Tag Archives: Bay of Islands

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT TRIP REPORT #3

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WAIREKA
VOLANTIS
TAPUI
SEA BEE
ORARI II
CAVALAIRE
RAMPAGE
CLEONA MAE
RANONI
VOYAGEUR
NGARUNUI
STELLA MARIS
STEADFAST

CLASSIC WOOYS LAUNCH TRIP REPORT #3

Todays report comes to us from the camera of Bay of Islands photographer – Dean Wright. Dean snapped this gallery of craft over the xmas period in and around the bay.

Some familiar faces here and a few newbies – Dean commented that “Just when you think you’ve seen it all, along comes a Maritimo with a XOS six person island pool float. Every wooden boat should have one or two… Yee gods what next” – photo below
Enjoy the stunning photos – As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉

What you buy when you can’t quite afford a beachfront bach at Omaha

The video below showing LADY ADELAIDE leaving Bon Accord Harbour, Kawau Island gives you a look at some of the weather closer to Auckland. Sent in by Andrew Sunde.

LADY ADELAIDE

CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLASSIC LAUNCH – JAN MAREE

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CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLASSIC LAUNCH – JAN MAREE

Recently WW was contacted by Hamish Moore regarding the classic launch – JAN MAREE, that in Hamish’s words is in the family stable and has resided on Lake Taupo for many a year. The family are short on her history and Hamish was wondering if any of the WW followers might know more about her.
The WW post on the Vindex RENA brought some more thoughts to Hamish’s mind and having recently had JAN MAREE surveyed for insurance and the gears have been turning to find out more about her. 

What we think we know about JAN MAREE – she was in the Bay Of Islands owned and used by one family line and ownership changed to another family line, Taupo based.  Her specs are 33’9” x 10’9” x 3’3″
What everyone would like to know is :-

• Confirm design (Vindex?)- • Who built her and where • Tales of her life on BOI 
She lives in a shed on Lake Taupo  and is enjoyed by family members for fishing, recreational and sightseeing. 

JAN MAREE was recently hauled out and trucked to Auckland and underwent some TLC.  • New Heart transplant, now a 320 Cummins • Hull Maintenance and replacement of all skin fittings.  • Remove and plug all redundant fittings.  • New Dash and systems upgrades, to complement the new Engine package.  • New Paint and varnish.  The above work was completed by :-
• The Boatbuilders, HMB, • Ray Bryant Marine • Halfmoon Bay Electrical.  • Gloss Boat, Tāmaki Park 

Bay of Islands Woody Long Weekend

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Bay of Islands Woody Long Weekend

Being a professional photographer, BOI woody Dean Wright is seldom without a camera near by, which is a bonus for us. Over last weekend (Kings Birthday) Dean was out enjoying the bay on his classic woody – ARETHUSA and took the above photos.

First up is a stunning open day boat that Mike mentioned that he had seen out a few times on the Kerikeri River and at last got close enough to take a photo.

The Gladden yacht – is WINTERLUDE, owned by Bram Cone. I’m told she is as impressive down below as what we see in the photo.

Next we have the 35’ launch – LOURENA  built in 1965 by Watson Brothers in Wellington to a Athol Burns design. More on her here https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/11/14/lourena-a-peek-down-below/

Lastly the very smart Salthouse launch – TAPUI, owned by Mike and Robi Quilter. Mike is a life member of my good bastards woody club, having taken a chainsaw to the flying bridge that was on TAPUI when purchased . See and read more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/09/04/tapui/

Bay of Islands Summer Mooching + Anniversary Weekend Cruising 

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RANONI
ENTERPRIZE
ARETHUSA
IORANGI
ALOFA
VALHALLA
RAMPAGE

Bay of Islands Summer Mooching + Anniversary Weekend Cruising 

Todays gallery of classic wooden craft comes to us from the camera of Dean Wright, taken while he was cruising the bay on his woody – Arethusa.

From top to bottom the craft are:

• Ranoni – Army Bay

• Enterprise – Opunga Cove

• Arohanui – steaming past Cable Bay, Urupukapuka

• Arethusa – Whangamumu

• The Logan yacht – Iorangi – Whangamumu

• Alofa – Whangamumu

• Valhalla – Whangamumu

• Rampage – Whangmumu – an early 2000’s Robertson Boats sedan launch ( lengthened and repainted)

• Mary of York – Ben Tomb’s leeboarder

2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – Classic Launch Parade & Sunday Gathering At KAWAU ISLAND 

The countdown is on for one of the worlds best and biggest classic wooden boating events, the Mahurangi Regatta, organised by the Mahurangi Cruising Club.

Sadly due to the freakish weather the 2023 regatta was cancelled, but plans are in place to make 2024 on-the-water and ashore at Scotts Landing bigger and better.

The Classic Wooden Launch Parade is one of the highlights of the weekends activities – followed later in the day by a serious ‘old school’ boaty BBQ ashore at Scott’s – including a massive marquee for the 20 piece dance band.

 On the Sunday, most woody launch skippers head to KAWAU ISLAND and the plan is to gather later in the day for a few sun-downers at the newly refurbished Kawau Boating Club.

Mokoia – Sailing Sunday

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MOKOIA- Sailing Sunday

Todays woody – the yacht MOKOIA (spelling?) was spotted by Barbara Cooke during the week in the Bay of Islands.

Looks like she is set up for some serious cruising.

Can we learn more about Mokoia?

UPDATE ex owner – Jim Loft – MOKOIA, 39′ Bob Stewart design (Camelot). Woody built c.1965 by Max Carter.

INPUT EX ROBIN ELLIOTT – Mokoia was one of 3 Bob Stewart design Camelots under construction simultaneously at Max Carters in 1965. Photo on page 63, Sea Spray Sept. 1965.

Mokoia for I. Falconbridge, Camelot for I. Broadfoot and Ilex for W. Macky.

She was registered in 1965 as B-54, taking NZYF number 154 in 1969.
Dimensions at time of her 1965 registration were:
39ft x 34ft x 10ft 6in x 5ft, 324 sqft sail area, ballast 3 ton, engine Ruston rover.

Mokoia was raced and cruised by Falconbridge up to at least 1971 and was still registered to him in 1976. ………. but ???

According to Sea Spray April 1973, Mokoia was entered by ‘H. Vega owner/skipper’ of Mokoia in the Auckland Suva race. She was eventually registered to H. Vega in 1978.

As usual, NZYF registration details are plagued by conundrums and obsolete data.

From 1980 through to 2000, she had no registered owners with any of the published NZYF registers. My last recorded details are owners J.& K. Lott 2014-2021+

All details are subject to change 🙂

ONLY 2 WEEKS TILL MAHURANGI WEEKEND  – 2 OF THE BEST WOODY GIGS – CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH PARADE & BEACH BBQ + BAND ON SAT NIGHT @ SCOTTS LANDING. More details closer to the weekend 

Bay Of Islands Woody Sightings

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Bay Of Islands Woody Sightings

One of WW’s spotter in the Far North – Dean Wright was heading out from his home bay, , last Friday and snapped the above woody photos of Quest, Norseman and Tranquila.

Dean commented that Norseman was run as a charter boat out of Tutukaka for years by the late Phil Bendle. She now lives on a mooring at Rangitane, up the Kerikeri River. Good link below to a brief insight into Phil Bendle’s life. 

https://inaturalist.nz/projects/poor-knights-islands-marine-reserve/journal/18249-passing-of-a-poor-knights-icon

ATHENA – Next Caretaker Wanted 

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ATHENA – Next Caretaker Wanted 

Whangaroa Harbour is a spot I spend a bit of time in/around – when waiting for pickup I mooch around the marina and there is one launch – Athena, that always catches my eye – its hard not too its just so perfect. Most designers were challenged when it came to getting the lines right on a sub 30’ boat, Athena is spot on.

Her measurements are 25’ x 8’ x 1’6” and her hull is 3/4” kauri carvel planked and the decks, coamings, cabin top and bridge have all been f/glassed for weather proofing and low maintenance. Both fuel and water tanks are s/s. Sleeps 4 in a double and 2 single berths.

Powered by a Perkins 40hp 4107 engine (new in 1972, rebuilt 1991) she cruises comfortably at 7 knots. Some history – originally designed and built by Cauldrey in c.1950’s, she was rebuilt (hull up, photos below) in 1991 by her owner as a family launch with game fishing characteristics. Based in the Bay of Islands the owners lost count of the game fish landed over the last 30 years. Athena is still fully game rigged.Owned by a seriously devoted boaty, Athena is fully equipped with all the safety gear for coastal cruising.

We have been tasked with finding a new owner for this very salty looking classic woody – for more details on Athena – contact the Wooden Boat Bureau c/o waitematawoodys@gmail.com

1992 – 1st Marlin caught

Mystery Bay of Islands Yacht – REGULUS

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Mystery Bay of Island Yacht REGULUS

On morning of 13th March Dean Wright spotted the above yacht off Moturua Island in the BOI.

A mystery to Dean and myself – can anyone put a name to the boat and tell us about her?

Input from John Bertenshaw. -the mystery schooner is Regulus , a William Hand design originally from San Francisco. Its been in the bay for some here. Circa 1928 build or so IIRC. Photo below 

The Mence armada, below, sharing the Slipway at Milford this week 😉

Jeanne & Eileen Patricia

The Balmain Bug

Hugh Gladwell sent in the above YouTube link to a very cool video on the Australian Balmain Bug – the six foot skiffs that hav been racing on Sydney Harbour for over 130 years.  As Hugh joked – perfect for someone wanting to get into classic yachting without the marina fees 🙂

Paihia – Bay of Islands

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PAIHIA – Bay of Islands
The above photos graced a tourist postcard, unfortunately no reference to a date. But the collection of moored launches will hopefully spark someones memory.

The presence of the Kelly Tarlton ‘floating’ shipwreck museum – Tui will help.

Summer Boating in the Bay of Islands – Part 2

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Marline
Galerina
Orari II
Serene
Active

Summer Boating in the Bay of Islands – Part 2


Our resident B.O.I. woody – Dean Wright is a star, above is another batch of photos from the Bay of Islands. I was especially rapped to get the top two of Marline, WW readers will know that she spent several months at the end of last year I the shed at The Slipway Milford getting a top-chop. You can read / see more on that at the WW link below. Wonderful to see her back in the bay and with Ken Warne at the helm.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/14/marline-gets-a-top-chop/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/11/25/marline-back-in-the-water/

The very large – Galerina, is looking the sharpest in many a year – well done to whoever is caring for her. Can anyone put a name to the last photo, the launch with the game poles – its something like ‘Hattele’

I have been getting weather reports from back in the city that its been very wet – my garden will be very happy. But I can report that other than 2 hours of light rain on 01-01-2021, its as dry as a crisp. Photo below from Rakino – West Bay on the left and Woody Bay on the right. 
As always if you spot anyone or thing that might appeal to the WW readers, pull the phone out and snap a photo and send in to waitematawoodys@gmail.com