises at 8 knots using very little diesel. While she probably can sail without the engine, her owner has never tried. She has a main stored on the boom under a brand new cover (beige, not shown) and a couple of headsails which have never been out. The main works excellently as designed, to steady her in a sea.
Some specs:
• There are two large plastic fuel tanks in a walk around engine room with about 5ft headroom. Engine room even has its own porcelain hand basin!
• Her propeller and rudder are bronze, the rudder being supported by a large, beautifully cast solid bronze shoe.
• Sleeping is via – 5 singles and 1 double berth.
• Decks are double (possibly triple) diagonally laid with no leaks and no movement save for the odd small seam crack.
• Coamings are all varnished teak including skylight, hinged 2 ways and removable all on bronze fittings, over the aft double cabin.
• Interior is in excellent condition, with all solid teak mouldings. Floorboards are teak and all wear areas are very thick teak (staircases, steps, handles etc)
• Gas stove / grill / oven is used very little. Water in 3 basins is fed from a header tank which is topped up by manual pump from a large stainless underfloor tank.
Korara is a special boat that has been fortunate to have been owned by a very talented & passionate woody. This owner is asking a very reasonable price – $75k ono, I hope a good buyer steps up soon & buys her, she deserve to be passed onto someone who will continue to appreciate her & care for her.
I’m not always a fan of the high gloss varnish coamings but Korara would look like a million dollars if you did the Uroxsys (Awlwood MA ) varnish treatment on her 😉
I very rarely post trademe links but I like the owners & I like the boat – so here you go – buy it.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/auction-1237123330.htm
Tibbs’ Beach – Sailing Sunday
The above photo, from the A. Turnbull Library, was taken by William A Price in the early 1900’s & shows a collection of yachts & a small motor boat hauled out on cradles for maintenance at Tibbs’ Beach, Ponsonby.
Got to love the father & son + old boy with the walking stick, bowler hat & pipe in the center of the photo – that is what its all about-the 3 F’s – fun, friendship & fraternity 😉
So woodys todays questions – what is Tibbs’ Beach known as today ? And can we ID the boats?
Harold Kidd Input
From the left is ROMP alias CHARIE but built as EHOA by Tom Le Huquet in 1892, winter-quartered at Tibbs Beach when owned by Fred Rule. I can’t positively id the little double-ended launch. Next is, I reckon, QUEENIE, hauled out at the beach when owned by Tom Hill. Next is, I think, SCOUT when owned by the Ewen brothers who lived in Shelley Beach Road. Possibly, however, it’s MAYO which also pulled out there until she was damaged and broken up in late 1913 but I think MAYO was smaller although of the same general form. The bow of the boat on the right doesn’t tell us much except that she’s a small straight-stemmer. My pick is NEOLA which was owned by Treanor and hauled out here at this time.
I reckon the date is winter 1912 plus or minus a year.
16-01-2017
“Aquatics” correspondents of the newspapers and magazines of the time were fond of producing copy from a wander along the haul out areas around the harbour to fill their columns in the winter, so you can pretty well flesh out the boats hauled in each spot, season by season. The key to this image is the presence of EHOA aka RHONA/RONA/CHARIE (not CHARLIE), but ROMP at this time and that puts the dates to 1910-14 at the outside either way.
The other yachts which used Tibbs’ Beach for winter haulout within that period were (alphabetically) ARIKI, HEARTSEASE, LITTLE JIM (the first), MABEL, MAYO, NEOLA aka ALOFA/AWATEA, QUEENIE, ROSE aka MOUTERE, SCOUT, the 16 footer SURPRISE and VALDORA, then a big centreboarder.
The only candidate for the #2 yacht from this dramatis personae to my mind is VALDORA, then owned by W.T. Matthews but she was only 26ft loa. MABEL, now WAIATA in Wellington, has a raked stem and is 33ft, but no “spoon”.
Any other ideas?
A Woody Cruise
Family commitments & the weather meant that this years Xmas / NY cruise was a tad short this year e.g. 7 days & the location was a lap of Waiheke Island. A lot of classics were in the same boat (pun) with the weather so we tended to be in the same spot at the same time – good for photos 🙂
I’m sure I missed a few so I apologize upfront, I have also saved a few for separate ww posts.
Enjoy the gallery of classics, most I have been able to name (scroll over image) & you can enlarge photos by clicking on them 😉
I can’t wait for the Mahurangi Regatta weekend……………………
Happy New Year
Hopefully a lot of you will be anchored somewhere nice & your head will not be too sore after seeing in the New Year.
I’m still land based but hoping to get away on Raindance tomorrow – long overdue ……………. but family commitments was the trump card this year 🙂
Today’s story features two what appear to be identical woodys hauled out at Opua. Their sterns both list their home port as California – Resolute showing Long Beach & Puf Fin showing Newport Beach. Baden Pascoe sent in the photos & commented that he believes one belongs to the owner of the yard.
Any of the woodys able to supply more info on the two yachts ? Baden thinks they have a New England /Maine style to them.
Ruah – a big Australian Woody
Ruah might have been built in Australia in 1944 but she now calls NZ (Nelson) home. At 78′ long with a 17′ beam & made with 2 skins of Jarrah, on opposite diagonals she is a big girl.
Built for the Australian Navy as a survey ship, over the last 15 years she has been converted to a luxury pleasure craft.
Ruah is powered by a 175hp 6LX Gardner diesel, which was fitted in 2013. A peek at the Gardner will give you an indication of how much this wee ship has been cared for. She is also a registered NZ Ship reg. No. 1910.
Thanks to Ken Ricketts for bringing her trademe listing to ww’s attention – she would make a wonderful long haul cruiser or live aboard.
Valerie
Aranui
Breezin
Far North Woody Road Trip
First part of the xmas holiday was a road trip to Kerikeri > Te Ngaere Bay > Whangaroa > Mangonui > Karikari Peninsula.
I had never been to Te Ngaere Bay before, its one of those off the main highway, not sign posted places. Simply stunning spot, I’ll bore you with a few photos below. Popped over to Whangaroa & snapped a few of the classics at the marina – most have been on ww before but they deserve to be seen again 🙂
The ‘headlights’ on Leilani are an unusual feature…….. , even snapped a couple of yachts.
TE NGAERE
KARIKARI PENINSULA
CERINARA – Sailing Sunday
ww has had a request from Gary Chaplin for any info on his brothers ketch, Cerinara (pictured above), that originally came from New Zealand and is now based in Queensland Australia .
All they know about her is that the hull of Cerinara was a John Alden design & was registered with sail number 6841. She was found in mangroves somewhere and then the topsides were completed & launched in approx. 1990. Probably in Auckland.
Gary is unsure when she went to Australia but he reports she is a beautiful girl and lovely to sail.
Any woodys able to supply any more details on her kiwi past?
24-12-2016 Hauled out photos added.
2017 Centerboard Regatta
Some how the above event slipped below the ww radar – who ever does the publicity for the event need s a nudge 😉 Not much in the way of regatta photos but Baden Pascoe & the coastal rowing guys attended & sent in the photos below. Hopefully some had a camera & they will send ww some photos 🙂
MELITA
GOLD BELL Mystery Launch Quiz
The above 1936 photo from the Tudor Collins (Auckland Museum) collection shows a dark hulled launch in the foreground, the first woody that can correctly name her, wins a copy of the 2017 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Calendar (still available to purchase via Rachel at zea.rachel@gmail.com ). Entries via the ww comments section. Also keen to ID the other vessels in the bay. photo emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.
Harold Kidd Input
GOLD BELL. She was built by Alf Bell (ex Collings & Bell) at St. Mary’s Bay in September 1929. She had a hard chine and was painted gold.
Funny story about that; Dick Coughlan and I helped clear out Alf’s basement in St. Mary’s Bay after his widow (Dick’s great aunt) died. It was a treasure trove of automotive parts going back the early 1900s including an incredibly early single cylinder Cadillac engine which we gave to John Stewart of St. Heliers, a bandsaw using two 1905ish De Dion Bouton car wheels, the major components of a 1914 Wolseley and yards of launch gear patterns, mostly borer ridden.
On Alf’s workbench was a very large wax vesta tin which was extraordinarily heavy, weighing at least 25lbs (11kg). I opened it and found it full of glittering metal grains.We knew Alf had done some panning at Coromandel (as did most early yachtsmen). The Estate Duty had been paid on the estate, so there was an ethical problem.
Anyway, eventually it was analysed and found to be just bronze filings that Alf had used to mix into the paint for the hull of GOLD BELL!
