MYSTERY LAKE TAUPO CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH
Todays craft appeared in the September 1955 edition of Sea Spray magazine. All we know is home was Lake Taupo and she was 25’ x 8’ x 2’3”, with a round bilge, professionally built from kauri, slept 4. And was powered by a ’near new’ Scripps V8 engine.
Must have been a zoom zoomed back then. I’m sure Paul Drake will help out with more intel.
(photo and details ex Sea Spray via Ken Ricketts)
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH ALMEDA GETS A REFRESH
On Friday I point the car north for a quick trip to Sandspit Marina for the relaunch of the 36′ classic wooden launch ALMEDIA.
Some background – built by Alan (Snow) Waters in approx. 1972, designer unconfirmed but most likely by Walters himself with design leanings to John (Jack) Brooke.
Single skin strip plank hull and decks appear to be 2 layers of tongue & groove. She is powered by a 6 cylinder Ford. Home has been the Matakana River for 25+ years. Owner Kim needs a medal for his work ethic, the dock chat was that it was the speediest haul out and work schedule seen at the yard. Started on Dec 22nd 2025 = 4 weeks turnaround. Possibly helped by the self imposed rule ‘ No Beers Till Launch Day’ 🙂 Pre launching I caught up with Gregs Lees and his team at Lees Boatbuilders, Greg reports a healthy calendar of work to start the year, so thats good news for the wooden boating movement.
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WHERE IS THE MOTOR-SAILER SOUTHERN BELLE TODAY
Todays woody story features the 35’ ketch rigged motorsailer- SOUTHERN BELLA, launched in 1960. She featured in the August 1961 edition of Sea Spray magazine.
In the top photo we see her preparing for launching at the Devonport Yacht Club. In the Sea Spray article , below, they described her as amateur designed and built by Barney and Peter Soljak (father & Son), alongside they Devonport home.
When launched she was powered by a 50hp BMC Commodore Diesel engine + a 4.5hp Lister auxiliary engine.
(Story and photos ex Sea Spray magazine via Ken Ricketts)
Back in 2019 in another story, DYC related, Chris Leech commented at SOUTHERN BELLE had suffered fire damage and been restored. Chris supplied to photos , the first hauled out at DYC and afloat post repairs. Can we learn more about what happened and what became of SOUTHERN BELLE after this.
CLASSIC LAUNCH – RAMOE – NEEDS SAVING
At the end of last year WW was contacted by the owners of the launch – RAMOE, who advised that the planned restoration had stalled and the tough decision had been made to find a new owner to take on the project.
Back in 2022 we ran a story on her (link below) + below undated photo https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/03/31/ramoe-a-project/
We believe there is a newish Volvo Penta 75hp engine fitted, so that addresses the big $$ item.
Any woodys looking for a project in 2026.
MYSTERY 20’ SOUTHERN CLINKER WOODEN BOAT
Last week WW was contacted by a Christchurch based gent named Mat Pascoe regarding a 20’ clinker craft he had just acquired.
Mat was hoping that the WW readers could help either confirm what he has been told about the craft and / or learn more.
Mat advised he purchased the old girl for $1, with the intention of getting her floating again. The lady Mat brought it off had no confirmed history, her dad was storing it possibly for someone and he passed away leaving the property it was at to her in his will and she wanted it gone asap.
At the time of purchase it was based in Kaiapoi. The river there was a working port up till the 1970’s so Mat thinks maybe it worked out of there. The seller also seemed to think it came from Sumner, it could have been tied up in Moncks Bay but she said she was just guessing at something her dad told her years ago.
As far as can be observed the hull is all native timber and it is all copper rove and rivets. The cabin may have been made later as it is possibly pine and plywood. Mat questioned if she may have been a fishing boat at some time. It’s fitted out with a single cylinder diesel. Possibly Dolphin brand but Mat can’t find any info on them making diesels. (Mat is by trade a diesel mechanic)
Mat has had a good dig around and scraped a bit of paint off in the places where you would expect a name would be and has not found anything.
Mat is 100% she was originally open topped with maybe a small deck at the bow and stern. He can see a change in the wood work in these areas where the cabin has been fitted. Probably explains why it is so narrow in the beam. Mat commented that a lot of the center line is made up of short lengths of timber scraped together as we. It’s like it was just built from what was around.
So Southern woodys – anyone know more about the boat or recognise her.
The classic wooden launch TAKARO last made an appearance on WW back in May 2014 – link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/05/04/7089/
Back then we learnt that TAKARO was built approx 1952 and was 35’, kauri planked with a 11’3” beam. In 2014 she had been fitted with a reconditioned 120hp D-series Ford motor with Lees Marine conversion. This engine was reconditioned in 2013.
At the time Harold Kidd commented that there was the possibility that she may have been designed by or to a Colin Wild design. From todays photos TAKARO appears to be very fitted out. (Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up)
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CLASSIC LAUNCH LADY JANE
Back in August 2025 we ran a story on the launch LADY JANE that after a submariner incident was being auctioned off. Link here to that story
We understand she did sell but to whom we do not know.
(edited – the wires out shorted / lost in translation – all too hard AH)
Over the break woody Barrie Abel sent in the top two photos of LADY JANE.
In the second photo we see Brian Harkin and his team at Pine Harbour after they did an awesome repair on her bow after storm damage 15 or so years ago.
So woodys and update / news on the whereabouts of LADY JANE.
Barrie also shared the photos below of his classic launch – MATIRA, hauled out at the CLEVEDON CRUISING CLUB yard for some TLC. Lucky man to have access to a shed 😉
2026 RUSSELL CLASSIC TALL SHIPS SAILING REGATTA
Following on from the weekends story on the Russell Boating Club’s classic wooden launch parade (link below), today thanks to BOI photographer – Dean Wright we get to enjoy some stunning photos from the race.
Classic launch parade https://waitematawoodys.com/2026/01/10/bay-of-island-russell-classic-launch-parade/
Later in the week you will be able to view the just of the race fleet here https://russellboatingclub.org.nz/tall-ships.html
To view the full race results click here https://russellboatingclub.org.nz/results/tall_ships_2026.htm
Below is the recently re-launched – MARLINE, the 1949/50’s Leon Warne built classic launch – out following the fleet.
A few of the zoom zommers watching the yacht race
CHRISTMAS 2025 – NEW YEAR 2026 CLASSIC WOODYS CRUISE
I have talked previously about the weather that we all experienced at the start of the annual cruise, so I’ll skip that other than to quote Billy Connolly – “ There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes”.
Life on a small launch with a wife, dog and a paddle board can be challenging – normally takes us 2>3 days to get used to living in close proximity, but we have managed this for 18+ years. The bad weather days / nights that include having to take the pooch ashore for a pee in 40+ knots at 6am are quickly replaced with good food, good books and good booze 🙂 One of the positives of evil weather forecasts is low boat numbers, when things improved and we moved to Oneroa for a supply stop, the only other craft in the bay was a yacht and that was ‘washed up’ on the beach.
Today is a bit of a photo bomb from the 10 days – anchorages visited, food, boats we saw, boats we nearly bumped into and general good times afloat.
Hopefully the lucky ones are still out there enjoying the weather.
ps check out the woody champagne flute in the last photo – I have the bug bad 🙂
CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS ENJOYING SUMMER CRUISING
Over the 2025/26 xmas / new year period a couple of woodys have been sending in photos of classic craft that they have seen out and about. Angus Rogers onboard the motor launch CENTAURUS has been mooching around the Coromandel / Bottom End of Waiheke Island and Murray Deeble on his Townson yacht MORGANA in the Bay of Islands.
The evil weather we had around the 27th >31st keep a lot of boats in the marina and those out were not moving around much . Angus recorded winds of 68 knots in Te Kouma at anchor.
Quite a few washed ashore and sales of SaltAway will be high this month with a lot of dinghies / outboards flipped over in the high winds.
PHOTO BELOW FROM ABOARD CENTAURUS
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