Tag Archives: Athol Burns

Kairaki

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KAIRAKI

Kairaki was built in 1964 to an Athol Burns design.  She is best described as a 25’ Marlborough Sounds overnight launch. You will see from the photos that she has been completely restored after extensive refurbish, all done by a boat builder.
Carvel planked in Kahikatea and fully treated with Metalex. She sat in a shed for 5 years & then was completely stripped to bare boat. Fiberglass sheathed above deck from gunnel to gunnel, new cockpit, also glassed.

The get up & go comes via a 35hp Isuzu diesel that sees her cruising at 7 kts with max of 8.5kt. Being trailer-able is another big bonus, so if there are any Lake Rotoiti woodys looking for a perfect lake boat – check her out on trademe. Again thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up.

 

 

Teigene

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TEIGENE

Teigene was designed by Athol Burns & built by Tibble & Parsons (Motueka) in 1956. Her specs are LOA: 31’6” ,Beam: 10’ & Draft: 2’9″ 

She is built from 1″ planked kauri with ply glassed top sides & teak decks. A 55 hp 4 cyl. Mercedes diesel pushes her along at a comfortable 6.5 knts, max is 7.5 knts 

Her trademe listing (thx Ian McDonald) shows her moored in Havelock Marina.

Sea Reaper

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SEA REAPER

Today’s story originated from woody John Wicks – John advised that the West Harbour Marina (now renamed Hobsonville Marina) were having a clear-out of what the locals call “Death Row”, the part of the hardstand where abandoned boats go to die. Either their marina fees haven’t been paid and they were at some point lifted out and impounded, or in the case of Sea Reaper, were already there and the owner has disappeared or just failed to keep up hardstand fees.

John believes that Sea Reaper is a Lidgard built fishing boat, made out of some fair sized chunks of tree-wood. She had been laid up at the marina for several years, and was moved to “Death Row” a few months ago. The hardstand crew had begun to partly dismantle her (removed the superstructure) preparatory to taking to her with a chain saw. Luckily, just a couple of days before the saw began buzzing, someone (a masochist??) bought her for a nominal sum. She’s to be razeed to deck level (the Gardner removed and trucked separately) to get her size and weight down and trucked to – somewhere – where she’ll hopefully be restored.

 

So woodys – anyone know where she went & what the plans are?

Input from G R Lidgard

Built Lidgards Bayswater 1963/4 to design by Athol Burns for East Coast Fisheries, home port Gisborne. Was heavily specc’d Kauri (I think) on Australian hanrdwoods and was fastened with copper bolts and into grounds with a variety of large cast dumps, it surprises me that such a well built and in survey boat was let go to such an extent. I remember their was little income in this type construction which was quite dated even then.

Input (photo below) from  Cameron Pollard

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And more photos from Cameron P.

Engine Removal

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The stick comes out

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Max height & max load for a 3am move 😉

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11-09-2017 – Ian McDonald asks a question – could she be a Saunders build ? see below

National Library of New Zealand – Archives

Interview with Alfred Saunders

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Date: 14 Dec 1994 By: Saunders, Alfred Carr, 1911-2010

Ref: OHInt-0444-06

Alfred Saunders born at Point Halswell, Wellington 1911. Recalls his father was an artilleryman in the army, stationed at the Point to look after the large gun there. Talks about growing up on the Miramar Peninsula, Fort Ballance and other forts around the harbour. Also talks about period when father left the army and they moved to Whangaroa where his father took up crayfishing.

Recalls leaving school at the age of 15 years and commencing an apprenticeship as a shipwright with B J L Jukes Ltd, a boatbuilder in Balena Bay, Wellington. Describes his duties as an apprentice and explains that many of the boats worked on at the yard belonged to Island Bay and Eastbourne fishermen. Mentions living at Paraparaumu where he built a 40 foot fishing vessel called `May’ for a Mr Buckland at Plimmerton during the Great Depression. Refers to his work during World War II, describing some of the vessels he worked on which were commandeered by the navy. After the war went fishing from Paremata and details type of fishing and fish caught. Describes location of his boat yard at Paremata foreshore where he built a number of fishing and pleasure craft. Talks about the Sea Reaper, a vessel of 50 feet in length that he built and operated with his sons during the 1960s. Talks about the crayfish boom at the Chathams and the big demand for vessels. Mentions some of the problems encountered with the Marine Department surveyors and the modern fishing regulations. Talks about son, Harold, who has a boatbuilding business in Tory Channel in the Marlborough Sounds.

 

Christina – Sailing Sunday

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Mr W MacQueen on his yacht Christina 1956

Christina – Sailing Sunday

The early 1950’s cutter Christina was designed by Athol Burns & built in Wellington by Bill McQueen. She has appeared before on ww (blue link below) & we uncovered some amazing detail for her current owner Bill Moe who resides (along with Christina – now renamed Victory) in Silva Bay, Gabriola Island, B.C., Canada.

ww woody Nathan Herbert pointed me in the direction of this 1956 National Library photo of Christina with builder / owner W (Bill) McQueen on board. I’m sure this photo will see Bruce Tantrum having flash backs 🙂

Anyone able to ID the 2 yachts in the background?

Make sure you check out the previous Christina/Victory ww story

Christna > Victory – Sailing Sunday

09-08-2016 Input from Gavin Pascoe
The below photo of Christina from the RPNYC collection. Shows Bill McQueen. Gavin thinks it shows her hauled out at Evans Bay.

Christina

Sunday Bonus – click the blue link below to view on-line the latest edition (August 2016) of ‘Yachts & Yachting’ magazine & read the feature on the Rio Olympics + upcoming America’s Cup World Series action at Portsmouth.

http://www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/aug-digi-2016/?utm_source=The%20Chelsea%20Magazine%20Company%20Ltd&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=7401789_Y%26Y%20-%20CB%20-%20August%20FREE%20issue%202016&dm_i=6NM,4EN99,3U5KNY,G7JSJ,1

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Christna > Victory – Sailing Sunday

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CHRISTINA > VICTORY – Sailing Sunday

photos & details ex Bill Moe

I was contacted last week by Bill Moe from Silva Bay, Gabriola Island, B.C., Canada who had stumbled across ww when looking for details on the boat designer Athol Burns. Bill owns a AB boat originally named Christina (now called Victory). Bill bought the boat online, unseen, approx 4 yrs ago & tried to sail it back to Canada but found our weather was horrendous & being in his early 60’s at the time, did in no way have that kind of endurance for single handed sailing. So he pulled into Wellington and a vicious storm descended that blew 70 plus for about 5 days, would have killed him no doubt, so he shipped the boat back. Unfortunately he had to cut up the beautiful mast for shipping, but Bill has made many a mast in the past so he saved all the beauty fittings.

The other day a passing yacht was inquiring as to her design, so Bill googled Athol Burns and found the ww site.

Bill commented that he just loves this boat & never expects to sell her. The boat often anchors in Vancouver and he uses it for cruising the coast. Bill has made many upgrades to the boat, new glass, new heaters, opening port, chart plotter, opening companion doors etc, but always respectful of the original workmanship, which he reports is exceptional. Bill commented that boats need good owners and this boat has a very caring, practical artisan owner now & even though the boat is out of NZ it continues to draw great admiration & continues its illustrious life. Its also nice for Bill to maintain the historical connection with those that love Athol Burn’s designs and the boats Wellington roots.

In addition to old boats Bill restores vintage Honda motorbikes (photos below) & hand built the waterfront cottage he lives in. Bill also restored the 1946, 38′ center cockpit yacht pictured below but says he can not take credit for the joiner work.

Can any woodys help Bill with any info on Christina’s life in NZ prior to shipping across the world?

 

 

30-06-2016 – A note from Bruce Tantrum

Hi Alan,
Regarding your story about Christina, the Athol Burns cutter, I knew Christina very well.
What a delightful surprise to fill in part of a 6 decades ago gap and to learn of her excellent condition now in the hands of such a caring owner in distant Canada.
Bill McQueen, a skilled young boat builder, built Christina at his family home in Wellington. She was kauri planked with a laid deck of Matai, an Oregon mast, boom and bow sprit with a laminated semi circular Oregon bumpkin to take the backstay. Christina would have been launched in the early 50’s, and was moored in the somewhat exposed Oriental Bay `marina’, overlooked by the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club. As a youngster, less than a decade after the second world war when times were financially tight, I would take the train to Wellington and walk along the wharves to admire the boats on their moorings in the marina. One weekend, by chance, I met Bill McQueen who had Christina alongside the little jetty. He was, as is the norm, doing some routine maintenance on what was, to my boyhood eyes, his large and beautiful 26 foot cutter. We got chatting, I was invited to come aboard and subsequently, I became a crew member. Amongst my most formative and definitive memories was one Friday evening slipping the moorings and crossing Cook Strait at night in a favourable southerly breeze. We entered Tory Channel and anchored at a late hour some short distance in on the port hand in a sheltered little bay amongst other boats all illuminated by starlight.
We had a great sail back on the sunny Sunday, a starboard tack reach. I was hooked.
regards
Bruce

Tairaroa / Tairoa

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TAIRAROA / TAIROA
details from Russell Ward- photos RW & NZ Herald (screen grabs)

Russell reports that sadly Fridays big blow in Wellington put his old cutter, the Athol Burns Tairaroa onto the rocks. From the NZ Herald news footage you can see that she has nibbled through her mooring pendant. Russell’s Maroro chomped through hers at Devonport and ended up going walkabouts for the previous owner. she was a third of the way through her new one when Russell saved her. He has put a chain on Maroro’s Mahurangi mooring in case it became a habit- gets windy out there.

View NZ Herald footage here   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/national/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503075&gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=151530

Can any one post an update in the comments section as to whether they were able to crane her off?

Russell’s comments on owning Tairaraoa

I bought her in a rather decrepit condition 25 years ago. She had not long gone walkabouts from her Okahu Bay mooring and ended up on the bund rocks at Tamaki Drive. Happily she was floated off and served as a mussel and kelp farm for a long time until I read the riot act to her owner. He responded by offering her to me as is where is.
I put a diver down and he verified that there were deep gouges and as far as he could see, she was in reasonable nick.
I got him to clean off as much as he could –including three bags of mussels for which he thanked me warmly.
Buck Rodgers and I towed her to Bayswater –where there was a welcoming slipway.
Merv Sefonte put in a lot of dutchmen and graving pieces, repaired the edges of several planks so there could be recaulked and she was a lovely member of the Ward family until I bought Gloaming.
She was an amazing yacht. Buck reckoned she’d be a rocking horse with her hull shape but no so, she’d just put her shoulder down and rip into it. She’d keep her weigh in a slight breeze because of her weight. We could sneak up on and overtake much bigger boats to their horror. The cutter rig made her very easy to sail on and off the mooring –yes Alan I had a swing mooring there in those days. The engine was an Arona single and had to be started on a pull cord -it was kind of hard in a confined space to manipulate the decompressor and pull. Easier to sail everywhere.
No electrics –a real boat.
I took her out in a snorter of an Easterly gale to see what she could do. Got her on her beam ends several times and she never developed any nasty helm traits. Could have/should have taken a few rolls down but she was a real Cook Straiter with a very heavy rig and I wanted to try her out.

21-06-2015 An Update from Russell Ward

Thanks be to Ward Minor (Caroline) for these pix. High tide at 8.30 am 9 pm. The pix below were taken 1500 Saturday amid feverish activity to get patches in place.
She has been floated off. Russell’s spy will take more photos later in the week. Russell’s guess she is at Evans Bay haul out.
Cranes????!!!! This is a proper ship and a proper salvage job! She is well repairable by the looks. Those planks are thick!
BTW the name can be taken to mean “spending ones time in a pleasant way” but Russell will leave it to HDK for the definitive translation.

22-06-2015 – Russell Ward Update

To quote Russell “Solid planking pays off eh what? Taiaroa lives!”

13-10-2018 UPDATE – She is being restored.

Her new owner Otto Schutte has advised that the name of the boat in the photos above is actually Tairoa not Tairaroa. Otto found this carved into the transom while stripping the paint off. All the planks and corking have been done on the hull below the water line But still a work in progress – photos below.

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13-10-2018 Input from Robin Elliott

Tairoa was registered in Auckland in 1965 as E-194 as designed by Athol Burns and built by her owner Mr. A. Bland. Her launch date is unknown. She was still registered to him as late as 1978.
Other Owners: R. Shipman (Mt Roskill) 1987?/93+?; S. Hall (Waiouru) 1999+?

Dimensions 25’10in x 20’10in x 8’10in x 4’6in; 240sqft sail; ballast 300lb inside, 2ton outside. She was allocated NZYF number 594 in 1969.

Matahui

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MATAHUI

Lindsay Aitcheson, the new owner of the motor-sailor Matahui would like some input from the collective brains of ww followers.

It is Lindsay’s understanding that Matahui was designed by Athol Burns & launched into the Waiwartu  Stream in Wellington in 1955 (refer above photo ex Turnbull Library). Lindsay understands she was built as a fishing boat to long-line in Cook Strait. The builder is unknown but ‘could’ be Frank Dellabarca as he built several Athol Burns designed fishing boats e.g. MV Cristina (featured previously on ww).

Anyone able to shed some light on Matahui & her past??

06/11/14 -Updated with more photos from Lindsay Aitcheson (click to enlarge)

14/11/2014 Two photos of Matahui below ex Pam Cundy when owned by Tim Hall , he used her as a commercial fishing boat. He sold her to build another commercial fishing boat, ‘Skip Jack’ a 38′ Aztec. These days Skip Jack operates as a charter boat out of Gulf Harbour.