Todays woody photo comes to us ex the Tauranga City library collection, via Nathan Herbert. She has appeared on WW before but today we are throwing it out there to see how many of the WW brains trust can ID her. Rather a fine looking woody.
All correct entries go into the draw for a WW cap – entries via email ONLY to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
The winner of the quiz was Paul Drake. The launch is the 1910 Logan built SEVERN, which these days resides in Taupo (Motuoapa Marina). Photo below sent in by Jason Prew, taken over Easter.
Back in July 2016 the launch Ngahi made a brief appearance on WW – link below, at the time there was some good chat in the comments section but we never did establish her design / build date. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/14/ngahi/
Fast forward to early March 2023 and Ngahi had just emerged from Glen Burnnand’s shed after some serious TLC that included – redoing the exterior with all new teak cabin sides, new glass, rebuilt swim platform, new teak sliding windows and detailing. Owner Ash Weeks is very cock-a-hoop with the work.Ngahi was whisked off to Ash’s factory for a completely new interior – Ash’s trade is high end commercial interior cutouts so we expect to see a wow interior.
We look forward to seeing the finished work. In the mean time – anyone know anything about her provenance.
The 30’ launch – Captor previously made a brief appearance on WW back in January 2016, at the time we learnt from her then owner that she was built in Taupo in 1967. Planked cedar with glass top sides. Link to that WW story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/01/09/captaur/
Now thanks to the eagle eye of Ian McDonald we get a look down below from her recent tme listing.
Captor is 30’ in length and has a beam of 10’ and draws 3’. Forward motion is via a 110hp Nissan SD33T that sees her topping out at 8 knots.
As you can see from the photos she is well fitted out and with 450L fuel and water tanks able to do some serious cruising.
Can we ID her designer and uncover some of her past.
10-04-2023 INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – “When at Taupo, CAPTAUR was on a mooring just outside SIR FRANCIS’s boat shed. She had no visible name so we called her THIRTY FOOTER. We must have been told that she was thirty feet long. I believe that we thought she had been amateur built by her doctor owner.
She appeared well before 1967 (the supposed build date) as evidenced by the boat sheds which were removed in 1963.
The first photo below, which I took, has appeared before on ww and is dated May 1963 or 64 (boat sheds recently gone).
The second photo shows her with a bit of bright work which enhances her in my view. The date on this photo is pre ’63 . SIR FRANCIS’s boat shed far left.
So CAPTAUR is 60 plus years old and has been well looked after. As you would say – ‘we like that’.”
The launch pictured above moored in the Wade River, Silverdale, Auckland that comes to us from an album that belonged to Brian Peet’s ‘non-boating’ side of his family. Brian’s assumption is that the launch is one that his landlubber ancestors saw from a shoreline or wharf.
Can we put a name to the boat – those portholes look vaguely familiar
Todays woody was built c.1960, carvel planked, 24’ in length and powered by a Lister 50hp diesel engine. And that folks is the some total of what we know about her.
She is up for sale on tme by the Seaview Marina, Wellington, to recoup unpaid costs.
The interior doesn’t quite match the exterior in terms of presentation but could be a low cost buy for someone. Last time I looked the highest bid was around $1k. Closes Tuesday late afternoon.
Anyone know more about the launch – almost differently had a name change since 1960.
If the tme story supporting todays woody is to be believed she must have had several realignments – supposedly built in 1926 by Collings and Bell and one of the half-a-dozen boats built for the Zane Grey big game fishing fleet. 36’ in length and carvel hulled. Forward motion is via a 75hp Ford (Lees) diesel engine.
Can not read the name on the stern – can we ID the boat and confirm the above details. Would be nice to know what she has been up to over the years. I was commented that she had recently relocated to Auckland from Northland.
INPUT EX GAVIN BRADLEY – Yes, that’s Manaaki looking very much worse for wear. She was moored briefly inside the entrance to Marsden Cove Marina either just before or after changing hands in 2021and was looking reasonably loved at the time. And just to clarify, there were 4 boats built for the Zane Grey Sporting Club – Otehei, Manaaki, Zane Grey and Lorna Doone. Lorna Doone was wrecked at Peach Island in Whangaroa Harbour many years ago (1970’s?). The other 3 are still afloat. The bill from Collings and Bell for the 4 boats was 2000 pounds! Total. Refer below copy of 1927 balance sheet for the Zane Grey Sporting Club.
After a very average summer, we are enjoying a stunning autumn – none more so than Mark Lever the owner of the 1927, 39’ J Jukes built launch – Nereides. Early in the week Mark was mooching around Kawau Island and sent me a couple of videos of life aboard. The freshly caught snapper for breakfast had me salivating. View the two videos at the instagram links below.
When not afloat Mark designs and makes beautiful homewares, furniture and light fittings from his workshop in Matakana. The pan the snapper is cooking in is one of his.
Post Re-buildAs LaunchedOriginal EngineWellinton 1940’sWellington WWII – NavyWellington – Navy
Pre Re-build
PENCARROW – Where Is She
WW was recently contacted by Dylan Saggers in regard to the 1916 built, 38’6″ vessel – Pencarrow. I’ll let Dylan tell the story
“The bridge-decker has been close to my heart and the history has been with many other happy owners. 95% of her life she has been called Pencarrow but when she was launched (as described In the paper article below) she was christened Valerie. Originally had a NZ made 4cyl. Twigg marine engine, then a 160hp petrol Kermath engine and I possibly believe she still has her 6 cyl. Ford diesel.Built In Auckland by Lanes (as I was told) not sure If this is correct . She has been many tops and 1 hull change In her lifetime, as described In the photos she has been many things. Many owners have had her. The Pencarrow spent time with the Pencarrow Sand Shingle company for a year in the mid 1930’s towing barges to Wellington for reclamation of the wharfs. In the 1940’s she was owned by the NZ Govt for Navy Patrol for Wellington. After that she went to the Dunn family who owned it from the early 1950’s to late 1960’s.
But through the 1970’s > 1980’s unfortunately, I didn’t know who owned her. Early 1990’s my Dad had her and she did not have the extended top (as pictured with her reflection shining in the water) She was very beautiful to me In that configuration. She is my favourite boat of all the boats my father had. Then sold to the Macmorland family with partner family (It’s easily understandable why the top was extended including the wheelhouse being put forward for more room) as pictured the current top as it is now. Then the Coles family. Last sold In 2016 I think In Waikawa in Queen Charlotte Sound. After that I don’t have any Info.”
Dylan would like to locate the present owners, keep In touch with them and make an offer on it when he can. Dylan’s main outcome of all this is to buy her and restore her how Dylan remembers her when his father had her. Any current info or pictures Is very welcome.
The 1928 Joe Slattery built 36’ launch – Mataroa (previously named Kenya) has popped up on WW numerous times – enter her name in the WW search box to see and read a lot more on her.
Back in 2016 she received a refresh to her exterior but her interior remained almost un-touched, which it still is today.
Powered by a Ford 80hp diesel, like all Slattery designed craft she has a respectable turn of speed (11 knots).
Mataroa’s owner for the last 6+ years has made the big call and decided that she deserves a new custodian that will complete the final work to bring her back to her former glory. As they say “all the hard works done” just needs someone handy with the tools to tidy the interior up.
The 44’ WG Lowe & Sons built (1959) ex work boat, recently popped up on tme and our woody spotter Ian McDonald advised that it was once his boat.
Tokatea was built to Goverment spec for Fisheries as a Patrol Boat and lighthouse tender and based at Coromandel until she was retired from service in 1987/88 and bought privately and taken to Tauranga. In recent years she has called the Marlborough Sounds home.
Built from solid kauri – hull and decks she has a beam of 12’5”and draws 5’. Forward motion is via a Gardner 6LW
Got to love the axe in the wheelhouse – a nod to her work boat days 🙂
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 15+ million views 