Aquarius – SOS

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AQUARIUS – SOS 
Aquarius has been mentioned on WW before – link below . To remind you she is a 38′ ex big game fishing boat built / designed by McGeady/Supreme Craft and she was the first boat worked on by Ben Hipkins when he started his apprenticeship in 1955.
This time she appears as an SOS. I have been contacted by Murray Smith who has been looking for a project boat for some time and came across Aquqrius advertised on trademe. Murray has viewed the boat but she is a bit small for him, so on behalf of her current owner Phil Tarr, he has asked that we do a shout out on WW to find someone to take her over.
Currently she is sitting up on the hard in a storage yard on Waiheke. Phil pulled her out to renovate her (2012?) and has lots of the interior cabinetry safe n dry under his house. He has brand new fuel tanks ready to go back in then everything else should slot in. Sounds easy but this gives the new owner the chance to build the interior how they want. The engines have not been started for a few years and condition is honestly described as seized, more likely just reluctant to turn over, as Phil has had them overhauled prior to loosing focus. Sadly she is showing the signs of neglect one would expect, but her heart is sound.
A little history – she had been built for and was working in the B.O.I. and has been owned by many big names including Lofty Blomfield and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa’s mum.
I’m told the trademe photos are very poor & do not do her justice , also that the owner is very negotiable on price.

Dixie – Motor-Sailer

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Dixie –  Motor-Sailer

The above photo was sent in by Simon Smith, details are unknown but being such an impressive looking craft, it won’t be long before a woody ID’s her for us.
Update – chat in the comments section between Paul Drake & Harold Kidd around whether she could be Ponui. HDK has advised that he agrees with Paul in that the stem is too plumb for Ponui, but HDK commented that she’s very similar in layout for the time, even to the conning tower in the cabin top. Photo below.
Ponui
Update 11-02-2019 As ID’ed by Nathan Herbert & endeared below by Harold Kidd – it is Dixie.
DIXIE. Built by H.N. Burgess October 1913 for Jas Kennedy of Putiki Bay, Waiheke (a Squadron member hence the flag). 18hp Automatic kerosene engine later 30hp Twigg. In Kennedy’s family until 1985. Recently in Thames.

Olivette at Westpark Marina

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Olivette at Westpark Marina

My Westpark spotter, John Wicks, sent in the above photo. She looks very familiar to me but I just can’t recall who it is. Must be the blue paint (I like it) – from the condition of the rest of the boat, she looks like she has been ‘saved’.
Any woodys able to ID her? & remind me that the memory is slipping 🙂
Update ex Cameron Pollard – she is called Olivette & in the Pollard fleet. The reason she is familiar to me was I passed her under tow unroute to Westpark, several months ago. I even took photos (below) 🙂
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Harold Kidd Input – She was originally called ARK ROYAL and owned by Charles Blackburn of Egremont St Takapuna c1950. He sold to Jim McCauley of Kawerau St Devonport c1955. RM & GW Best owned her some time around 1960 but I don’t know when in the chronology. Her recent owner bought her c2003 and he renamed her OLIVETTE after his wife. Possibly Shipbuilders?

Kaiurunga

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KAIURUNGA – Workboat Wednesday

Kaiurunga is a double ender solid kauri planked launch at 41′ long & built in 1935 by Ernie Lane.

She is an ex-Westport Harbour Board pilot boat. The name Kaiurunga means ‘highest cloud’.  

Rumour has it she has done a lap of New Zealand and often crossed the Cook Straight.  

Zoom zoom is via a 95hp Perkin diesel motor that has her cruising at around 7 knots.  

Her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald) tells us her current owner has had her for a year and is unable to finish the project.  While looking a little ‘work-in-progress’ there has been a lot of time & money spent on her & she would make a good low cost live aboard / tiny house-boat.
Home port is Mana, Wellington.

Popeye

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POPEYE

Woody Baden Pascoe sent me the above photos of the very salty, 18′ wee ship – Popeye. Baden spotted her on the ramp at Orakei on Sunday morning.
Can anyone tell us  more about ?
Input from Peter Mence – Popeye has just been sold by Bruce Whillans (also ex Fortuna).  Under Bruce’s care Popeye was treated to a good deal of renovation work by Colin Brown (and son-in-law Josh)

Input & photos ex Ken Ricketts – she is 18 feet long & is powered by a small Yanmar diesel. Pictured below under going a restoration at Colin Brown’s yard.

29-08-2018 Update from Bruce Whillans

I understand Popeye was built as a fishing boat in 1941 for use on the Hokianga Harbour. I purchased Popeye off yachtie Sean Connelly in 1998. He found her in a shed in Hokianga and partially restored her. I had Lees Marine (Greg Lees) at the Sandspit do a full refit just after we bought her. In 2012 we installed a new 10hp Yanmar and then in 2015 I had Colin Brown and Josh re-fasten her. We kept her on a mooring in the Whangateu Harbour
Having purchased another boat she wasn’t getting any use, so a good friend of mine Adrian Howitt has taken her into his custody and following a tidy up put her in the water at Okahu Bay yesterday. She will be moored in Whakatakataka Bay.
Update 31-08-2018 Photo of Popeye below ex Bruce Whillans, on her mooring at Whakatakataka Bay.
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Maureen R >> Moana Roa

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Launching

Original Bostaki Bay

Bostaquet Bay c.1962

Maureen R

Orams 2000

Mooring Stanmore Bay

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MAUREEN R  >> Moana Roa
I love stories like this, out of the blue my email inbox goes ping & I get sent the below – thats one of the cool things about WW, the huge group of followers who help me keep the site alive. And on that subject, don’t hold back sending in photos & intel on vessels – where I can I’ll use it. Sometimes it may not be enough to warrant a story, then out of the blue, someone else sends we stuff on the same boat & we have the makings of a WW story 🙂
Stuart Johnston sent me the above photos of the Owen Woolley built launch – Maureen R. As far as Stuart is aware it was one of Owen’s early builds in his Tamaki River shed.
Maureen R was built for Ross Reid of the earthmoving company of the same name and named after his wife. Stuart’s father purchased her in late 1962 from Ross who had a new Patiki built which Stuart recalls was named Maureen II.
In regards to her size, Stuart thinks she grew under his Dad’s tutelage but he recalls she was 28′ but maybe 30′ overall and was powered by a 40hp Parsons Pike which could be started by hand with a crank through the bulkhead if the batteries were low.
The family continued to keep her in the Tamaki opposite the yacht club but was also moored her at Stanmore Bay on Whangaparaoa for much of the time and they spent many hours in and around the Kawau area.
When purchased by the Johnston’s the coamings were all painted and one school holiday -Stuart, his brother and a mate spent hours sanding off the paint including red lead to wood and varnishing, the end result which is seen in the photos above, when she is moored at Stanmore Bay and also launching from the beach after another seasonal paint job. The side on shot at anchor with a number of people on board is in Bostaquet Bay probably the summer of 1962 or 1963. The coloured image taken at Orams around 2000.
The family sold her to a Mr Maltby who used her from Tindalls Bay for some years and its believed she later found her way to Samoa and word would have it that she was used for charter work.
A somewhat ugly aircon unit was fitted to her cabin top which Stuart spied at some point on her return, he was told that she had hit a reef whilst in Samoa and was returned to Auckland for repairs when salvaged.
Stuart commented that she was a very pretty little vessel but did not like a following or beam sea. The fiberglass dingy seen swinging off the davits in some photos is still owned by Stuart.
So woodys – the question/s of the day – where she is today? and can anyone correct Stuart’s memories and or fill in some gaps?
Input from Harold Kidd– APYMBA records of her start in 1957 when she was owned by R.C. Reid of 27 Tamaki Bay Drive, Pakuranga with dimensions of 29’x27’x9’x2’9″ and had a 40hp diesel. Later owner C. J. Johnstone. All of that squares with Stuart’s memories. I have nothing after Stuart’s father.
Photos below ex Paul Drake
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Norman and Jocelyn Pointon, at Waihora Bay, Lake Taupo.

Input from owners – Norman & Jocelyn Pointonn –  Maureen R >> MoanaRoa is berthed at Lake Taupo. We purchased her from the Fransham family in 1999 and had Bernie Dale renew the teak decks plus raise the dodger for sun protection and headroom in the cockpit. The builders plate states that she was built by Owen Woolley at Panmure in 1957
We have found her to be a good boat on the Lake, she does not like a beam following sea very much but apart from that a very comfortable and safe boat. We have continued to maintain her, new teak and holly floors, squabs, toilet, holding tank, stove, GPS and servicing of the Ford four cylinder engine and Paragon gearbox. 
The best useage that we have had is 40 trips in a year, so she is  well used and loved.
The story about her going to the islands was told to me by the previous owners plus the grounding a  coral reef. It was suggested that she made her way to the islands under her own power but that seems unlikely considering the amount of fuel required for the trip
The photo below shows the addition of the dodger, moored in Mine Bay where she spends a lot of time.
Alan on Moana Roa
And more photos ex Bruce Pullan – Feb 2018

07-06-2022 UPDATE ex Jason Prew – Spotted at Motuoapa Marina, Lake Taupo

Vanora

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VANORA
I was recently contacted by Doug Howard concerning the vessel – Vanora. Doug came across the above photo (ex MA Jenny) recently of Vanora, it was taken in Nelson probably earlier 1900’s.
Searching on-line, Doug discovered on WW a mention of Vanora in a Harold Kidd Rudder Cup Regatta 1908 article, it stated “The big Vanora was sold by Lindsay Cooke to Maurice O’Connor of the Thistle Hotel in 1912. He fitted a 30hp Auckland-built Twigg engine and sold her to the Government in late 1913. We do not know her subsequent fate.” 
Doug was wondering if anything has been found since – anyone able to help?
Harold Kidd input –  Logan Bros built HURIA in 1899 for Capt Mercer of Nelson. She was 45ft x 10ft x 4ft6in, schooner rigged and fitted with a 2 cylinder Daimler petrol engine. Mercer used her for passenger and freight service in the Sounds. M A Jenny bought her in Nelson in 1905, changed her name to VANORA and had her extensively refitted as a motor-yacht, fitting a 3 cylinder 30hp Gardner petrol engine in Wellington. This is the form she is shown in the image above.
Jenny sold her to Lindsay Cooke in 1906 and she came to Auckland. Cooke entered her in that famous Rudder Cup Ocean Race around Sail Rock in 1908. In 1909 he sold her to Maurice O’Connor of the Thistle Hotel who fitted a 3 cylinder Twigg engine.
O’Connnor sold her to the Government in late 1913 and she was used to transport goods during the 1913 waterfront strike. In 1914 she was overhauled by Bailey & Lowe and used to do works on outlying islands, based at Tauranga, skippered by Capt. Nordlinger.
VANORA then disappears.
But did she morph into Tim’s NAOMI? Jenny had several NAOMIs built by Bailey, the last one, a 38 footer, going from Wellington to Tauranga in 1927 where Mowlem used her for game-fishing but there’s no connection I know of between the boats apart from the name and the Jenny connection.
In my view HURIA = VANORA = Tim’s NAOMI. In that case Tim should enter his boat in the upcoming Rudder Cup race as the Logan VANORA, repeating her entry of 110 years ago.

Miss Brett Needs A New Woody Owner

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Miss Brett

 

Miss Brett Needs A New Woody Owner

I have been contacted by Donna Lewis, the owner of Miss Brett, who needs to offer the launch up for sale. Donna lives in Australia. Miss Brett was launched in 1927 & built by Dick Lang at Russell  for the Bay of Islands famous Fullers Cream Trip. She measures 40’ x 10’9” x 2’11” draft. Zoom zoom is via a 100hp 6 cyl. Ford Trader Lees Marine diesel. Renamed Knoxie II c.1928, the name coming from her 4 cya Knox engine, when launched.
Below is her edited call for help

“Regrettably I realistically need  to put MV Miss Brett up for sale. I am very aware of her historical significance and have been her owner … caretaker really since September 2015. I would hope in an ideal world that someone capable of enjoying her as we have and enjoys the maintenance  (as I do) might be interested in her.

The top photo above is a recent photo taken last month & shows Miss Brett moored on her own mooring in Kororareka Bay (Russell) Bay of Islands.”

Interested parties can contact Donna for more details, she has had an impressive amount of work done in the last few years – via email at              lewisdn@hotmail.com

Miss Brett features in the video ‘ NZ Marlin’ – at the 1′ 48″ stage & again at 7’24” – link below:
You can view more photos of Miss Brett here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/08/miss-brett/
Details ex Harold Kidd
Photos below of Miss Brett – Russell c.1960

Ti Point Wharf Waitangi Day 1934

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Ti Point Wharf Waitangi Day 1934 + Win A WW T-shirt

This is one of my favourite photos, it shows a great mix of launch styles & sizes, all coming together alongside the Ti Point Wharf, for a Waitangi Day celebration on 10-02-1934.
The photo comes to us ex Old North Auckland / Northland fb via Lew Redwood.
I included a recent photo I took of the same view, taken from the hilltop property of a woody, looking down on the wharf area.
I’ll give away a WW t-shirt (see below) to the woody that can ID the most launches in the photo – Nathan Herbert will be the judge of the winner.
All entries via email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com. Entries close at 8.00pm today (24-08-2018)
Input from Hugh Gladwell – “I don’t think that’s Ti Point. The tide goes in and out at 3 knots through the channel,the headland to the right is out of place and there is no sandy beach on the Ti Point side”
LR2016 ww shirts CM

 

Naiad

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NAIAD
Naiad is a Norm Beetson design, built in 1957 by Stan Blake. She is a sister ship to Gayella & Georgella (later Kararik) & based on Beetson’s own, 32’ Acquiesce. In a previous life (1966>1970) she was owned by Russell Ward’s father, & back then powered by a 60hp Ford diesel.
She measures 36’ & these days the zoom zoom is via a 120hp Ford.
In recent years she has been hauled out at Te Atatu Boating Club & as you can see in the above photos, has received a lot of work.
Unfortunately her owner has to move Naiad on, so she is offered up for sale as a work-in-process. Most of the bits , including engine, gearbox, tanks etc are on hand to complete the rebuild.
She is currently back in the water, so we know she floats 😉
She looks a lot different from ‘as designed’ – I have included below some b/w photo’s for reference.
Details via Harold Kidd & trademe listing heads up from Ian McDonald.
Naiad
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