CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH TRIP REPORT #1

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MARISTELLA Lining Up The Hole In The Rock
BLUEFIN
CLEONA MAE.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH TRIP REPORT #1
Despite the evil SW winds that have kept a lot of woodys dockside so far, a few lucky skippers got away early and have enjoyed some boating in sheltered bolt-holes. Two woodys have sent in the photos above to prove that good times are happening out there . The first batch of photos are ex Andrew Sunde and taken from aboard MARISTELLA and include the launches –  BLUE FIN and CLEONA MAE. The location is the Bay of Islands 

The second gallery below is from Peter Loughlin, taken at  Man o War and show Peters woody – LADY MARGARET and two others that I should know the names of but the brains a little hazy today, so I’m sure one of you will help out. Thanks to Ken Ricketts input – we have names for the two craft – TAMURE and KOWAI.

LADY MARGARET
TAMURE
KOWAI

HAPPY NEW YEAR WOODYS + A Peek Into Why WW Is NZ’s #1 Boating Media Hub

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HAPPY NEW YEAR WOODYS + A Peek Into Why WAITEMATA WOODYS Is NZ’s #1 Boating Media Hub

As the first day of the new year I thought I’d give you a peek into the big black box that stores all the data behind the waitematawoodys weblog. Only a peek because some of the intel is very revealing in terms of what and when the classic boating community consume online, and I’m not interested in helping other marine media that struggle to maintain their existing channels and grow online.

SOME STATS: 

• 2024 site visits and viewing numbers – highest ever. To date the site has received in excess of 13 million views.

• Followers / subscribers – grew in 2024 by 73%. A reflection that at last people have accepted the tech and now receive daily updates on new and updated stories.

• Biggest Single Viewed 2024 Story – 36,384 views in a 24hr period.

• Most referenced stories – still Chris McMullen’s learnings on electro-chemical damage in wooden boats – links below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/03/18/loving-your-boat-to-death-electro-chemical-destruction-underwater-rot/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/04/28/electro-chemical-damage-in-wooden-boats

• Most popular viewing day and time – after 10 years its changed – quite a surprise, possibly reflection on the ageing database.

• Lowest viewing month – October.

• Viewing Numbers by country – NZ > AUST > USA > UK > CANADA – Its taken a long time but the UK numbers have finally hit the 4 digits.

• Most clicked on (enlarged) single photo 2024 – MY GIRL in the anniversary day launch drag race – photo above.

• Most viewed single photo ever – Classic Launch Parma Sinks Under Harbour Bridge – photo above.

• And if there was an award for the WTF is that boat & why we need to protect our classic fleet – the last photo above that I received a couple of days ago from a woody hunkered down at Kawau Island would be the winner. They commented “Attached is a photo of an alien craft that has landed in Bon Accord Harbour today. A small group of well weathered boaties here on the KBC deck tonight have declared this to be an unqualified failure in boat design and who ever was responsible was on some really bad stuff at the time. The owner has no right to position it amongst the fleet of Kiwi designed and built vessels anchored here in such a beautiful location.”

In 2024 I was interviewed for a feature story in my local newspaper, as part of the process I supplied the brief below.

Whats the waitematawoodys website all about Dedicated to the study and appreciation of classic kiwi wooden boats. WW was founded upon a desire to tell the stories and a need to archive history of our classic wooden boats, the craftsman who built them & characters that owned and crewed on them. Visiting the weblog is like a bunch of people in the boat club bar, there will be stuff discussed you know, stuff you know nothing about and stuff you want to know more about. That’s what waitematawoodys is about – gathering stories, photos, history, reminiscences.

Never in a blue moon when I started the waitematawoodys.com weblog could I have seen it becoming as popular as it has. Along the way the site has morphed to also become an awesome information source for just about anything connected to wooden boating.

Some facts:
• 13,000,000+ views • 20,000+ people visiting the site per day, 7 days a week • 3700+ stories available online • 46,000+ photos published online • A photo library of over 80,000 photos.

The site is search-able by style of vessel, size, age, designer, builder, method of construction, location, method of propulsion e.g. sail / power. These days in excess of 50% of the site visitation is research based, as compared to reading the story of the day. If it is wooden boat related everyone ends up at waitematawoodys

None of this would have happened without in the early days input from people way more worldly in the wooden boating community than myself. The list of people that have shared their family photo albums, stories and knowledge with waitematawoodys is huge and  the site just wouldn’t be what it is today without these people.  I’ve made so many friends, and been fortunate to rub shoulders with a lot in person. 

Here’s To An Even Bigger 2025

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PENTHOUSE + Win A Woody Calendar

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PENTHOUSE + Win A Woody Calendar

I have commented many times about additions to classic boats that resemble a block of flats – todays photo opens up an entirely new category – Penthouses !

You would like to think she never leaves her mooring…………….. the roll upstairs would be a tad uncomfortable.

I have x3 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2025 Calendars to give away – so the 1st three people that tell me via email the correct date of the 2025 Parade will win a calendar.

Remember entry by email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLASSIC LAUNCH – DOLPHIN V – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC LAUNCH – DOLPHIN V – A Peek Down Below

Todays 42’ classic launch – DOLPHIN V made a. brief appearance earlier this year (Feb – link below)) where we learnt that she was designed and built in 963 by Swanson in Queen Charlotte Sounds, South Island. She is carvel kauri construction and powered by a Detroit 6v53. Feb2024 https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/28/dolphin-v/

Now thanks to Bruce Ryrie – we get to have a look below decks. Enjoy.

31-12-2024 INPUT & PHOTOS ex LEW HENDERSON – Our extended family owned the Dolphin V from about 1965 to 1973 having bought it from the original owner. She was kept in Paramatta and completed many fantastic trips to the Sound with our families – often sleeping 11 for weeks at a time. I believe she was built at Swansons yard in Picton across near where the Echo finished her days. At that time she had a Ford 100 engine. When sold she was reengined to work with a barge out of Paramatta to Mana Island. She was put into survey at that time.

She was similar in design and layout to many of the Swanson boats but one of the biggest they constructed. Originally fitted with a tall mast stepped on the forward cabin. Latter a raked mast was mounted on the main cabin.

When we first had her she was moored in Browns Bay in Paramatta but at nearly 6 ft draft this area became unsuitable. Also lowering a large mast every time to get under the bridge was a challenge. She was then moored in front of the Mana Cruising club before the marina was built. We also had a mooring in Double cove near Picton for the summer months. (photo captions) • Early – about 1966 • Then at the end of our time 1973 – I was only15 and driving her in this photo while Dad was on a rock taking the photo. • A family shot • On the slip at Mana – looks about 1968

CLASSIC GAME LAUNCH – ALMA G

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CLASSIC GAME LAUNCH – ALMA G

Todays woody story features the Bay of Islands big game launch – ALMA G. In the above photo we see her at Russell departing on what appears to be a day trip. Interesting observation – the majority of the passengers appear to be female .

The photo comes to us from the ’New Zealand Vintage Postcards’ via a Garry Law fb post.

ALMA G has made numerous appearances on WWRefer link below. She was designed / built by Collings & Bell and launched in late 1922. https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/11/19/what-price-provenance-100-year-old-game-fishing-wooden-launch/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/05/alma-g-alma-g-ii/

IF YOU HAVE SPOTTED ANY WOODYS OUT AND ABOUT OVER THE XMAS/NY PERIOD – EMAIL ANY PHOTOS TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLASSIC LAUNCH SEA ROVER  – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC LAUNCH SEA ROVER  – A Peek Down Below

The classic launch SEA ROVER appeared on WW back in 2014 (link below) Details in the link re past owners. WW AUG2014 https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/29/sea-rover-2/

Now thanks to tme and Ian McDonald we get to have a gander down below. She was built in 1960 by the Lane Motor Boat Co.. Kauri carvel hull, her specs are  44’6” x 10’5” x 4’3”. Powered by a120hp Lees Ford engine, that gives her a cruising speed of 7.5 knots.
Can we learn more about her past

CLASSIC YACHT – ROSEMARY F6 – Looking for intel on this yacht & past owner

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CLASSIC YACHT – ROSEMARY F6 – Looking for intel on this yacht & past owner

Recently WW was connected by Phil Doyle asking for help expanding on his knowledge of the yacht ROSEMARY. I’ll let Phil tell the story.

“Going back to the 1960’s and 1970’s my father knew a group of then young architects who sailed with Major Johnson and I remember outrageous stories involving various misadventures involving the colourful Major including serving his crew porridge only discover he had used soap powder as the main ingredient. 
I had not given the ROSEMARY a thought until recently when Mr Paul Chevis who has an old Woollacot yacht said his father sailed on the ROSEMARY (he is seen in the above photo) and that the Major made a number of trips to the Three Kings taking scientists and that a number of plants were named after him in-recognition .  Wondering if any one can flesh out his story as he is part of a lost breed of adventurer.”

CLASSIC LAUNCH FLASH BACK – AMANDA LEE

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CLASSIC LAUNCH FLASH BACK – AMANDA LEE

WW was recently contacted by GlenIs O’Callaghan concerning a November WW story on the 30′ launch – AMANDA LEE, link below. AMANDA LEE was built in 1978 at Greg Lees yard at Sandspit. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/11/04/wooden-launch-amanda-lee-a-peek-down-below/

Glenis and her late husband, Terry (Red) purchased the launch in the late 1980’s and sold it in mid 1990’s.  At the time they resided in Whangarei and had it on a berth at the Tutukaka Marina. In the above photos we see the launch as it was when the O’Callaghan’s first bought it and the other after the flying bridge was added to it.  The top over the back was also cut back as Terry enjoyed deep sea fishing which made it easier and it also gave them access to the flying bridge. They also had the steering added up top on the flying bridge.

Glenis commented it was Terry’s pride and joy and he spent many  hours keeping the varnish spick and span. They had many happy holidays on it with our 2 sons.
In discussions with an old work colleague of Terry’s, Glenis learnt that AMANDA LEE had been at the Marsden Cove Marina for the past 4 or 5 years and has recently been sold and moved down to Auckland. 

Photo below from the November WW story – my lips are sealed…………

MERRY CHRISTMAS ❤️

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MERRY CHRISTMAS ❤️

Merry Christmas to all the WW readers and as 2024 draws to a close I hope you have everything all under control and have something special to look forward to this coming week. Like a lot of people the family are scattered around the world but this year we are lucky to have 2/3 of them back in NZ and for the first part of the xmas/ny break we are land based and enjoying time together as a family. So for now we have swapped a cockpit for a Bure (still NZ based)

If you are afloat or at home I wish you fair winds and calm seas and encourage you to make the effort to pick up the phone and call (no txting) those that hold a special place in your life.

I’ll sign off with a special thank you to all the woodys that make my life easier by sending in stories and photos – publishing a weblog 365 days a year is a challenge but its very enjoyable and I savour the people I get to rub up against. 

One of the few WW rules is there is always a boat photo – today I share one of my favourite woody photos – in fact its my laptop screen saver – the 1922 launch – TEINA, designed by Glad Bailey and built by Ted & Ray McLeod at Bayswater, Auckland. In the photo below she is entering Bon Accord Harbour at Kawau Island.

LADY ELLEN – Out For Some TLC

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LADY ELLEN – Out For Some TLC

Recently the very stunning classic wooden launch – LADY ELLEN popped up on a fb page titled Mangawhat and the Mudflats’ , the poster was Carol Forsyth and the above photos were sent to WW by John Dawson. The photos were tagged ‘Doug’s Boatyard, Opua’ – will woodys whoever Doug is, he has a very smart yard.

We have featured LE on WW several times, following her restoration in the 2018 – 2019 period, in fact I attend the relaunch in December 2019 at Opua, Northland.- link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/16/the-launching-of-lady-ellen/ also on this page is links to all the WW restoration stories.

Its believed she was build in the late 1950’s by Supreme Craft in Auckland. At one stage she was spending her winters in Auckland as a floating office and escaping to the Bay of Islands for summer. But recently her Auckland berth has been occupied by another vessel so maybe she has retired to the north.

INPUT ex DENIS O’CALLAHAN –  I remember Doug’s boatyard very well. We hauled Tasman there in May 2004.As I recall there was no road access and we walked around a track from the Opua wharf.There was talk at that time that Doug might be forced to close the yard.However looking at the flash shed in the background he must have resolved the issues.
Photo below of Tasman at Doug’s yard.