MERRY CHRISTMAS – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Wishing you and your family all the best for 2024. If your are afloat – safe boating and remember to email in any woody photos.
JOHN STREET RIP – sad to learn of the passing last week of John Street- one of the leading visionaries and supporters of New Zealand’s maritime scene. There wasn’t many boating activities that John had not rubbed up against.
WAIONE – LATE 1960’S
Todays photo of the 32’ launch – Waione was sent in by Neil Cummings, whose parents owned her in the late 1960’s , in the photo Neil is seen with his older sister, at the time Neil was aged 4>5 years old.
Harold Kidd has previously commented on WW that she may have been built by Joe Wheeler, in Bayswater c.1970.
Waione has made many appearance of the WW site, a lot linked to my ‘recent’ restoration. The link below will take you to a summary go Waione stories.
In the 2022 photos below we see her first at the Mahurangi Regatta and then again in November at Kawau Island.
The fat man in the red suit is scheduled to make an appearance tonight – remember to leave out a piece of Christmas Cake, a glass of whisky and a carrot.
Lady Karita Needs Some TLC
The magnificent 43’ Sam Ford built (1934) launch – Lady Karita is looking very unloved on her Nelson marina berth. Sadly her owner passed away earlier this year and the southern sun is starting to have its way with the finish 😦
Someone needs to buy some shade cloth.
(photos ex J. Burland)
Boatshed Parties Getting All Trendy
The Slipway Milford had their end of year bbq bangers in bread + few beers yesterday – Here I go getting in trouble with the Human Rights Commission again – but the additional of some workers with two X chromosomes has stepped up the calibre of the fare 🙂 Two of the below graced the lunchroom table – well done Jan B.
Classic Boats – Kerikeri – Workshop Visit – PUFFIN
Bay of Islands woody – Dean Wright recently dropped into the shed of Classic Boats in Kerikeri (website link below), one of the projects underway is a complete replanting of the 100 year + classic above, named Puffin. Master boat builderHerbert Crumb-Gartner was just about to turn the hull over- wonderful craftsmanship on display. Dean has promised to call back and update us on the project.
Check out some of the past and present work that Classic Boats have been connected with https://www.classicboats.co.nz
INPUT From Herbert Krumm-Gartner – I am restoring ‘Puffin’ for her current owner of over 30 years. I first laid eyes on her in a shed in Russell about 3 years ago. Her owner phoned me up asking if I would be interested in restoring her to her former glory.
She is now 102 years old and was built as a fishing boat south of Sydney by some carpenters.
The current owner has all the history of her, he even knows, I think the great grand sons of her builders. When I had a look at her I realized that restoring her planking would not be satisfactory at all, as most of her laps had cracks where the copper rivets were, plus lots of the ribs were broken.
I suggested to the owner to completely re-plank and re-rib her. Instead of having 11 planks a side I decided to go to 13, which reduced the overall size of the individual planks considerably. I have retained the deck that the current owner built in the 1990’s. She will be re-powered with a 14hp Nanni diesel engine. Most of her interior, like seats, floor boards, etc, will be re-furbished and re-installed.
At present she is right way up, back in the shed and we are steaming in new Tanekaha ribs. Puffin is just under 18ft long.
WAIONE
Todays 28’ woody just popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald), the listing states that she was built by Lanes in Picton c.1918 and spent her early life around the Marlborough Sounds and French Pass and then more recently at Mapua. For the last 50+ years has been stored in an apple shed in Mapua, where she still is today.
Has been in one family ownership for almost 50 years.
Was originally powered by a Standard Gas Egine Co. diesel and is offered for sale with an addition Petter diesel.
Big leap of faith given the only photos are obviously at least 30 years old. Would be nice to learn more about Waione. I suspect that WW has a cub reporter very close to the apple shed so hopefully more to follow 😉
UPDATE 16-01-2024 More photos and details here https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/01/16/waione-shed-visit/
RAWHITI I
Todays woody photo was sent in by Peter Radford who spotted the photo on his sister-in-laws wall, sadly no comments/ notes on the back.
Recently another woody – John Dawson sent in the bottom photo with the comments that he believed the 32’ Rawhiti I was built c.1905 by Bailey & Lowe for Caesar Roose of Mercer.
Started life as a ferry. What became of her after that is a blank to WW.
As you would expect of anything that came out of the Bailey & Lowe shed, she has wonderful lines. The small cabin ‘fits’ perfectly. Very unpractical but as designer William Atkin once said – ‘lack of headroom is one of the least objectionable features a small boat can have’ 🙂
21-12-2023 INPUT ex RAY MOREY – In both of those photo’s Caesar’s baby sister Mary is fourth from the bow of the young girls. This was a picnic outing to what was called “The Rocks” at Pukekawa and later the site of Smeed’s Quarry”. Somewhere I have the complete list of all on board, included is the local P.C. plod. That launch was later sold to Walter Dwenn, Ceasar’s wharfinger at Port Waikato and when in season he was a whitebait buyer, the launch was renamed “Seagull and he sold to the cannery at Tikorahi, up towards The Elbow. After Walter passes away his son Sammy sold it but I don’t know where she went. This was about the very early 50’s. I have a photo somewhere of her alongside the LST when she came in to Port Waikato
22-12-2023 Photo below ex Ray M. of Rawhiti in later life. As mentioned above, called “Seagull” a play on words, Walter was a whitebait buyer in season and seagulls like whitebait too.
MILFORD CREEK FLASH BACK
Wouldn’t it be great if we still had businesses like the above around today. One stop shops.
I was up and down the creek today myself – giving the 95 year old a bottom tickle up – 2023 was such a crap season Raindance didn’t get the normal amount of use. So from entering and exiting the creak the watch said 38 minutes – service with a smile, well almost …… things a tad busy at The Slipway Milford with only 96>hrs till closing the door.
VIOLETTA
Back in October WW was contacted by Jeff Giddens who advised that his father, Spencer Giddens, has been the owner of Violetts, a 36’ Swanson launch. Which the family regularly cruised the Marlborough Sounds on. The Sounds was her birthplace – she was built there in Queen Charlotte Sound by the well known boat builder Bob Swanson, for a Mister Jack Hutton. It was built to cross Cook Strait as the owner lived in Paremata. It did many crossing, often in rough seas and was known for its sea keeping abilities. In approximately 1983 , it was sold to Jeff’s father, who still has it today, but now in his 80s is regretfully, looking to sell. She is 36′ by 11’-6″ feet, with a 3’6″ draft. Violetta is powered by a 6 cylinder turbo charged Ford diesel, and will do 15 knots. It is a hard chine planing hull, which is double planked kauri, a
full inch thick.
Included above s a copy of a Sea Spray magazine article on Violetta dated November 1962. Top photos show the before and after of the alterations Jeff’s father made to the boat eg windows and I top roof dodger, all made to slightly modernise her look.
Out & About – went to a little backyard gathering yesterday and came away with a serious case of blokes shed envy 🙂
DESTINY II – Treat Your Grandchildren This Xmas
This rather cute / salty 21’ gaff rigged cutter sitting on tme and is crying out for someone to step up and adopt her. Destiny II has a $1 reserve and at last look bids were in the low $300’s.
Built /launched c.1930’s she had a major refit in 2007.Her owner has looked after her in the 2+ years he has owned her but with 4 young children she is not getting the use she deserves.
An inboard Bukh 7hp gets her along at 7 knots and there is access to a Weiti River mooring till the end of Jan so thats the holiday cruising in and around Kawau sorted.
Check out the tme listing is a lot of boat for the $$$ – Auction closes 7pm Dec 22nd – Just buy it and the kids / grandkids will think your the best ever.
Question of the day – can anyone ID the pennant (tie-pin?) below.
KAIPARA
Todays woody is the launch – Kaipara and is seen in both photos above in Russell in the Bay of Islands. The photos come to use from the Auckland Library Heritage Collection and were possibly taken by a Ian Mason
In the bottom photo the large building is the Dukeof Marlbouragh Hotel.
So todays questions are:
• who designed/built Kaipara
• what became of Kaipara
• can we put a date on the photo
WW CHRISTMAS BOOY QUIZ WINNER
Earlier in the week we ran a quiz asking which boat builder / designer has had the most boat / name mentions on the WW site. The prize was a copy of the Best Selling Book – ’Shipwright, Boatbuilder, Yachtsman’ by Gilbert J. Littler + a WW sweatshirt (L/S, size XL only) + a WW Burgee.
THE WINNER IS – JAY OWEN – with COLLINGS & BELL
Amazingly only two people chose that answer – almost everyone else went with Colin Wild, followed by various versions of Bailey. Well done Jay.
The book is available to buy at Boatbooks in Westhaven or online https://boatbooks.co.nz/nzbooks.asp
And WW merchandise for sale here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/11/58095/
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