Following on from Saturdays WW story on the MCC 100th Anniversary weekend, today thanks to the photo gallery the club hosted. We get to see what the area surrounding the MCC looked like in the late 1920’ > early 1930’s. Sadly most of the infrastructure we see in the photos is long gone, but the club and marina have never been in better shape.
We also get a look at a few of the clubs on-the-water outings.
Some of the local businesses in the area took the opportunity to join in on the festivities – well done The Slipway Milford for dressing the yard, special thanks to the ‘gent’ that lent me the navy signal flags and pennants 😉
On the Saturday, despite the weather the MCC held a parade of club craft out of the estuary and along Milford Beach – as always the quicks couldn’t help themselves – video below filmed from Jason Prew’s classic launch – ‘My Girl’, the motorboat attempting to kept up is – ‘Waikiore’,owned by Murray Deeble .
Saturday was one of those days when what weather conditions you had depended on where in Auckland you where. A few woodys made the call early and stayed home, the glass half full woodys were rewarded with a good day. The only H2O arrived around 3pm as we were getting ready to head back down the river. Once out of the river mouth it was ‘thank god’ for GPS, sea mist and a light drizzle covered the coastline.
As always its great to catch up after winter and see who’s been doing what to their craft.
Big thanks to the skippers and helpers that assisted with the wharf docking, made harder by a bin-liner (my new name for Bayliner plastic launches) that was claiming squatters rights at the end of the wharf. Good skipper handling skills and many lines saw everyone alongside without any grazes or bruises.
Lastly special thanks to Mark and Sue Edmonds for co-ordinating the location and organising the classic motorbikes that joined us on the lawn. Everyone was very smitten with the 3 wheeler – I understand a Morgan with a Matchless V twin transplant.
One of the many photos on display over the weekend at the Milford Cruising Clubs 100th birthday celebrations is the one shown above of the stunning yacht. The photo is captioned ‘Yacht at Milford Estuary 192?’ So that doesn’t really help us much 🙂
The photo caught the eye of both Harold Kidd and myself, but drew a blank. Our best was 22>24’ in length .
So woodys can we ID the yacht? WW burgee to the first woody that puts a correct name / builder to her – subject to HDK giving his ‘could be – sign off 🙂
AND WOODYS THE MCC PHOTO EXHIBITION IS STILL ON TODAY – 10AM > 4PM AT 24 CRAIG ROAD , MILFORD
Rather a big weekend in and around the Milford Creek – the Milford Cruising Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary this weekend. I would have lost money on that – for some reason I wasn’t aware there had been woodys sliding in and out of the creek for that many years.
Yesterday I joined a group of past commodores, life members, patrons and quests for afternoon tea – so many familiar faces . Clubs need to do more of this, the collective age in the room would have been seriously high, and sadly the numbers are dropping.
Todays photos are to give you a snap shot of the amazing photo gallery that has been pulled together recording the clubs history – the club rooms are open Sat & Sunday from 10am > 4pm for anyone and everyone to visit and experience the exhibition.
Also today at 2pm there will be parade of vessels out of the marina , down the creek and along Milford Beach.
Earlier in the year we ran a brief story on the 35’ launch Kurangi, at the time we didn’t generate much intel on her but today we can share more.
Built in 1960, from single skin kauri carvel, her builder is unconfirmed -15 years ago when her owner purchased her he was told Kurangi was a Oliver & Gilpin design / build but this doesn’t sit well with the O&P gurus 🙂
Who ever penned the design, she has very good lines and is well built.
Kurangi is propelled by a Ford 6cyl. 100hp diesel and has a speed range of 7.5>9 knots.
Unlike so many woodys – Kurangi has an impressive service history and has been well maintained – in recent times – new frig/freezer, new toilet, new starter motor and batteries, new canvas canopies, heat exchanger serviced.
The boat has also just had an out-of-water survey for insurance purposes.
After 15 years of family cruising her owners are now at a stage in life where boating is a challenge so have made the decision to pass Kurangi onto new owners. OBC marina available tbc.
Interested parties looking for a turn-key classic launch , ready for summer cruising – contact the Wooden Boat Bureau for more details waitematawoodys@gmail.com
How did the owners of these launches sleep at night ? In the top photo dated 1975 we see the sad sight of a launch being pounded on the Tamaki Drive breakwater , a not uncommon occurrence . Anyone know the name of the launch.
In the images below this photo I have cropped in to show some of the moored craft. Can the hawk eyed woodys ID any of them. I think the Roy Parris built – Pleasure Lady is centre in the second photo. (photo ex Lew Redwood fb)
INPUT ex Nathan Herbert -Boat on the rocks appears to be Te Kowhai, boat identified as Pleasure Lady is Istalena, at left is Almana, and perhaps in distance what looks like Adelaide V with previous low bridgedeck.
In the above photos we see the launch Micheline – while both photos appear to be on the same day, they are tagged March 1967 and 1965 – obviously a typo. The photos come to us from the Tauranga City Library collection via Dean Wright.
Given that on Micheline’s stern she has her port as Tauranga, there is something strange going on – in the top photo she has either just come out of the shed or been hauled out. In the second photo she is being positioned onto a transporter. Maybe its as simple as going somewhere land based to have engine/s installed.
Can we ID the location and learn what became of Micheline.
UPDATE – Location is Hutcheson Boat Builders yard/slip by the Tauranga Harbour Bridge – opposite the Bridge Marina.
05-10-2023INPUT ex Dean Wright – Waimarie II, renamed Kiwi Cruiser, hit Tapeka one night in 2000 and was a total loss. This article says built by O&G in 1967 https://issuu.com/sunmedia/docs/wl1102/23
Back in May 2022 WW ran a story on the relaunch of the 1959 Roger Carey built 33’ double-ender – Quest , link below. The story goes that she was Roger Carey’s private boat and when sold was converted to a work-boat and then later on returned to pleasure use fit out. Her current owners did an amazing job of refitting her after a long spell on the hard in Picton.
KOURA – a sunset cocktail cruiser Koura the 24’ launch, built c.1930s possibly built by Ford Craft, Ellerslie, Auckland – popped up on WW back in June 2019, at the time her owners were looking to sell her via tme. Fast forward to last month and her new owner contacted WW to advise they purchased Kora in Jan 2023 she had a new mission in life. Koura has been de-commissioned and now resides in the Whangarei area, alongside a jetty that is on land with no direct water access. Her owners undertook several alterations, completed in the same style and livery as the original. The hull is yet to be painted with anti foul, to keep the original look. Below is an edited version of what been done to Koura – read on, I think this is a wonderful use of a craft that may have struggled to find a traditional home.
“The engine and gearbox have been removed along with battery and fuel, and all previous wiring updated with additional instrumentation and more accessible switch panel. Power is 230v through an all weather RV cable and socket from the jetty. A timer with back-up turns nav lights on at 6pm and off at 12 midnight whether we are there or not. The jetty lights are solar red and green approach lights, as well as white walkway lights. I rewired the original instruments so that when the new “ignition” key switch is turned on, the rev counter, oil and water instruments indicate an engine running at about 1400rpm. In a further burst of eccentricity normally reserved for the clinically bewildered found Spotify sound tracks of a marine diesel starting up and of a diesel engined boat swishing though waves. A master switch allows me to isolate certain functions, including the new compressed air fog/ nav directional warning horn so it can’t be operated by kids or inebriated adults.
The hydraulic lines to the rudder have been retained to give an authentic resistance, along with the engine/ gearbox throttle, and the winch with its loom ( disconnected as the 100amp draw is not available, but could be reinstated with a closed gel battery if we ever wanted to).
The vessel has a new call sign as we remain members of Coastguard. We removed the VHF and antenna as we didn’t want it played with, but keep a good hand- held in the house.
Existing lights are retained but mostly fitted with LED, and all new lighting is of matching style. When in night Nav mode, concealed blue lights illuminate the curved cockpit ceiling to appear as sky, and the original brass compass is illuminated with red light. A short raked flag pole on the transom allows us to fly the NZ maritime ensign or other flags.
The cockpit cover was built by our builder who is both a master builder and talented cabinet maker. The side of the hull was opened up and double doors fitted that open out, and some port hand cabinetry removed to allow a swivelling skipper’s chair with adjustable height to be installed. A ramp of low slope from the jetty meets the doors and grab handles were installed to enable me to enter the vessel and move around, as I am partially disabled and can only manage shallow steps. We found a company that still makes wooden grab rails identical to the ones on the forward cabin roof, and fitted them, not withstanding the fact that they are now purely decorative. By inserting a packer under them rain water on the curved surface is channeled away from the new windows that are top hinged with insect screens.
Removing the engine and retaining original seating allows for 4 to sit in the cabin in comfort, and the two forward bunks were also retained. All re upholstered. The front hatch which had a bit of rot, and which was not easy to move, was replaced with a tinted acrylic vent that can pop up in any of 4 directions or just up for ventilation. It circulates air even when closed while remaining water tight. It also has a fitted insect screen. The cockpit can seat 3- 4 people.
The overall result is that Koura is now a sunset cocktail lounge with wide cove and harbour views. The line of classic vessels and more recent vessels just off the beach give an air of being part of that little fleet. It is also a sleep out, for which we have installed a compliant fire extinguisher and smoke alarm. Insurance was another odyssey, persuading our Insurer that it was no longer a vessel, but rather a “boat shaped” building extension for the purposes above, but our Broker did a great job navigating those shoals.”
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