SPARTACUS – Why You Can’t Stop The TLC
Back in August 2019 Baden Pascoe drew our attention to a 32’ launch named Spartacus that was parked up in a paddock in Waipapa, Northland (top two photos).
Fast forward 4+ years and she’s is on tme and looking VERY neglected and offered up for sale, a suspect a ‘on-behalf-of’ sale. There is talk she may have started life as a NZ Navy cutter.
Question of the day, did she sell or will someone in Kerikeri not need to buy firewood this winter?
MANA-NUI STEP ABOARD – 4sale
The double end motorsailer Mana-Nui has made several cameo appearances on WW but today we get to see and learn a lot more about this classic vessel.
Mana-Nui was built by Harvey & Lang in 1913 and is kauri carvel construction and approx. 39’ in length with a 10’6” beam and 5’ draft. Power is courtesy of an underfloor Ford 120hp diesel engine that sees her cruising at 7 knots while sipping 4L per hour.
In recent times her owner has spared no expense on bringing Mana-Nui up to a very high standard of presentation – the recent addition of the custom davits an example. Amongst todays NZ classic fleet Mana-Nui is one of the few that retains her original aura, character and pedigree, while at the same time, a careful integration of modern systems and technology ensures a high level of comfort and safety.
Stepping aboard one of the first things that hits you is the great accomodation space and her light and airy saloon with large windows, these features make her a very comfortable classic cruising vessel both on-route, at anchor or in the marina.
By now I’m sure you will have guessed that Mana-Nui is offered for sale and unlike so many craft offered for sale, she is sail away ready.
If you or someone you know is scouting for a 9/10 classic that is perfect for either day cruising or weeks away at a time – contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com for more information.
Note – photos below dated c.1956>1961. Location is Hokianga
HELENA 8363 – Sailing Sunday
Recently WW was contacted by Daniel Keat who owns the yacht – Helena. Daniel was reaching out to uncover more on the craft. Daniel has owned Helena for approx. 4 years and is working away to bring her back to her former glory.
Story goes that she may have been built c.1920’s and built in Helena Bay, hence the name. She’s made from 1&7/8” thick kauri. When the wind is off-duty there is a Perkins 6.354 to help the forward motion.
In her early days Helena fished out of Dunedin and Lyttelton , and fishing out of Nelson when in 2012 an Irish boatbuilder bought her and completely rebuilt her except of the hull (thats an Irish statement). Recently Helena has been at the Norsand Boatyard in Whangarei, Northland where Murray Wilkinson commented that she maybe older than the stated c.1920’s.
So woodys – can we help Daniel out re Helena’s past.
27-02-2024 UPDATE – photo below of Helena on sea trials off Onehunga ex Baden Pascoe
MYSTERY LAUNCH 24-02-2024 – ROMA
Mid last year the above photo popped up on a Keith Humphreys fb post – we learnt that the photo was from the Darroch Collection and the vessel is thought to be one of their craft.
We were told there is an ‘R’ carved in amongst scroll-work at the bow. And those port holes have to be a giveaway.
No mention of location but the photo is ex the Devonport Museum, she is flying an ‘Auckland Motor Yacht Club’ pennant + sporting a #8 – so may some Waitemata Harbour launch race / event?
INPUT EX NATHAN HERBERT – The vessel is Roma, she made a WW appearance back in August 2016, in that story Ross Dawson and Harold Kidd advised she was 35′ in lenghth, built in 1910 by Tom Le Huquet. Sadly she came ashore in 1918 and broke up.. Link to the 2016 story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/31/mystery-launch-31-08-2016/
HAVE TO RSVP’ed FOR RIVERHEAD TAVERN WOODYS LAUNCH CRUISE
Details below – RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com with boat name and approx. crew numbers.
DATE: Saturday 16th March TIME: Meeting at Lucas Creek area at 11am. Arriving hotel at 11.30am TIDE: HW @ 1pm – 3.3m
PURSUIT – A Peek Down Below
Back in Feb 2020 we ran a short story on the 33’ launch Pursuit – at the time we uncovered she was deigned by Max Carter. Link to that story belowWW Feb 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/02/18/pursuit/
In late 2023 Pursuit popped up on tme , thank you Ian McDonald, and thanks to that we get to have a gander below.
Pursuit was built c.1964 from double diagonal kauri , then in the 1990’s she was glassed.
Her forward motion is via a Lees Ford 100hp diesel engine that gives a comfortable cruising speed of 7 knots.
Hopefully she found a new owner and fingers and toes crossed that the ‘block of flats’ on top has a appointment booked at the barbers 🙂
REMEMBER – YARD SALE AT TE ATAU BOATING CLUB SATURDAY
MOTUEKA MARINA – TIDE IN
Almost always when John Burland sends in photos from the Motueka marina the tide is out, not in todays photos from earlier in the month.
So woodys today we get to see the woodys afloat and its certainly a better look 🙂 Enjoy.
The ‘ditty’ was sent in by Dave Stanaway – Dave commented – ‘Below is a ditty I learned as a 12 year old. An old retired seaman thought good for me to learn as I spent all my school holidays on towboats. Funny thing was when studying for second mate I was told to forget such a ditty.’
Affordable Classic Boating – 1/4 The Cost
Today I want to touch base on an newish trend in the classic boating world – fractional ownership. Sure there are lots of two owner eg 2 buddies or 2 linked family partnerships, but with the raising cost of marina berths more and more boats are having multiple owners. And thats a good thing, maintenance and berth-age costs are affordable, new owners are entering the classic community at a younger age and best of all – the boats are being used more.
One such partnership centres around the 36′ 1953 Billy Rogers built classic sedan launch – Margaret-Anne. There is a link below to a 2017 WW story on the launch. Some boats are lucky in their owners – Margaret Anne has had two very passionate classic friendly owners who have restored her to a better than new condition – then moved on to bigger craft.
Margaret Anne is now in the hands of 4 parters and one of the ’shares’ is now available to purchase, the buy in includes access to a Westhaven marina.
So woodys if you and your family are looking to get afloat in a stunning classic wooden boat – contact Sonia Garica for more details songarcia@yahoo.com
WW April 2017 storyhttps://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/23/30737/
FAITH – A Peek Down Below
The 1968 30’ Phil Lang designed and built launch – Faith has made several appearances on WW – links below – lots of details & photos from her past
https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/01/faith/https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/06/faith-flash-back-friday/
Faith is a well travelled old girl, originally built by Phil as his own boat for commercial fishing out of Whangaparoa, Auckland. She later went to Northland then to Dunedin, South Island (Port Chamlers & Carey Bay). Then up to the Marlborough Sounds. These days she resides in Picton.
Forward propulsion is via a 38hp Nanni diesel engine that gives her a cruise speed of 6.5 knots.
Thanks to Ian McDonal for the tme alert.
OPANUI – A Peek Down Below + Woody Lunch Cruise Details
Todays woody sedan launch – Opanui, was designed and built in 1964 by Phil Lang for Robert Chamberlain of Chamberlain Island (now Ponui } , Built to tow barges up to 70′ long around the Hauraki gulf she is an incredibly strong boat, made from 1 1/4 inch strip planked kauri.She is approx 38′ long with a 10’6″ beam & 3’6” draft. Her original 6 cylinder 130 HP Perkins diesel 6354 still powers her and cruises at a comfortable 6>7 knots.
Thanks to Ian McDonald spotting a tme listing we get to have good look at Opanui. From the listing she appears to be well maintained and well fitted out for cruising.Current home is the Bay of Islands.
CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH CRUISE & CATCH UP AT RIVERHEAD HOTEL
After the brilliant (but long over due) summer we have had so far this season it will be great to get together to a catch up and swap cruising tales. So its time for a lunch cruise to the Riverhead Tavern – Saturday 16th March. Details below –
RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com with boat name and approx. crew numbers.
DATE: Saturday 16th March TIME: Meeting at Lucas Creek area at 11am. Arriving hotel at 11.30am TIDE: HW @ 1pm – 3.3m Looking forward to catching up 🙂
NOR EAST – Before and Now
Recently Robert Ross sent in the colour photo above of the launch – Nor East. Robert commented that his father bought Nor East around 1960ish and that’s Robert on the bow in the photo. Robert doesn’t know much about her except she was 37’ in length and was bought from an estate associated with McAlpine Industries. Needless to say Nor East had a great fridge/freezer on board 🙂
In the 2nd b/w photo from a WW story from March 2018 ex Lew Redwood we see Nor East leaving the Milford Creek. The photo was reproduced on the cover of Sea Spray magazine.
In the WW story we learnt from Robin Elliott that according to a Sea Spray Aug 1959 issue, she had twin BMC commodores developing 52 bhp max each. Designed by Fred Wilkins of Tauranga and is the same hull design as his well known sword fishing launch Sou East. Built by Allen Williams of Milford for James S. McAlpine and launched ‘late last season’.
McAlpine was owner of McAlpine Refigeration, who assembled British Prestcold refrigerators and American designed supermarket chillers and display cabinets in Penrose. Much was made in the Sea Spray article of her refrigeration system – 3 of them, one for food, one for drinks and a third for frozen foods and freezing caught fish.
Back in February 2019 John Bullivant pulled together a great WW story on the Tamaki River and included was the photo below of Nor East moored in the river. Another example of how a woody can lose its mojo when the varnish disappears .
INPUT ex Ken Ricketts – Full Sea Spray article below + a number of photos of her in the Jim McAlpine era & 1 or 2 later ones. Makes a great sister ship for the lovely Nor West (by Lane Motor Boat Co), & Sou East both with Ford V8 petrol Vee drives in the stern, as original). SOU EAST was the first of the 3 of them, to be built.
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