Tag Archives: Collings & Bell

Paikea

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PAIKEA
 
Two weeks ago my Westhaven spy sent my the 2 photos above of the 1921 Collings & Bell built launch Paikea hauled out at Westhaven for some TLC and then I spotted her back on her mooring in Bayswater looking very smart.
 
Thanks to Harold Kidd we know she was launched on 26th January 1921. She was fitted with a 120-150hp Model M Van Blerck 6 cylinder petrol engine (not a straight-eight Packard as is often said). Paikea had Chas. Collings’ “concave-convex” type of hard chine design which he made famous with his various Fleetwings and whale-chasers. Indeed she was a refinement of the Fleetwing whose image appears in the Collings & Bell section of WW. She was good for 20 knots and can still do it with her present big Iveco/Fiat, as Harold experienced at Sandspit. He commented the she goes like hell and stable with it.Alf Court sold her to Hec Marler in 1925 and he sold her to R B & S S Wilson  just pre-WW2. She was in NAPS during WW2 as Z17.
 
You can view more photos of her here

Donald Sutherland

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DONALD SUTHERLAND

The Collings & Bell launch Donald Sutherland is seen in the above photo on her launch day in January 1936.
Harold Kidd advised previously that DS was very similar to the C&B launch Miss Picton (later named Mitre Peek) that was launch early(07/12/1933).
Do we know what became of Donald Sutherland and is she still afloat?
In my eyes –  rather a pretty boat, but did Collings & Bell ever build an ugly one? 🙂
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Maitai – A Peek Down Below

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MAITAI –  A Peek Down Below

A year ago the 1928 Collings and Bell kauri launch Maitai appeared on WW (link below) now thanks to Ian McDonald and her trade listing we get a look down below. Maitai measures 29’ 6” and is of single carvel plank construction, powered by a 36hp Bukh diesel engine.
Her owner commented that after 11 years of ownership the reason for the sale is that he is buying a yacht…………. It doesn’t happen that way often, normally its selling yacht to buy a launch. He will be back 🙂

Sir Francis Relaunched + John Street Video Series – Part One

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July 2019

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July 2019

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In need of attention – May 2018

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Prep for new caulking
Re building the stern deck
Fore deck ready for painting
New toe rail and refurbished bollard
Stern deck finished
SIR FRANCIS
Back in June 2016 one of the woodys spotted Sir Francis berthed on Lake Taupo and commented on WW  that she was looking a little tired. Well folks I can report that after thirteen months of hard labour, Sir Francis went back into the water on July 6. Co-owner Paul Drake commented that she was last out of the water for 9 days, 10 years ago and she was becoming an embarrassment. 
As part of their re-fit the deck canvas has been replaced with the usual ply and glass cloth, and much other deferred maintenance was attended to. (scroll over photos for captions)
 
Sir Francis is 22’ and built by Collings and Bell in 1916, powered by a Universal Utility Four. This engine was added in 1937. 
When launched she was named – Fairy, then renamed – Aloha and when Grandfather Drake purchased her in 1938, he changed the name again to Sir Francis. She has been owned by the Drake family for the last 81 years. 
The Drake brothers (Paul, Nigel, Roger and Michael) individually and collectively are a great bunch and between them own numerous woodys. I have meet them at the Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade. Photo below.
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Brothers Nigel and Roger on SF late 1950’s.

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Paul

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L to R – Michael, Paul, Nigel, Roger. Oldest to youngest

 

 

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JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES 

Every day this week WW will feature a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The language is a tad ‘blue’ in places, but thats how John rolls 🙂 NOTE VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie.
PART ONE – Fosters The Beginning (turn your sound up)

 

UPCOMING VIDEOS
MONDAY–         Fosters The Beginning
TUESDAY–        History of The Breeze
WEDNESDAY– The schooner Daring
THURSDAY–     Amercias Cup
FRIDAY –            The steam crane ship Rapaki
SATURDAY–      Tug Boat Racing on the Waitemata

Miami > Queen Victoria

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Miami > Queen Victoria

I have a few questions re the above photos. To be honest, I’m a little confused so I have drafted the details below from info supplied ex her current owner and ask that those of you with more / better knowledge than me, give me feedback.

In 1915 Dr. Rayner of Moose Lodge, Lake Rotoiti, commissioned the Bailey Boatyard in Auckland to build a launch named ‘Miami’, when Rayner sold Moose Lodge to Sir Noel Coles Miami was replaced with the 28’ launch – ’The Moose’. The Moose was built in Feb 1939 by Collings & Bell. The Moose is shown in the top photo being transported to the Lake. The next two colour photos I believe to be the same launch at a later date.
The next three photos show the launch Miami, now named Queen Victoria, that Lake Rotoiti boatbuilder Alan Craig is about to start a re-furbishment on, during this work her Yanmar engine will be rebuilt. Her current owners in 1985 replaced her Redwing engine with the Yanmar, this being her 3rd engine – previous owners, the Armstrong family of Gisborne Point, fitted the Redwing during their ownership period. Bob Armstrong is on record as saying the launch was hard to moor and had a history breaking away which resulted in the Armstrong selling her to an unknown person, who kept her on Lake Rotorua for approx. a year.
Miami was then purchased by the Lewis family of Te Puke and kept at Otaramarae near the Harris boasted. Many years later it was sold to Bert Goulding a Tauranga surveyor, who kept her in a boatshed in Te What Bay next to his lake house (house now owned by ex MP Mr McLean)
Miami’s present owners had always admired her and regularly enquired if Bert Goulding wanted to sell the launch – his wife always replied “not ready yet”. Then in 1979 at the grand old age of 93, Bert Goulding decided it was time to sell. Her present owners jumped at the chance and purchased her. In 1985 she was sent to a Tauranga boatbuilder (Bill Visser) and altered to what we see today.
So woodys – is the above story factual and can anyone supply photos and more details on the past life of Miami > Queen Victoria ?
Input from Harold Kidd – The top left pic is OKATAINA built by Sam Ford in August 1938 for Beamish-White of Okataina. (oops – since moved to the bottom of this story. AH) The top right pic is MOOSE; same Ford truck though!
As for MIAMI, I just can’t find her being built by Chas Bailey for Dr. Rayner although 1915 had a lot more news going on than pleasure boating! Gallipoli, for example.
The first mention I have of a launch MIAMI is in 1924 when she was owned by G W & E L Best of Tennyson St., Northcote. She appears to have been sold to Whakatane in 1927, owners H West, F Prideaux and D McKenzie. In 1937 -1940 she was owned by H Dunton of Bowentown. Maybe she gravitated to Rotoiti from there or maybe there was another MIAMI at the same time?
The Bests had another MIAMI themselves in the 1950s.
I suppose Dr Rayner would have used the name MIAMI for a launch as, apart from being an enterprising dentist with his “American Dental Parlors” in Auckland, he was a developer of resorts like Turangi, Rotoiti etc obviously inspired by the contemporary conversion of Florida sandhills into the resort of Miami.
Just the same I’m eager to establish his connection with the launch MIAMI.
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Doris

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DORIS
Baden Pascoe sent in the above photo of the Collings & Bell designed / built launch – Doris. Once owned by Jack Allan (Allen?).
Baden commented that she was one of several motor boats was taken over by the RNZAF and used at Lauthala Bay, Fiji during WW2.
Can any of the woodys tell us more about Dorris?
TAMAKI BOATS UPDATE:
Yesterdays story on the boats ‘resting’ up the Tamaki River blew me away in terms of viewing numbers e.g. 25% more than the coverage of the Mahurangi Regatta and almost neck-‘n-neck with the recent Hobart Wooden Boat Festival. Again many thanks John Bullivant 🙂

Fleetwing Re-Launches

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FLEETWING RE-LAUNCHES

Late last week the Pollard brothers – Andrew & Cameron dropped Fleetwing back in the water after giving her a serious makeover. Other than shinny paint job, we are sure what has has been done to her, the brothers are a tad tight lipped on details.
What I can say is that looking at her stern there is a very serious new prop, a bigger exhaust & the addition of a set of trim-tabs, so me thinks that she has had ‘heart transplant’.
The big question is will they be entering the upcoming Rudder Cup launch race? Will be an interesting clash between Jason Prew’s My Girl & Fleetwing. I suspect that if we see an entry from the Pollards, Mr Prew will off to Westhaven marine chandlery outlets for a set to trim-tabs 😉
Speaking of the Rudder Cup, to date we have over 15 confirmed / paid-up entries, with a few more having to pay the late entry fee (>Nov 30th) – it will be a cracker event.
And CYA woodys – remember next weekend (Dec 1>2) is Patio Bay weekend – more on that in a few day.
Check out this WW link to read & view some of the history on Fleetwing. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/09/fleetwing/
Video below of Fleetwing idling post launching.

UPDATE 08-12-2018  My spies snapped a photo of Fleetwing at speed, heading down the harbour toward the Harbour Bridge – looked fast was the comment.

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Waimata

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WAIMATA

Resident Lake Rotoiti boat builder Alan Craig (Craig Marine), sent me the above photos of the 28’ launch Waimata. She has just been at Alan’s yard for a hull paint job.

Alan commented that while a resident on Lake Rotoit she is not always seen at the annual Wooden Boat Parade.

Her owners believe she is a Collings and Bell built in 1926 & bought buy the Corson family around 1939 to bring to the lake. They changed the name so we are not sure of her original name.

Her zoom zoom these days is via a Nanni diesel, prior to this she had a Grey Marine & previous to that, something much bigger that made her “really go” according to her owner.

Interested to know if the builders plate is original? – I have not seen one like that before.

Waimata is a very well maintained woody & with Alan’s input is looking very smart.

So woodys – what do we know about this boats past?

Input from Paul Drake –

The C & B builder’s plate in this morning’s WW post is of interest.
Below is a pic of SIR FRANCIS’s plate from 1916. Notice the slight difference in phone numbers.
Rather unusual to have a phone number on a builder’s plate, don’t you think?
These days one might include an email address!
Alan H Question – when did Auckland ph numbers change from 4 to 5 digits?
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Ruamano

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RUAMANO

The above photos ex the FB page of Lew Redwood show the 1925, 46’,  Collings & Bell built launch Ruamano in February 1926 on an extended cruise of the South Island’s West Coast sounds.

The bottom photo sees her alongside the wharf at Picton & her crew being welcomed in Nelson, her owner / skipper A.H. Courts is on the far left in the photo.

Sadly Ruamano was ‘lost’ (abandoned) at sea in 2000, off the West Coast of the North Island – read / see more at the links below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/02/ruamano/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/03/17/ruamanu/

 

 

 

Matira – Collings & Bell

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MATIRA

Matira, the 1956 Collings & Bell woody, has featured on WW many times before & is what I call a lucky boat, lucky in that her owner has an appreciation for classic woodys & spends what is needed to keep her in spectacular condition.

Due to personal reasons, Matira is now for sale & in my eyes would be the best classic wooden launch on the market.

Over the last 2 ½ years she has had a rolling re-fit that has included re-powering with twin Yanmar 110hp diesels & numerous other significant mechanical work.

The mechanical work has been matched by just about new everything inside. For more details, view the trademe listing (link below) , from where todays photos come from.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=1596072305&tm=email&et=47&mt=16373835-5D

The photo below was sent to me by Bryce Strong, a previous owner of Matira, & shows her sporting a steadying sail –

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25-07-2022 Input from Sam Harris (son of past owner – Peter Harris)

Peter Harris purchased Matira in 1993 from Herald Island area, Auckland.
Vessel was steamed to Tauranga for refuel then onto Gisborne as a Live aboard and Charter vessel. Peter a Electrician and Electrical Inspector installed Ship Shore 230v system and operated Matira for sight seeing and xmas parties, hens nights and even a funeral at Sea scattering ashes. Matira had many trips up and down the east coast visiting Napier and other harbours