Tag Archives: Bob Stewart

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 

Wooden Boat Yard Visit – 50 Photos

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New Zealand Wooden Boat Yard Visit – 50 Photos

Yesterday afternoon, Auckland based woodys got to rub shoulders with an impressive collection of classic wooden boats at one of New Zealand’s leading wooden boat yards – the Peter Brookes ‘Brookes Boatbuilders’ complex in rural Waimauku, West Auckland. I have been privileged to visit numerous times but every visit is a treat, where else would you see over eight classic yachts and launches in varying stages of restorations.


I’ll let the photos tell the story, if I have a photo mixed up, let me know 🙂 – enjoy – remember as always if you click on the photos they will enlarge 😉


Amakura II – 1936 Colin Wild, 52’ Bridgedecker


Impala – 1960 Fife, Teak planking 


Matia A23 – 1939 Lidgard, 50’, triple skinned kauri


Kenya II – 1940 Lidgard, 50’, triple skinned kauri. Gardner 6LXB


Pilot Cutter – 50’ 


Kotiri – 1897 Logan


Ladye Wilma B26 – 1895 Logan Bros, 43’, triple skinned kauri


Katrina II K100 – 1944 Bob Stewart, K-Class

Betty J301

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achernar

J 301

J 301 03

BETTY J301
The 1940’s photos above ex the Tudor Collins collection at the Auckland Museum show the Bob Stewart designed 31′ launch Betty. She was built in 1939 by Collings & Bell for Bob’s father-in-law. Betty has had several name changes, refer the two blue links below to view & read about her over the years, home these days is Lake Rotoiti. The photos were emailed to me by numerous woodys (including Ken Ricketts).
These photos show her as US Army J301, when she was ‘on-loan’ to the US Army but obviously on R&R duties here – can anyone ID any of the people?

Also whats the name of the anchored launch numbered #17 in the top photo?

Betty / Achernar / Achinar

ACHINAR > Achernar > Betty

HELP NEEDED

Looking for a Jim Young 23ft Hi Fi Sports Cruiser

A gent by the name of Colin Frankham is keen to acquire  a Jim Young 23ft Hi Fi Sports Cruiser (runabout) for restoration –  not worried about the condition. Colin can be contacted on (09) 4837040

ACHINAR > Achernar > Betty

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ACHINAR > Achernar > Betty
photos & details ex William Horne

Yesterdays post on Betty uncovered the impressive collection of photos above. I could have just added them to yesterdays post but they deserve their own post.
The photos are from William Horne & from the 1970’s when his father Rod, owned Achinar. If you have read the previous posts you will be aware there has been a degree of name rotation in her past – the link below explains this. It would be nice if at some stage she reverted to Betty again 🙂

William commented that you can see from the photos that she had the Achinar spelling back then so it appears it was spelt that way for a long time. Rod Horne purchased the launch from Dr. Gilbert in Tauranga and the photos show her as first seen by him up the Wairoa River & then later in black & white at her mooring.

William’s family had many holidays on her, in fact William was on the boat before he could walk and it was the first vessel he helmed so his father must have owned her for a few years.

Betty / Achernar / Achinar

Betty (Achernar)

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Betty 1947

BETTY  (Achernar)
photo & details ex Betty Black (Stewart)

Today’s post is an example of what makes ww so special & motivates me to keep doing it. I received the email below last week.

“Dear Alan
 
My son in Sydney was browsing on the internet presumably looking up about his grandfather Bob Stewart, when he came across your blog about Achernar.  I was most interested to read this as I had no idea what had become of the launch “Betty”. It was  requisitioned by the Americans during the war. My grandfather died in 1943  and my father became the owner.   He got it back after the war in an appalling condition.  I remember him saying there was oil all through the bilge.  We had a number of family holidays on it  until the yacht Helen* was built.  The photo was taken by me in 1947 (on a Box Brownie camera).
Kind regards
Betty Black (Stewart)”

To read / see more on Betty / Achernar click here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/10/14/achinar/

*Photos below of Helen (K1) during 2015 CYA Classic Yacht Regatta

Update 29-07-2019 Oct 1939 photo below

Betty Oct 1939

Helen 2015

Helen 2015

Achernar

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Achernar

ACHERNAR

Todays post is another boat from the 2014 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, Achernar is rather special, being the only launch designed by R L (Bob) Stewart & built by Collings & Bell for Bob’s father. You can read more about her past by entering her name in the ww search box.

I post her for another reason, her owner Don Atkinson is a star in my world, when he purchased Achernar in 2008 he removed the flybridge – give that man a cigar 🙂

Achinar after makeover by Lanes

Don Brooke at the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition speaking about Jack Brooke & Bob Stewart

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VIDEO ONE – Don Brooke speaking at the 2013 CYA Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition, hosted by the Tino Rawa Trust, which showcased the acclaimed designers Jack Brooke & Bob Stewart. Both Don & Robert Brooke spoke briefly at the launch ‘morning tea’ about their father Jack & fellow yacht designer Bob Stewart. Also view VIDEO TWO (below) which features of Don’s brother Robert, speaking on the same topic.

Robert Brooke Speaking On Jack Brooke & Bob Stewart @ Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition

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VIDEO TWO – Robert Brooke speaking at the 2013 CYA Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition, hosted by the Tino Rawa Trust, which showcased the acclaimed designers Jack Brooke & Bob Stewart. Both Robert & Don Brooke spoke briefly at the launch ‘morning tea’ about their father Jack & fellow yacht designer Bob Stewart. Also view VIDEO ONE (above) which features of Roberts brother Don, speaking on the same topic

Betty / Achernar / Achinar

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ACHINAR

photos & information ex past owners & Harold Kidd

as purchased by the Diamond family
1984 Clevedon River Jetty
post Lanes make over
Whau River Te Atatu Feb 1984
Name plate
Lake Rotoiti

BETTY / ACHERNAR / ACHINAR

Designed by well known yacht designer R.L. (Bob) Stewart and believed to be the only launch that Bob Stewart designed. 31ft in length, she was built by Collings & Bell in September 1939 for Bob Stewart’s father as BETTY. R L Stewart Senior owned her continuously until 1948-50 as BETTY. She was renamed ACHERNAR (not ACHINAR) when he sold her.

When purchased in 1984, the nameplates installed on the boat had the spelling as “Achinar”, and that is how they knew her during their long period of ownership. The current owners since 2008 have changed it (back?) to Achernar. So any mis-spelling of the name would appear to have occurred between the 1950’s and early 1980’s.

1984 saw a major refit and a flying bridge added at the Lane Motor Boat Co. on the Tamaki River and she was cruised extensively around the Hauraki Gulf and further afield for the next 20 years.

In 1993 the BMC diesel was replaced with a 6 cyl. Nissan diesel.

In 2008 Achernar was sold from Auckland to Lake Rotoiti (North Island). Another professional refit was undertaken for the new owners, including removal of the flying bridge. Achernar is now a regular participant in the annual Lake Rotoiti Parade of Classic and Wooden Boats (the photograph taken on the lake is courtesy of their website.)”

Note: There is dockside talk that the vessel may have been linked to US Navy Admiral William ‘Bull’ Halsey during his WWII R&R in Auckland. 

Woody Weekend

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If you are at a loose end this weekend I would encourage you to attend the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition.

The Tino Rawa Trust is again hosting the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition at Karanga Plaza (next to the Viaduct Events Centre) this Friday 4th to Sunday 6th October, 10am – 4pm daily. The event is run alongside the 2013 Auckland Heritage Festival ‘Maritime Heritage On The Waterfront (Sept 28 – Oct 13) promotion.

There is an amazing collection of classic yachts & launches, classic dinghies, small yachts & picnic boats on display. Plus some wonderful Robert Brooke line drawings of our classic fleet & models on display. This years event focuses on the acclaimed designers Jack Brooke & Bob Stewart & will include a selection of their vessels. I have included above a few ‘quick snaps’ I took today as the vessels were starting to arrive.

Remember to check out the CYA’s permanent on-the-water display at the CYA Marina, Heritage Landing, Silo Park at the Wynyard Quarter.

Cheers Alan