Tag Archives: Bill Couldrey

Summer Wine Gets Some TLC

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Summer Wine Gets Some TLC

Visitors to {the} Slipway Milford yard last month would have seen the launch – Summer Wine hauled out getting a serious refresh in & out.

Summer Wine was designed and built be Noel May, Buckland Beach, launched in 1993 so slips into the spirit of tradition category .

The weather last Friday when she slipped back into the Milford creek as not very pleasant but she still looked very smart. Launch day photos via cadet WW photographer Jason Prew 😉

In the on the hard photos we also see the 1953 A Couldrey designed, Brin Wilson built launch – Endeavour , hauled out for some cardiac surgery – the engine is being reconditioned.

Read / view more about Summer Wine at 2013 WW sorry – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/24/summer-wine/

Chamberlains Bay – April 2022

RSVP TO1 waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Mystery Couldrey Launch

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MYSTERY COULDREY LAUNCH

As always its only a mystery because the broker deletes the name 🙂 What we know is she was built by Bill Couldrey in 1972 so slips into the ’spirit of tradition’ grouping. 34’4” in length with a beam of 11’ 4” built from double diagonal kauri (+ glassed….). Powered by a 80hp Ford diesel that pushes her along at 7 knots. Appears to be well spec’ed. As always thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads us.
Can we put a name to the launch.

UPDATE 11-08-2023 ex Harold Kidd – She wasn’t BUILT by Bill Couldrey; he stopped building shortly after WW2.

Must Have Been A Special On White Paint – Rag Doll

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Must Have Been A Special On White Paint – Rag Doll

Todays woody is taking the decorating term – ‘White-On-White’ to the max 🙂

Built from double diagonal kauri (+ glassed….) she was launched in c.1972. A Bill Couldrey design, she measures approx. 34’ in length, with a beam of 11’3” and draws 2’7”. Powered by a 80hp Ford Diesel engine that gives her a comfortable cruise speed of 7.5 knots.

Being 4sale via a broker – of course there is no name mentioned or visible – can we ID the boat.

INPUT ex Nathan Herbert – todays woody is named Rag Doll – photo below of her before she was ‘modernised’ – photo also ex NH.

Doreen > Haku > Coquette – 1912 Logan Motor Launch – SOS

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Doreen > Haku > Coquette – 1912 Logan Motor Launch – SOS SAVED

When it comes to provenance it would be hard to beat this woody – designed and built by Arch Logan for his brother Robert, named after their sister Doreen. Then in 1945 she was ‘modernised’ by Bill Couldrey, one of the Arch’s few preferred boat builders. She has passed thru many hands and aside for her blue blood, her second claim to fame is that she was used to take the mould off for the popular 33’ fibre-glass launches (Logan33).

Last week I was contacted by her owners who advised that a few months ago while taking her out at very low tide they hit an unmarked reef inside the OBC Bridge on the way out. The damage sustained is that as a result of the keel and prop hitting reef the drive shaft, this was pulled out of the gearbox. I’m told no water entered the boat – BUT the insurance company has written the vessel off so now it is up for sale for $12,500 as-is-where-is. Potentially the bargain of the year.

Given the abysmal listing by the insurance companies boat broker, I’d be amazed if it sells. We plug it on WW today because the boat deserves better.

This WW link will take you to numerous WW stories that feature Coquette (Doreen > Haku)

https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Coquette&submit=Search

18-07-2023 UPDATE – SAVED !!!! – I can confirm she has been purchased off the insurance company by a previous owner and will be repaired and returning to the north – GREAT NEWS

KOTARE  Re-launched

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KOTARE  Re-launched
Todays woody is the 28’ launch – Kotare, built and launched in 1961 by Frank Wilkins to a 1960 design of A N (Bill) Couldrey. Kotare first appeared on WW back in 2014. Over time we uncovered an amazing amount of history on the vessel. The 2022 WW story when wooden boat builder Alan Craig gave us a shed tour on restoration / rebuilding of Kotare has all the references, photos and links to her past – link to the 2022 story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/10/10/kotare-restoration-boat-shed-tour/

Last week Alan Craig advised they had just relaunched Kotare at Lake Rotoiti. Her owner had just finished the interior refit in his shed inTe Puke since Alan and the team at Craig Marine finished painting Kotare last year.  Alan commented that she looked pretty sharp. The work had been done in a pretty confined space and they hadn’t really been able to stand back and look at it till now. A new 35hp Beta diesel has been put in to replace the BMC.

As we have come to expect of anything that slides out of the Craig Marine shed Kotare is a stunner.

THE LOG OF TAMATEA – A20 

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THE LOG OF TAMATEA – A20 

Earlier in the week a nugget of gold dropped into my inbox – Mark Newcomb sent in a copy of his families yacht – TAMATEA A20 log book (refer PDF file link below to read)

The log book covers the background to the building of the yacht and her first race + some wonderful insights into life in the WWII period.

Tamatea was designed by A.C. Robb and built by A. Couldrey, launched in Jan 1937.

Amazingly the yacht was built from one kauri log, grown on the owners property in Waitakere (note: log was from a ‘dead’ tree)

Click on the blue text below to open the PDF file, the original of the log book is in the hands of the Maritime Museum, so probably this file is the only record, given the Museum’s track record with ‘losing’ things 😦

Click to access logbook-of-tamatea.pdf

KOTARE Restoration – Boat Shed Tour

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KOTARE Restoration – Boat Shed Tour

Back in June 2014 WW was approached with a request for intel on the 28’ kauri planked classic launch – Kotare, that is a poplar name for boats, so I was surprised at what we uncovered. 

At the time Harold Kidd was able to tell us that she was designed by Bill Couldrey in 1960 for Frank Wilkins of Church St., Northcote to build for himself.  Wilkins launched her in October 1961 with a 45hp BMC diesel.

We struck gold when Richard Farrar sent in a copy of an interview, dated 8th Oct 1996 with her builder Frank Wilkins – its a great read – link to story here: https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/21/kotare-builder-interview/

Fast forward to May 2020 and we ran another story on Kotare with more recent photos and details – link here: https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/12/kotare-4/

Fast forward again to the present day and as you will observe in the above photos – Kotare is being restored / refitted by sage boat builder Alan Craig and his team at Craig Marine.

Photos below post launching and c.2014

A Call For Help

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CAN ANYONE HELP

Woody Bruce Ryrie has taken on a project – a c.1960’s Couldrey classic launch that he acquired from the Firth of Thames. Unfortunately no name, so the first ask is does anyone know more about the boat?

The second ask is a little bigger, as you can see in the above photos there are a few planks that need replacing and Bruce would really appreciate a hand with the work, or even some guidance.

The launch is hauled out at Clevedon.

WE ARE LOSING OUR WATERFRONT – Okahu Bay Haul Out

It has recently been brought to my attention that our friends at Auckland Council are very anti boating – read below a summary of what’s been happening –

It’s not only the government that thinks it knows best.  Auckland City has determined that the Haulout at Okahu bay, known as the Orakei Landing, will be shut down and the area will become a park reserve!  The local board, despite overwhelming submissions against any change, decided in its woke way that the Landing haulout facilities, which have been a part of Auckland since the year dot, should be closed to provide another park.  The haulout has and is being used by many owners of traditional wooden boats where owners as well as professionals work on them near to their homes.  With the closure of this there will be no inner harbour haulouts on the Southern side of the harbour.  There are also a number of professionals who will be out of a job or whose businesses will be reduced because of losing this facility.  Auckland once touted itself as the city of sails.  It seems it no longer thinks this is part of its makeup.In credibly the committee of the RAYC sent out an email to its members encouraging them to vote to close the Landing.  That was done in a way which unless you read it carefully and understood what was happening would have led to many members completing the form supplied to submit for closure!  It all smells a bit.

If you are even slightly motivated to voice your concern re the closure of the Okahu Bay haul out area – I suggest to use the channel I find works best with local politicians – they hate negative publicity – contact the chairman of the  Orakei Local Board – Scott Milne direct via Facebook and leave a message – link here https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007006489029

AND TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS SEE BELOW

Local Board members that voted in favour of closing the hardstand*: 

· Scott Milne: scott.milne@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz / 021 876 326 

· Sarah Powrie: sarah.powrie@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz / 021 142 2913 

· Margaret Voyce: margaret.voyce@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz / 029 880 9900 

· Troy Elliott: troy.elliott@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz / 021 658 769

Bill Couldrey And His Boats – Help Wanted

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BILL COULDREY AND HIS BOATS – Help Wanted

Book author and publisher – Jenni Mence (she will hate me using that intro, but its true) whose last book was the uber cool – ‘K CLASS – The Hauraki Gulf’s Iconic Racer Cruiser’, has committed to another mammoth publication. This time focusing on the Arnold Francis (Bill) Couldrey design and boat building bloodline.

Currently in the final research phase, Jenni has called out to WW readers for help identifying the boats and discovering / confirming things like –  the boats built and when, the current owner and/or anyone (owner or otherwise) who has a story to tell about the boat. Jenni would also love to talk to anyone who has memories of Bill himself.One has to assume many of the boats won’t have lasted the distance, however there may still be stories or family photos hanging around of them.
To help keep things semi organised we have broken it into loose categories

MULLET BOATS / 18 FOOTERS & SAILING DINGHIES

# Athena # Shamrock # Hawke # Limerick # Mamaru # Surprise 

# Desdemona # Lanai # Freedom # Nancye # Sonoma # Salome 

# Tamarus # Gay # Maui # Nudger # Kea # Mawera. 

YACHTS

# Gayleen # Awatere # Tarawai # Ocean Phoenix

LAUNCHES

# Pirimanu # Kereru # Cleone # Manunui # Reremoana # Tirimoana # Lisa Ann

# Rag Doll # Natalie # Cabaletta (may have previously been called Latitude) # Deborah Ann

Any further information anyone has on any of these boats – or other Couldrey boats we may not yet have identified would be really appreciated. 

As a reward for your input, everyone that helps out will go into the draw for a copy of Jenni’s K CLASS book + the best photograph submitted (judged by Alan H) also goes into a draw for a another copy of the book. Thats 2 Copies To Be Won. Draw Close off date is August 1st – just in time for Father’s Day

Initial Contact To Jenni Mence at jennimence@gmail.com

Jenanne Raises The K Class Bar

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Jenanne Raises The K Class Bar

Last week the Bill Couldrey built, 1945, K Class – Jenanne glided back into the water at the Milford Slipway after some serious TLC.

Note the boot topping colour – very flash for a 77 year old lady. 

Me thinks sunglasses will be needed for the rest of the K fleet crews 😉