Selena

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SELENA
photo & details ex Harold Kidd

Selena  was built in 1963 by Alan Williams at Milford for Stan Blundell of Fisher & Blundell. She was a Williams Banshee design but Stan wanted her no longer than 30ft oa so she finished up at 30’x27’x9’6”x2’9”.
She had a 4 cylinder 60hp Ford diesel. Stan’s son John thinks they probably fitted a Parsons marinisation and marine gearbox as they were the importers, to the annoyance of Lees Marine.
Stan didn’t keep her long, swapping her with F.J.H. Leighton for a bach at Maraetai around 1965.
So where is she now?

It is  very hard to design / build a  sub 30′ motor launch that proportionally looks ‘right’. Over the next week I’ll be posting on some smaller launches that tick all the right boxes.

Input from John Blundell ex Harold Kidd

Hi Harold,

The picture of Selena on the WW website today looked great.Re your comments on Lees Marine,they probably didn’t mean much to most viewers. The import restrictions in those days meant that you could not import marine engines unless you had a “special” license or overseas funds.
F&B managed to import a few on these terms but Ted Lees took it up with the Customs Dept and Ford Motor Co and got “protection”. However F&B continued to import gearboxes and other conversion parts from Parsons which were then sold on to local Ford dealers.
Keep up the good work!
John Blundell

Eric Price’s Motorsailer Awanui – Sailing Sunday

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  Awanui – Sailing Sunday

photo ex Ken Ricketts

Today’s boat lives at Gulf Harbour & could be Awanui. If it is then its owned by Eric Price. Eric is 90+ years & uses the boat regularly. The impressive thing is by use I mean extended cruises for weeks at a time. My wife knows Eric & some of the tales from the cruises would make great reading.

Anyone able to confirm the vessels & also supply any details on her past – she has a Lidgard look to her.

18/01/2015 – Input from Garth Broadhead

On first glancing at the photo and without reading the text, it struck me like she looked like Eric’s boat which I was aboard several times as a teenager – so I’m guessing she is! Delighted to know Eric’s still alive and well!! Someone should ask him to post his tale of having his apendix removed underneath a coconut tree in Fiji – it’s a doozy!

Mahurangi Weekend 2015

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If you are even remotely interested in classic wooden boats – Mahurangi is where you want to be this coming long weekend 23>26th Jan.

Details below.

 

Woodys In The Bay of Islands Xmas/NY 2014-15

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Woodys In The Bay of Islands Xmas/NY 2014-15

photos ex Dean Wright

Dean Wright – professional photographer & owner of the classic 1927 Bob Brown built launch ‘Arethusa’ had his camera out over the break & snapped a few of our fleet at rest in the BOI’s. Greg, like most of us, has a bit of a crush on Wirihana 🙂

Can anyone name for me the tram-topper?

To view more of Deans work & see/read about Arethusa – click the link below
http://www.deanwright.co.nz/

Click this link to view my all time favourite classic boating photo. Rings all my bells.
http://www.deanwright.co.nz/prints/marine-photography-dean-wright/product/54-kopikopiko.html

 

Wirihana
Wirihana
Shalom
?
Tamaroa
Thetis

The Rescue of Tiarri – Ken’s Big Road Trip – 4 SALE > RIP

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The Rescue of Tiarri – Ken’s Big Road Trip – 4 Sale

photos ex Ken Ricketts

There have been numerous stories on ww around the demise  – grounding, sinking, recovery, abandonment & discovery of Tiarri. The discovery via trademe of her on a farm in a very sorry state sparked an SOS shout out on ww for an angel to wave their wand & find a good bastard out there prepared to take the rebuild project on. Well it worked & Garth Broadhead stepped up to the mark – today’s post records the start of the journey. There will be more & you’ll see it here 🙂

 26/01/2015 – A water blasting cleans her up & uncovers a few ‘blemishes’

UPDATE 03-09-2016

ww has had advice that is 4sale ‘as-is-where-is’ – all offers will be seriously considered.
Enquiries should be directed to the Marina Manager   enquiries@mahurangimarinas.co.nz

11-05-2019 UPDATE – Sadly Tiarri’s final ‘voyage’ was as a fire brigade training drill and the black scorched earth is all that remains 🙂 (photo ex Russell Ward)

IMG_1219

13-05-2019 Input and photos* / video* from Ken Ricketts –  Sadly in the end no one stepped forward to save Tiarri so the hard stand owners gifted her to the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Service for use as a fire fighting exercise.
I would just like to say a  huge thank you to you Alan and all the other woodys, who have written of her, inspected her, & tried to help to save her, in the various ways we all have, & put her back together, albeit in vain in the end. 
We all tried, & we could do no more than that, but to you Alan, most of all, if you had not published her plight, we would never even have been able to try. Thank you very much, I will be forever grateful. Ken R
(*Images & video, courtesy of the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Service)

Own a Seabird 3.2m Dinghy?

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Own a Seabird 3.2m Dinghy & Want Some Pocket Money?

Screen Shot 2015-01-15 at 10.29.44 PM

WW have been approached on behalf of a film company that need one of the above for a film shot on Monday (venue = Auckland). They will be a rental fee. If you own one or know someone that does – email me direct at waitematawoodys@gmail.com

17/01/2015 – Building Seabirds at Whangateau Traditional Boatyard (photo ex Pam Cundy)

 

 

Iorana

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MYSTERY BOAT 21/01/15

photo ex Harold Kidd

OK trainspotters you have had a good break – its time to test your skills again. Clues are – she is a 1922, 38′ bridgedecker (built that way originally). When launched she had a 6 cylinder Alpha engine.

Suggestions?

See the comments section for lots of input – but the answer ex HDK is ……..

Leon Warne was the builder and she is IORANA (Tahitian for “Gidday”). He got a lot of work from Whangarei because he took ROSEMARY north every Christmas and raced her at Onerahi and Russell. Warne built IORANA for Selwyn Blake of Whangarei who had just sold WILD THYME. IORANA was originally painted glossy black but was repainted white in her second season. Blake came to live in St. Mary’s Bay in 1924 and brought IORANA with him. He sold her to C.D. Sellars who sold her to W. Joll of Ponsonby and then she went to Whangamata and, around 1950, to George Manktelow of Paeroa, where he kept her moored in the willows on the Ohinemuri River near the Puki Bridge alongside GLENIFFER. The above image was taken there.
Is she still around?

Photo below ex Papers Past from the NZ Heard 22nd Oct 1931, shows Iorana getting ready to float off with the incoming tide at St. Mary’s Bay

Lake Taupo Classic’s – Part 2

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Lake Taupo Classic’s – Part 2
photos ex Jason Prew
More photos below from Jason’s Lake Taupo travels on the picinic boat Otira.  Click photos to enlarge.

Fingers crossed Paul Drake drops in again & ID’s a few of them for us 😉

 

Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade 2015 Calendar

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Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade 2015 Calendar


Now I suspect numbers might be getting tight, but if there is enough interest, I’m sure they will reprint.
The price is $10 for 1 or $7.50 each for 5 or more. Postage is $2.40 for up to 8 calendars, $5 for more than 8 or courier ($5.50 North Island $6.50 South Island  –  RD extra).
Pay via direct to the account.  If you pay direct please use your surname as reference and let me know when you make the payment.
The bank account number is:    12 3155 0140546 00

However before doing anything – I suggest you email (address below) Rachel Jamieson & check on supplies 🙂

zea.rachel@gmail.com

ps I even make a cameo appearance in the month of June 🙂

Ronomor

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RONOMOR

photo ex Baden Pascoe, details ex Geoff Brebner, Harold Kidd & Baden Pascoe

Geoff Brebner has been sniffing around for info on a launch by the name of Ronomor (row-no-more) which he had last seen a number of years back on the hard at Half Moon Bay. The small  amount he has been able to glean was that she was built at Stanley Bay by D M Darroch & Sons probably in the 1920’s. The story he heard was she was built to save them the frequent trips to the city side in the yard rowboat, hence the name Ro no mor.

Now in consultation (that sounds very posh for an email) with Harold Kidd, Harold agrees that Ronomor was built by Darroch  but originally as Albatross and renamed Ronomor after she was lengthened about 1919. She was used to commute to and from Omaha/Mahurangi rather than across the harbour and did at least two pleasure trips to the Bay of Plenty, probably why she finished up in Whitianga.
Harold advised that there were several Ronomors or variants of that name, which doesn’t help.

Now Baden Pascoe adds that his father fitted a Lees  Marine 90 hp Trader & that she did a good 10 knots. More photos to more ex Baden.

Anyone else able to add to the story of her past / present?