Tag Archives: Balaena

1912 WOODEN EX WHALE CHASER BALAENA – GETS A REVAMP

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1912 WOODEN EX WHALE CHASER BALAENA – GETS A REVAMP

BACK IN AUGUST 2022 WW ran a story on the classic ex whale chaser – BALAENA, built in 1912. The 2022 story, linked below, featured a Country Calendar programme profiling the Marlborough family that had owned the vessel for 64+ years. https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/20/balaena-110-year-old-ex-whale-chaser/

Fast forward to yesterday and Steve from {the} Cafe Cart in Waikawa sent in today gallery of photos of the classic wooden launch.

BALAENA is looking very well cared for and great to see her kept in very close to as built presentation.

Anyone able to tell us who did the work and what’s she is powered by these days.

Full weekend details in the downloadable PDF file below, which includes the entry (free) form for the sailing events. 

LABOUR WEEKEND SPRING SPLASH (2)Download

Classic Wooden Boats At Havelock Marina

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Classic Wooden Boats At Havelock Marina

Back in late October 2022 Dean Wright was in Blenheim attending John Gander’s significant birthday, all birthdays are significant but the ones with ‘0’s’ in them are more significant.

While down south Dean did some marina mooching and todays photo gallery comes to us from the Havelock marina. Nice to see a couple of our bigger northern woodys now safely tucked way down south – Turongo and Durville. Sad to lose them from the Waitemata but if we were keeping score I think we win more than we lose 🙂

A lot of craft unknown to WW and will probably morph into WW stories in their own right. As always click on photos to enlarge.

Balaena – 110 Year Old Ex Whale Chaser

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Balaena – 110 Year Old Ex Whale Chaser

Last Sundays Country Calendar programme on TV1 featured an amazing Marlborough family that have owned the 1912 built – Balaena for 62 years. These days Balaena has two lives – family cruiser and work boat servicing the families mussel farm. It is a great story going back to when they farmed Forsyth Island and then almost by default became mussel farmers. 

Enjoy the programme, amazing scenery and inspirational people – thanks to John Burland for sending in the video.

LAST CALL FOR WOODYS WANTING TO ATTEND THE CLEVEDON OVERNIGHT CRUISE ON SEET 17>18 – Limit On Numbers – Details below RSVP TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

The Evolution of a Whale Chaser

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Rorqual 1986

The Evolution of a Whale Chaser
The photo ex Paul Drake (others ex Chris Miller)

Yesterday was one of those days when ww turns up a gem. There are a few photos from the early days c.1960 of the Jack Morgan designed & built Perano whale chaser Rorqual & there are also lots of present days photos but to the best of my knowledge there were none of her in the ‘between years’.

Then whamo out of the blue Paul Drake sends me the above photo of Rorqual hauled out at Mana, just north of Wellington, in about 1986. This would be just before she was rebuilt /re-powered in 1988.
As Paul commented looking at her lying over on her chine, one could be forgiven for fearing for her future, but of course she survived.

Searching ‘Rorqual’ in the ww Search Box will show you a lot more detail, or if your tight on time, this link will taken to a great story on her past https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/03/21/the-launching-of-rorqual/
Now the question for her owners Andrew & Alex Millers (sons of Chris Miller)  –  when is she booked into the time-machine for a trip back to 1986? 😉

Evolution Gallery Below

Rorqual and others

Rorqual 1

Rorqual 1986

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