Wiltshire Wreck

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Wiltshire Wreck
The above photos ex the NZ Herald heritage images files via Lew Redwood fb show the 1912 steamship, Wiltshire wrecked at Rosalie Bay Great Barrier Island in June 1922. You can read more about the wreck at the link below.
(The ships cat pictured survived)
Today Im keen to ID the small launch alongside the wreck in the first photo above.  Can anyone help? Its a tall ask, a lot very similar small launches were around back then, they were the equivalent of todays Toyota ute 🙂
Harold Kidd Input – My opinion is that she’s YORK built by Bailey & Lowe in 1913 for C R Pease with a 10hp Sterling Kid. She looks very like Capt. H D Heather’s 1914 ROTHESAY built by Bailey & Lowe with the same engine. Capt Tom Ryan bought her in 1921 when he was living on the Barrier so the timing is right.
 

Lady Margaret For Sale – Buyer Beware

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Lady Margaret A Peek Down Below

Lady Margaret was built in 1948 by Peter Gardiner in Whangarei, given her looks, to a brief that must have said “I like Chris Craft boats, build me one”.
She has a 3” double diagonal kauri hull, & is powered by Ford 120hp twin diesel engines, one of which (port side) is seized.
Her seller, an infamous lurker on WW, has either tried to or has sold several boats in recent times, I won’t comment on these boats as the last time I did I was told – “we know where you live / where you keep your boat – be careful……………..”
On her trademe listing the seller states that the boat was listed by one of Auckland’s biggest brokers for $112k, then $98k & now he is selling it for $49k ono. I wonder why the falling asking price ? Dockside chat tells me she has been hauled out in the last year, can anyone enlighten us on the reason for the haul out & the nature of any work?
You can read more on her past at this 2013 WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/16/lady-margaret-2/
Tip Of The Day: WW always encourages people to do a survey b4 buying a classic wooden boat.
UPDATE 09-08-2018 Photo below (dated 11/04/2018) sent in be a woody.
Lady M oops 11:04:18
UPDATE
Lady Margaret – Listed on Tom Nesbitt website – the asking / starting bid is $40k
Robin Gae – has just appeared on the same site, I’m told a coat of paint & its now double the purchase price. Nice of him to use some WW photos + video in his listing.
UPDATE 23-09-2018 After being banned on trademe the seller has now popped up on facebook marketplace
UPDATE 24-09-2018 SOLD – see below (owners name deleted)
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The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

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The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

The restoration of the 1950 Chris Robertson built – Susan Jane, at Colin Brown’s Omaha yard was been well documented on ww – link below. Last week (21-06-2018) Susan Jane emerged from the shed & made the road trip to Gulf Harbour marina for splashing. Ken Ricketts was on hand to record the event.

I have seen SJ in the flesh & I can tell you that in real life she looks even better – that man Colin Brown does stunning work – so the big question is – who is next in the shed?

 

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/30/susan-jane-sailing-sunday/

Update 13-05-2019 out at Gulf Harbour (photos ex Ken Ricketts)

Mystery Launch 03-07-2018

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MYSTERY LAUNCH – 03-07-2018

Short post today – other boating things distracting me 😉

The above unidentified launch is seen above in Fitzroy Harbour, Great Barrier Island. photo ex Lew Redwood fb

Anyone able to ID her?

 

Waimata

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WAIMATA

Resident Lake Rotoiti boat builder Alan Craig (Craig Marine), sent me the above photos of the 28’ launch Waimata. She has just been at Alan’s yard for a hull paint job.

Alan commented that while a resident on Lake Rotoit she is not always seen at the annual Wooden Boat Parade.

Her owners believe she is a Collings and Bell built in 1926 & bought buy the Corson family around 1939 to bring to the lake. They changed the name so we are not sure of her original name.

Her zoom zoom these days is via a Nanni diesel, prior to this she had a Grey Marine & previous to that, something much bigger that made her “really go” according to her owner.

Interested to know if the builders plate is original? – I have not seen one like that before.

Waimata is a very well maintained woody & with Alan’s input is looking very smart.

So woodys – what do we know about this boats past?

Input from Paul Drake –

The C & B builder’s plate in this morning’s WW post is of interest.
Below is a pic of SIR FRANCIS’s plate from 1916. Notice the slight difference in phone numbers.
Rather unusual to have a phone number on a builder’s plate, don’t you think?
These days one might include an email address!
Alan H Question – when did Auckland ph numbers change from 4 to 5 digits?
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Woodys on the Opawa River Blenheim

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OPAWA RIVER – Blenheim

The above photos come to us via Bruno Redwood’s fb, & show the Opawa River, Blenheim & are dated 1913.

The river, on which Blenheim is situated, is a tributary of the Wairau, & is navigable for small craft as far as Blenheim.

It is thought that the vessel in the ‘middle’ is Twilight. Photos ex A. McCusker

Harold Kidd Input – TWILIGHT was built by Ernie Lane at Picton and owned by Thomas A Smith who used her for fishing. Later he had the mail contract at Port Underwood with her. She was licensed for 35 pax and had a Dunedin-built Shacklock 10hp twin; her dims were 34′ x 8’3″ x 3’9″.

And below some eye candy – a wee video on the 2 year restoration of the 1926 N. Herreshoff designed NY40 MARILEE – its a great insight into the work of French & Webb in Belfast, Maine. Grab a cup/glass of something & sit back & enjoy 🙂

https://vimeo.com/275435272

 

 

 

Woody Lake Boat

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Woody Lake Boat

The owner of the above 16’5” speedboat believes the hull was built in the 1950’s, he bought her back in 2009. He has fully striped the hull back to wood and repaired it where necessary, built the seats and engine cover from scratch.

Recently she has been given a full paint job with marine paint (dark green). The zoom zoom is a mark one-zephyr petrol engine with a direct drive set up. A few minor details e.g. a windscreen & you would have a very smart woody. Or re-power with a V8 & have real speedster.

The reason she is for sale on trademe is that it only gets used once a year at the Lake Rotoit Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Thanks to Tim Evill for the listing heads up.

Looking For A Gulf Harbour Marina To Rent (Long term)

Unknown 

A secure 13m waterways berth is available for immediate occupation. Comes with  close car parking for the purposes of loading up & unloading, & long term parking within about 2 minutes’ walk. Long term rental $650 per month.

Enquires can respond by email to kennetharicketts@gmail.com or phone  09 424 5505 or 021 988 919

 

 

Marion D > Joan

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MARION D > JOAN

I was contacted by Ray Russell the owner of Joan (previously named Marion D) the 1919 Bailey & Lowe launch to let me know he was in possession of a small 10 page booklet (diary/log book) on a trip made in 1932 by Marion D to the Bay of Islands for a spot of ‘sword fishing’. I have scanned the booklet & reproduced it below for your enjoyment.

Ray kindly posted the booklet to me & also emailed a selection of photos, seen above. Ray wasn’t able to date the photos to match the log book entries, but feels the 1st one above is the Whangeraei Town Basin, the gent with the pipe is most likely Jim Donald.

Ray commented that he was unsure when the tram top was removed, but was able to advise that the round cabin windows were replaced by Lanes at Panmure in 1938.

The colour photo shows her as Joan, a later name change. You can read / see more of Joan here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/20/joan-2/

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Dione

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DIONE

The above photo (ex Lew Redwood fb) shows, nearest camera & centre, the Alley family launch Dione, at anchor at Matiatia, Waiheke Island. The caption says that the man is sitting on the partly exposed hulk of the M A Doran. 

You can read about how M A Doran ended up at Matiatia below.

Can anyone tell us more about Dione?

Harold Kidd Input – The Percy Vos DIONE is WW’s masthead pic and is not the boat in the pic. She was built for F.H. Seccombe in late 1927. In August 1929 Frank Seccombe had Allely Bros install a 70hp Kermath engine in her. ALLEY = ALLELY?
Secondly there was another DIONE contemporary with the Vos DIONE. She was registered as #198 from 1920 and may well be the DIONE in this pic. Unfortunately I have no name for her owner. She certainly looks very much like one of Chas Palmer’s early Collings & Bell ADELAIDEs.

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Lake Taupo Wooden Boats

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Lake Taupo Wooden Boats

Right now Colin Pawson should have been in the USA & taking photos for me at a wooden boat festival, but a speed bump slowed him down a bit & instead he was mooching round the lake front moorings at Lake Taupo.

Most of the above have appeared on WW before but its always nice to get an update & who has been applying the TLC & who hasn’t 🙂

Input ex Paul Drake – below is a 1932 pic of the same two boats. It is regatta day at Taupo. ROMANCE has only recently arrived at the lake ex Napier and is still a flush decker. EAST WIND has already been on the lake for some years. Both boats came into Drake family ownership 46 years ago in 1972.

Now would be a good moment to seek opinions regarding EAST WIND’s origins. She was clearly built as an open boat with motor. She still has the original foredeck and coaming under the newer raised deck. Two clues – she has an external stern gland and has an X etched into her starboard forard sheer strake (see pic). No sign of lifting hooks though.

We would be really interested to discover when she was built and by whom. Her history prior to the mid 1920’s is a mystery. What do the Brains Trust think?

Also below is Paul’s favorite pic of EAST WIND, at Rotoiti, taken by me  (Alan H).

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