NUKUTERE – A Peek Down Below

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NUKUTERE – A Peek Down Below

The 47’ motor sailer Nukutere last appeared on WW in Dec 2017 – link below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/12/18/nukutere-part-2/  This story was following up on a previous story where her owner was seeking information about the vessels past – the request hit the jackpot when Bernie Warmington contacted WW and sent in extensive details and photos – of the bridge-decker built 1939 > 1941 by Arthur Sang for Bernie’s grandfather- Foster Warmington. Check out the link above to that story, it is an amazing insight into the history of Nukutere, from felling the tree > approx. 2016 when Gavin Warminton authored a family journal on the vessel. 

Today thanks to John Dawson sending in the above photos we get to have look at her as of 2023. ENJOY 🙂

Harold Kidd – ‘Yachts and the Waitemata’ – Parts 3>6

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Following on from yesterday today we have PARTS #3/4/5 /6 – Recorded ‘live’ last Thursday evening at the Devonport Yacht Club- we have Harold Kidd speaking on the topic – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata, HDK broke the talk into several time periods.Apologise – Part #4 – 1945>65 is missing due to an editing error.

PART #3 – 1920 > 1945, Post war boom and bust, and boom again. • The rise of the one design and restricted centre board classes and their competitions • Launch building extended • Keel yacht building boom in the 1930s • The effect of WW2

PART 3

PART #4 (Missing) 1945 > 1965, post war boom again, new materials • Boom in keel yacht construction and offshore cruising • New materials arriving. • Designers take advantage of new materials • International contests

PART # 5 1965 to date • Increasing sophistication in design and use of materials• International racing success • Americas Cup • New Zealand at forefront of world yacht design and construction

PART 5

PART #6 Question time

PART 6

Harold Kidd – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata’ – Part Two

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PART TWO – A
PART TWO -B

Following on from yesterday, today we have PART #2 – Increasing sophistication, 1870 > 1900, Yacht Clubs & Regattas :-

• The first yacht clubs • Competition in the yacht building industry • Use of kauri and diagonal construction • The rise of the mullet boat as a type • Open sail boats • Exports of yachts • Volunteers • The rise of yacht clubs and the proliferation of regattas • Patikis

Recorded ‘live’ last Thursday evening at the Devonport Yacht Club- we have Harold Kidd speaking on the topic – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata, HDK broke the talk into several time periods.The filming was a last minute idea so the quality is a little average and on the night there were a few technical issue with the sound, I have edited the best I can.

NOTE: The slides on screen were always going to be average in terms of reproduction so I focussed on the man (HDK) and his narrative. Turn up your sound and enjoy (approx. 40 minutes)

Make sure you check out WW tomorrow for part #3

Harold Kidd – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata’ – Part One

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As mentioned yesterday on Thursday evening I attended the monthly ’talk’ at the Devonport Yacht Club – this months speaker was the one and only Harold Kidd. The topic was ‘Yachts & the Waitemata, HDK broke the talk into several time periods, I recorded the talk on my iPhone and with HDK’s permission are reproducing on WW. The filming was a last minute idea so the quality is a little average and on the night there were a few technical issue with the sound, I have edited the best I can.

Today we have PART #1 – The Early Period1840 >1870.

• Reliance on maori for fish and produce • Development of boatbuilding industry • Regattas and match races

Make sure you check out WW on Monday for part #2 – lots of motorboats featured.

NOTE: The supporting slides were always going to be average in terms of reproduction so I focussed on the man (HDK) and his narrative. Turn up your sound and enjoy (approx. 5 minutes)

ADVICE NEED – A woody has a serious problem with bird poop. The photos below are from a 2 week period, that coincided with the’Tern season’ – the young fledglings are leaving the nest and still being fed by the parent birds – it also coincides with the whitebait being plentiful as well. So boats in the area become the nursery and whitebait processing station. The boat has since been ‘covered’ with line and bunting.

The bird poop is staining the newly painted side decks and the varnish has what looks like a calcium scale which resists scrubbing.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. So The Question Of The Day – How do you clean off the poop, any secret old school tips ?

Classic Wooden Boat Porn

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Classic Wooden Boat Porn

Todays woody was spotted by John Dawson on the UK site ‘Classic Wooden Boats on the Broads’ and was promoting the 2024 Thames Traditional Boat Festival.

The vessel is named Atta Boy and is 109 years old. She’s one of five 30ft craft built by JW Brooke of Oulton Broad in Norfolk, and was one of the first boats commissioned by the Admiralty as a fast motor launch for HMS Royalist, then she was simple known as MS436. 

MB436 was transferred into private hands in 1923 and renamed Atta Boy. Between 1955 and 1989 she was owned by C J Broom & Son, Brundall and used as a hire boat and tender. Boat number Y57. Significant restoration work then started on her to bring her back to her former glory, which continues to this day.

In 2012, Atta Boy took part in the Royal Pageant as part of the Historic Naval craft.

Devonport Yacht Club – Sea Talks – Harold Kidd

On Thursday night I attended the monthly ’talk’ at the DYC clubrooms – this months speaker was the one and only Harold Kidd. The topic was ‘Yachts & the Waitemata, HDK broke the talk into several time periods, I recorded the talk on my iPhone and with HDK’s permission will reproduce on WW. The filming was a last minute idea so the quality is a little average and on the night there were a few technical issue with the sounds. I have edited the best I can and tomorrow (Sunday) I will post PART #1 – The Early Years 1840 >1870.

Make sure you check out WW on Sunday.

SEA DE’IL > SEA DEVIL > SKIPJACK

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SEA DE’IL > SEA DEVIL > SKIPJACK

Todays woody launch has had several names and appeared on WW numerous times, links below to a couple of those stories.

Thanks to Harold Kidd back in 2016 (refer screen grab below) we learnt that when launched she was named Sea De’il, most likely after a well known race horse of the time.

Lots of colour photos from thru out her recent years but we had never seen her as launched. Yesterday while doing a deep dive in the WW archives I found a press clipping that shown the launch at anchor at Reotahi, Whangarei Harbour in the late 1920’s. 

Owned at the time by Jim Hoey her first owner. There has been a lot of speculation re a possible builder so I won’t go down that rabbit hole 🙂

The launch was 30’6” in length, full length kauri planking but must have been stretched at some stage as some sources have her at 33’. 

When launched she was a workboat and whilst primarily working in and around Whangarei Harbour she was a frequent visitor to Kawau, Great Barrier Island, Mokohinau & the Hen & Chicken islands.

NOTE: I’m interested to hear debate on whether the two boats above are actually the same, now that we have an early photo of Sea De’il, there are a few features that do not gel in my eyes – thoughts?

WW 2016https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/24/sea-devil/

WW 2022https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/12/15/skipjack-sea-devil-2/

SEA HAWK + Turbulence At The CYA

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SEA HAWK

On a recent ’Ex NZ Post Office Construction Staff’ fb post, a Dave Hansen posted the top photo ( location Amberley Beach, early 1980’s) his the story was actually about the truck, but the partial photo of a vessel named – Sea Hawk sparked the attention of a reader named ‘Wolf Man’ who supplied a current day photo and advised the vessel was still on the same section.In his post Dave Hansen commented that the section and contents were neglected due to the owner being a guest of the state eg in prison. On a follow up visit the boat and truck were gone. So at some stage the boat returned.

Keen to learn more about the boat and what’s been happening to her these last 40 years.


JOYCE TALBOT RESIGNS FROM CYA
Dockside chatter has CYA Secertary Joyce Talbot resigning from the CYA after 20+ years. An example of missing her attention to detail – in the March 2024 issue of the CYA’s newsletter ’Sheerlines’ , the editor infers that last weekends Classic Woody Cruise To The Riverhead Tavern, was a CYA event – well folks nothing could be further from the truth………. When it comes to the CYA I’m even amazed they know how to spell the word ‘launch’. I bet the editors laptop always tries  to auto correct it to ‘lunch’ 🙂

And I’m told the CYA vice chairperson has also resigned………………………

ec CYA Sheerlines Mar2024

PELORUS JACK – What became of her + Help A Fishing Mad Kids Day

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PELORUS JACK – What became of her

Last week I was contacted by Lewis Horrell looking for intel on a woody that his grandfather – Clifford Horrell rebuilt / restored. Lewis commented that it was probably a long shot but thats what we deal in at WW. I’ll let Lewis tell the story – 

“This is a long shot but I’m hoping you may have acces to a photo that may shed some light on the finished product of a project my grandad finished and sold. He bought the damaged Pelorus Jack race boat after it was in a shed fire. He extended the top deck and made it into a very unique cabin cruiser. This is where my hopes of a finished moored picture comes in as its very distinctive. Pelorus Jack was a very successful stepped hydroplane and it retained the stepped hull once converted. The above pictures of the boat show her in her racing days and what it looked like after grandad converted it. It had a V8 in it to my knowledge. It was sold to a man in Methven who then moored it in Picton until it got rot and was burnt.”

So woodys can we help Lewis out.

GOTTA FISH – A Shout Out To All Woody Fisherman (& woman)

A friend of a friend (named Tulsi -13 years old) has a YouTube fishing profile under the tag – Gotta Fish. Fishing and his YouTube postings are the #1 thing in his life. I have included a links below to the YouTube URL and also one of Tulsi and his mate landing a good sized snapper from his very dodgy looking dinghy.

Why am I telling you all this? To ask a favour and help make a 13 year old’s day. Sp how about visiting the page and if you like the fishing videos, click subscribe (its free). And if your are feeling really nice – forward the link to your friends.- Tulsi has approx. 350 followers at the moment and it would be so cool if we could bump that number up. Many Thanks 🙂

Gotta Fish YouTube Page – https://www.youtube.com/@gottafish9276

Massive Snapper

Gotta Fish

KORORA SOS

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KORORA SOS

Over the weekend I was alerted to an old woody – Korora that is about to have a date with a chainsaw. Tim Merkens advised that he believes the boat was launched in 1938 and built by Lanes at Totara North. Hull is 1 1/4” kauri planking. Harold Kidd has commented that she was built in Russell or Opua for a J.B. Williams in Dec 1927. Either way she is an old girl that deserves to be saved.

The clock is ticking – currently located at Harbourside Boat Works, Whangarei and the chainsaw date results from approx. 6 years unpaid storage fees.

Anyone looking for a project or even parts / timber – contact the yard on 09 438 9907 SOON.

CLASSIC WOODY CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD TAVERN 

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CLASSIC WOODY CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD TAVERN 

Saturdays cruise up the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour to the historic Riverhead Tavern was a day of two halves  – the journey there and back was a tad annoying with strong SW’s coming across from the western suburbs (check out below the video below that Ant Smit sent me from aboard – Waikaro) but once into the creek it was a very enjoyable day. Lots of new faces and lots of support for WW, with the number WW shirts and burgess on display.

A couple of serious efforts by woodys to make the trip – John Lord (MV Tangaroa) came up from Wellington and was my quest on Raindance and Peter Jones and Diana (MV Kaikoura) who cruised down from Whangarei. And also a great turnout from the boat less that came by road.

Special thanks to the ferry skippers for being very accomodating re wharf berthing.

The thinking caps have been put on re another gathering before winter sets in – initial thoughts are a Clevedon River Cruise and / or a Gulf Island Raid that finishes with a beach bbq – back soon.

I finished the weekend with a WW coffee from the Devonport Deli, thank you Sunil (barista) 🙂