Todays woody photo popped up recently on the postcard’s of old NZ fb page via a Marcus Hurst posting.
The location of the photo is The Ohau Channel, that connects Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti.
I know the channel is still in existence as the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association run an annual raft / float day down the channel – not sure what the depth is these days. Any of the Lake WW readers able to put some names to the craft we see on the waterway.
Todays woody photo comes to use from John Dawson. John believes the location is most likely Lake Rotorua, this is based on the photo album it came from. So if not Lake Rotorua maybe Lake Rotoiti.
Would be nice to put a name to the launch and learn some of her history.
As previously promised, last week Alan sent in the gallery of photos above starting with MOOSE in her Lake Rotoiti boathouse at Moose Lodge and finishing up in Alan’s yard with the restoration already underway.
Alan commented that the process went very smoothly, a few of the crew were a little apprehensive that a planked wooden boat will still float after an extended period out of the water. Alan said that MOOSE was all good, with a bit of help from the modern technology of temporary urethane sealant 😉
As with all wooden boat projects things start with unveiling the surprises that lie beneath the layers of paint, but for the experienced team at Craig Marine there are no real surprises these days.
We look forward to following this restoration. (photo below dated 1954)
LAKE ROTOITI 2025 CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE – PART #2 THE PICNIC
Today again thanks to Scott Johnson we experience the post Parade picnic at Wairau Bay. Where after the formalities of the Parade, the skippers and crew get to relaxed and have a waterside party.
The venue being a lake (no tide) means that the craft can all nudge into the bank and everyone gets to meet, chat and swap boating stories.
LAKE ROTOITI 2025 CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE – PART #1 THE PARADE
Today thanks to Scott Johnson we get a look at the 2025 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade — stunning, weather and photos that matched the wooden craft.
The day began with the traditional three cannon blasts, signaling the start of a flotilla of 80 classic and wooden boats gliding across the lake – lead out by Teheka Whaka.
Spectators gathered along the Okere arm shore, enjoying a live commentary from the commodore, who shared insights into the history and craftsmanship of these beautiful vessels. The weather was perfect, making for a truly memorable day on the water.
The parade concluded with a picnic and games at Wairau Bay, where the skippers and crew relaxed and celebrated another fantastic year of this cherished tradition.
Enjoy the gallery of photos & remember – click on photos to enlarge ;-)- On Wednesday we will have part two – the lake side picnic.
03-02-2025 INPUT ex COLIN BROWN – photo below of a painting Colin has of ROMANY in the shed at Whangateau boat shed.
A CELEBRATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN STEAM BOAT – ROMANY
The top photo above is on my permeant laptop screen saver rotation i.e. one of my favourite woody boating images. The craft is Russell Ward’s steam boat – ROMANY and I have been taking photos of her for over 10 years. Just after I took this photo myself and Murray Deeble joined Russell for a very special early morning cruise around Lake Rotoiti.
The year was Feb 2014 and the annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade had been postponed 24 hrs due to inclement weather (mainly fog). Given that ROMANY takes several hours to fire / steam up Russell was keen to head out anyway, so Deeble and I hopped aboard. A very memorable day, made even more special by ‘visiting’ (gate crashing) several waterfront holiday homes along the way.
What prompted todays story was Russell sent in two photo of the new engine for ROMANY, in the final stages of assembly – I would not like like to be funding that project – looks very $$$. I’m sure Russell will had some details on the new engine.
Enjoy the photos, mainly taken at LRC&WBF’s over the last decade.
Last week WW was contacted by Lindsay McMorran regarding a new arrival he spotted moored in Rocky Bay, Waiheke Island.
Lindsay commented that she was ’new’ to his eyes and wondered if we could uncover more about her.
A TREASURE CHEST OF BOAT BITS
Last week WW was contacted by Alan Craig from Craig Marine in regard to a stash of woody gold i.e. bonze boating fitting that retire Lake Rotoiti boatbuilder – Tony Mitchell had ‘collected’ over the years. There is an impressive collection of port holes – 5 x 8″ and 4 x 10″, actually one is slightly bigger at nearly 9″. All opening ones. Plus other bits and bob’s there too. Checkout the cool collection of boat wheels.
Contact Alan at craigmarine@outlook.co.nz – no antique bargain hunters – serious classic woody boat owners only. Proceeds to Tony.
The c.1950’s 14’ classic ski boat – CORKER was built by by Bay Boats, Hastings for a Hawkes Bay farming family that holidayed in Rotorua, the the boat was used to ski on Lake Okataina and Lake Rotoiti.
CORKER recently popped up on the tme and to be brutally honest the main reason I have featured her on WW is her paint job, stunning – looks like it may need a refreash but she just looks perfect. Current owners have have not held bak with the TLC and maintain in recent times.
Video below of the 30hp Ford petrol engine running.
HEADS UP – #2 PONSONBY CC Featured Vessels Event Next Week
The PCC is proud to announce their second in the series of “Thursday Featured Vessels” featuring the classic yacht – WAIRIKI on Thursday September 5. This woody was designed by world renowned yacht designer – Arch Logan in 1904 and is now owned by his grandson – Keith Logan.
Well woodys it is only a mystery because the owner, trying to sell her chooses to not show the vessels name – a tad crazy when selling a classic – the name is what joins the dots.
What we are told (thanks IanMcDonald / tme) is that she was built in 1978 and is described as a Woolley 25, kauri planked, powered by a Volvo Penta 28hp diesel engine and calls Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) home.
The ability to trailer the boat is a big bonus – but sadly the trailer is probably worth more than the boat 😉
Hopefully one of the Lake Rotoiti woodys can enlighten us more.
The annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade always attracts a good turn out of the Albatross speed boats, but at last weekends parade we had the biggest turnout in one spot in the Southern Hemisphere. Read below for the local (Lake Rotoiti) on the craft – as told by Richard Stevens.
“Campbell Motors (Queen St Auckland) were the NZ agents. The Beamish-White family at Okataina Lodge had a fleet as “Drive U-Self” hire boats, including a 4-seater with Coventry Climax version of the engine and one of the two seaters had a factory alloy-framed full height 4-pane glass windscreen. They also had a set of hull jigs and did all their own maintenance on site including re- skinning. These boats took a hammering and were eventually replaced by outboard-powered craft. Les Warner ran a small hire fleet from his home at Hinehopu. (I recall as a kid seeing one as a crumpled mess after crashing into the jetty at speed.) There was also a hire fleet on the Rotorua lakefront. These were painted red. One allegedly sank and was never recovered. There was also a fleet at Queenstown. These may have been the remnants of the Rotorua hire fleet. The boat in these fleets may be double-ups. I do not know how many boats there actually were in total. In addition to the Stevensons and ours there were two more on the Lake during the ’60s. One was the Annabel family, the other the McDonalds. (I saw their boat in Auckland a few years ago, complete and painted black)
These boats are the MG Midget of the water. They don’t have excessive power in their standard format, but they are fast, nimble, well designed and beautifully built with excellent handling. They are simple, cheap to run, easy to maintain and, above all, great fun.
These boats have held classic status worldwide for many years now and are highly collectible. It is pleasing to see that they are acknowledged on Rotoiti as part of our boating history.
Addition: Alan Clark owned one here at Lake Rotoiti in the 1950’s.
Addition: Don Wykes and his brother purchased the Rotorua Lakefront business from Judd & Jean Davies in the 70’s. It had the launch Ngaroto (the Davies had this built in England) that took people out to Mokoia Island and had 3 Albatross hire boats: 2x 2 seaters and 1x 4 seater. They were painted Red.
He is able to confirm that one of the 2 seaters sank just short of Mokoia Island, when his worker was heading over to mow the grass. They put a buoy over the oil slick, but when they went back to retrieve it someone had moved the buoy. They sent down 2 divers but were never able to locate it, the water was too murky. He doesn’t recall who he sold the others to, but remembers one of their workers bought one and put a bigger motor in it, a 105 he thinks. “
Below is a gallery of the Albatross craft that participated in the parade – as always click on photos to enlarge. Also scroll down to view yesterdays WW story – 200+ classic and wooden boat photos from the 2024 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade.
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