Parua Bay Woodys

Posted on by
2
image0

Waipeke

Mandalay
Mandalay
image5

Aveline

PARUA BAY WOODYS

Alistair McRae snapped the above woodys in mid May 2020 in Parua Bay, Whangarei.
The first photo is of Waipeke, once owned by Barbara and David Cooke. 30’ in length, built in 1963. Unsure of the builder.
The 2nd & 3rd are of the 23’, 1932, Ralph Shephard built launch – Mandalay. After a long period on the Clevedon River, Parua Bay is now her home.
The last photo is Aveline, the Roy Parris built launch. A new arrival in the Bay, owned by friends of Alistair’s.
Tomorrow on Woodys we have a great rescue story – a woody recovering from a near death experience 😉

Brin Wilson 1958 Classic Wooden Launch – Mandalay

Posted on by
1

Screen Shot 2019-06-25 at 7.42.41 PM

Screen Shot 2019-06-25 at 7.44.18 PM

Screen Shot 2019-06-25 at 7.45.25 PM

Brin Wilson 1958 Classic Wooden Launch – Mandalay

Today’s woody was designed by Brin Wilson and built in 1958 by Dave Jackson, so that makes her a special woody. Carvel planked and measuring 35’9” with a 11’1″ beam and drawing 2’11”.
She is powered by a Moon Engines – reconditioned (2000) Ford 120hp diesel, that sips 7L an hour at a cruise speed of 7>8 knots.
Anyone able to put a name to the boat. I understand her owner has had her for approx. 30 years. Its Mandalay (thanks Geoff Bagnall)

Tall Ships Regatta – Bay of Islands 2013/14

Posted on by
1
DW-140104_DSC5828

Ranui

DW-130105_DHW7886

Undine

ts-2013-2

Colonist

DW-140104_DSC5970

TALL SHIPS REGATTA – Bay of Islands 2013/14

 
Today’s photos come to us from professional photographer Dean Wright’s sailing archives and show a selection of woodys partaking in the annual BOI event.
Nice to see Ranui with all the washing on the line 🙂 , these days she tends to motor sail around the Hauraki Gulf.
 
There are not a lot of yachts these days that look even better out of the water – one such beauty is hauled out at Pier 21 in Auckland at the moment – Waitangi , designed and built in 1894 by Robert Logan Snr. Like most of these old girls, a killer for marina fees i.e. 36’ waterline but 58’ on deck – with a 74’ sailing carrying length. Photos below ex Larry Paul
Screen Shot 2020-06-05 at 8.16.28 PM

Screen Shot 2020-06-05 at 8.16.01 PM

Screen Shot 2020-06-05 at 8.16.15 PM

Royal Falcon Restoration – Update June 2020

Posted on by
5

IMG_5861

IMG_5851

IMG_5852

IMG_5853

Royal Falcon Restoration Update June 2020

I had a reason to be pointing the car towards what used to be called ‘Nappy Valley’ (Pakuranga) so decided to call into the Panmure River boat shed where Steve & Colette Pople are having the 38’, 1934 Cox & Filmer built bridge-decker – Royal Falcon restored, ‘having’ isn’t the best word because both are actively involved in the project.
As you will see in the above photo gallery, the team are working at an impressive pace. The Commer TS3 engine is back in and looking very shinny. Very impressed to see the team re-purposing as much timber as possible – we like that 🙂
While there I dropped off an age appropriate search light that I had promised Steve, it didn’t suit Raindance so – ‘spread the love’. Thank you Jason Prew who gifted it to me originally 🙂
You can read / view Royal Falocn’s past at the link below + earlier project photos
Below is a video walk by/thru that I did. Have to say it is so cool to see a real, working, waterfront boat shed. Anyone remember something called ‘Heritage Landing’ aka the Vos Shed………….

Manaroa Bay (Lady Leila)

Posted on by
10

Manaroa Bay

MANAROA BAY (Lady Leila)

The above photo of Manaroa Bay was sent by Cameron Pollard. Cameron believes that she may be a reincarnation of a well known New Zealand built motor-sailer. Home these days is Australian.
Any one able to ID the graft stock?
Input from Gary Lidgard – Original name Lady Leila, designed and built by Roy Lidgard 1961, hull and decks at Kawau and fitted out at their yard at Bayswater. They sailed her to Sydney for the owner a retired Sea Captain a Mr London based on Sydney’s Pittwater. From memory this was probably their last new build at Kawau. This was a larger boat based on my grandfathers Rongamau, the owner had spotted her when he visited Kawau cruising in his then yacht and placed an order.
Remember When You Could Haul Out At Westhaven
Photo below is a blast from the past. I spent many days knee deep in mud sanding off and racing to apply very toxic anti-foul paint before the tide came back in. Captain Dennis Ross promised the youngest crew members that it was 100% safe……….. yeah right.
Screen Shot 2020-06-04 at 6.56.01 PM
Help ID This Boat
When I get an email that starts off by saying they are 29 years old and have just bought a wooden boat – I action it fast – we need to encourage the next generation 🙂
Michael van der Putte has just purchased the launch – Crystal Dean, pictured below on the Kaipara.
Michael has been told its a Carl Augustine design, but would like to get confirmation and if possible uncover any known history.
And my question – anyone able to tell us more about the green/red launch – Betsy, making a cameo appearance in the top photo below?
received_2144269139200797

Alpheus – A Peek Down Below + Lady Ava In Trouble

Posted on by
3

Screen Shot 2020-06-03 at 4.43.19 PM

ALPHEUS – A Peek Down Below

Alpehus has previously made a brief WW apperance and today we get to have a peek down below. The 42’ carvel kauri planked Alpheus was built in 1962 and launched in 1963, thought to be a McGeady design, built by Ben Hipkins.
Power is via a 120hp Ford diesel that gets her along at 8>9 knots.
From the photos (thanks Ian McDonald for the tme heads up) she is very well fitted out, a little ‘dark’ for my taste but who am I to comment 🙂
LADY AVA
I have been advised by Cameron Pollard that Lady Ava has had a wee opps.  A fine ship in her day, good enough to have caught the eye of Harold Kidd. Lady Ava, built in 1931 by Ernie Lane (Picton) was once named Miss Ava has popped up on WW b4, links below. + recent photos below.
Screen Shot 2020-06-03 at 5.23.34 PM

2006 – Mahurangi – Jason Prew

Screen Shot 2020-06-03 at 5.24.39 PM

Auckland Harbour – John Wright

Screen Shot 2020-06-03 at 5.24.58 PM

John Wright

Screen Shot 2020-06-03 at 5.22.31 PM

2015 – Panmure River – Jason Prew

Update – photos below taken by John Bullivant in Feb 2019 of LA on the Tamaki River.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Hudspith – Bay of Islands Game Boats

Posted on by
3
Marie J

Marie J – 1956 – 30′ Master-Craft

Venture

Venture – 1964 – 36′ – M.G. Palmer

HUDSPITH – BAY of ISLANDS GAME BOATS
David Clarke sent in the above photos of the Bay of Islands launches – Marie J (top) and Venture (bottom) that were both owned and operated by the Hudspith family (father Don, and sons Cyril and Norm) of Kaikohe.
Marie J was owned in the early 1960’s and moored in the Waitangi river on the piles. She was used mainly for game fishing in the BOI and Whangaroa areas with many days trolling over the Taheke reef for marlin. In the photo is David’s father, Colin Clarke, a regular crew member sitting on the cabin top left, beside him is Cyril Hudspith and in the cockpit is Tammy Weir another regular crew member.
The Marie J was sold in the mid 1960’s and in and around October 1966, the Hudspith’s family’s new launch Venture was purchased and brought up to the BOI.
She then spent the next 30 years or so mainly game fishing and Norm Hudspith was a prominent member of the BOI Swordfish Club and indeed the IGFA.
The photo of Venture shows her with a new clear flying bridge (added c.1968) and about to be launched at the BOI Yacht Club slip way in Waitangi after her annual haul out.
The Hudspith’s also installed a Perkins wing motor for trolling around 1968.
David commented that it was great to see that both vessels are still in very good condition, a credit to the owners.
Read and see more on Marie J 
Read And see more on Venture 
 

Valerie

Posted on by
6

Screen Shot 2019-07-27 at 5.14.39 PM

VALERIE 

In the above 1963 photo we see the launch Valerie towing an ex Whangarei Harbour Board shed to Port Whangarei, at the time river transport was judged to be the best option.

Input from Robin Elliott and Harold Kidd (previous WW story) – Valerie was designed and built by the  Lane Motor Boat Co. in 1929. She is 35’ in length with a 9’ beam. For many years she was owned by the Reynolds family, close friends of the Pickmeres, who owned her up until the late 1960’s. Apart from a short period in Auckland during the 1960’s she has spent almost all her life in Whangarei and the far North. It is believed Valerie was sometimes used by H. Pickmere when he was charting the far north.
Screen Shot 2020-06-01 at 11.00.51 AM

Launch day 29 August 1929 & Whangaroa 2013

I spotted her in December 2019 hauled out at the Opua marina getting a serious refit that included being re-powered with a Yanmar 115hp. Read / see more here
Screen Shot 2020-06-01 at 10.59.41 AM

Time – For Sale

Posted on by
4

time-full-boat-15

DW-150124_D869111

time-deck-31

IMG_4872

time-interiors-19

time-full-boat-16

TIME – 4 Sale

Several years ago Bay of Islands woody Dean Wright shared with me a gallery of photos of a yacht built by his friend John Gander. At the time the photos were just for my eyes only, so they have been burning whole in the back-pocket ever since. Then one day out of the blue a marina buddy, mentions he has just bought a yacht that will ‘blow-my-mind’, tells me its called Time and he was a little disappointed to learn that I knew as much (if not more, at that stage) about her as he did.
Some background – the yacht Time was launched in 2001, having been built and designed by John Gander. John felled and milled the kauri for her planking in the Far North (photos below). John’s a very modest man and would want me to mention that a very large cast of helpers and trades people helped with the project and woodys it was a very large project – because John built two boats, the sister ship, Whisper is still owned by John.
Time’s specs are 38 ’x 12’ x 5’8” and she displaces 12 tonnes. Power is via a Yanmar 30hp diesel.
The standard of workmanship and design ergonomics are 2nd to none, you won’t here me say this many times but I could easily go to the dark-side (sail) with a boat like Time. On the water she is a knockout / head turner and down below just gorgeous.
After several years of ownership, a change in circumstances has bought Time on to the market. For anyone looking for a once in-a-life-time classic woody – Time deserves your inspection. Expressions of interest to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Her owner is realistic in his sale exceptions, so Time will sell rather quickly.

Clarionet – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
4

_DHW4353

_DHW4360

Clarionet – Sailing Sunday

Today’s woody is the Chappelle designed schooner- Clarionet, seen here early one morning in Whangamumu, Northland getting ready to get underway.

The photo was taken in 2011 by Dan Wright.
I understand these days she calls Mahurangi home.
Update– more photos & details at this link
WoodenBoat Magazine Live Chat
Click the link below to join WB editor Matt Murphy in a live discussion with Reuben Smith. Reuben is boatbuilder and owner of Tumblehome Boatshop in the Southern Adirondacks town of Warrensburg, New York. The shop has restored some of the finest canoes, skiffs, guideboats, runabouts, launches, and one-design sailboats in the region. The conversation includes a ‘ walk-about’ of some of the shop’s past and present projects.