PETER JOHN + 2024 Classic Woody Event Dates

PETER JOHN + 2024 Classic Woody Event Dates

Todays woody is the game fishing launch – Peter John and the photo is tagged – Paihi, Bay of Islands and comes to us from fb via K Reckitts.

And that is all we know – so fingers crossed one of the B.O.I readers will be able to throw some light on the boat and confirm the location.

LOTS OF CLASSIC BOATING ACTION IN THE NEW YEAR – CIRCLE THESE DATES ON THE CALENDAR – More Details Closer To The Events

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade (Nth Is.)  – 4 February 2024

New Zealand Antique & Classic Boat Show (Sth Is.)    – 2 >3 March 2024

Auckland Wooden Boat Show                                      – 1> 3 March 2024

As always the winner in terms of promotional poster is the NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show – always an amazing design 

LAKE ROTOITI 2023 PARADE OF CLASSIC & WOODEN BOATS – 150+ PHOTOS

LAKE ROTOITI 2023 PARADE OF CLASSIC & WOODEN BOATS – 150+ PHOTOS

As has become my norm for Waitangi holiday weekend early on Saturday morning I pointed the car south and made my way to Lake Rotoiti in the middle of NZ’s North Island. 

2023 marked the 26th anniversary of the event and after a horror week of ‘once in a 100 years’ rain storms I had concerns that the parade might be postponed or cancelled. Well woodys as you’ll see from the above photo gallery, my fears were redundant.

The day started overcast with some light drizzle but this passed thru before the parade kicked off at 11am. Numbers were down a little from last year but conditions were perfect on the lake. 

Enjoy the gallery above – if you’re craft is featured above and you want a high res copy of the photo, drop me an email at the address below. Apologise if I missed your boat or if the odd photo is a little out of focus – just me in a run-about jiggling the throttle, looking out for other boats and holding the camera 🙂

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

My pick of the boat I’d most like tied up at my imaginary lake jetty is – ELLEN (#14), 26’ in length, built in 2004 in strip planked cedar from a plug taken off an old abandoned hull found in Kopu. Thought to be a ‘Milkmaid’ design by Bailey & Lowe. Powered by a 29hp diesel.  In my eyes just perfect. Photo below

Special thanks again to Dave and Glenys Wilson for the loan of a boat to get me out on the lake.

As always – click on photos to enlarge.

Lastly I never tire of the sound of big V8 (5.7L)  water exhausts. Shawn Vennell, the owner of Judy H, was lining me up for a prop shower – a few words of warning as to what my reaction would be, made him change his mind 😉

TURN THE SOUND UP

Mystery Launch At Rangitoto Island

LAUNCH AT RANGITOTO – Rangitoto II

Todays woody mystery launch is a goody – quite distinctive looking but no name. 

The photo is dates is tagged Rangitoto Island, c.1930’s and is from the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections and comes to us via Nathan Herbert. So woodys can we ID her.

07-02-2023 INPUT EX NATHAN HERBERT -The boat is the Rangitoto (II) Designed and built by Couldrey and Reg. Noble; caretaker at Rangitoto. She has had 4 iterations of style in her life-

  1. As pictured
  2. Bridge deck replaced and raised
  3. Whole coamings replaced with more modern sedan style perhaps 1950’s
  4. Sheerline step moved forward


On Saturday I did a down and back in one day trip to Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is.) for the annual Classic and Wooden Boat Parade – forecast was average but the sun made an appearance so managed to take some great photos. Check out WW tomorrow (Tuesday) for 150+ photos. The lake level was so high, just wasn’t Auckland getting a soak last week.

Mystery Two Masted Launch

Mystery Two Masted Launch

Recently Brian Peet shared with us a selection of old boating images that came from a family album. The photo above does look vaguely familiar but I can’t recall a name, so if it has appeared on WW before it must be a while ago.

Very unusual looking cabin / dog house + the twin masts make her very distinctive, so hopefully we can ID the vessel and learn more about her.

Weather gods permitting I’m off to Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is.) tomorrow for the annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, always a great day afloat. If you are around the central north island over the long weekend and looking for something to do, check out the parade. The best shore based viewing is from the public picnic area 200 metres south of the Okere Store, starting at 11am. There will be an MC announcing the boats as they pass. More details on the parade here: https://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz

Seaway At Waikawa Marina

Seaway At Waikawa Marina

Todays woody comes to us from the camera of Dean Wright, taken on his recent southern jaunt.

Can we learn more about Seaway?

WOODY 2023 CALENDARS

The nice folks at Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat have produced another impressive calendar, limited print run so order today. See link below to order a copy – $15 or three for $40 https://form.jotform.com/221770838085866

Perano

PERANO 

When I saw Perano, a 16’clinker kauri built double ender – my immediate thought was lake boat. Built in the 1960’s by Bernie Perano (of the whale chaser family) she is a very cool little ship. The negative of being f/glass encased is off set by the positive of being able to be stored out of the water on her trailer and not needing to ‘take up’ when launched.

Perano it is powered by a super reliable 5 hp single cylinder diesel engine. Made by Yanmar the NTS 70 engine is started by hand it is a slow turning engine with a 2:1 reduction gearbox with shaft drive swinging a bronze 3 blade 13×12 prop. The hull speed of 5.4 knots is easily achieved with fuel consumption of 1 litre per hour. Fuel tank is 10 litres – plenty for a full day out and then some. Thanks to Rob Watt for the tme heads up.


AND ON THE SUBJECT OF LAKE BOATS – Put A big circle around February 5th 2023 


That is the date of the uber cool Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. If you are a woody boat owner and have your craft on a trailer – consider doing the trip to Lake Rotoiti – its a blast. Details belowFull details at https://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/wooden-boat-parade/. 5th Feb 2023 (Waitangi Weekend). There is a dinner the night before and a picnic after the parade. Normally well over 100 boats in different styles form the parade.


AND LASTLY – WOODY CLASSIC PICNIC ON TOMORROW AT MOTUIHE ISLAND 1PM – which side decided by weather on the day

Alberta – A Peek Down Below

ALBERTA – A Peek Down Below

During my annual jaunt to the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade one of the woodys that always catches my eye is the 28’6” classic launch – Alberta, designed and built in 1913 by HN Burgess in Parnell, Auckland.

I have featured her on WW twice, WW links below, there is lots of older photos and details there.

Now thanks to Ian McDonald and a tme listing we get to see down below.

WW 2014 Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/05/30/alberta/

WW 2016 Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/28/kiakoa-alberta-1923-summer-cruise/

Woody Classic Gatherings

WOODY CLASSIC BOATING 2022 – 2023 CALENDAR
Time to get the pencil out and circle a few dates in the calendar. Our 2022 > 2023 classic woody events focus equally on the boats and the people – its all about getting off the marina and meeting up with like minded people.
As always, some dates may change and the weather is always a factor – but as the dates approach we will be in touch with more details.

Please feel free to share the calendar with your classic friendly boating enthusiasts. Where tide and draft permits – woody cruising yachts are always welcome to join in, so also share with the stick and rag woodys 🙂

AND TO ENSURE YOU GET A WOODY FIX TODAY – CLICK THE LINK BELOW  Video footage from the 2022 Moreton Bay Classic (thank you Andrew Christie)

Haumoana

HAUMOANA

The 1949 Colin Wild designed and built launch – Haumoana has made several appearances on WW, primarily because its a Col Wild, so it is very special and secondly because its owned by a very nice Lake Rotoiti couple that kindly host us when we are at the lake for the annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Link below to past story. Haumoana measures 30’x9’5”x4’ and has undergone several refits in her life.

WW link  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/06/05/haumoana/

One of neat things about WW is when out of the blue you get an email like the one below from Doug Peacock whose father – Chris, once owned Haumoana and kept her at Half Moon Bay marina.

“My parents owned Haumoana from about 1990 through to mid 2000’s. I was showing my father your Waitamata Woodys site last night for two reasons, 1. I’m obsessed with your site it’s really incredible what you are doing telling the stories of all these wonderful boats with so much history, and 2. Because I’d seen there were some new photos of Haumoana on Lake Rotoiti that I wanted to show him.  

Next thing he disappears down stairs for a while and came back with a photo album dedicated to Haumoana. I took a quick few iPhone shots of the photos to share with you, sorry they have a lot of reflection.  He said he has heaps more stuff he couldn’t find last night. 

Anyway I have great memories of summers away on Haumoana and am chuffed that it’s being kept in such great shape by it’s current owners.”

In the last photo above the lad on the left is Doug. Photos below of Haumoana on Lake front Rotoiti.

Tauraka SOS

2022
2015

TAURAKA SOS – (free to a good home)

Back in Sept 2015 we featured the launch Tauraka on WW, I had photographed the 32′ launch several times at the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade.  Sadly Tauraka has been allowed to deterrent over the last few years, but at ‘free-to-a-good-home’ Tauraka would be a great project. 

Photo sent in by Rob Watt, showing her moored in the Okere Arm of Lake Rotoiti. Owner contact malcolm.mcnicol@gmail.com

Click on this WW link – to see and read more – great insight from Harold Kidd. https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/09/11/tauraka/

Input From Paul Drake – TAURAKA’s story brought back memories of 50 years ago when we got hold of ROMANCE. The photos below of before and after of ROMANCE might inspire some keen young person to give it a go with TAURAKA.