Tag Archives: Lake Rotoiti

Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Parade – 2016 – 150+ photos

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Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Parade Weekend – 2016 – 150+ photos

Get comfortable this ones a biggie, 150+ photos from the 2016 Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Parade weekend.

The inclement conditions (lots of H2O) on Saturday resulted in the parade being moved to Sunday, to most this was a positive as it gave everyone more time to socialize. We took the opportunity to mooch around the lake & visit a few lake-side properties. The transport for the day was rather special – 2 of the regular parade attendees, Cathy & Shawn Vennell and Pam & Tim Aurisch had bought their classic cars – a 1960 Dodge & 1956 Chev Bel Air, very impressive tow cars & a cool mode of transport.

So today’s post is a mix of classics – motorboats, day boats, speedboats, steamboats, yachts & cars – Its a visual attempt to give to you a taste of the weekend & showcase the vessels that make up the parade.
Special thanks to the LRC&WBP committee, especially Commodore Grant Cossey, past Commodore Fraser Wilson and the lass that makes it all happen Rachel Jamieson.

Due to another engagement we could not attend the post parade picnic.

Each boat carries a number, to find out more details on any vessel e.g. name, year, owner – refer to this link to a master listing. 2016ParadeEntrantDetails

Enjoy 🙂

Click photos to enlarge 😉

(L>R) Commodore Grant Cossey, past Commodore Fraser Wilson, Chris Miller

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Lake Rotoiti Dinghy Day – Big Boys Toys Part 2

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Lake Rotoiti Dinghy Day – aka Big Boys Toys Part 2

The Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association are a very active group & run some very cool events for the members. One of the best activities is the annual Dinghy Day which is a mix of serious – Seagull Outboard race & pure fun e.g. the ‘put you motor on something odd class’. There was even an entrant using the  fuel tanks off an old 1950’s airplane as their vessel & grandmothers couch from the 1960’s made an appearance.
Above are a few of the photos from the day, enjoy, they all did 🙂

http://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/

LAKE ROTOITI 2016 CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT CALENDARS

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LAKE ROTOITI 2016 CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT CALENDARS

Once again waitematawoodys, Chris Miller & myself are rapped to have worked with the Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Assoc. on the production of their 2016 calendar.
The calendar is chocker full of photos from the amazingly popular 2015 Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. The calendars make excellent Christmas presents for those ‘hard to buy for’ friends & are great value – $10 for 1, or $8 each for 5 or more.  There is a limited amount printed so get in quick, last year they sold out very quickly.

If any woodys are interested in buying contact Rachel Jamieson via this email link

zea.rachel@gmail.com
Postage is $2.40 for up to 7 calendars, $5 for more than 7 or courier ($6 North Island $7 South Island  –  RD extra).
Payment is via direct credit – please use your surname as reference and email Rachel when you make the payment. Remember to add the postage 😉

The bank account number is:    12 3155 0140546 00  Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Assoc.

This is one of those cool win/win situations – its a great way to support the wooden boating movement & you get something back i.e. a cool calendar. Order now.
ps sorry for the slightly wonky cover photo – Rachel needs a few photography 101 tips 🙂

Ratanui

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RATANUI

Last year there was a lot of ww chat on Ratanui & her provenance. You can view that here & also more photos of her as she is today. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/06/ratanui/

We are told she is 31′ kauri carvel planked, but as to her designer / builder & build date that is a little ‘soft’ – a plate on board indicates a build date of 1928 but Harold Kidd feels a more likely build date is 1910-1914 & possibly by Bailey and Lowe in Auckland. She most likely has had a name change. She is powered by a Ford D-Series, model 2722E giving 7-8 knots cruising speed. Currently based at Lake Rotoiti & used for cruises on the lake, both pleasure & commercially.

Just recently I found in the ww files the above photo of Ratanui before the make-over. Maybe this photo might spark a woodys memory & we can uncover more about her.

Photo below as she is today.

Waihaha (Lena >Avalon)

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WAIHAHA
photos & details from Alan Craig

When talking with Alan Craig the Lake Rotoiti boat builder a few weeks ago re the restoration of  Manowai (ww 14-09-2015), he casually mentioned that he had just ‘put another boat in the water’. The other is Waihaha, previously named Avalon when she was on Lake Taupo. Alan’s yard, Craig Marine, installed a new Volvo D2 engine & raised and extended the wheel house as the old one was rotten. You will see from the above photos that they have done a great job, it so easy to get the proportions all wrong.

So woodys, what do we know about Waihaha>Avalon>Waihaha ? ex Lake Taupo now residing on Lake Rotoiti?

UPDATE from Paul Drake

The photo shows her at Taupo in the 1950’s, before she was renamed WAIHAHA, when she was LENA. She ran commercially in those days.
She went from Taupo to Tauranga (Omokoroa) when she was renamed AVALON, because someone told the then owner that she was in fact Zane Grey’s AVALON.
This is clearly not the case. It is good to hear that she has reverted to WAIHAHA. At Taupo she had a Morris Commodore engine. I think she is 32 feet.
I believe that she is Bailey and Lowe, although I cannot remember why I believe that! Perhaps she had a builders plate?

Also in the photo is LAMORNA (Colin Wild 1936) – on her mooring – and LADY PAT at a finger berth. Both well covered in WW.

 

Revenge

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REVENGE
photos & details from Michael Marston

Todays post features Revenge, an ex Kaipara Harbour work boat, converted to pleasure use. Her new owner Michael has just relocated her to Lake Rotoiti & she was relaunched there last Thursday (01-10-2015), photos below. Her details are as passed onto Michael so he would love to get clarification & if possible uncover more on her past. Revenge was built 1905 & is a carvel planked counter stern design, made from kauri with puri cross floors and pohutukawa ribs, fixed by copper nails and roves. Originally she had a mast which is now on show at the Matakohe museum
She is 36′ LOA with a 12′ beam & 3′ draft. Engine is 6.2 litre D-Series Ford truck engine 150 HP matched to a Newage gearbox. This all turns a 22″x18″ prop.

Until recently she spent all her life on the Kaipara Harbour. Early configuration was a small wheelhouse up front, with the deck fitted for cream can collection throughout the Kaipara Harbour. Its also believed she hauled logs throughout the Kaipara Harbour.

Her previous owners (from 1965) had her rebuilt in 1995 with new floor boards, wheel house and engine as per the condition you see today, for live aboard retirement cruising of the Kaipara.
Revenge will be a welcome addition to the Lake Rotoiti classic fleet.

So woodys what do we know about her – Zach what do the Kaipara guys say?

Launch Day – Lake Rotoiti

Harold Kidd Input

All I have is that she was built by Thompson at Aratapu in 1905 as a sailing fishing boat for Morgan Bros who sold her to Edgar Brown who sold to the Fisheries Department around 1930. She was skippered by Bunny Tilby as a fisheries protection vessel. In 1942 her then engine, a Kelvin Ricardo 24-30hp diesel, was removed and sold by tender. The Department sold her to Tilby in 1948. He sold her to Colin McPike who sold her to Bill Pook who sold her to Bob Moyle in 1968. Moyle converted her into a pleasure launch.
A lot of that is from the Matakohe Museum’s archives and may be pure anecdote.

ps I have since found confirmation that The Fisheries Branch of the Marine Department bought her in late 1930 and fitted the Kelvin-Ricardo in October 1930. That probably replaced the Twigg. The Kelvin-Ricardo was a “paraffin engine” rather than a diesel.

Zach Matich input

I know early on she had a Twigg 40hp in her, and I think she was towing metal from Green Hill for the Hobson county. She has very full underwater lines especially in the bow area,my great uncle said that she used to pound badly in a head sea so much so that all that was left on the cup hooks in the galley were the handles!! Bob Molye had Eric William convert her to pleasure ie new cabin,bulwarks and hull work etc. The Ford came out of one of our family boats which Bob brought just for the 6 cylinder ford and on sold it with Revenge’s old 4 cylinder ford. I’ll have a dig for some photos

Zach photos below  🙂

08-10-2015 Update from Michael Marston

Michael just sent in the photo below which he received from the last owner, who bought her from Bob Molye (who had her from circa 1965 – 2012).
Only the hull looks familiar, with the wheelhouse looking as though it is back-to-front compared to today.
Michael is hoping the picture will jog more memories, with stories to flow onto ww.
As for the where about’s of her mast at the front (see photo), one story has it as a flag pole on a front lawn at Tinopai whilst someone else says it is at Matakohe museum. The good news being it seems the mast still exists in the area.

 

 

Manowai

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MANOWAI
photos & details from Alan Craig ex Ken Ricketts, rewritten by Alan H

Well folks I now know the first boat I will be checking out at the 2016 Lake Rotoiti Classic Wooden Boat Parade 🙂

Manowai has spent the the last year tucked away in boat builder, Alan Craig’s boat shed, Alan has recently taken over the former shed of Tony Mitchell at Lake Rotoiti.

Ken has known the boat for over 70 years, first going aboard when he was around 8 years old.

Alan Craig advises that Manowai  is 32′ with an 8′ beam & now owned by Lake Rotoiti local Dennis Walsh, Dennis intends to keep the launch on the lake where she will be a stunning additional to the classic fleet.. Dennis bought her off a Mr Andy Culpin of Hampton Downs. It is understood he had kept her in a shed  for approx. 2 years & had started the restoration work & Alan has spent the last 12 months working on her. The target for relaunching is prior to Christmas 2015.
Alan commented that when purchased by Dennis Walsh she was powered by a BMC Commander, 4 cyl diesel, this is being replaced with a much lighter, brand new,  4 cyl. 40 hp Lombardini diesel, similar to what powers the launch Marjorie Rosa (ex Juliana) which also resides on Lake Rotoiti.

From the photos, the finish looks outstanding & given its been achieved just with elbow grease, lots of sandpaper & putty is a credit to Alan the boat builder.

Alan Craig has asked for help in sourcing  early photos of her & any info from previous owners.  The original builder & launch date are own known.

MANOWAI update ex Colin Brown via Ken Ricketts.edited by Alan H

Until today, I did not know that Colin B had significant roll in the refurbishment programme on MANOWAI.

He first became involved with her about 2003, when she was owned by Ralph Power & worked on her for an 8 year period in total, with around 3 years in his shed at Kumeu & also in the shed in McLeod Rd, Te Atatu South. During this period she changed hands from Ralph P., to Andy Culpin who sold her to Dennis Walsh.

The work included replacing the planking “hood ends” where the planking is fixed to the stem, with a new apron & new big pohutukawa stem knee. He also replaced most of the interior, except the middle section, where the engine was fitted over about a 3 year period

Colin told Ken he believes she was built by Bailey & Lowe in 1921

 

Tauraka

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TAURAKA

Now I’m not sure if Tauraka is her current name, but according to trademe she was built in 1912 by Fred Man for F.W. Chalmers.  She started life as a gaff rigged sailboat with a 10 hp Frisco engine. About 1925 she went to Tauranga where she had 4 owners before moving to Lake Rotoiti about 2005.  Currently powered by a Ford 4 cyl. 60hp diesel engine. The trademe listing says she sold for $4,020,  at 32′ that is a huge amount of boat for the price. Someone got a real bargain.

Harold Kidd (brilliant) Input

It’s actually a bit more complicated than that. Fred Mann of John St., Ponsonby built a 24ft launch for Frank W. Chalmers in 1910 called GWEN. Chalmers worked for J.J. Craig. In December 1912 Mann launched another launch for Chalmers, the 32 footer, GWEN C. She had a 10hp 2 cylinder ‘Frisco Standard. Chalmers kept GWEN C until September 1921 when he sold her to Percy Carter of Tauranga. Carter changed her name to HELEN C.
Now Carter was a leading light in the Tauranga Yacht & Motor Boat Club and a yachtsman through and through. Although the launch had used an auxiliary rig beforehand, Carter rigged her right up as a schooner and took part in yacht races in Tauranga with her. There had been a number of such launch/yacht hybrids before that in Auckland but they were neither fish nor fowl and generally defaulted to their launch role. HELEN C didn’t and carried her rig for many years. She was allocated the sail number E79 by the APYMBA and raced in the 1932 Auckland Anniversary Regatta on 20m handicap and came 6th on line.
Carter sold her when he bought the Woollacott ketch MAY in 1953 and renamed MAY RAUMATI after a small yacht he had owned and raced in Tauranga pre-WW1. HELEN C’s new owner renamed her TAURAKA.

El Alamein / Ranui

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EL ALAMEIN (now RANUI)

Photos ex owner Sarah Looner & details ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H

Ranui (originally named El Alamein) is 32’ with a 10’ 6” beam & was built in Auckland by Mac McGeady (Supreme Craft) & launched on the 29th January 1945, for the use of returned servicemen from World War II, who were convalescing at Rotorua Convalescent Hospital. She was built for & by donated the Patriotic Fund, of the Joint Council of the Red Cross & St John, with a shallow draft for her day & designed specifically for use on Lake Rotoiti & was capable of seating up to 40 people. The handing over ceremony was apparently a very formal occasion, according to newspaper writings of the day, with dignitaries of the era, of the ilk of the late Sir Earnest Davis, in attendance.

She was originally built as an open boat, with a smallish cabin, as per the photo & with a bunk room forward.

For the first 4 years of her life Ranui was captained by a William Pollock, & was apparently a familiar sight on the lake, carrying up to 40 convalescing soldiers, many in wheelchairs, on lake excursions, as part of their rehabilitation, to help ease them back in to civilian life.

As the numbers of ex service patients had dropped off by 1949, Ranui was sold in August 1949, to a Ron Martin & the proceeds of the sale, were returned to the Patriotic Fund. He had her trucked to Lake Taupo on the 24th August 1949. Ken feels that it was probably Ron Martin who changed her name from El Alamein to RANUI. He also had a full cabin top fitted to her, 2 years after purchase, by a long time local resident Noel East & was also the first person to have her surveyed.

The next owner, was from Hawkes bay, who used her privately, before on selling her to one of Taupo’s most well known commercial boat operators, Jim Storey. He had her surveyed again & used her for many years commercially, taking fisher people & tour parties sightseeing or fishing on Lake Taupo.

In 1980 Graham Twiss purchased her & he continued what Jim Storey had started for another 34 years.

These days she is maritime surveyed for 23 passengers & has recently been refurbished & revived by the present owners Jamie & Sarah Looner & is looking rather smart.

 NOTE: She is recorded as having a 15 hp engine when built, & Ken would like to make a deviation to the story to explain what he believes is the situation & details of the “15hp” engine. Up to the mid/later 1940s, many British made engines, had their horsepower rated on the English, “RAC” rating basis, which is quite different from the now almost universal, “SAE” rating basis of today, worldwide. For example we had the 1937 Austin 7’s & 1946 Morris Eight cars rated on the RAC system, & by the late 1940s we had the Austin A40’s being 40 hp on the SAE rating, (about 12 to 14 hp on the RAC rating). Ken believes the El Alamein/Ranui originally had a British made engine, RAC rated, as she would have hardly moved with an SAE rated “15hp engine.” The 15hp RAC engine, would have been around 40 to 60 hp on the present day rating system. A Ford diesel presently powers her.

Now a totally random question 🙂 Pam at the Whangatea Traditional Boat yard picked the below up on trademe – unusual font, anyone able to say which Ranui this was off, if a boat – could have been from the west Auckland Ranui area. photo

Photo below taken by Ken Ricketts in Feb. 2013 @ Lake Taupo

An Albatross

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An Albatross
photos above & details ex Greg Lees & John Macfarlane (Boating NZ)

Today’s post features Greg Lees restored classic runabout (she has no name), one of a small fleet of these cool British craft in NZ. In their day these we very chic boats, the owners list was a real who’s who – Prince Rainer of Monaco, Prince Phillip, Stirling Moss & even the bombshell Bridget Bardot.

The story starts back in the UK c.1949 when two engineers, Archie Peace & Peter Hives set up a company named ‘Albatross Marine’ to design & build a small runabout, called the Albatross. They had great credentials with Hives the son of a Rolls Royce director & Peace an aeronautics engineer. Post WWII there was no shortage of aluminum so given Peace’s plane background the chosen build material was alloy.
They initially built two versions  – the Mk1 was a 2 seater sports, powered by a marinised Ford 100E side-value Prefect 1172cc engine & the Mk2 which had twin carbs (SU’s) for more zoom. Later on a Mk3 was launched with even more zoom. A 4 seater, called the Continental was also marketed, powered  Mk1= 100E motor, Mk2 = Ford Kent 1500cc 60hp motor. The last 150 built had a 88hp Coventry Climax engine.
Come the 1960’s that evil substance that starts with F & has the word glass at the end was entering the boating scene & even though they tried other models, the company folded in the mid 1960’s.

The Auckland agent was Campbell Motors & they sold approximately a dozen boats, most as hire boats at the Lake Okataina Lodge.(Rotorua) This was not a great success & the fleet was broken up & sold to other hire operators – Hinehopu (Lake Rotoiti), Rotorua & Queenstown.

Now back to Greg Lees , who owns the very classic friendly boat yard Lees Marine at Sandspit. Greg bought his Albatross in 1990 & the Lees family used extensively her for many years. Fast forward to the year 2000, Greg & daughter Rosie (talented lady – search her name on ww) started a full restoration, including rebuilding the 100E engine. The restoration took a few years (12 in fact) & since then the boat has been doing the rounds of the classic wooden boat lake events – both North & South Island Lake Rotoiti.
These boats are highly collectable in the UK with less than 100 left a float. Greg’s business has also completed a restoration on another Albatross for a kiwi classic boating client.
The photos below I took at the 2015 Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade (Nth Is.), Greg’s Albatross must be the smallest powerboat to fly the RNZYS burgee 🙂