Classic Bling

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CLASSIC BLING – ONLY $4995….. 

Ok, you have restored the boat, built (bought) the kauri clinker tender & the pocket money is burning a hole in your pocket – best get on to trade me & buy this. If you think its too beautiful to use, think of it as a piece of art 🙂

The A-Series outboard was Johnson’s first ‘kicker’ and it placed Johnson & Brothers well & truly ‘on the map’ – the opposed twin platform provided 2hp & proved a fabulous design and one that is just as beautiful today as it was nearly a century ago – the lightweight, easily handled Water Bug revolutionised power boating in the 20’s for the exact same reasons they are to this very day with Johnson’s advertising slogan ‘ – Dependable Outboards – ‘ certainly prophetic!

The 3 brothers (Clarence, Harry & Lou) sold their growing business to investors from Wall Street at the turn of the decade so this vintage Water Bug (or ‘Light Twin’ as it was also coined) was produced while the brothers were at the tiller so to speak – 360 degree swivelling gave high levels of manoeuvrability, tilting enabled easy beaching plus a ‘1 Year Guarantee’ guaranteed the Bug’s success with it eventually paving the way for the SeaHorse badged Johnson’s – heres some basic specs on this delightful machine: Year & model: 1925 Johnson Water Bug Cooling: Mechanical piston water pump

Horsepower: 2hp @ 2400 rpm      Cylinders: 2 – opposed twin

Ignition: Johnson magneto      Oil/gas mix: 1/2 pt TCW-3

Spark plug: Champion C7      Retail 1925: US$ 142.50

Condition: Restored      Serial: 226xx (1925)

Point gap: 0.020      Weight: 35 lbs.

Stroke: 1.5″      Bore: 2″

Rata

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RATA

Rata was built by Dick Lang in 1926 in St Marys Bay. In todays world she is rather unquie in that her owner is only the 2nd since 1936. Rata has recently completed a lengthly keel up ‘rebuild’.

She is 35′ long with a 3′ draft & powered by a 85hp Lees Ford engine, she cruises at 8knots.

Currently 4 sale on trademe. Hopefully the price of $45k includes a chainsaw to remove the ‘carry handle’ 🙂

Anyone able to provide any more details on Rata?

Bondi Belle

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BONDI BELLE

story & photos by Baden Pascoe

Bondi Bell was built as S.S.Whakapara, at Whakapara (North of Whangarei) by Charles Bailey Jr. for the Foote family who were saw millers at several Northland locations . Launched in 1901, initially she was a steamer and converted to diesel in the 1920’s. This vessel is steeped in history and her owner ,Ted Carter needs to find a new owner for her. He is asking $85,000 and is open to negotiations. For details call Ted on 0274-485976.

(b/w photo c.1901-02. Whangarei, Hatea River, were the town basin is now)

Link the (blue) link below to read the brilliant story of the history of Bondi Belle & her 80 year circumnavigation of New Zealand.

BONDI BELLE – Around NZ in 80 Years

The press clipping from the Hokianga Newspaper c1929, was saved by Arch Fell & given to Baden Pascoe. Arch is most likely in the photo. Click to enlarge

Bondi Belle Hokianga Newspaper c1929

Money Can’t Buy Moments

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Money Can't Buy Moments

Money Can’t Buy Moments

The CYA is full of moments that money can’t buy e.g. hooking an old owner up with the present day owner, facilitating the transfer of a boats artifacts (a name plate, wheel or log book) from someone with an obscure connection to the boat to the current owner etc.

Well todays ww posting is one of those tales.

Push rewind & Dick Fisher has Akarana berthed at the 2011 boat show as part of the CYA’s on-the-water display, Chris Miller is cruising the the docks with his friend Geoff Diggle (Master Mariner) who is the NZ operations manager for Swire Shipping, as they pass Akarana Geoff comments that his father (John Diggle, Master Mariner) was the Auckland Harbour Board senior pilot for over 30 years & spent a large chunk of that time aboard Akarana. Geoff himself as a child spent many an hour aboard as well.
Chris & Geoff hop aboard Akarana for a chat with Dick, which includes the compulsory tour of the engine room 🙂 Geoff casually mentions that some where at home he has a crystal whisky decanter & glasses, that are sand blasted with a line drawing of Akarana. These were presented to the late John Diggle when he retired in 1993. Turns out Geoff’s wife Bev has been threatening to put them out in the next inorganic collection so plans are made to hand them over asap. Well Dick lives up North & Geoff travels a lot.

Now fast forward to Jan. 2014 & the occasion eventually happens at Westhaven. In addition to the decanter set, Geoff had also discovered a wonderful framed photograph of Akarana which will now most likely hang in Dicks engine room (which is the #1 spot on the boat, in Dicks eyes).

It would have been rude to not use the gift for what it was intended so the moment was celebrated accordingly. Now CYA deputy chairman Bruce Tantrum has a good nose for a fine drink & was cruising the docks & either caught a whiff or heard the cork being extracted & joined the gathering.

In the next few days I will do a pictorial posting on the restoration (rebuild) of Akarana from when she was retired by the harbour board into the magnificent ship she is today.

click photo below to enlarge

akarana

Silver Dollar

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SILVER DOLLAR

In the last week my spies have sighted Silver Dollar at Great Barrier & Kawau so as my mother used to say “she gets around”. All I know is her stern says Scotts Landing, Mahurangi & was built in 1958. Keen to learn more about this launch with an unusual cabin.

Update from JohnWicks

he and her sister-ships were built by Bob Swanson at Blackwood Bay in Queen Charlotte Sound in the 50s. Bob later moved his boatbuilding operation to Picton, at what had previously been Ernie Lane’s yard. As a small boy I was at either her launching or that of “Maritza”, one of her sisters.- memory not wot it wuz :-)
She hasn’t been lengthened, though that dodger over the cockpit is a later modification.
Neat that she still has her original 2 cylinder “Jimmy” shoving her along. Those hulls are easily driven, and don’t need a lot of power.
I’ve always thought those boats were very handsome; my admiration is tempered by the difficulty of getting from the helm station at the forward end of the house to the foredeck. My father had the slightly smaller “Palomino” which had a more conventional sedan layout and was easier to work single-handed..

Updated Photos  (20/03/2014) from Paul Stichbury (ex Ken Ricketts)

The b/w photo was taken c1958 at the launch at Blackwood Bay, Picton. According to John Wicks (who was there with his father, but not in photo) the gent centre stage with the braces & hands in pockets is Bob Swanson . The photos also show her original (& still there) engine at the time of being reconditioned in 2011, all that was required was new sleeves, pistons & bearings (there was no wear on the crankshaft).

Waimanu – classic designed kauri Herreshoff

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Waimanu – classic designed kauri Herreshoff 

Now I do not often feature classics for sale on ww but when they are as good looking & salty as Waimanu I can not help myself. At $95,000 ono, she would have to be one of the best value for money vessels on the market & given her fit out, you could be sailing away tomorrow.

Design: Nereia – Ketch

Designer: Herreshoff

Launched: 1992

Hull Material: Kauri Carvel Planked, Deck Material: Teak, Rig: S/S

Builder: Bill Cartwright

Engines: Ford 1972, 72hp – done 700 hours

Cruise speed: 6 knots, Max speed: 7 knots

LOA: 10.9m, Lwl: 9.6m, Beam: 3.5m, Draft: 1.8m, Displacement: 10.886 Kg

Berths: 1 double & 4 singles

Shower: 1

Head                1 with Electrasan

Also:

Solar panels, Small rib with 2 hp motor, Chart plotter, VHF, GPS, Sound system, Lamps, Clock, Barometer, Freezer, Fridge, Stove, Barbecue

Contact the owner direct: e-mail margo.hudson@xtra.co.nz    or 0274 932 887

The History of NIKA-SIA – 1967 >2014

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1984
1984 with varnish tuck
putting on fresh make-up 1980’s
Galley
Jan 2014

The History of NIKA-SIA – 1967 >2014 

photos & details ex Ken Rickets. edited by AlanH

This profile started with Ken spotting Nika-Sia in Brin Wilson’s shed, Ken has known Nika-Sia since new  in 1967.

The first feature that caught Kens eye was the almost original presentation of this classic vessel.

When launched she had beautiful varnished mahogany combings & also a varnished tuck, with a navy blue boot top & the name in gold leaf accross the tuck- back then only a few boats had a varnished tuck e.g Winsome II, Cachalot, & Valhallah I,  were probably just about all of them. Today she no longer sports the beautiful mahogany combings & stern, being sadly now white & thus in Ken & my eyes missing that special classic look. But its only paint & fingers crossed one day the scrapers & varnish brush will come out.

 SPECS:

35ft 3 long, 13 feet beam, 3 ft 9 draft, hard chine, & built of African mahogany.

ENGINEERING:

She is powered by 185 hp  naturally aspirated Cummins V8 truck engine (nz conversion) uprated to 210 hp during a pre-installation rebuild (150 engine hrs ago). This engine replaced an almost identical one, thereby matching her as launched set up. The engine is set fairly well aft, partially under the main cabin aft bunk & partially in the cockpit, driving forward through a vee drive, built in to the gearbox, along with a 2 to 1 reduction gear.

She has 2 rubber exhaust pipes going out to the tuck, (one form each bank of cylinders), which Ken recalls she has had since new, with an external underwater exhaust fitting on each one, of a type introduced in the 1960s which were added a while after she was built.

CONDITION:

She is in outstandingly good condition & by appearance, superbly original inside, still with lots of lovely original looking varnish work — see photos &  even has the original stove, which still has its original instruction book with it.

The photo tagged ‘1980s Putting on some fresh make up’ show the Epithaning of Nika-Sia at the McMullen & Wing yard c.1985. Ice White colour on final  — 7 coats in total.

The present owner Kim Saull, has family connections to Brin Wilson Boatbuilders where she is currently getting loads of TLC from the outstanding group of craftsmen there.

DESIGNER & BUILDERS:

Launched 1967 designed by Ben Hipkin & partly built by him, trading as ‘Supreme Craft Ltd’, a company he bought off Mac McGeady when he was an apprentice to Mc G, when Mc G got too ill to carry on, in the earlier 1960s.

Hipkin built a number of boats after purchasing ‘Supreme Craft’, including about of 2/3rd of Nika-Sia, in the top shed on the road frontage of the Lane Motor Boat Company premises, in Riverview Rd Panmure, which shed later burnt down.

Sadly he had financial difficulties & she was moved by the Furleys to SeaCraft in Ellerslie who finished her off.

She is built of 2 skins of African mahogany, on opposite diagonals according to the origfinal owner’s son Peter.

PEDIGREE:

She was built for Mr J B Furley in 1967 – the order of ownership is as follows – the Furleys sold her to Mr & Mrs G A / M L Armitage’s in August 1980 who later sold to Terry McKeown in 2001, who sold her to Jim Razey, then John Francis in Feb. 2011, then Kim Saull in Sept. 2012 who has her today.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

WW would like to acknowledge input from Peter Furley, Mary Armitage, Tom Morris & Kim Saull, without who’s combined input, it would not have been possible for Ken to make this story so complete.

23/03/2015 More photos ex Ken Ricketts ex Karen Moren’s mother Lyn McGeady

2014 Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Snapshot

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2014 Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Snapshot

This collection of photos is my attempt to record the entrants & the venue of this spectacular event. The team behind the whole weekend also deserve a big shout out as it was all pretty slick & the hospitality showed to the out-of-towners was first-rate.

Enjoy the show, sorry its a bit long, but there are just so many wonderful craft on the lake. I have included a few bits of ‘eye candy’ (close ups) 🙂

Elva
Judy H
Judy H
Alberta
Alberta
Romany
Mary Broome
Run Runner
Rum Runner
Ace Hi
Sambuca
Judy H
Whio
Rum Runner
Classic Edition
Dutchie (L)
Arapawa
Charmer
Chug
Otira
Sara Hutton
Alberta
Cappy
El Capitane
Aroha
Wandering Ways
Kotuku
Lady Glad
Louise
Aroha
Kereru
Achernar
Achernar
Fire Fly
Fire Fly
Princess
Miss Kathleen
Miss Kathleen
EM
Windsong
Juliana
Juliana
Whitney
Nautilus
Ellen
Romany
Mary Rose
Luiarna
Suzie
Suzie
Suzie
Suzie
Suzie
Suzie
Romany & Judy H
Romany & Judy H
Judy H
Romany
Romany
Juliana
Juliana

More photos here, including from the launch picnic at Wairau Bay

http://classicyacht.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2338

The Two Extremes Of Classic Boating

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Romany
Romany
Judy H

The Two Extremes Of Classic Boating

While at the 2014 Classic & Wooden Boat Parade on Lake Rotoiti at the weekend I had the opportunity to experience the two extremes of classic wooden boating.

Firstly on Saturday morning I was a invited for a tour of the bays by Russell Ward, the skipper of the steam boat ‘Romany’. I have a bit of a thing for steam so this was very special.

The days activities had been postponed due to crap weather- it drizzled all day, so getting out on the lake was a bonus.

Late in the day the opportunity arose to take a ride in Shawn & Cathy Vennell’s ‘Judy H’, a replica 19’6″ Chris Craft runabout powered by a 5.7 V8. Doing 75kph across the lake at dusk with a V8 roaring in your ear is stunning – the acceleration was like a drag car & the ride was so smooth. Now this may not appeal to the yachtie ww readers but myself & Chris Miller were ‘moved’ 🙂

When I get time tonight I will do a full post on the weekend (event ran on Sunday)

Launching video ex Chris Miller

Idling & Underway ex Alan H

Juliana @ the 2014 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Weekend

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Juliana
Juliana

Juliana @ the 2014 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Weekend

Juliana was built in 1930 by Sam Ford & now resides on Lake Rotoiti, the pride flag ship of Lake Rotoiti commodore Fraser Wilson. Fraser bought her as a bare neglected hull, with no bulkheads, engine, underwater gear, mast or anything else & undertook a major 3 year restoration /rebuild at the hands of Lake Rotoiti boatbuilder Tony Mitchell. The attention to detail & standard of workmanship is second to none. I was fortunate to go on board & on Friday night & see her up close – stunning.

The are numerous posts on ww about Juliana & her past, so to read & see more, enter Juliana in the search box.

I will post more on the weekend on Monday, but yesterday I had two magic boating experiences that were VERY wow & made the trip even more special 🙂