Łatę last week I had to visit Tutukaka Marina in Northland, first up a confession – I had never been there before by road. Made an emergency stop there 40+ years ago on a yacht that was taking on water to the extent that we were sinking i.e. manual bilge pump and bucket couldn’t keep up – ’saved’ by a fishing boat that rafted us up and took us into Tutukaka where we went straight on the grid and waited for the falling tide. Issue repaired and after a very long day at the bar in the Swordfish Club, continued on to the Bay of Islands. That woodys is the short story, before the fishing boat arrived we were at the point of grabbing what we wanted to take with us in the very small dinghy……..
Very impressed with the marina and surrounding area, friendly staff and well maintained set up.
While waiting to meet someone I walked the docks and snapped a few photos of some of the classic wooden craft berthed there. I have a few more but will save them for future stories.
Looking forward to the woodys Clevedon overnight / BBQ cruise this weekend – weather forecast to looking good.
Today thanks to Dean Wright we get to wander the docks at Tutukaka marina and point the lens towards the Ngunguru River.
It was a slow day yesterday so I have done the hard work for you i.e. you will find links to previous WW stories on the boats that have appeared on WW in the past. Links found in the title section under each photo – enjoy 🙂
And if you can tell us more about the unknown boats e.g. there provenance, that would be great. If you haven’t come to grips with using the comments section – just send an email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
LADY J Almost one year ago WW was connected by Brian Hewitt looking for a 34’ Shipbuilders launch named – Joel, that he was a part owner of in the late 1970’s > early 1980s. We uncovered that in the 1995 >2004 period she was owned by a Gordon Cooper, who changed her name to Lady J. Lots of details and photos from both Brian and Gordon on this WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/06/joel/
Now thanks to Dean Wright doing a Tutukaka marina walk about last weekend, we now know that Lady J resides there. Any one able to fill in details on the boats whereabouts between 2004 and 2021?
Another request from Brian Hewitt – this time regarding the 34’ launch – Joel, that in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s he was part owner of.
Joel was built by Shipbuilders and powered by a Ford 80hp diesel with marine conversion. The launch had full 2M headroom through the interior, a full sized household sized ‘head’, a galley which adequately catered for up to 12 and a table that sat them all.
Brian recalls that one of her few weak points was she was hard to manoeuvre in a brisk breeze so berthing took speed and courage but Joel gave the owners much enjoyment.
When sold the new owner built an open bridge and renamed her, but Brian can’t remember the new name.
He has a suspicion she went to Pine Harbour marina. When Brian & co. bought her, she came with a pile mooring at Westhaven, they later progressed to a marina.
Brian would love to know where she is now. Can anyone help out?
Update from Gordon Cooper – I owned JOEL since about 1995 to 2004. She was a beautiful launch, the owner prior to the one I bought her off had rebuilt her interior, raised the floor so the motor was just under and put a fly bridge on her. She was at Gulf Harbour when I bought her, I kept her at West Harbour.
The boat was a hunny to back into a berth. When I sold her, she went to Sand Spit where she had her hull re-fastened. I do not think she is there now.
In the 2nd photo below, you see her as I bought her.
Woody Nathan Herbert spotted the launch above on trademe – the photo show her name as Belinda Lee and the list says she was built in 1940, is 36’ in length.
Current zoom zoom is via a 1952 Ford 120hp diesel. The photos look a little scary but there are the bones of a good woody here if you had the time and budget to attach the above the waterline issues.
Current home is Christchurch, so that may limit her appeal to woodys north of Cook Straight, but the price at <$5k is right, if the Ford is healthy 😉
(b/w photo c.1948 ex K Ricketts)
So Woodys – was Belinda Lee, Zephyr in an other life?
18-02-2020 Update ex Andrea Collings
Andrea has located a couple of photos, see below. Reproduction is not the best but we roll with that.. The one on the skid, is from when Andrea’s grandfather first brought her. Andrea commented it has her grandmother, uncle (and she thinks her aunt). Andrea believes she was having her motor removed. Her grandfather (Mac Kelly) thought she was to thirsty and put a smaller engine in.
The 2nd photo is of her has Mac standing and one of his sons sunbathing on her roof.
Andrea is not sure of dates for these photos but believes it would have to be in the 1950’s.
Zephyr remained in their family until about 1985 when she was sold to a man from Auckland who Andrea was told was the gent who took her bridge off. After that Andrea didnt know what happened to Zephyr until she received an email WW and then read Logan’s post.
Andrea has promised to continue to track down any more information and photos, so it can be added to her story.
30-04-2020 The Continuing Story Of Zephyr
I have been recently contacted by Kevin Lyall who via his mother, Hope Lyall, has contributed more details and photos from the vessels past. Kevins grandfather was a previous owner names – Mac Kelly and mentioned also in Andrea Colling’s input above.
I’ll let Kevin & Hope tell their story.
“The completion of Zephyr was delayed until after WWII, as the government was going to commandeer her as a patrol boat. She was originally powered by a single 165Hp ChrisCraft marine petrol engine, taken from a twin engine WWII landing craft. Not sure if the HP is correct, had a look and could have been a K series or Hercules series engine?
Mum said the original engine was under the floor, but the new engine had an engine cover built which took up space in the cockpit. She was re-powered with a Lee’s marine diesel (Ford)
She sank at her mooring in Awaawaroa Bay late 1970’s or early 1980’s, due to an engine intake valve being left open. She may have sat floating at the mooring for several years after that as I remember her being beached at Pipitewai Bay and sacks of mussels being removed from the hull,This may have been around the time she was sold on.
We used to visit the family farm at Awaawaroa Bay, board Zephyr at Maraetai Wharf and sit on the bow with our groceries for the trip over the Tamaki Strait, we did this a few times for school holidays and Christmas. Must have been pre 1981.
My mother and family did a lot of trips on Zephyr all around the Hauraki Gulf and out to Great Barrier Island in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Many stories of fishing and visiting islands and meeting up with other boaties.”
Dec’ 1965
1970’s
31-08-2020 Update ex Logan Bergs
Logan sent in the locker panel below from the launch Zephyr, during the weekend he by chance flipped the lid over and found a list of her previous names on the back of a panel Whilst doing a bit of work on the weekend on Zephyr or Belinda lee as she was called when I acquired her I found a list of her previous names on the back of a panel. When Logan bought the boat it was called Belinda Lee but he has reverted to the original name (Zephyr). Barry was unaware that there had been 2 other names – ‘Lady J’ and ‘True Love’.So woodys – does the addition of these names jog and memories?
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