Hands off the Waitemata

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STOP STEALING OUR HARBOUR

Waitematawoodys tends to not get involved in anything political but with the word ‘Waitemata’ part of the name, it would be hard not to when our magnificent harbour is under threat.

Firstly some facts – we, as rate payers, via the Auckland Council, own the Ports of Auckland, but neither POA or AC appear to give a toss about their shareholders. These two are about to start extending Bledisloe Wharf by nearly 100m into the Waitemata Harbour, our harbour. Work starts April 2015, yeap next month.

Now I can hear you thinking – how can that be? Well, resource consents for the wharf extensions were issued secretly and without any public notification or public consultation by Auckland Council.

The extensions will completely block the Queens wharf view of the outer Waitamata Harbour (see comparison graphics above). We the shareholders spent $40 million to buy this wharf off POA & now we will get to look at container ships and/or wharf car park.

If you feel that we are being ripped & more importantly losing something that should be taboo – join the On-water Rally Protest next Sunday (22nd @ 3.30pm) Details on the flyer below. You can read more here

http://www.actionstation.org.nz/stop_stealing_our_harbour

 

 

Gunk-holing up the Weti River in a 1902 Logan

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Gunk-holing up the Weti River in a 1902 Logan Motor Boat

photos ex Jason Prew at the helm of Otira

Despite the CYA Launch cruise / picnic being cancelled Jason Prew & Nathan Herbert + crew decided to launch Otira, the 1902 Logan day boat at Gulf Harbour & explore the upper reaches of the Waiti River. They made it passed the Silverdale road bridge, which is an impressive distance, along the way they passed an ‘interesting’ array of vessels. Enjoy 🙂  As always – click on any photo to enlarge.

For reference see below a recent photo of Otira at Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade

Where Were You ?

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Where were you?  I organized the welcome party & no one turns up 🙂


The CYA launch picnic cruise to Stillwater (Weiti) Camping Ground was cancelled yesterday due to low numbers & the threat of cyclone PAM.

Jason Prew & Nathan Herbert braved the forecast today & crossed the bar into the Waiti River – conditions were appalling on the return crossing (photo below), I understand a cup of Milo was spilled & Jason lost 1/2 a cream bun over the side. Huge post on the trip in a few days.


Seems a few of us are turning a little soft 🙂

Now if you need a boat or its time to upgrade – click the link below to view one of the smartest classics on the harbour –

Restored 1921 Arch Logan Classic Motor Yacht Ngaio For Sale

Restored 1921 Arch Logan Classic Motor Yacht Ngaio For Sale

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Arch Logan Classic Ngaio For Sale

In 1921 at Ngataringa Bay, Devonport, New Zealand’s greatest boat designer/builder Arch Logan launched the motor yacht Ngaio that had been commissioned by owner H. Partridge.
Logan built this magnificent kauri carvel planked vessel using full length kauri planks i.e. each plank was 39′ long.

Fast forward 92 years & Ngaio was acquired by Auckland architect Ian Kohler, who with partner Lancia undertook one of the most extensive professional restorations to a classic wooden boat we have seen in recent years. Ngaio’s hull was taken back to bare timber, kauri splined & glassed. Every item of engineering & fitting on-board was either reconditioned or replaced.

The photos above & below do not do this classic justice. If you are in the market for a classic vessel – inspection of Ngaio won’t disappoint.
This is a once in a lifetime chance to acquire a piece of NZ’s maritime heritage & is presented in turn the key, sail away condition.

Call Greg Stenbeck 021 985 830 or e: gregs@gulfgroup.co.nz

PS – This is actually Saturdays post, posted early 🙂

Ngaio below as featured in the 2014/5 Classic Yacht Association Register

 

2015 Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show – Nelson Lakes

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Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show – Nelson Lakes
photos & details from Greg Lees & Gary Drummond

As featured on the ww post ‘Summertime’ Greg Lees daughter Rosie recently launched a run-about / speed boat that she built. No sooner had she splashed it but she was off down south (home) with the the boat in tow. Post launch the first major outing for the boat was the Nelson Lakes, 2015 Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show. Rosie had entered Summertime in the “Best New Build” competition category & Greg reports that she missed out on this award, the winner being a 14 year old whom had built a mini hydroplane, and according to Greg, he deserved the prize. Nor did she win best ‘Outboard Boat’ or ‘Powerboat’ prize.

BUT –  she won “Best Boat of the Boat Show”.  That young lady is a winner 🙂

Rosie is pictured in one of the photos above with a bottle of Mumm champagne, she has been carrying that bottle around with her since it was given to her by Barbara & David Cooke at the launching of Summertime – given the absence of a cork its safe to assume it was cracked at the prize giving.
Rosie went on to win her race in the ‘Over 40 hp’ division the next day.  A T-shirt was the trophy.
In the photos above there is a red row boat – one of very popular, Ian Oughtred designed, St Ayles skiffs, this one ‘Kaikoura Lass, was built in Kaikoura as a community project.
The event is a magic gathering of classic boating enthusiasts & the organisers welcome all i.e. not just wooden vessels , plus  classic cars are invited along to the weekend so its a hit with young & old.

Note: Press clipping below from the Nelson Mail

Ocean Queen

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2014
2014
2014
2005

OCEAN QUEEN

The Taupo owner (Paul Stewart) of Ocean Queen would like to find out more about the boat he has owned since a 2003.

She is a carvel sedan approx 30′, built he believes in 1937 in Onehunga. Paul knows no more of her lineage than that. She is currently powered by 4 cylinder Fordson through a Paragon box. Paul believes she probably started life as a Flush Decker and has since had the coach-roof raised to accommodate the windows and headroom.

She was bought off a Pukekohe owner who moored her on the Tamaki river, she now trundles happily around Lake Taupo laughing at the worst of what the lake can throw at her.

Above are some photos of her when first in Taupo, around 2004 and a couple in the current state.

Paul would love to know more of Ocean Queen’s history whilst he enjoys her for this part of her life.

Update – Lots of info / chat on Ocean Queen in the comments section. Check out this story ex Harold Kidd ex PapersPast from the Auckland Star 22 July 1935. She must have been well built 🙂

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Pioneer II

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PIONEER II

photos ex Terry

This ones a mystery to me, I was sent the two photos with a note saying the smaller one is of the launching from Collings and Bell at St Marys Bay.

Who can tells us more about Pioneer II ?

Winsome II

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WINSOME II

details / words from Harold Kidd. photos ex Ken Ricketts ex Brian Worthington
Winsome II was built by Lane Motor Boat Co in 1924 for David Teed, the Mayor of Newmarket (after whom Teed Street is named) with a 100hp Stearns engine and named Maude T (about the 4th of that name). Teed died in 1925, prematurely, and his estate sold her to Captain Emanuel who renamed her Latex (a very long story there). Emanuel sold her to W S Pratt, the manager of the Northern Roller Mills in 1931 and she was bought for the RNZAF in 1941 for service at Tauranga, a secondary seaplane base. She was sold by the Crown in 1946 to Andrew Donovan who removed the, by now clapped out, Stearns and replaced it with a brand new 1946 Chrysler 8 cylinder marine engine, renaming her Winsome after his daughter but added the “II” when he realised that the Pickmeres still had Winsome in Whangarei.
Andrew kept her for many years. He died in 1989. She went to Whangarei where she was kept in the Town Basin. Then she was sold to Havelock where I saw her recently, still in splendid order.

When Andrew registered her on Lloyds Yacht Register in 1964 he put down that her designer was W. Hand, the famous American yacht and powerboat designer of the twenties and thirties. No mention had ever been made of that before but there is likely to be more than a germ of truth in the claim in that US yachting mags like Rudder and Motorboat and Yachting were avidly followed by New Zealanders, providing more relevant models for our waters than, say, the English mags. Certainly, it is likely that the design for Maude T/Latex/Winsome II was lifted from a Hand design published in such a US mag and that US “look” was faithfully reproduced.

Despite what the Register of British Ships says, Pratt did not own her through to 1941. She was owned in Tauranga by D Cambie from about 1935 onwards and used for gamefishing which is why she was taken over by the RNZAF for Tauranga work in 1941 as a local launch in good nick, I imagine.

Note – Winsome II has been featured before on ww but with poor photos – the above photos warranted an updated post. Alan H

12/03/2015– a recent photo below of her in Picton marina wearing her WW II livery.

22-10-2015 Update
The photo below from the Northern Advocate, Monday, February 12, 1973 was sent in by Judy Donovan, Andrew Donovan’s daughter, it shows Winsome II starting in the first Bay of Islands international billfish tournament. The start was a ‘Grand Prix’ style e.g. a drag race 🙂

27-01-2021 photo below added