GREAT BARRIER ISLAND WOODEN BOATS
The above photos were sent in by Glen Martin from a recent trip. The boat of main interest was STAR DRIFT that we have been keeping an eye on for several years – still no activity of note but the small fly-bridge has gone west at some stage – we like that.
Anyone able to put a name to the boat in the last photo.
CLASSIC WOODY WORKBOAT MARISSA – GETS A NEW LIFE
When my phone rings and the ID says John Wright I always answer – why? Aside from the fact he is a great guy. John has a great eye for our classic craft and if he tells me to get my A into gear and do a yard / dockside visit, I know it will be a goody.
This time the woody was the semi-ex 24’ workboat MARISSA, a 100+ years old and owned by the Monaghan family for a very large chunk of that time.
Home port is Great Barrier Island and after her re-launch at Te Atatu Boating Club she will be heading back to the barrier.
Some of her history – at one change when she was a cray boat she went ashore at GB and was abandoned on the beach. I may get this wrong, someone correct me if I do – either Don Armitage or the Monaghan family saved the wreck and concerted here to something along the lines of what we see today.
Photos below of her post the wreck / rebuild. These days she is powered by a 4 cyl. Isuzu diesel engine.
INPUT ex KERIN QWEN – Don Milne rebuilt her and crayfished from Wairahi. Then to Whangapara as support vessel for the lodge, then to Monahan’s I believe. That’s from about 1980 on. I would like to know more of her earlier history. I believe she was converted from a launch configuration.
MYSTERY LAUNCH AT GT. BARRIER ISLAND – WESTWIND
Todays photo was spent in by Dave Stanaway and shows the Radio Hauraki ‘pirate ship’ – Tiri alongside the wharf at Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island.
The photo is dated 1963 and todays question is can we ID the launch alongside Tiri. Dave commented that he recalls she was island based but the name eludes him.
UPDATE – As mentioned in the comments section, as pictured above Tiri wasn’t yet the Radio Hauraki ship. Dave advised his father ran the Tiri for Tiri Co-operative Shipping Co at the time of the photo. Ran from Auckland to Whangarei and Great Barrier.
Grant Schults ID’ed the launch alongside as Westwind, that serviced the local guesthouse on the island.
23-08-2023 INPUT ex Greg Philpott – photos below of Westwind in the Whangarei Town Basic Marina.
LADY ISLA
In the past I have spent a lot of time on Gt Barrier Island, and thought I had mooched around the shoreline of most of the bays / harbours – then bang up pops an old woody – Lady Isla, on Len Redwood’s fb. The photo is dated 2019 and is ex Caleb Bird.
If my life depended on it, my pick for the location would be Okupu Bay.
Can we learn more about Lady Isla and how she ended up on the island.
Short and quick story today – hauled Raindance out yesterday, so a tad busy 🙂 15 months later the Jason Prew Paint Job ex the Slipway Milford – still rocks.
MYSTERY LAUNCH – 03-07-2018
Short post today – other boating things distracting me 😉
The above unidentified launch is seen above in Fitzroy Harbour, Great Barrier Island. photo ex Lew Redwood fb
Anyone able to ID her?
MISTY ROSE (Sybil Frances/ Francis)
photos & details ex Eddie Viv
The photos of today’s launch were sent in by Eddie Viv who has recently purchased her. She is currently named Misty Rose but was previously named Sybil Frances. From what Eddie has been able to learn she was apparently built in 1945 & is 3 skin kauri. In the past she has been a commercial long-liner & was owned by a person named Jack for 35 years and was moored at Port Fitzroy , Great Barrier Island.
The photos above show her as she is now & I would have to say ‘what a difference a coat of coat makes’ :-). We had her on ww back in August & she was looking a little tired. See link https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/05/sybil-francis/
Back then the trademe listing had her as c.1935/36 & powered by a 120hp Ford. In the comments on that post Shamus Fairhall advised that she had been owned by a diesel mechanic named Jack Ngati, kept on the piles up the Tamaki River & used as transport to his property on the Barrier.
So woodys a few more details – can we expand any more?
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