MYSTERY AT LAKE TAUPO – IS MOTORBOAT SUSIE BELLE COMING OR GOING+ Labour Weekend Classic Wooden Boating Info
On a recent trip to Taupo to check out his flotilla of lake boats, Jason Prew spotted SUSIE BELLE on the back of a transporter. Given the heavy rain, JP wasn’t able to ascertain whether the launch was arriving or leaving Taupo. Anyone able to confirm if there is a new owner and where she calls home these days.
From the 2024 story we learnt that SUSIE BELLE is 34’ in length, designed by Don Brooke and built by Gary Wheeler. The built year is 1986 and whilst we understand built from wood, , plywood + there is a very thick layer of paint aka f/glass. Power is via a 60hp Isuzu diesel.
INPUT ex TREVOR COPPOCK – I spotted Susie Belle passing Wynyard Point on 17 September with a “For Sale” sign on her rails.
INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – Photo is at Motuoapa. Not previously seen at Taupo, so she is either coming or simply passing through.
03-10-2025 UPDATE ex Jay Brosnahan (Jays Towing & Boat Haulage) has advised SUSIE BELLE is sitting on his transport trailer atm and she will be getting dropped into Motuoapa Marina (Taupo/Turangi) next week to live.
04-10-20225 update ex JAY BROSNAHAN – Haul Out
07-10-2025 Splash day at Motuoapa
BOATING THIS LABOUR WEEKEND – Join Us At Kawau Island
Labour Weekend (Oct 24>27) is fast approaching so time to lock away cruising plans. After the success of last years inaugural Waitematawoodys Classic Boat Parade at the Kawau Boating Club Spring Splash Regatta weekend, WW is pleased to confirm that we are again partnering with KBC and the Ponsonby Cruising Club to make the holiday weekend extra special.
We encourage all skippers to take part in the weekend – whether entering your yacht in the weekends races or cruising to Kawau to enjoy the Island / KBC vibes.
If you haven’t visited the KBC in recent years you’re in for a treat, it is truely a stunning waterfront venue with hospitality + food and beverages unmatched in NZ.
Full weekend details in the downloadable PDF file below, which includes the entry (free) form for the sailing events.
REFLECTIONS ON THE 2025 PORT TOWNSEND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL– 80+ Photos / Videos
One of the bucket list classic wooden boating events is the annual Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. From all reports the 2025 event was outstanding. While its easy to go on-line and find a link to a professional overview, in my eye there is something special about viewing a festival attendees collection of boats – sure the light or camera angle isn’t alway perfect but you get a raw edge, which appeals.
Today thanks to kiwi John Oates we get to share what appealed to John’s eye.
One of the festival features that sets it apart from a lot of events is the ability to go aboard the boats and talk to the owners. There is something for everyone – food & drink, live music, kids activities, movie screening and lots of opportunities to get on the water.
One of this years ket themes was tagged – ‘A Gathering of Maritime Legends: Celebrating Shipwrights’. The festival brought together shipwrights from some of the world’s most iconic maritime institutions—craftspeople who keep the art of wooden boatbuilding alive with skill, heart, and tradition.Via a mix of talks, presentations and hands on gatherings where the public were able to rub up against the legends.
Enjoy the gallery – I did. As always click on photos to enlarge ;-
Ps John has promised another photo report featuring more classic sail boats ✔️
Todays gallery of classic Bay of Islands wooden boats was snapped by Dean Wright , owner of the majestic woody – ARETHUSA. Dean was un-route to hauling ARETHUSA out for her annual TLC.
For top to bottom we have – AQUARIUS (1955 Supreme Craft), MAHARATIA (1947 Roy Lidgard), POSEIDOM (1965 Owen Woolley), and the last boat, the bridge-decker, is MANU (1913 Bailey & Lowe) a mystery, but looks familiar , hopefully we can put a name to her.
Make sure you check out WW on Monday, we have an epic trip report from John Oates who recently attended the 2025 Port Townson Wooden Boat Festival.
As I have mooched around the bottom end of Waiheke Island over the years, ono of the craft I have spotted most frequently is the 26’ BESSIE FLORENCE, link here to a Jan 2016 WW story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/01/16/bessie-florence/
BESSIE FLORENCE is a ‘mini’ trawler designed by Jay Benford and built in 2006 by Paul Jessop of Waikawa, Picton for Cook Strait fishing and Sounds use. With her build year and construction method (glassed ply) she sits outside of what we would label a classic wooden boat , but probably slides into the spirit of tradition family.
Forward motion is via a 30hp Yanmar 3GM30 diesel engine that which averages approx. 3 litres per hour when cruising at 5-6 knots.
Recently her owner made the call to move the craft on and I can report that her new owner will be relocated BESSIE FLORENCE to the Coromandel area and changing her name to TOBY.
1960’S NOSTALGIA – CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS AT WARKWORTH TOWN BASIN
Todays woody photos popped on the Warkworth NZ Old Time Photos fb and comes to us from Alison Wallis via Maurice Sharp. The photo was tagged – Warkworth wharf late 1960’s, around Christmas time.
The classic wooden launch alongside the wharf, pointing downstream has to be TASMAN , the 1927 Colin Wild built beauty.
The bridge-decker anchored mid stream is a mystery – at first glance I thought – LADY RAE the 1948 Chas Bailey design, but a quick WW search proved once again I was wrong.
So woodys can we put a new to the bridge-decker.
LABOUR WEEKEND WOODY ACTIVITY
Time to start thinking about boating for Labour weekend (Oct 24>27). The Kawau Boating Club’s Spring Splash Regatta is a great event and there is something for everyone. Details below. Next week I’ll supply details on the motor launch activities.
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – LADY TANA > KHUTZE CRUISER > FURIOSA – ORIGINAL OUTSHINES REFIT
Back in Jan 2020 WW ran a story on the 1971 wooden launch – LADY TANA, built by Oliver & Gilpin. At the time we learnt a lot about her via the WW comments section. We have repeated them below.
Now thanks to an email from woody John Dawson, we get to see LADY TANA as launched. A pity about the ‘additions’ …… refer below photos.
Jan 2020 ex Matthew Keys – Lady Tana was built for my grandfather Harry Keys by Oliver and Gilpin in 1971. He cruised extensively in Northland in the early 70s with Whangaroa being a favourite. Tana rock in the Kerikeri inlet is named after the boat after it struck the rock. Kelly Tarlton made the rescue temporarily patching the hole. The boat was sold to Warwick Ross in Tauranga where it stayed for many years. In the 1980s it was renamed the Khutze Cruiser and ran booze cruises out of Paihia for a while.
May 2023 ex Donna Cowslip – My name is Donna Cowsill my grandfather Syd Deadman bought the Lady Tana that was in the 80s. Was the 2nd biggest pleasure boat in Whitianga. Did a lot of game fishing with my dear grandad, can’t remember the year he sold her but he regretted it big time. He down sized to the Waimaro nice boat but nothing could beat the Lady Tana. Queen of the sea
Oct 2024 – ex Tara Busby – She is renamed FURIOSA (Mad Max) and based around Northland/Hauraki Gulf as a liveaboard fishing and diving platform. We dropped the Lady name because she’s more of a bitch than a lady. She’s not elegant and pretty but big, strong and solid! As new owners we intend to modify her appearance to reflect her new name.
RESTORATION OF THE SOUTHERN WOODEN LAUNCH – NANCY LEE
Another woody story from my new hunting ground, the ‘Memories of Abel Tasman National Park’ fb page.
Todays classic wooden launch is named NANCY LEE and the photos come to us from a Sept 2020 fb post by Darryl Wilson, via John Burland.
At the time of the post the NANCY LEE was under going a restoration at the hands of Marc Wilson and Craig Hyland,the location of the work was Port Motueka Marine Services. Looks like a big labour commitment taking her back to bare wood.
Then in 2021 Margaret posted an update, as seen in the 4th photo above, but commented that there was a wee way to go before she is back in the Riwaka Estuary.
Can we learn what happened after 2021, did she get finished and if so where is NANCY LEE now.
AND PROMISE – NO MORE Abel Tasman stories for a while 🙂
TRADITIONAL CLASSIC BOATS MOORED ON THE WAIROA RIVER
Following on from yesterday’s story on the annual Classic Wooden Boat Cruise to the Clevedon Cruising Club, as promised today we share the wooden craft passed moored on the Wairoa River.
Many are semi permanent residents and its interesting to see what (if any) work has been undertaken in the previous 12 months. All too often these back waters can become parking lots for owners that object to lining the back pockets of the Auckland marina owner fat cats. So it was nice to see most skippers are keeping up the maintenance on their craft, and pleasing to see a lot of ’new’ arrivals.
Enjoy the gallery – photo quality varies as the first click was at 6.30am and the light improved as the journey progressed up river. As always click on photos to enlarge.
CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CLEVEDON SPRING CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS
A tad weary writing this story so it will be short and I’ll let the photos tell the story.The weekend just gone saw a fleet of classic wooden craft making the pilgrimage to the CLEVEDON CRUISING CLUB for the annual woodys overnight BBQ.
As always the tide wags the dogs tail so we were looking at a very early trip up the Wairoa River, by early try 6.15am. The smart woody skippers travelled down Friday afternoon and anchored overnight at the river mouth. A great sunset delivered some nice photos.
I took photos of the classic woodys moored on route, it is always interesting to view the deterioration of some craft and the new arrivals. Will do a story on the river trip tomorrow.
Most of Saturday was spent boat hoping and catching up on dockside gossip. Rest assured if you weren’t there you were talked about.Captain Giddens hosted late afternoon drinks on ALLERGY and then we moved onto the clubrooms for the evening.
If you haven’t been to a Woody gig at the CCC its an all-embracing old school night shindig – bbq’s, outdoor fires, karaoke with a professional singer that could make even the worst shower singer sound ok. There are raffles, which I have to report the woodys skippers did very well at – Captain Giddens collecting 4 prizes. Everything is BYO but the club very generously provide additional food and an impressive dessert table.
Departure home on Sunday was almost as early as Saturday and the forecast wasn’t flash eh N>30 knots. I can’t speak for the others but it wasn’t the very pleasant and if it wasn’t bolted down it ended up on the cabin floor 😦
A big shout out to the classic yachts that joined the flotilla this year, with access to the local knowledge of Barry Abel, the deeper draft yachts had an uneventful passage on the river . Special thanks to all the woodys that attended by car, your company added to the evening.
Enjoy the photos and start thinking about the Spring Splash At Kawau Island on Labour Weekend.
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