Tag Archives: Chris Robertson

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH KAREMOANA – LOST or FORGOTTEN

Posted on by
1

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH KAREMOANA – LOST or FORGOTTEN

Todays woody is the classic wooden launch – KAREMOANA, designed and built by Chris Robertson and launched in 1968. She was one several craft referred to as the ‘ Chris Robertson Fast Cruisers’. And fast she was in her day, a 135hp Commer 3D215 diesel engine saw her topping out at 17 knots.

Construction was twin skin diagonal heart kauri planks. Her specs were 32’ x 11’ beam x 3’10” draft.

As seen in the above scans, she featured in the June 1968 issue of Sea Spray magazine. 

Yesterday (scroll down) we featured one of her sister ships – WAIREKA, her co-owner Desiree Stuart sent in the Sea Spray article.

KAREMOANA does not pop up on WW, maybe a name change. Keen to learn more of her past and what became of her.

INPUT EX DENNIS MCNAUGHTON – Hi,I  am Noel McNaughton’s son, Dennis, pleased to see the article about Dads boat. He sold it in 1976 to Bill Subritsky- he only wanted it for the marina- it was on sold to a captain of a deep-sea fishing trawler and it was relocated from Auckland to Picton. The name was then changed to St Tropez( I think it was  ).

Noel had re-powered it in 1970 with a 180 Ford, giving a top speed of around 20kts and added a flying bridge from a corsair design. Noel visited the boat in Picton around the mid 1990’s, so it was still there then.

ONE WEEK TILL CLEVEDON WOODYS CRUISE – HAVE YOU RSVP’ED

RSVP – boat name to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

BAY OF ISLANDS CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – WAIREKA

Posted on by
2
PRE HAIRCUT

BAY OF ISLANDS CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – WAIREKA

Last week WW ran a story on a Chris Robertson designed launch named – ROAM, the story prompted Desiree and David Stuart to contact WW with more intel on what Desiree described as the Chris Robertson ‘Fast Cruiser”. 

We will do a separate story tomorrow on the launch KAREMOANA (sister ship to WAIREKA) that appeared  in the June 1968 issue of Seaspray magazine.

Today is all about the Stuart’s launch – WAIREKA. The Stuart family are Kerikeri boatbuilders (D&D Boatbuilding – Waipapa) and WAIREKA is there personal craft.

I’ll let Desiree tell the story – 

“We have been told that WAIREKA is the last of 5 of five of Chris Robertson vessels built, launched in 1974. Four were built in quick succession, by both Chris and Brin Wilson, however, we have no evidence of a launch date, just that she is clearly built by Chris. (There are some aesthetic aspects that are clearly his and routinely appear on his other builds.)

WAIREKA’s history as we know it – Owned by ourselves, and previously in partnership with our late uncle, Duncan “Cookie” Stuart, prior to that Jack and Carol Rogers, prior to that Bob and Beryl Harkin  – the trail then runs cold.

We know that WAIREKA was built when Chris Robertson was based next to Salthouse – on Target Rd? She was launched with her flying bridge which was most def. from a Mark 1 Corsair. (Now in the bin).

She’s had a lot of love lavished on her (my bank account says way too much) since coming into our ownership, but what can you do, she’s part of the family 🙂

WAIREKA is currently out of the water for engine (2725 Otosan Ford) and drive-train (Velvet Drive) work – she should be heading back into the water in the Bay of Islands, later this month.”

WAIREKA has made a couple of cameo appearances on WW, first back in January  2014 at Patio Bay, Waiheke Island and then in January 2025 in the Bay of Islands in a cruising report from Dean Wright.

JAN 2014 WAIHEKE IS.
JAN 2025 – B.O.I.
RSVP – boat name to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ROAM

Posted on by
4

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ROAM

Recently WW was contracted by a reader who was looking for intel on the 34’ launch – ROAM, recently on tme.

All they knew was she was probably a Chris Robertson design and built by Brin Wilson. 

There had been a name change approx. 5 years ago, previous name unknown.

Can anyone enlighten us more on the vessel.

Seems the lack of navigation skills isn’t restricted to NZ, friend John Burland sent in the photo below from Germany.

Update ex JB – No rain in the forecast, Rhine level dropping by the day. Recovery ran to around €10k/NZ20k.

Screenshot

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MASEKA – A Peek Down Below

Posted on by
5
The painting above was commissioned by Gary and Yvonne Sterling when they owned her 1983-1987.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MASEKA – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody is – MASEKA, designed and built in 1968 by Chris Robertson. When launch she was 36’ but now measures 40’ that includes the normal protrusions + a 800mm hull extension.

Her owner Grant Keighley commented that she was built the same year as the launch – WAIMIGA however each owner wanted different looks, WAIMIGA the more traditional style while MASEKA’s wanted the modern look. WAIMIGA has made numerous appearance on WW and was once one of the ‘poster childs’ of the classic wooden launch movement. Photos below for comparison.

MASEKA”s hull is all kauri, double diagonal planking on stringers and frames, originally only glassed to the waterline. Her combings are solid teak. Decks and flying bridge (later addition) are plywood.

Some History Below Ex Her Owner (as they know it ) Any help in adding to this would be appreciated. Its so great when we get such extensive details of a vessel – also always a good sign that she is well cared for, and we like that.

OWNERS

• Built for a unknown family with a business in Newmarket  It is possible that the name was from family members eg. Mary, Sera, Karen? 1968-?

• Brian Purdy, who owned North Coast Builders ?

• John Priestley ?

• Gary and Yvonne Sterling 1983-1987

• A partnership of 3 airline pilots 1987-1995

• Grant and Lee Keighley 1995-2025

POWER

• 145hp lay over Perkins, going by the cut out in the starboard engine bearer to accommodate the vertical heat exchanger 

• 175hp lay over Perkins 

• 2004, 240hp Yanmar 4HLA 

The Perkins broke it’s crankshaft so it was decided to bite the bullet and install the Yanmar (non common rail marine diesel) matching 8 degree angled ZF gearbox, high tensile SS prop shaft, Briski 22×18 four blade prop, this transformed the boat giving,  reliability, much better performance and economy

To strengthen the hull to cope with the extra power, additional laminated floors installed between the frames in the engine room, frames flinched for additional strength 

OTHER WORK (carried out by the Keighley ownership )

• Glassed the hull above the waterline

• Glassing the cabin tops and flying bridge 

• Replacement of the deck plywood and glassing 

• Extensive system upgrades

WAIMIGA – PHOTOS BELOW

CLASSIC LAUNCH DELRAY

Posted on by
11

CLASSIC LAUNCH DELRAY

During a recent mystery launch story where we were trying to ID a launch moored in the Tamaki River (named NAU MAI) the above photo was recent in by Ken Ricketts , a totally different boat than the one we featured but it did jog the KR memory bank and he later advised the boat was – DELRAY.

She was built by Chris Robertson, in Otahuhu. Her original owner was Lees Bros. Ltd. who were the Ford marine diesel agents in Papakura at the time. KR recalls they used her as a demo boat for the first 2 x 250hp versions of the 6 cyl. Ford diesels that were installed in a boat in NZ.

They did not keep her terribly long & sold her to Mr. Ah Chee the owner of NZ’s first supermarket in Otahuhu. KR commented that there was a story told at that time, that he went away for his very first trip in her and the master stateroom, happened to be right above where the chine enters the water and the story goes that he didn’t get a wink of sleep all night, because of the little ‘plopping sound’ of the waves in the bay on the chine. He was not at all impressed, having just spent a lot of money buying her.

Do we know what happened to DELRAY post the Ah Chee ownership period.

UPDATE – As Murray Deeble pointed out in the comments section – DELRAY is the boat on the slip. I assumed KR was talking about the moored boat. The slipway boat probably wouldn’t have passed the woody test i.e. too modern in appearance and sporting a ‘block of flats’. So the question is whats the moored boat?

MYSTERY MAHURANGI WORKBOAT – RURU

Posted on by
3

MYSTERY MAHURANGI WORKBOAT – RURU

Todays woody comes to us from Dave Balderston via hid cubby Dave Stanaway. 

Dave B. spotted the boat hauled out at the Cement Works Marina up the Mahurangi River in Warkworth.

The Daves and myself are keen to learn more about the boat and what the plans are for her.

18-04-2024 Input ex Ari at the Quayside Boat Yard – Yes, Ruru was designed and built by Chris Robertson for John Spencer to help them transport gear and maybe the odd animal between John’s island farms in the Coromandel and the mainland. As can be seen by her condition, she had been left unused for years, with the Spencer’s having larger barges to do this kind of work nowadays. One of Chris’ Son’s, Martin, has since acquired her and collectively with the crew here at Quayside Boatyard, plan to bring her back to her former glory and utilise her as a river/harbour work boat.

WOODY BAY LIVING UP TO ITS REPUTATION AS A WOODYS MAGNET

Posted on by
1
Centaurus
Rehia
Waimiga
Waiari

WOODY BAY LIVING UP TO ITS REPUTATION AS A WOODYS MAGNET

Todays photos came to us ex Angus Rogers, aboard Centaurus while anchored in Woody Bay, RAKINO ISLAND.                                  Its a stunning location and no doubt the world famous on WW wood fired pizza at the Woody Bay Pizzeria help attract such an impressive collection of classic wooden launches.

Above from top to bottom we have  Centaurus (1967/8 Bailey & Sons) > Rehia (1939 Colin Wild) > Waimiga (1968 Chris Robertson)  > and Waiari (1962 Owen Woolley).

Input From Joe Telford aboard – Rehia – the rather large, majestic Lidard – Ngaro underway and the ex whale chaser Primadonna at anchor in Woody Bay.

Primadonna

YESTERDAYS MYSTERY LAUNCH QUIZ WINNER IS – Darrin Kennedy. In fact the only one that got both the launch name and location correct. Launch is the 1949 Lidgard built – Kiwitea. Seen in the photo being relaunched at Stillwater Boating Club, after her recent re-power. Well done Darrin 🙂

EMAIL – jasep@me.com

Tara III – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
Reply

TARA III – Sailing Sunday

WW recently received an envelop of photographs from retired South Island boat broker – Phil Vining, who these days resides in Motueka.

The above photo was tagged – Tara III , 36’ Chris Robertson built. Phil owned her himself in the 180’s, he sold her to a couple named John & Jane who sailed her around the world.  We believe that she is still owned them and these days calls Mana, Wellington home. Todays photo was taken during Phils ownership period i.e. late 1980’s.

Can we learn more about Tara III and get confirmation on her present location.

The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

Posted on by
2

Unknown-6

Unknown-11

Unknown-12

Unknown-2

Unknown

The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

The restoration of the 1950 Chris Robertson built – Susan Jane, at Colin Brown’s Omaha yard was been well documented on ww – link below. Last week (21-06-2018) Susan Jane emerged from the shed & made the road trip to Gulf Harbour marina for splashing. Ken Ricketts was on hand to record the event.

I have seen SJ in the flesh & I can tell you that in real life she looks even better – that man Colin Brown does stunning work – so the big question is – who is next in the shed?

 

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/30/susan-jane-sailing-sunday/

Update 13-05-2019 out at Gulf Harbour (photos ex Ken Ricketts)

Around The Yards – Warkworth

Posted on by
5

042

047

046

Around The Yards – Warkworth

Alan Sexton was recently hauled out at Robertson’s Yard, Warkworth & snapped this interesting collection of boats. Alan reported that the ‘Jane Gifford’ was also up for a bottom paint and the Harland’s ‘Plain Jane’ (designed and built by Chris Robertson) was in the shed for a top to bottom refurbishment.

The above photos of the boats on the hard caught Alan’s eye.
James Groenhart’s 28′, 1951, Lidgard built ‘Ballerina’ was looking very smart, but then she should, having spent 5 weeks last year in Colin Brown’s shed for a re-fit. photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/10/ballerina-restoration/

Now Lady Rere is an interesting launch, she started off as a bare shell of a hull, reputed to be ~100yrs old, Alan believes Robertson’s built the new superstructure and interior and engineering. Do we know any more about her?

The centre-boarder ‘Tirranna’ pictured is a Hartley at around 28’& in a moment of weakness (on my behalf) sneaks into todays ww post . Alan commented it was good to see a boat of her type in immaculate condition.