THE RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – ARIANA (TE KAWAU) – PART TWO
Following on from last Mondays story on Sven Wiig’s classic wooden vessel – ARIANA, previously named GLENROWAN and TE KAWAU. Sven has just sent in Part Two.
Todays story takes us up to last week and we will run Part Three on Wednesday and then woodys we will have to wait for the final part for a little while, but rest assured there will be one 😉
And as highlighted in Part One Sven is looking for any intel on her past , and is very grateful for those that commented last week.
“Once the decks were fibreglassed the next mission was to get the coamings and cabin tops rebuilt. Cabin tops were given two layers of ply and clashed in solid.
The little doghouse extension got the same treatment.
I had hoped to find bronze portholes for the coamings but couldn’t find any in the right sizes and quantity. I decided to copy the detailing that existed in the wheelhouse windows.
Next were the doors which I repaired and modified.
The wheelhouse sides were repaired with new tongue and groove.
Once all this had been sanded and given a couple of coats of paint the cover could be removed and I could finally stand back and check out my work. I was a bit nervous that I wouldn’t like my design choices once I could view them from a distance, but overall I was pretty happy with her.
Cover off after three years.
It had been more than three years now since she had come out of the water. Progress was frustratingly slow but with the cover now off it finally felt like I was getting there. Next up was to rebuild the Bulwarks. These had been cut away to gain access to the deck. I started cleaning off the old plywood getting ready to rebuild them. When I got around to the stern post I made a horrific discovery. I had always thought her stern wasn’t quite right I now discovered why. I dug out a large chunk of sikaflex and could see that her stem was cracked almost in two. All the screws holding her planks went straight into the crack. It appears that at some time in her past she suffered a trauma. Maybe she was crushed between another boat and a wharf, or hit from behind? Crikey what to do? All the others in the yard came and checked it out. There was lots of tut tuts and sucking through the teeth. A local boatbuilder suggested I cut the whole back off and put a transom on her. Humm… maybe not. It was not going to be an easy fix hence why it had never been fixed properly. Over the years more and more cotton had been jammed it there, more screws added then the sikaflex. This was why all the seams back there were large and the planks uneven, There was nothing for it in my mind I had to pull it all apart and repair it properly. I spent a good day just looking and trying to work out if I was biting off more than I could chew. Was there an easier way. Nope just had to go for it.
Dug out the putty and sikaflex to reveal the crack…
I cut off the outer stem which appeared to be a grown hardwood. Maybe pohutukawa? This revealed the full horror of the situation. Yep I was committed now.
I then carefully removed all the old screws from the planks, removed a knee on the inside and pulled the inner stem out. All that makes it sound easy. In reality it was several painful days where I questioned my life choices.
The inner stem removed from the boat. The crack when right though all the screws going into the cracked timber. To be continued in Part Three – on Wednesday.
Todays woody photo comes to us from the Far North District Library collection via Dean Wright. The photographer being Gary Strongman (Northern Advocate).
The location is Kerikeri and is dated March 1981 and is tagged ‘post Kerikeri Flood’.
In the photo we see ‘modernist’ launch coming to the aid of what appears to be a partially submerged boat. Both craft have reg numbers visible so probably workboats – the launch # could be ND 2524 and the submerged at a guess AK ?756 0r ?758.
Can we ID the boats.
INPUT EX GARY MATHESON– Hi, the vessels in the photo of the Keri Keri flood are the Chante and the Zita. Both were commercial fishing at the time. The Zita was a 28ft mullety and the Chante was owned by the Strongmans.
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO NEXT SUNDAY (20-07-2025)
Come along to the OPEN DAY at OBC marina – details below.
Things to see, do, eat and drink:
Classic Boats – On berths and trailers, including visiting vessels from Waitemata Woodys.
CLASSIC WOODY HOKIANGA TRIP REPORT + AUCKLAND’s OKAHU BAY HAUL OUT UPDATE
Recent Barrie Abel pointed his car north and checked out the Hokianga area. Highlight was a visit to the Kauri Museum, as seen in the above photos.
Barrie also spotted a mystery launch (last above) moored right up the head of the Hokianga Harbour, distance prevented being able to put a name to her but Barrie was told it was a locally owned craft.The ‘bush’ photo features the renowned kauri tree named Tane Mahuta. Also seen is a bronze casting of the dolphin OPO, that entertain beach going at Opononi in the 1955/56 period.
OKAHU HAUL OUT / HARD STAND UPDATE
Thanks to the tireless efforts of numerous concerned citizens and the Auckland Yacht & Boating Association, we have the opportunity to influence the final decision of whether or not Auckland boaties get to retain some access to this prime waterfront boat maintenance area. Links here to view the newsletter https://mailchi.mp/3cc024ff5cfe/press-release-okahu-bay?e=d030fd704b And link here to view a copy of the full press release.
Today we have another story from Sven Wiig and the Ryland family album. The woody above is named ALBATROSS and apparently she was an ex whale chaser, owned at the time of the photo by Harry Ryland. In the photo we see ALBATROSS towing two waterskiers on ‘aquaplanes’ on the Wanganui River as featured in the newspaper clipping.
For not a very large craft, ARIZONA must have had a powerful engine, those aquaplane boards would take a fair degree of zoom zoom to get on the plane.
PETER BROOKES BOATBUILDER -Yard Open Day
SATURDAY 12TH JULY – 2pm >>> 108 Woodhill Park Road, Waimauku
Woody owner Barrie Abel (MV MATIRA) sent in todays top photo as part of a recent road trip to the Hokianga Harbour report.
There will be story on the trip in the next few days. But what caught my eye immediately was the photo of a launch named – ARIZONA, as seen by Barrie at the Kauri Museum.
The photo is tagged ‘Launch ARIZONA built in 1914 by Logan Bros. It was owned by chief Parore at Kaihu’.
We have several craft named Arizona on WW, so todays question is – could the boat we saw in a WW July 2024 story, (2nd photo above), be the same boat.. The photo ex Nathan Herbert sees a launch (on the right) named ARIZONA berthed at Awanui. Looks like the Kauri Museum boat photo before a tram top was added.
Do we agree and can we learn more.
11-07-2025 UPDATE below ex Mike Cowie from the publication – Tall Spars, Steamers and Gum’ by Wayne Ryburn. Interesting reading, I hope I have the pages in the correct order, I’m sure you can work it out 😉
Following on from the recent stories on the ex workboat – ARIANA / TE KAWAU, owned by Sven Wiig, today we see the launch ELLEN.
ThE photo was sent in by Sven and is from the Ryland family album, from which Sven obtained the TE KAWAU photos.
In the photo ELLEN is located in Wanganui and owned by Ted and Bill Ryland. Bill also owned TE KAWAU.
Looks like a fun day out with all the flags and the number of crew onboard. An unusual being clinker and double ended – maybe an import? Maybe an ex lifeboat converted to pleasure use, or maybe I’m totally wrong, which is often the case 🙂 Anyone know more about ELLEN
11-07-2025 INPUT ex LIAM DALY – There were at least two other ‘almost identical’ clinker built launches built by Bob Swanson. One was named – TELSTAR and the other named – MANANA which was often mispronounced Mañana, named after a popular song of the day, translated from Spanish means, ‘tomorrow’ or ‘morning’.
Back in the day, MANANA was at one time owned by Bay of Many Coves identity Errol Christian. Errol installed a huge turbo charged 100 h.p. diesel engine in MANANA which he used as a water taxi throughout Queen Charlotte Sounds. Photo below, Liam thinks the photo shows Errol’s daughter-in law Lou at the wheel.
The WW brains trust have been starching their heads on todays classic wooden boat and have not been able to put a name to her. The photo comes to WW from Craig Pippen via Jason Prew.The rather large 475 on her side should help but has drawn a blank.
Can anyone help out with a name and even better some info on her back story.
ATTENTION – MASON CLIPPER OWNERS – Looking for an original Fairhead for a Mason Clipper 24’? Alan Smith has one, available free + the cost of courier. Contact smital@xtra.co.nz
THE RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – ARIANA (TE KAWAU) – PART ONE
Last week we ran a story from Sven Wiig on his wooden vessel – ARIANA, previously named GLENROWAN and TE KAWAU. Sven was looking for any intel on her past , as he undertook a rather epic restoration project. As I always do I asked for some regular updates and photos – well on Saturday the email inbox started to groan when Sven’s email arrived. Slightly different format today, but it suits the story – as told by the man himself.
THE NEW DECK
In May 2020 we bought ‘Ariana’. We knew she needed some work, there were obviously rotten bits here and there and the deck seemed a bit spongy in places but looking inside all seemed pretty sound and she had a brand new engine. How can we go wrong? The owner made me an offer I couldn’t refuse as he said he thought I was the right person to take her on and he wanted me to have her. So we bought her and had her transported down to Wellington and the same truck then took our old boat ‘Primadonna’ up to our good friends in Auckland.
Ariana arrives in Wellington
We enjoyed Ariana for a year just cruising the harbour and taking friends and family out for picnics. A year later I had a break in work and decided now is the time. Ariana was hauled out at Evans Bay I had six weeks before the next job and I was going to have the boat back in the water before I had to leave town. No problem pull the old ply up put some new ply down, easy. That didn’t go to plan. Pulling up the old ply revealed, compost. A bodged previous repair had been letting in fresh water for many years. I enlisted a friend to give me a hand and we kept digging. We discovered the entire deck structure, sheer clamp, carlins, cabin coamings and bulwarks were all rotten. At this point I made a panicked call to my brother Olaf who is a qualified boatbuilder and asked for advise. ‘No worries, you got this, one piece of timber at a time.’ My partner was less encouraging advising me that the only way forward involved a chainsaw and a skip bin. She was right. I seriously considered this option. Couldn’t do it, I had been entrusted with Ariana and I was going to save her. To encourage my madness Olaf came down from Auckland and gave me a hand to start laminating up the first section of sheer clamp. I continued demolishing pieces of the boat. In between I made new bits to try and keep spirts up. I pulled out the old fish hold, still under the rear deck, to discover ballast in the form of river stones and rusty railway iron. The pile of debris grew, less and less of Ariana remained.
My friend Bede discovering the extent of the rot.
Rotten wood and ballast.
Six weeks passed and I had to go back to work. I had some shear clamp and carlins in place and I had a destroyed boat. Several months passed while I was away working and I returned with new energy. Realising I was never going to get it done alone I convinced two clever friends to give me a hand. Pete, Marc and I started replacing deck structure, framed up and new front cabin and replaced planking where the rot extended into the top planks. Broken ribs were sistered with laminated white oak and riveted in place. We were making some good progress…
Front cabin framing underway.
Fiddly time consuming work.
New deck beams installed.
Then the budget ran out and work ground to a halt. Months passed with me only finding the odd weekend here and there to move the project forward. Slowly I finished the deck structure and created a small dog box extension to the wheelhouse, above the old fish hold. One day this will be a cabin for my son. A year had past and finally I could start laying some plywood for the new deck. A job I had optimistically thought I would be doing nine months earlier.
However before I could lay the ply at the stern I decided I had better investigate the lazarette hold. Something wasn’t right back there. I wasn’t to find the full extent of the un-rightness of this area for some time, more of that later. First was to chip out all the concrete that had been poured into the bilge. Several days of extremely unpleasant work later I had removed the concrete to reveal and section of keel or deadwood near the cutlass bearing that was all punky. Degraded by electrolysis. The anodes and bonding wires had taken a toll. I cut back the punky wood until I found good solid timber. Sealed it with epoxy and went looking for some more Kauri. Some large Kauri beams were sourced and a section of keel patched in with new floors.
Last of the concrete.
Keel patch coming together.
Moving on I built a hatch for the lazurette and laid the last of the plywood. Fibreglass was laid. She finally had a deck again and another year had passed. Two years into a six week project and I was maybe half way finished.
To Be Continued………
THE WINNER OF YESTERDAYS DES TOWNSON QUIZ RE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL DESIGNS – IS KEN MULGREW WITH THE ANSWER 74. As recorded in the Brian Peet book – Des Townson A Sailing Legacy.
CLASSIC DES TOWNSON 30’ YACHT – FALCON + Win a copy of the book – DES TOWNSON A Sailing Legacy
As most WW readers will know, Des Townson never designed an unattractive craft, that skill is harder to do as the size of the vessel decreases. I have often said on WW that very few people can get a >30’ craft looking ‘right’.
Mr Townson excelled himself with the design of the 30’ keeler – FALCON (Reg. #873), as seen above.
Falcon was built / launched in 1965 and constructed from double diagonal kauri, and no f/glass ✓.
Her owner Grant Wylie has been the custodian of FALCON for the last 17+ years and contacted WW to say that age and health were against him and could we help locate a new owner.
I asked Grant about headroom and I had to laugh at his reply – “Yes & No”, Des’s design eye always won out over comfort 🙂
FALCON is powered by a Bush 20hp engine and sports a KIWI prop. She is well kitted out for gulf cruising but needs a refresh, which is reflected in Grant’s price expectations.
A great opportunity to acquire for a modest price a classic yacht from the design board of one of New Zealand’s most paramount designers.
Continue to enjoy her as she is or put your sanding / painting skills to use this winter and prepare yourself for the compliments at anchor this coming summer.
AND AS AN ADDED BONUS TODAY – ANSWER THE QUESTION BELOW CORRECTLY AND YOU ARE IN THE DRAW TOWIN A COPY OFBrian Peet’s book – ‘DES TOWNSON A SAILING LEGACY’. A 343 page insight into the man and his designs.
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