Tag Archives: Helensville

A Woody Tour Of Helensville / Upper Kaipara

Posted on by
3
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Florance M

La Vega
La Vega
La Vega
Morning Star
Unknown 1
Unknown 2
Nevada (4th out)
Nevada (center)
Nevada
Nevada
Nevada
Nevada
Unknown 3
Unknown 4
Unknown 5
Waimiko
Witch Way (3rd out)
Witch Way / Unknown 6/Scud
Witch Way
Wooden Mullet Boat ?

A Woody Tour Of Helensville / Upper Kaipara  

Following on from last Mondays stunning story on the boats resting in the Tamaki River (link below if you missed it), woody John Bullivant has been out & about again – this time his focus has been the Helensville & Kaipara Cruising Club. I have ID / tagged the photos where known, just scroll over to view the name). Again I’ll let John tell the story 🙂

“I did another boat hunting tour to Helensville on 6 Feb and found a few more wooden working boats and others parked on the mud at the fishing wharf and Kaipara Cruising Club . They are a friendly bunch at the club and allowed me to go onto the private jetties to take some photos, even unlocking a gate for me which was much appreciated. The couple I spoke to have a converted ex fishing boat (Waimiko I think ) with a 185HP Nissan and all the gear, which they say makes a perfect solid pleasure boat. 

The big Miller & Tunnage canoe stern La Vega ? also is Nissan powered but U/S at the moment and may be for sale ( hull looks in good nick and built like the proverbial BSH) and would make a great pleasure convert and sea boat. There are a number of interesting boats there including the nice looking bridge decker further up. Couldn’t get a good pic but looks like she’s having some work done? Also found Florence M (now with M painted over) on the hard there, back to the side she started on ? 

One thing that was of particular nostalgic interest (sort of ) was the little plastic ‘Scuppers tug’ (think that’s what the called them) tucked in the corner. If I’m not mistaken, this little boat resided at Half Moon Bay Marina way back in the early 80s when new, and I have an idea it was their little marina work boat, (I’m pretty sure it’s not from the other Half Moon Bay but would be a weird coincidence if it was). I even contemplated buying one when they came out (under $12,000 from memory) Stange place to find it.

The interesting little boat on the drums and the old planked Mullet boat? are on the Northern end of Helensville over the rail lines. All in all a great day out and finished of with great local fish and chips (found out the shop owner lived not far from me at Whangaparaoa before moving to Helensville,)  NZ is small,- once stayed overnight in the Hunterville motel, and the people who had recently bought it had lived not far from me in Bucklands beach, we Kiwis certainly move around along with our boats.”

Zoe

Posted on by
37


ZOE (MYSTERY LAUNCH ON THE KAIPARA)
photo from Russell Ward

Russell was recently mud plugging and gunk holing over on the West Coast – Kaipara, skippering the steam boat Romany when he came across the nice bridgdecker above, tied up  at Helensville. Russell noted that the styling of the windows was very ‘individual’.
Russell was told by a local that it was built in 1948 & was also told her (the launches) name, but forgot it 😦  .

An unusual boat in an equally unusual location – someone most be able to ID her ?

As always – click photos to enlarge 😉

1937-1938-ford-5

18-10-2015 Update from Cherry Bishop

This boat was built by my father Francis Bishop and a boat builder friend who’s name may have been Gladden. It was built from one of the last kauri logs to have been milled in the North island and yes 1948 is the year it was built. He dearly loved the boat and named it after my Mother “Zoe”. During my childhood we often took her out on the Kaipara fishing and netting for flounder and stayed overnight,sometimes for up to several weeks at a time depending on the demands of home and work. We often attended the Kaipara cruising club regattas and other events.We also sometimes moored at the lagoon at the end of the South Head Peninsula and I have fond memories of falling asleep in the bow of the boat listening to ship to shore radio and the sound of lapping waves and peacocks meowing ashore.As children we all fished and swam “with the sharks”.
Since my Father was born in 1910 he was familiar with boats sailing the Kaipara harbour and I once found a series of drawings he had done as a child of “boats” which were very detailed. I think he was really a frustrated boat designer. He left school age twelve during the depression as labour was needed on the farm and he was a farmer all his life. Boats were his hobby and a great love.He died in 1999 aged 89.