SMOKE & MIRRORS – A Peek Down Below

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SMOKE & MIRRORS – A Peek Down Below

Todays 51’ woody – Smoke & Mirrors, made a cameo appearance on WW back in Oct 2017 (link below) – then she was named – Christopher Grey and both Nathan Herbert and Russell Ward supplied photos. Thanks to a tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a peek below decks.

Christopher Grey

Designed and built by Millar & Tunnage in 1964 she started life as a commercial fishing boat based in the bottom half of NZ and after 20 odd years as a trawler and crawfishing workboat was converted to pleasure use.  In her ’new’ configuration she went north and was available for charter out of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. She then returned south to her home town of Port Chalmers.

A 175hp Gardner engine provides her forward propulsion. 

A very salty woody that make a very comfortable live-aboard, particularly with that large galley stove 🙂

Port Motueka Mooching

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Port Motueka Mooching

WW cub reporter Jason Prew is mooching around the South Island on a 4×4 adventure (not really roughing it- refer photo below), in his travels he pointed the ute in the direction of Post Motueka. WW have done numerous stories on the area but normally in summer i.e. the boats are in the water. Thanks to Jason’s spring visit we get to see some of the woodys hauled out.

Would be nice if one of the southern woodys can put some names to the craft.

(photo ex Daniel Prew fb)

Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch

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Older Photo

Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch

Several woodys have drawn my attention to this  24’6” launch thats recently popped up on tme. The listing states that it was designed / built by L G Coulthard in Onehunga. The build year says 1965 but Nathan Herbert has commented that Coulthard’s last boat was in 1959, this one resembles a build year c1930s. Nathan also as pictured above she will have had a new cabin since launching. 

There is some uncertainty around the launches name – when her current owner bought her in 2006 in Auckland, her name was  – Talofa and it was claimed she was originally  built for the Mayor of Thames. Her name was subsequently changed to Kotare.

What we know  – 24’6” in length, 8’ beam and draws 2’3” – powered by a 28hp 3 cyl. Vetus marine diesel engine giving her a top speed of 7.5 knots.

Current home is Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds, South Island.

J .(Jimmy) Mc McLaren Boatbuilders Onehunga 

Recently contacted by a James H McLaren regarding his grandfathers boat yard, the yard was probably side-by-side with the L G Coulthard yard in Onehunga.The photo below shows the McLaren builders plate. James is looking for a surviving dinghy made by his granddad – Jimmy McLaren, James commented that they were his stock in trade.Can anyone help out eg have one for sale – any condition.

Summer Wine Gets Some TLC

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Summer Wine Gets Some TLC

Visitors to {the} Slipway Milford yard last month would have seen the launch – Summer Wine hauled out getting a serious refresh in & out.

Summer Wine was designed and built be Noel May, Buckland Beach, launched in 1993 so slips into the spirit of tradition category .

The weather last Friday when she slipped back into the Milford creek as not very pleasant but she still looked very smart. Launch day photos via cadet WW photographer Jason Prew 😉

In the on the hard photos we also see the 1953 A Couldrey designed, Brin Wilson built launch – Endeavour , hauled out for some cardiac surgery – the engine is being reconditioned.

Read / view more about Summer Wine at 2013 WW sorry – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/24/summer-wine/

Chamberlains Bay – April 2022

RSVP TO1 waitematawoodys@gmail.com

AWARIKI – On The Market – PRICE REDUCED – $48,000 ono

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27-02-2024 UPDATE – Owner has just installed new exhaust hose to transom, new S/S through stern fitting turning. 90deg outside to a flapper finishing inside the belting starboard side.

AWARIKI – On The Market

Two years ago I helped sell the classic launch Lady Adelaide for her owner of 20+ years, my first question was – what’s next – well he was way ahead of me, having identified a very smart 32’ Owen Woolley designed and built launch named – Awariki. It was one of those relationships always meant to happen because back in 1967 Kerry was serving his apprenticeship under Owen Woolley and helped build Awariki. So the DNA was strong. 

When I inspected Awariki she was a little tired, but the bones were there and Kerry was the man to give her a serious dose of TLC. Over the last two years Awariki has had a refit to her interior and most of the systems  enhanced / upgraded – including a solar system and auto windlass – there’s even a custom built in wine frig 🙂

Some specs – 32’ x 10’5’ beam and 3’ draft. Built from Kauri planks. A 6cyl. Perkins 97hp engine (recon 1987) gives Awariki a top speed of 10 knots.

Another rarity in a 32′ classic is her 2m headroom.

Its not often that a 32’ launch with a flybridge looks good to the eye – Awariki carries hers well, everything is in proportion. Check out the last photo with everyone ‘up top’ – as I mentioned – she just looks right to the eye.

So woodys after reading all this its obvious that Awariki is reluctantly on the market – she is in turn-key condition – a wonderful classic cruising launch ideal for family summer cruising in absolute comfort

Interested parties to initially contact {the} Wooden Boat Bureau at waitematawoodys@gmail.com

The Launching of Wynona

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c.1950’s

The Launching of Wynona

Todays story is on the launch – Wynona, in the top photo above ex fb via K Ricketts we see Wynona being launched at Ohinemutu on the shores of Lake Rotorua in the North Island of NZ.

From previous WW stories we have learnt (thanks Harold Kidd) that Wynona was built in 1948 by Sam Ford for the Rotorua Lake Service Ltd., who used her for tourist trips to Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. The colour photo of her c.1950’s is from the front cover of a brochure promoting the trips.

A comment was recently made on WW that Wynona was being restored at Tarakohe marina, in Golden Bay – would love details / photos, so if this is a happening thing and someone knows the owner – I’ll reward a report with a WW burgee.

And remember to RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com for the Riverhead waterfront Tavern lunch cruise  – 0n Sunday November 19th

The Halvorsen Story

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Neutral Bay, Sydney – 1936
25′ Wonglaa
42′ Pollyana – 1934
38′ Kweena – pre restoration
Kweena – post restoration
Kweena – interior
60′ Tooronga – owner by A/Cup skipper – Ian Murray
57′ Sinana

THE HALVORSEN STORY

Todays WW story comes to us via the crew at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival and features a video presentation by Tony MacKay on the legendary

Australian boat building dynasty – the Halvorsen family. Tony gave the presentation at the 2023 festival. 

Some background on Tony – he has been on board Halvorsen boats all his life, having owned nine substantial cruisers, all of which were significantly and lovingly restored. Through his involvement with the Halvorsen Club, he has passed some of this passion and energy to like-minded owners of these beautiful craft, also assisting with the improvement of skills and historical information. He has also represented the family for significant events at the Australian National Maritime Museum, exhibitions, on water parades, birthdays and even eulogies. It has been a lasting passion. 

Tony is a real character and has a very salty Australian vocabulary e.g when referring to a narrow beamed craft he said “it would roll on a wet lawn’.The photos above are just a taste of the many in the presentation – linked below – ENJOY.

Defender At Speed

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DEFENDER (Scripps III)

The above photo of the launch Defender, previously named Scripps III, was taken by H Winkelmann and appears to have been ’torn’ out of a 1918 copy of NZ Yachtsman.

In a 2013 WW story Harold Kidd commented that Scripps III was pretty quick with her 4 cylinder Model K Scripps, bore 5.5″ and stroke 6″ = 475 cu ins =7.6 litres. It was a straightforward side-valve engine with twin ignition, producing vast gobs of torque. The above photo was tagged as saying on the day of the photo she nearly hit 17 knots.

Her specs were 35’ x 7’6” beam. At the time she was owned by a Mr. E. LeRoy.

Question of the day – can anyone ID the white hulled launch (race #94) in the background.

(Photo ex fb sent in by K Ricketts)

WW 2013 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/08/15/how-did-they-keep-their-hats-on/

WW 2018 https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/04/20/scripps-iii-defender/

FLOATING BACH AWARDS

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FLOATING BACH AWARDS

Thanks to Lindsay Grenfell we have two new contestants for the boat that most resembles an apartment / bach. As Lindsay commented and I have to agree – “what were ya thinking and why?”

The good news is they dont reside in NZ, the photos were taken several years ago when Lindsay was staying at the Jamaica Bay Inn at Marina Del Rey, a 30min drive from LA Airport and out of the city.Lindsay commented that there was a marina adjacent and naturally (as we do and like to) he ventured off to view some of those berthed, it was a biggies, from memory – 5000 berths.   

LOOKING FOR A COOL DINGHY /RUNABOUT

Do not normally link to tme listings but this 11’ L,G. Coulthard dinghy is a honey and at current bids, a bargain https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/dinghies-rowboats/wood/listing/4391413624?bof=zXgwcdZX

BABY LU / WARATAH DNA CONFIRMED

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BABY LU / WARATAH DNA CONFIRMED

Recently there was some debate on a WW story (link below) regarding the DNA of a launch named Waratah. Now thanks to the above stunning photo sent in by Harold Kidd we can close the case – all 3 craft pictured in the WW story are the same boat (ttps://waitematawoodys.com/2023/10/20/baby-lu/

Normally I would have just added the new photo to the existing story, but its such a cool photo it deserves to stand alone – you have to love the attire of the gents onboard – collared shirt and necktie 🙂

TIME TO RSVP FOR THE WOODYS LUNCH CRUISE TO THE RIVERHEAD TAVERN – SUNDAY NOV 19th – rsvp to the email address below with boat name and approx crew numbers (if known) RSVP waitematawoodys@gmail.com