Woody Classics Weekend Riverhead Trip Report
And more ex David Plummer and Geoff Steven
B/W photo below ex Mike Mahoney
Great view of Jason Prew’s – My Girl below. taken by Angus Rogers. Really shows off her lines, no wonder she is so quick 😉
Woody Classics Weekend Riverhead Trip Report
And more ex David Plummer and Geoff Steven
B/W photo below ex Mike Mahoney
Great view of Jason Prew’s – My Girl below. taken by Angus Rogers. Really shows off her lines, no wonder she is so quick 😉
A Woody Tour of the Tamaki River – 70 photos
“Thought it was about time I got a few photos on the Tamaki River boats before they disappear, (and they are going fast by the look of some). There are only a fraction of the numbers of wooden boats that were moored there in the 1960s and 1970s and as I previously mentioned, living on the waterfront at Bucklands Beach for around 25yrs I had seen most of them go by (was like Queen St on Friday nights most summer weekends) I did 2 trips down from Orewa and took pics from Panmure Boat Club and up to and under the new Panmure Bridge, end of Gabadore Pl (off Carbine Rd), the old Panmure Marina, (going with many houses from Panmure to Pakuranga Town centre, to make way for new highway widening), along the Tamaki River walkway for about 4km (Rotary Walk,- starts at the old Panmure Marina and goes all the way to Gills Rd in Howick, for those who like walking), Half Moon Bay and Bucklands Beach.
I also went down to the 1960s site of the private ex RNZAF W1 haul-out ramp below the old Alright property (well covered in bush now and a near vertical climb down a 30ft bank), – lost a bit of blood but well worth it for me, as I last stood on that spot 50yrs ago when we sneaked on board W1 to have a look around while she was up there. Original ramp and haul-out dolly is still there (see pics) although time has taken its toll. I’m amazed, looking at the crude set-up today, how Mr Alright got a 64ft boat weighing many tons, sitting on rubber tyred dollies (which ran in grooved concrete) lined up and hauled out with a winch and by the looks of it, the large tree in line with the ramp, not to mention getting it back out again (I’m assuming he must have winched it back out somehow). Massive effort not only to build the ramp on mud, (all by hand, no concrete pumping trucks) but to be able to use it.
Hope these photos are of interest to people who may be able to identify some of the mystery boats (especially the light blue launch with the chrome ventilators and light, (looks ex RNZAF ?). The yacht hidden near the big boatshed is around 45ft looks very old and has been there for many years, as has poor old Imatra, a once grand yacht which is in a very sad state and in urgent need of care (must have been there 30 yrs odd now). I have included a few other launches and yachts to show the sad state of many good looking (and once expensive) boats on the river crying out for attention, but I guess many people have other priorities and sadly their dreams are just floating slowly into oblivion. It’s pretty hard to get rid of a rusty rotten hulk, so there they will stay till it’s “business time” (flight of the Conchords) for the 20 ton digger.
I may have some of the boats names wrong as I was using a telephoto lens for most of the pics and with enhancing colour, contrast etc was as near as I could get. I’m sure someone will correct any if wrong.”
FRIDAY NIGHT
SATURDAY – REGATTA DAY
SATURDAY NIGHT AT SCOTTS LANDING
SUNDAY MORNING
MAHURANGI REGATTA 2019 – The biggest & best classic wooden boat regatta in NZ – 90+ photos
Check out the video below of Rawhiti – sent in from Benjamin Mendlowitz from Off Center Harbour
Update – due to not all launches completing 2 laps of the launch parade – I missed photographing a few boats – photos below ex Justine Ricketts (edited by myself)
AND MORE – link below to the Off Center Harbour video of the 2017 regatta, featuring Steve Horsley’s stunning 1904 Chas Bailey Jnr – Ngatira
UPDATE ex Graeme Finch of the A Class fleet racing Saturday + one of Raindance showing myself & Steve Stone from Off Center Harbour filming / clicking away 🙂
As always – click photos to enlarge 😉
Also from Graeme – one of Bruce Tantrum’s pride & joy – Paramour + Graemes stunning ship – Te Arahi 🙂
UPDATE – An early Saturday morning drone fly-by over Sullivans Bay, Mahurangi. Filmed by Neil Lawton, heads up on the movie from Ian Gavin.
30-01-2019 Update – photos of Laughing Lady ex Jason Prew
Update 11-02-2019 photos below ex Angus Rogers.
AWATERE (mcgeady)
Photos & details ex Peter Findlay
Today’s post on the 1954 McGeady built launch Awatere is a cracker & only came about as the result of a friend of Peter Findlay’s casually mentioning the waitematawoodys weblog to him. I have only lightly edited the story Peter sent me, it was just too good to muck around with – I’ll pass over to Peter …..
“I recently heard of your waitematawoodys from a good friend (Geoff Preston) who has seen Awatere over the years and was a salesman in my motor business in Henderson (Peter Findlay Motors) and helped with work I did on Awatere on moorings off the Akarana Yacht Club in Okahu Bay.
The above photo of her when in our family owner ship, shows me at the helm as her skipper, taken c.1965 near Rangitoto. The photo does not do justice to the varnished finish on her topsides. We always used Epivar 2 post varnish (which was new on the market then). Was a much longer lasting finish and fair superior to the white painted finish I understand she has had at times.
Awatere was a Lloyds registered vessel & I still have a copy of the green embossed leather ‘Register of Yachts 1963, First Supplement’. Her number was – Ship No 611, 199080, which was carved in her beam aft cabin.
Awatere was in my eyes a class ship that I loved and improved and maintained her meticulously on her moorings at Okahu Bay, just below where we resided.
I also have her logbook that records me doing the detailing work as well as adding things to improve her including removing the English Parsons 4 cylinder diesel and installing the new Ford 6 cylinder 100hp diesel supplied through Auckland Ford dealer – John W. Andrew.
We bought Awatere on the 10th February 1962 off a Mr. Rex McCracken, who had her built by McGeady, Supreme Craft in Auckland in1954 . Apart from the new motor installation which we did, all the other major work was done by tradesmen at Shipbuilders, Freemans Bay, always to a high standard. They put in the aft stern boarding platform, which eased ship boarding, and I think the rear dinghy davits, which were great in a following sea. I think they were there on purchase but not operational.
Lots of interesting things we came across as well, e.g. when we fitted the new motor we were advised to replace the 5 blade prop 21X21 with 3 blade 22×20. Unfortunately when going off the cradle down into Okahu Bay, I selected reverse on the new hydraulic gearbox gate and we climbed up the cradle having been sold the wrong prop rotation. Not very happy, so up again and re entered a few days later with the correct prop. The 5 blade had been smoother but not very good astern. However the main reason was to improve the over heating problem over 1800rpm which became endemic despite my efforts to improve. Changes were made to the heat exchangers etc, water pumps, thermostats changed rating, different types, even thermostat out.
Take her up very slowly to 2000rpm and we got about 12 knots whereas cruising at 1800rpm was 10 knots. Still an improvement on the old Parsons of 8 knots. John W. Andrew were very helpful in all this period but I would like to know if it was finally solved or just endemic for that motor.”
Peter has promised to have a hunt thru the family files & see if he can uncover anymore photos from the past, he would also like to pass his kind regards to subsequent owners. He commented that she was a fine ship and he and the family had lots of lovely times aboard but the pressure of the motor business, Rotary, and the Henderson Borough Council + young children meant he did not spend as much time on-board as he would have liked.
When I first received Peters email I was scratching my head trying to place Awatere, it was familiar but I old mind was drawing a blank, even the trusty ww search box was not playing ball. So I banged a quick txt off tp Nathan Herbert & he pointed me in the right direction. Back in March we uncovered a raft of photos on her but other than Harold’s input mostly uncover little . So Peter Findlay’s email has rounded out what we know about Awatere & posed a few question for the woodys.
Below is a collection of photos over the years, including some of her in her current berth at Milford Creek or Wairau Cove as Murray Deeble likes to call it 🙂
You can read more about her & the photos of her at this link, make sure you scroll down to the comments section https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/03/03/awatere-3/
Before Awatere the family owned a Scripps V8 powered 32’ launch called Doraleen which they renamed Yasawa after his folks love of a beach over on Waiheke Island which took their fancy. A Mr. Bill Bright owned Doraleen before their ownership.
Yasawa is a nice little 32’ bridge deck launch,10’ 3” beam, sleeps 6 and very quiet but petrol 😦
Yasawa is pictured below & more photos and details can be viewed on this link.
https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/01/10/yasawa/
Interesting In Input From Keith Ottaway
Have just read the above article by Peter Findlay .
What caught my attention is the comment that they replaced the 4 cylinder Parsons.
I know this sounds kinda unusual – but we acquired one of those engines (they are a bit rare – particularly those early 1950′ versions) by a convoluted process – that supposedly came from a re power of a launch about that time.cIf so this engine was a well loved and respected member of the family for many years.
It sat in storage till 1977 – then was in service till we sold the boat in 2009 – was finally replaced last year from the most recent information.
It did amazing service throughout that period – yes it had a few repairs – a bit of abuse beyond what should be expected . But was a very good unit.
One trip home from the Barrier in particularly nasty weather – I was ready the kiss that thing by the time we coupled up to the piles in the Panmure River . It had managed to get me and my family home safe and sound. The boat was a mess – my wife and children were sick – and I was hugging the engine trying to extract some heat out of it to warm me up. Can remember huddling over it and thanking it for what it had done. Was not a good day for boating.
So Peter may be able to either confirm or deny if it is the same engine.
So not sure if engines count on the woodies site – but this one deserved a good funeral – it had earned it.
AWATERE
Photos before & after refit ex Alan H, details & older sedan top photo ex current owner.
Awatere 32′ & surprisingly given her classic looks was built in 1980 by Claude Greenwood a boat builder at Whangateau (Leigh) for Mr Arcus who was at that time the ARA (Auckland Regional Authority) Chief Ranger for the Gulf Harbour region. He wanted a reasonably beamy comfortable launch for family cruising. He wanted practical and pretty and Awatere is both.
Her hull was made from a single kauri tree which was, according to anecdotal evidence, one of the last milled by the Whangarei Timber Company and people have mentioned that her lines are similar to some launches built by a Whangarei boat building company. After Arcus, she was for a while in Whangamata (hence the game poles) and shifted to Auckland around 1998.
The cabin sides are teak and she was originally built as a sedan top (refer photo above). The fly bridge was put on, probably in the early 90’s by Geoff Bagnell, boat-builder of Milford.
She was re-engined by current owner in the late 1990’s and is currently powered by a 135 HP Ford Dover diesel (Moon Engines). Double berth up forward with two single amidships in the main cabin.
In 2013 Awatere underwent an extensive re-fit & included a back to bare wood paint / Uroxsys treatment, she was also re-propped & now cruises at around 10 Knots.
Note: there is comment on ww that Peter Arcus actually built Awatere himself , any info / photos on her past would be great & maybe we can clarify the builder / location issue. Correction – from Nathan Herbert – My wires are crossed. It was his yacht Egret which he built at farm. The wharf photo is at the farm though. Ive seen a photo of the launch new on farm which is what mucked me up
Builders Plate (ex the owner Geoff Steven)
05-01-2015 Pam at the Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard sent me the 1/2 model photo below – could this be of Awatere ??
15-11-2017 UPDATE
Updated details on Awatere below. Written by Peter Arcus via Judy Turnbull.
“AWATERE was completely designed by myself.
I wanted a boat that would tow a barge (for transporting cattle) between Tiri Island and Whangaparaoa and that was also a good cruising launch and I wanted the construction to be strip plank concave/convex.
I consulted an expert, Howard Greenwood, (a boatbuilder whose yard was on the Whangateau estuary) and the hull was subsequently built by Greenwoods. There was a curve built into the bilge shape that was an experiment put forward by Howard Greenwood. By looking at the hull you can actually see the curvature that acted in the manner of a trim tab but was actually built into the hull. The water flow under the boat gave it the desired effect.
Kauri was hard to get. Bob Herman (Whangarei Timber Company) was a comrade from my Airforce days and we went down to the Mill in Whangarei to ask if he had any spare Kauri and I was lucky to get some beautiful timber.
When the hull was built Howard Greenwood commented that she may need a bit of ballast forward and I queried what to use. Howard said you’ve got it right there on Tiri, small flat rocks sealed between two floors – It will stay clean, you will never have to wash it. It was placed up in the shoulders of the hull, the powerful part of the boat and she was beautifully balanced. After completion the hull was towed by the “Pacific” to Hobbs’ Flat (now the site of Gulf Harbour Marina) and then towed overland by tractor up to the farm homestead where she was finished off by myself under a covered area.
She was powered by a 100hp Fordson installed by Eric Glavish, an Engineer from Helensvile. The engine was completely dismantled and rebalanced and she ran like clockwork with a cruising speed of 10 knots and did 14 knots opened up.
She was launched in 1980. An entry on the website states that at the time the boat was built I was the ARA Chief Ranger for the Gulf Harbour region. That statement is incorrect. I was the Farm Manager of the Hobbs Estate at Whangaparaoa prior to its sale in 1972.
The 1st photo in the article was taken just prior to Awatere being sold to Ian Boocock.”