The classic wooden launch – ASEREHT has only made one brief appearance WW, back in 2020 when I spotted her mooching around Rakino Island.
Back in January of this year she was for sale and thanks to her listing we get to see and learn more about her.
Built in 1989 by Geoff Bagnall she is 34’ and powered by 135hp D Series Ford that gives ASEREHT a comfortable cruising speed of 9.5knots.
As with anything that came out of Geoff Bagnall’s Milford shed she very well built and appointed with all the systems needed for safe , comfortable cruising.
Todays woody story features the 33’ Roy Parris designed and built (1978) classic launch – WAIKARO. Some history, I brokered the sale of WAIKARO to her current owners back in 2021. At the time she was a very practical classic sedan cruiser , that had been lucky to have good past owners and Geoff Bagnall as their boatbuilder.
Her new owners were newish to classic craft and over the next 4 years undertook a rolling restoration / refit – lots of system upgrades and corrected some deferred maintenance. Work included removal and full service of anchor windlass, replacement of 7 windows, with 8mm toughened, new engine mounts, exhaust, hull repaint, replacement of nav lights and wiring, fitting of bow thruster, new anchor chain & anchor and new Lawrence plotter/sounder.
But it didn’t stop there – with a lot of lobbying from myself and Jason Prew (Slipway Milford) WAIKARO’s coamings were taken back to bare wood and she got the Awlwood (Uroxsys) treatment + the additional of some shiny bronze bits. And that transformed WAIKARO into the striking craft we see today. See below photo of WAIKARO as purchased with painted coamings.
As per most of Roy Paris’s builds forward motion is via a 120hp Ford 2715, non-turbo. With her semi displacement hull, the 120hp sees her comfortably cruising at 9 knots, with a top speed of approx. 14 knots. Construction is carvel planked kauri. Her beam is just short of 10’ and she draws 3’3”. (Fits a 10.5m marina berth).
Back in August 2020 we featured the classic woody launch – Poco Lento on WW. We learnt then that she started out in life back in late 1970’s as your typical Roy Parris kauri planked launch, then in 1991>92 master boat builder Geoff Bagnall undertook a major refit to make her more liveable. When launched in the 1970’s her name was – Lady Janet.
When I first boarded Poco Lento I was amazed to learn she was sub 32’ and the internal space, helped by the underfloor Ford Lees 115hp engine. I was even more taken aback with the fit-out – auto pilot, power anchor winch, bow thruster, hydraulic steering, on-board shower, fridge, freezer, pressurised hot water, stand-alone galley, electric toilet, high-end engine sound proofing, holding tank and a lot more – she really has been a rolling restoration with her then owner undertaking a major project every year. The 295L fuel tank allows her to cover a lot of distance when cruising.
NGARUNUI – A Peek Down Below Following on from yesterdays story on the start of the Whangarei to Nouema yacht race, we successfully Id’ed the mid 1950’s Jim Young designed and built launch – Ngarunui. And now thanks to the camera of Ken Ricketts back in December 2015 we get to have a look down below.You will also find a lot of backland of the boat at the WW links below, she had a very challenging start to her life afloat.
23-07-2021 Input from Kerin Owen – The photo below is of one of the two dories built by Jim Young in 1957 as fishing dories to accompany Ngarunui. This one is Nancy Barbara, owned for many years by Len Hayman at Great Barrier Island, now by me. Am not certain what timbers were used but she is still very sound, being 16′,with a planked bottom and lapstrake sides. She will plane, lightly loaded, with an 8hp outboard, and is still fulfilling her original purpose of a very handy fishing dory.
Lady Janet (Poco Lento) Fixed Price Sale – $48,000
ROYAL FALCON RE-LAUNCHED We have followed the restoration / refit of Collette & Steve Pople’s 1934 Cox & Fimer built woody – Royal Falcon on WW and been blown away with the quality of the workmanship happening in the Leader Boatbuilders shed.
Today thanks to Mark McLaughlin taking his launch Mapuna for a run on Sunday we get to she Royal Falcon afloat again. Boat shed photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/05/31/royal-falcon-restoration-2021-update/ We understand all that is required is the final interior finishing, which we will update you on shortly.
LADY JANET / POCO LENTO NEEDS A NEW HOME – All Offers Considered
A quick heads up, Poco Lento (Lady Janet) has appeared on WW several times and is currently for sale, the vendors are retiring from boating and moving into a retirement village, so woodys as they say in the real estate game – make an offer, you may be surprised at the prize…………. See more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/08/07/poco-lento-lady-janet/ Contact via waitematawoodys@gmail.com
KATOA The photos above of the 37’7” launch Katoa , were sent in by Bay of Islands woodys – Dean Wright. Dean snapped Katoa in the Te Puna and Kerikeri Inlet area last week.
Designed and built by Geoff Bagnall in 1988, she may by ‘youngish’ for a woody but she is an oldie at heart 🙂 Powered by a 130hp Lees Ford diesel.
Mooching around The Slipway Milford yesterday I spotted a familiar looking shape, closer inspection revealed Wanda II was hauled out as part of her ‘rolling’ restoration. Previous WW stories tell us she was built in 1948 by the Lane Motor Boat Co. for Fred Porter. She measures 38’6’ and is powered by twin BMC Commodore 55hp diesel engines.
Her current custodian / owner has virtually gutted the interior and is refurbishing her to better match the demands of classic woody family cruising. Whilst the latest fittings and systems are being utilized, her owner has a very sympathetic eye to detail so I’m confident she will look fantastic.Milford wooden boat builder Geoff Bagnall was onboard while I was there replacing / sistering some ribs. I think that is what he was doing 😉
Great to see her at Milford, hopefully providing motivation to Cam Malcolm, head honcho at the Slipway, to accelerate the work on his – Connie V, one of 3 sister ships – Wanda II, Connie V and Doreen. Connie V is currently directly in front of Wanda II inside the shed.
In the top photo, the woody alongside Wanda II is – Uhuru Jack, getting some TLC. She would have to be one of the oldest residents of Milford Creek Marina.
photo ex Ken Rickets c.1940’sphoto ex Chris Horsley c.2014
Over the lock-down / winter period the owners of Waikaro have given her a facelift. She was built in 1978 by Roy Parris as a 30’+ work boat for a Great Barrier family. She was ’saved’ from a slow death out there by master craftsman boat builder Geoff Bagnall, who re-modeled her cabin and cockpit and created one of the most practical, live-able 30’ launches I have seen.Power is via a 120hp Ford diesel and Waikaro has all the accessories to make cruising a breeze – remote capstan, hot shower (stern), stand-alone toilet/head, permanent double berth, solar charging, duckboard bait tank and more. Her owners have had her for 15 years and during this period Geoff Bagnall has overseen her maintenance programme.She returned to the water last week after a repaint, anti-fouling and varnish refresh.
And if you haven’t already guessed it – yes Waikaro is for sale and would be the best value for money woody on the market. Marina / mooring access available by negotiation. So woodys if you and the family want to be on the water this Christmas – contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com More photos below from last months relaunch.
25-05-2022 UPDATE – Post selling ,her new owners have been undertaking some differed maintenance and giving her a birthday, which has included a bow-thruster and trip to the Milford Slipway beauty parlour for a Jason Prew paint job (JPPJ) and a splash of varnish – well done JP and Cam for convincing the owners to add the bling 🙂
26-05-2022 UPDATE – first coat is on, looking very swanky 😉
28-05-2022 More paint & the first few coats of Uroxsys
14-06-2022 Getting close to relaunch day
John Spencer Book Winner The winner was Kerry Alexander – with the 68’ New World
Lots of answers submitted for Buccaneer at 73’, but John didn’t build her, and Infidel was 61’8”
Back in May I did a WW story on the 44’ 1990 Geoff Bagnall built, Bo Birdsail designed, spirit-of-tradition (excuse the pun) launch – Tradition, link below.
This was an amazing story and took the form of an interview between her original owners Rhys and Dick Boyd and a subsequent owner, Keith Busch. If you missed the story I would encourage you to read it, its a cracker + lots of photos.
Today, thanks to Ken Ricketts, we get to have a peek down below on this magnificent woody. Ken was aboard while she was berthed at Gulf Harbour marina.
These days Tradition is owned by Chris and Rae Collins – so she is in very good hands and well used – which we like 🙂
The 31’ woody Poco Lento started out in life back in late 1970’s as your typical Roy Parris kauri planked launch, then in 1991>92 master boat builder Geoff Bagnall undertook a major refit to make her more liveable.
Geoff B is a talented man and has a reputation of creating Tardis’s e.g. boats that are bigger on the inside than they appear on the outside.
When I first boarded Poco Lento I was amazed to learn she was sub 32’ and powered by an underfloor Ford Lees 115hp engine. I was even more taken aback with fit-out – auto pilot, power anchor winch, bow thruster, hydraulic steering, on-board shower, fridge, freezer, pressurised hot water, stand-alone galley, electric toilet, high-end engine sound proofing, holding tank and a lot more – she really has been a rolling restoration with her owner undertaking a major project every year. The 295L fuel tank allows her to cover a lot of distance when cruising.
Now I’m not a fan of the name, if she was mine I would be reverting back to her as launched name – Lady Janet.
The gallery of older photos show her arriving for the re-fit and the work-in-progress + a young looking Geoff Bagnall 😉
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