Tag Archives: Kotare

KOKIRI – In The 1950>60’s

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KOKIRI – In The 1950 > 60’s

A couple of weeks ago on WW we ran a short story on the launch Kokiri, link below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/03/kokiri-lake-rotoiti-parade-now-sunday/

As so often happens on WW the story was read by some one with a past connection to boat – I have reproduced Trish Kidson’s (from Nelson) note to me below

“Hi from Nelson – It was a thrill to see Kokiri featured on your post last week.  I have so many happy childhood memories of trips around the Abel Tasman coastline with the owners of the time, Mr & Mrs Nalder.  

I’ve put together a wee bit more information (below) and also added some photos ex the late John Evans collection (as seen above) as she was in the late 1950’s onwards while in the Nalder’s hands.  Sorry, the photos are taken off my late father’s slides so not best quality but may be helpful to have in your database for future reference.  

PS:  “Escape”  is Percy Vos design / build, launched in 1940 and bought by my parents in 1967 who brought to her to Nelson where she remained in the custody of our family for 46 years. Last we heard she was moored in Whitianga.” 

KOKIRI (Newt & Nellie Nalder)

As previously mentioned by other WW viewers, Kokiri was built in Nelson by Allen Westrupp in late 1950s at his Tahuna workshop for well-known locals Newt and Nellie Nalder as a replacement for their previous boat, Kotare (built in 1951 by Nelson boatbuilders Curnow & Wilton).  They had used the launch Kotare for taking passengers and friends along the Abel Tasman National Park coastline or for fishing trips.  

Like her owners, Kokiri is remembered with much affection by many locals who frequented the Park as she was often seen pottering along the coast or on a mooring in Anchorage. 

After the Nalder’s sold her, Kokiri remained in the Kaiteriteri/Riwaka area and was lengthen by the new owners.  Her original length is unknown but as a comparison, yacht Escape is 28’6” (as seen in the photo of being towed up the Nelson Harbour on the day Escape was launched in Nelson, 1967).

Photos: (late John Evans Collection) Apologies for the quality – they are taken off Dad’s slides

2024 LAKE ROTOITI CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE – 200+ PHOTOS

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2024 LAKE ROTOITI CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE – 200+ PHOTOS

Wow what a weekend , stunning weather, so many classic woody boats and as always at Lake Rotoiti – nice people.

Left Auckland at 5.30am to drive down – have to say the new Waikato expressway is so fast BUT so boring as a drive.

Arrived at my hosts Dave and Glenys Wilson lake front residence and collected the on-the-water transport for the day. Had a nice surprise in that the boat came with a skipper – local boatbuilder Alan Craig (Craig Marine) who over the last 10 years has rubbed up against most of the craft floating on the lake. This made my boat buddy – cabin boy, Grant Gibbs redundant but he accepted the demotion to #1 lackey.

After recent parade weekends have been effected by CV19 and weather bombs everyone was hanging out for a special day afloat and we got it in spades. 

Todays photo gallery is loosely broken into 3 sections – Mooching About / Parade / Picnic.

Enjoy – if I missed your boat – sorry, next year. Tomorrow I will do a story on the Albatross runabouts that were a major part of the parade – I believe the biggest turnout in the Southern Hemisphere.

A couple of videos below.

REMEMBER – CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE


09-02-2024 UPDATE – Video of the fleet at the Picnic

Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch

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Older Photo

Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch

Several woodys have drawn my attention to this  24’6” launch thats recently popped up on tme. The listing states that it was designed / built by L G Coulthard in Onehunga. The build year says 1965 but Nathan Herbert has commented that Coulthard’s last boat was in 1959, this one resembles a build year c1930s. Nathan also as pictured above she will have had a new cabin since launching. 

There is some uncertainty around the launches name – when her current owner bought her in 2006 in Auckland, her name was  – Talofa and it was claimed she was originally  built for the Mayor of Thames. Her name was subsequently changed to Kotare.

What we know  – 24’6” in length, 8’ beam and draws 2’3” – powered by a 28hp 3 cyl. Vetus marine diesel engine giving her a top speed of 7.5 knots.

Current home is Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds, South Island.

J .(Jimmy) Mc McLaren Boatbuilders Onehunga 

Recently contacted by a James H McLaren regarding his grandfathers boat yard, the yard was probably side-by-side with the L G Coulthard yard in Onehunga.The photo below shows the McLaren builders plate. James is looking for a surviving dinghy made by his granddad – Jimmy McLaren, James commented that they were his stock in trade.Can anyone help out eg have one for sale – any condition.

KOTARE  Re-launched

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KOTARE  Re-launched
Todays woody is the 28’ launch – Kotare, built and launched in 1961 by Frank Wilkins to a 1960 design of A N (Bill) Couldrey. Kotare first appeared on WW back in 2014. Over time we uncovered an amazing amount of history on the vessel. The 2022 WW story when wooden boat builder Alan Craig gave us a shed tour on restoration / rebuilding of Kotare has all the references, photos and links to her past – link to the 2022 story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/10/10/kotare-restoration-boat-shed-tour/

Last week Alan Craig advised they had just relaunched Kotare at Lake Rotoiti. Her owner had just finished the interior refit in his shed inTe Puke since Alan and the team at Craig Marine finished painting Kotare last year.  Alan commented that she looked pretty sharp. The work had been done in a pretty confined space and they hadn’t really been able to stand back and look at it till now. A new 35hp Beta diesel has been put in to replace the BMC.

As we have come to expect of anything that slides out of the Craig Marine shed Kotare is a stunner.

KOTARE Restoration – Boat Shed Tour

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KOTARE Restoration – Boat Shed Tour

Back in June 2014 WW was approached with a request for intel on the 28’ kauri planked classic launch – Kotare, that is a poplar name for boats, so I was surprised at what we uncovered. 

At the time Harold Kidd was able to tell us that she was designed by Bill Couldrey in 1960 for Frank Wilkins of Church St., Northcote to build for himself.  Wilkins launched her in October 1961 with a 45hp BMC diesel.

We struck gold when Richard Farrar sent in a copy of an interview, dated 8th Oct 1996 with her builder Frank Wilkins – its a great read – link to story here: https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/21/kotare-builder-interview/

Fast forward to May 2020 and we ran another story on Kotare with more recent photos and details – link here: https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/12/kotare-4/

Fast forward again to the present day and as you will observe in the above photos – Kotare is being restored / refitted by sage boat builder Alan Craig and his team at Craig Marine.

Photos below post launching and c.2014

Kotare – Needs A New Custodian 

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KOTARE – Needs A New Custodian 

The yacht Kotare popped up on WW back in 2018 (link below) having recently changed hands, now her owner Don Fraser would like to place the yacht with someone who will  maintain and use Kotare – I’ll let Don tell the story

KOTARE – Sailing Sunday

Don Fraser here. Back in Jan 2018 you posted a mention of my little 20′ cutter-rigged 1940’s keeler ‘Kotare’, having spotted me antifouling her in Rocky Bay, Waiheke where both the boat and I reside. 

That was my 3rd (or 4th?) season of ownership, after she was gifted to me by the previous owners – who were virtual strangers but had spotted me in the bay and thought I looked a suitable candidate… reasonably handy but not rich enough to buy anything substantial for myself, I was at that time ‘custodian’ of a friend’s dilapidated trailer sailer, also moored in the bay and since passed on to my friend’s nephew. 

Since then I have only sailed Kotare a handful of times – as work and family commitments continue to expand. On my youngest leaving home last year I thought Kotare’s time had finally come for a full repaint, cutting out some rot from the ply cockpit (added by the same guy who’d converted her to a keeler) and in the topper cabin trim, and some decent sail time. But alas covid came, then my mum needed a live in carer in the city, then my wife announced we will spend the next few summers walking the length of the country.

So Kotare needs a new owner / kaitiaki. One with the skills, time and energy to attend to her ongoing maintenance – and maybe even beef up her underpowered rig a bit. She is simple and fun (if slow) to sail – the running back stays and basic cockpit all very ‘yar’ as Gregory Peck once put it. The owners before me at given her a thorough resto with red lead interior paint, fijian kauri ply floor added, and every bit of rig removed and either replaced or given a good tickle.

No money need change hands – the new owner has to just have the skills and enthusiasm to keep the old kingfisher going for another few years before they too might pass her on. Outboard not included but old 6 foot inflatable tender is. Interested parties can contact Don at fraserhoults@gmail.com

HOW MANY MORE SUMMERS WILL YOU LET SLIP BY WITHOUT A BOAT …….

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HOW MANY MORE SUMMERS WILL YOU LET SLIP BY WITHOUT A BOAT ………

Waitematawoodys has a sister  – its called the Wooden Boat Bureau and we sell classic wooden boats – launches, yachts, big and small. We like to fly under the radar, as do most of our clients. Someone asked me what I did the other day – below sums it up (sounds a bit fluffy, in reality I just sell boats.

Inform and enthuse interest in the joys of owning and sailing traditional and classic wooden boats. And we do this by promoting partnerships between the boats, the sellers and the buyers, for the benefit of all. At the end of the day – its all about the boats, as most will out live their current owners.

To view a sample selection of classic woodys berthed at the virtual Wooden Boat Bureau dock, click this link –  https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/17/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

Myself and David Cooke (MV Trinidad) are almost always available to offer advice to sellers and buyers – in the interests of marital harmony – in the first instance email to the below

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Kotare – The Restoration – 4sale

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KOTARE – The Restoration

Enter the name – Kotare (Kingfisher the bird)  into the WW search box and a lot of boats will come up, seems back in the day it was a very popular name for boats.

The 25’ woody above has a genuine claim to the name as she was built by Kingfisher Boats in 1951. Fast forward to 2015 and she underwent a full refit – work included new wiring, new galley, new fuel tanks motor, new head and her engine a Nissan AL20 – 60hp diesel was rebuilt and has only done 620 hours since. Also undertaken was fully glassing her kauri hull, that included 5 coats of resin on the inside, this may get a few frowns from some quarters but you can see from the photos it saved Kotare from a beehive restoration.

At 25’ LOA, the 60hp engine gives Kotare a top speed of 13 knots (cruising at 8). I can vouch for her being a very good sea boat because her owner does the miles in her – frequently over at Great Barrier Island. With a beam of just under 6’, putting her on a trailer is an option.

I spotted Kotare recently hauled out at the Slipway Milford getting some TLC and discovered that her owner was looking for a new owner – so woodys, if you are after a very cute, easily managed and maintained boat – Kotare could be yours for +/- $25k. I know I sound like a broken record, but……….. lake boat?  For more details – email waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Kaiteriteri Beach – Kotare

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1959

Can We ID This Launch KOTARE
Todays photo is dated 1959 and is of Kaiteriteri Beach, Motueka, Nelson – from the camera of J B Rowntree and comes to us via Maurice Sharp. Other than the addition of the commercial charter boats servicing the Abel Tasman National Park, the scene hasn’t changed much.

I have added below a close up image of the launch in the bay, are we able to put a name to her?

Input From Robbie Williams – the launch is Kotare owned by NEWTON NALDER and was the first of the boats offering trips into able Tasman national park she was twin screw powered by two 10 hp petter diesel she later burned and sank in Kaiteri under different ownership

Input From Brian Kitson – Kotare was built by Curnow and Wilton of Nelson and launched in November 1951 and burnt and sank at Kaiteriteri December 1966. 38ft long X 13ft beam X 2ft 6in draught. More than likely she was built of white pine. The ladder on the bow lowers to the beach for boarding and unloading passengers. Photo taken in Kaiteriteri

UPDATE ex John Burland – who sent in a link to a Dept of Conservation (Nelson/Marlborough) booklet on the Abel Tasman Area – screen grab below that confirms the ownership of Kotare by Newton Nalder and a photo of her in Bark Bay.

03-05-2021 Update: John Gander supplied the photo below of Kotare disembarking passengers at Kaiteriteri beach in 1959

KOTARE – The Most Affordable Waterfront Apartment In Auckland

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KOTARE – The Most Affordable Waterfront Apartment In Auckland


Over the last few years we have seen a surge in the number of workboat > pleasure boat conversions. Bang for bucks you can end up with a lot of boat.Todays woody Kotare has appeared on WW before, link below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/03/05/kotare-3/

At 50’ Kotare would be one of the best conversions I have seen and is now offered for sale – owned by a fastidious passionate woody, everything is presented in as perfect condition and is ready to motor off into the sunset or just stay at the marina and enjoy waterfront living.

Expressions of interest to   waitematawoodys@gmail.com

31-03-2021 More photos & video added