Woody Speedboat – Help Wanted

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1930’s Speedboat – Help Wanted

Serious woody boat restorer, Peter Murton contacted WW with an update on a recent boat shed find, I’ll let Peter tell the story – he is also on the hunt for some ‘bits’ to complete the project.I have posted two photos below of a 1895 fantail clinker work boat / launch that Peter restored, it had spent 25 years as a garden feature before Peter saved her – proof that the mans not afraid of a challenge 🙂

“We pulled the old girl above out of a shed in Ngakuta Bay in the Sounds. She is 18′ x 5’, probably late 1940’s, but there is talk she could be as old as the mid 1920’s. Have been told she was built in Dunedin, she is all kauri. She is very lightly built with canvas covered decks, planks are all 1/2″-12.5mm thick, frames are all 5/8-16mm thick. Seam battens on all planks and under decks are all copper riveted. Her frames are brass screw fastened with 1/8th 3mm iron brackets to brace the chine joint and one bolt on the vertical frame into chine rail deck framing. Has 1/8th- 3mm iron brackets holding some framing members in place, rudder is iron. Shaft is stainless steel with a thrust bearing mounted on the inboard end, shaft is stepped at the bearing and a iron bracket supports it on engine beds. She would have been direct drive, she has two shaft holes forward one is oldest. The aft shaft hole has been hacked in very roughly done. Looks like she had a re-power and had to shift the shaft aft to accommodate new motor.”

Wanted to complete this project

• Kauri Planks 8×1 for planking and frames

• Flathead V8 or flathead or straight 6 with or without gearbox 

• Windscreen hardware crome center and side brackets

• Rudder is transom hung we are missing the steering pulleys that mounted on each side of the transom to guide the cables on to the rudder arm

06-09-2020 Input from Peter Krans – Peter sent in the photos below of the speed boat Miss Waikawa which Peter commented that while nothing confirms Peter Murton’s shed find is Miss Waikawa, they are a similar size and shape… Peter M may be able to tell if his boat once had a dickie seat.Peter K thinks that Miss Waikawa was built immediately after the war, she was sold about 1958 to 1960 after the family head passed away. Possibly sold to the Fishburn’s at Drydans bay.There is quite some story attached to her, but all those who had first hand knowledge are no longer with us. The second shaft outlet is a bit of a clue, story goes that there was a hunger for speed, and a pair of post WW2 trainer aircraft were purchased from Woodborne, and one on the engines was fitted. Miss Waikawa had her own boat shed by what is now the old rowing club. The aircraft sat in a paddock in Waikawa bay for a number of years next to what is now Findlay Grove. Peter Beech who has commented on here may also have some recollection.

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Nautilus

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NAUTILUS


Today’s woody story features the launch Nautilus, and the above photo of her on the Avon- Heath Estuary and details come to us via Lew Redwood.  She was built in Auckland c.1912 for Frederick  Horace  Edwin Chester. It is alleged the boat was involved in war work  during WW1 and then sold to a Harry Nelson Hawker who established a passenger service from the Seaview Road Bridge to Pleasant Point, Canterbury, which lasted 10 years.

There is a large void in her history from the late 1920’s until she was acquired by Allan Williams in 1994 and under went a rolling restoration over 17 years before being donated to Auckland’s maritime museum in 2011, where she now earns her keep doing inner harbour tourist cruises, photo below. 

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Read more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/11/nautilus-2/

Mystery Launch 03-09-2020

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Mystery Launch 03-09-2020


The above photo of an unknown launch popped up on Mitchell Hutchings fb. Might be the perspective of the camera, but she appears to have a far sized boom relative to the mast.
Can anyone help out ID’ing this woody?


Morning Dog Walks

Hard not to love boating and the sea when your early morning dog walk looks like this – no special effects, straight off the iPhone 🙂 You can just see the Devonport Yacht Club peeping out on the left from under the pohutukawa tree.

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Little Toot

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LITTLE TOOT

The 24’ kauri clinker launch – Little Toot was built by Stark Brothers and started life as a work boat at the Chatham Islands as a crayfish boat. She was wrecked and rebuilt in 1979 for pleasure use. 

Powered by a Volvo 65hp I would imagine she has a good turn of speed.Little Toot has been based in Waikawa for several years and is an excellent sea boat having sailed down the coast, seven years ago, to Banks Peninsular.
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up 

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Building Lady Beryl > Kailua

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Building Lady Beryl > Kailua


During the recent sale process for Kailua we uncovered the above collection of photos when Lady Beryl, as she was named then, in the shed at Salthouse Boatbuilders.

The one thing that stood out was how original she is today under the name Kailua (photos below)Very happy that the new owner is Auckland based and a very good classic wooden boat family.

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Georgia

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GEORGIA
On August 21 we had a brief (one photo) look at a launch named Georgia that Dean Wright had photographed in the B.O.I.’s 5 years ago, that WW cameo appearance, prompted the owner / builder of Georgia, David George to sent in the photos above.


Georgia is a modified and lengthened (31’) version of a Trawler 28. Her hull is strip planked Malaysian kauri (Agathis flavescens) with bi axial glass both sides. Power is via a Beta 43 (a Kubota in drag) diesel. Georgia was launched in 2014. She is a very salty looking launch, would be nice to see more like her being built. Dean’s photo below.

Update 01-09-2020 Photo below ex Dean Wright – on the way to Whangaroa, Stevensons Island in the background… Dec 2016.

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Aotea

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C.1981 Far North
c.1981 Far North

AOTEA – Sailing Sunday 
The owner of the H28 Aotea, Peter Sporle, contacted WW recently seeking help uncovering information on her early history.What we know is that Aotea was built in 1954 in Mangonui Harbour, Northland, from kauri carvel planks. She has an iron keel and was originally ketch rigged.


In 1958 Aotea won the Balokovic Cup for her owner Brian O’Donaghue. Below is an article that BO’D wrote on H28’s and Aotea for the August 1962 issue of Sea Spray magazine.She was owned by Sir Keith Park. And a gentleman named Ian Miller owned for 7 years from approx. 1973>1980. Peter S bought her in Sept 1980 and still owns her – since 1990, she has been based at Tryphena, Great Barrier Island. Aotea was relaunched in October 2018 after a refit on the island.
Above also is a short video of Aotea afloat, post re-launching, looking very smart.

02-09-2020 Input From Robin Elliott –

Aotea has had the following Registered owners – as far as i know:
As D-11, ketch rigged.
B.C. Watson (Mangonui) 1953+?; B. O’Donohue (Whangarei) 1954?/61; Sir Keith Park 1961+?; T. O’Brien 1967+?
The date for B.C. Watson is the date he registered her, not necessarily the date she was launched.

In 1967 she appears to have been converted to single mast as she is re-registered in the E-Class as E-263.
T. O’Brien 1967/69+?; P.J. Cole (Matakana) 1970+? A. Wood 1971+? (Still Registered as Owner NZYF 1978); I.H. Miller 1976+?
You will note the overlap there. The registration lists are notorious for duff information and should always be viewed with caution; e.g. A. Wood appearing in 1971 and still shows as the registered owner in 1977/78 at the same time that Aotea is registered to I H. Miller with RAYC 1976/77 season where we know she did a lot of J.O.G. racing

In 1969 she took NZYF number 663

Trophies are:
RAYC: Balokovic Cup 1958
Onerahi YC: 100 miler 1960
Whangarei CC: Harbour Regatta Assn Auxilliary Cup 1960

UPDATE 03-10-2022 ex Tony Blake – “I am sure we raced (My brother Peter, friend Crawford Duncan and myself in the yacht “Bandit” that Peter built in my parents backyard) against her in the 1967 season of the Junior Offshore Group ( Royal Akarana YC). We won the 1967 season’s racing. We always had great tussles with ‘Aotea’. “

18-03-2024 INPUT EX PETER SPORLE –

My research indicates “Aotea” was built by Bernard Christian Watson then of Kohumaru road Mangonui on his farm and in the red woolshed that is still beside the road as of 2021. I spoke with a local Mangonui woman who as a young child was friends with Watsons daughters and would stay at the farm. She recalled Watson building “a boat” in the woolshed. 
Aotea was launched around 1953. 
The timber was reportedly sourced from the Totara North Mill. 
She was built as per Herreschoff’s specifications but with the added doghouse, an alteration that Herreschoff reportedly approved of. 
After launching she was hauled out and a second set of ribs added giving 6 inch centres. 
On official documents I’ve seen, Watson listed his occupation as farmer and then later as carpenter. 
It was suggested to me that Bernard Watson would have been related to the Whangarei boat building family of Watsons but I do not know if that is the case.

In 2020 I corresponded with and later also met Terry O’Brien who converted Aotea from ketch to sloop rig. In correspondence he offered. 

“J.O.G. Racing was just starting in 1967 and we ended up second overall the first year of racing, beaten by Peter Blake in a boat called “Bandit”.

SLOW LOADING OF WW SITE – IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING VERY SLOW LOADING OF THE WW HOME PAGE – I APOLOGISE – ISSUE NOW FIXED. Thank you to Geoff Bagnall for alerting me to the issue 🙂

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Moerangi

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MOERANGI 

The name Moerangi appears many times on the WW site, today’s story adds to the list. The photo above pooped up on Lew Redwood’s fb and the accompanying text stated that at the time of the photo, Moerangi was owned by the Capey family, Whangarei Heads. That canoe stern hopefully will make flushing out more intel on her easier. She looks to be a bit of a speedster i.e. long and thin 🙂

INPUT FROM PAUL DRAKE – Moerangi (Logan Bros 1906) has been at Taupo for many years (more than 20?) and underwent a thorough rebuild by Bernie Dale (Dale Boat Builders) some time ago. The first two photos below show her about to be rebuilt, and the third shows her just prior to painting by Taupo Boat Painters. Note the new, slightly raised dodger. The photo above in today’s post shows her with this new dodger. This means that the photo is at Taupo and not Whangarei. The fourth photo shows her about to be launched at Taupo.The fifth photo shows her ‘on the beach’ at Waihaha (Western Bay).


Des Townson – A Sailing Legend Book Winner

The winner to the mid-week competition for a copy of the Brian Peet book – is Murray Deeble. As far as the judges (myself and Brian) are concerned, the correct answer to how many launches did Des design?, is one. However he did do scamp / sketches of two other launches and one open steam boat. Would Des have considered these drawings to be designs? The answer is no. But in the spirit of ‘Being Kind’ (pass me a bucket) any one that answered between 1 and 4 went into the draw. Well done Murray. Book is in the post.


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Lady Evelyn

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LADY EVELYN 

Back in March 2014 I post the photos below of the launch Lady Evelyn moored in Matiatia Bay on Waiheke Island, at the time we never really uncovered much about her designer / builder  and past. Then last night I received an email from Carolyn Waetford (nee White) which I have reproduced below along with the photos above of Lady Evelyn. Stories like this are what makes WW so special – it took 6-1/2 years but we now know more about the woody. Hopefully today’s story may nudge someones memory as to who built her. Maybe the rego/number on her bow – NLD395, is traceable ?

“I was browsing the internet and found your website and the photo of Lady Evelyn taken and posted on Waitamata Woodys site, March 4, 2016. I too photographed this boat in March 2017 in Matiatia because it looked like a boat my father Noel White had owned. I was delighted to enlarge the photo and find the name Lady Evelyn on the stern. 

I managed to contact the owner, he had had the boat for 10 years at that stage and thought it had been built in the Bay Of Islands. He was preparing to take it North for a refit. 

My Dad and brother checked it out to purchase when it was beached on the sand at Whananaki, probably in the late 1960’s. It had been used as a fishing boat. Dad sailed it home to Whangarei with a bit of pipe bolted to the rudder shaft.  Don’t think the engine had a muffler either… as you can see they made it. Noel gave Lady Evelyn some TLC, and added a dodger -not the present dodger. He was an auto electrician and worked on many boats in Whangarei doing the electrical refits for Oram and Davies, Alan Smith. He used her around Whangarei Harbour and the Bay Of Islands for family holidays and fishing. He would have sold her probably mid 1970’s.  That one porthole is very distinctive.

Lovely to look through your website and see how you are honoring these ‘old Woodys’ “

Input from Kenny West – My name is Kenny West son of Archie, we bought Lady Evelyn in 1961 while living on Waiheke Island, the boat was called Lady Joy, we changed it to Lady Evelyn after my mother. Was registered AK282, we commercial fished out of her in the Hauraki Gulf before shifting to Urquharts Bay, for about nine years we owned her and on sold to another fisherman, Spencer Codlin ,where the numbers changed, dad removed the Gray marine petrol in Waiheke and installed a 3 cylinder Lister while in the water at Matiatia.

20’ V8 Woody Speed Boat

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20’ V8 Woody Speed Boat


Over due for some varnish porn – today’s woody is a 20’ replica ‘Monaco’ speedboat, and when I say speed its serious e.g. a 290hp Lexus V8 sees her exceeding 50mph. Currently a lake boat (Rotorua) her closed circuit fresh-water cooling set-up makes her equally at home in the sea.

The trailer is a work of art and the total rig is a very impressive look. Currently 4sale on tme (thanks Ian McDonald)