Tag Archives: Maitai

CLASSIC COLLINGS & BELL WOODEN LAUNCH – MAITAI HAULED OUT ON WAIHEKE ISLAND

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CLASSIC COLLINGS & BELL WOODEN LAUNCH – MAITAI HAULED OUT ON WAIHEKE ISLAND

Earlier this week I was chatting online with the owner of MAITAI— the 30’ classic wooden launch built by Collings & Bell back in 1928.

MAITAI has featured on WW several times over the years — master link to past stories here: https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Maitai&submit=Search

She’s recently been hauled out on Waiheke Island, her new home, for some tidy-up work after a few stern fasteners decided to call it quits. The owner was full of praise for a talented young boatbuilder based on Waiheke who took on the transom rebuild — great to hear skilled hands are still out there keeping these classics alive.

With the heavy lifting underway, the owners rolled up their sleeves and treated her underside to a well-deserved birthday.

As the black-and-white photo below (ex Nathan Herbert) shows, MAITAI has made it close to 100 years without suffering at the hands of the dreaded wood-butchers. Long may that continue.

Woodys Classic Weekend Happening Now + Mystery Launch (Maitai)

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WOODYS CLASSIC WEEKEND HAPPENING NOW + MYSTERY LAUNCH (Maitai)

As you are reading todays WW story, weather permitting 15 woody classic craft will be weaving their way up the Wairoa River headed for the Clevedon Cruising Club for an overnight trip.

As always the CCC crew turn on a great gig for the waitematawoody trip. The day starts with the flotilla being berthed at the CCC dock, in front of the clubhouse, then we ‘open’ the boats for club member to inspect. Happy hour tends to start early up the river 😉 Then we all meet at the club room for a BBQ dinner, raffles, outdoor fires are lit and then the live music kicks off at 8.30pm (almost my bed time) – should be a hoot.

Now there’s always a boat story – today its a mystery launch that popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb, the photo below is dated 1933 and the location is off Hen Island – looks very familiar so hopefully we can put a name to the craft.

19-09-2022 Input ex Nathan Herbert – The launch is Maitai.

Maitai

And A Not Great Example Of How to Promote Your Woody Event The word ‘TIMBER’ doesn’t really have the same gusto as ‘WOODEN’

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE NEXT WOODYS WEEKEND – DETAILS BELOW

Maitai + We Can Use Our Boats Again :-)

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MAITAI 

Chatting with a woody on line the other day re a WW merchandise order and he mentioned that he was the ’newish’ owner of the 30′ Maitai, the 1928 Collings & Bell built launch.

Back in August 2019 Maitai was for sale and she made an appearance on WW, link below that shows her then interior.https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/08/15/maitai-a-peek-down-below/

Maitai has recently gone back in the water after a 7 month period of TLC. These days her home is Waiheke Island, having previously spent most of her days in the Far North.

Maitai is powered by a 36hp Bukh diesel. In the WW link below (August 2018) we see two b/w photos of Maitai on a cruise, the location is said to be Omaha but the date is unknown. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/08/14/maitai/

First Tuesday of the month today – so there must be a Classic Yacht Association committee meeting happening (via Zoom) – so the banner below is a reminder to elected members to be kind and support inclusion not segregation on the topic of the new Heritage Basin marina 🙂

BEST NEWS OF THE YEAR – WE CAN GO BOATING AGAIN FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING 

HONESTLY OFFICER – WE ARE ALL RELATED AND LIVE TOGETHER But how crazy is this, if its a cabin boat, you can only have your family / bubble aboard – BUT if its a 12’ tinny, you can have 10 people aboard 

BUT I BEAT YOU ALL BY TWO DAYS – SEA TRIAL YESTERDAY (permitted activity)

Maitai – A Peek Down Below

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MAITAI –  A Peek Down Below

A year ago the 1928 Collings and Bell kauri launch Maitai appeared on WW (link below) now thanks to Ian McDonald and her trade listing we get a look down below. Maitai measures 29’ 6” and is of single carvel plank construction, powered by a 36hp Bukh diesel engine.
Her owner commented that after 11 years of ownership the reason for the sale is that he is buying a yacht…………. It doesn’t happen that way often, normally its selling yacht to buy a launch. He will be back 🙂

Maitai

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MAITAI

The above photos of the launch Maitai are ex the Coralie Hiton collection of family photos of the Deeming & Bedgegoods & come to us via Ross Griffin & ‘BOI Historic photos’.
In the top photo we see Bert & Jack Deeming aboard at Omaha.Te Haumi is in the background.
What more do we know about Maitai – builder & what became of her?
Harold Kidd Input – The Auckland MAITAI is mentioned only once and that’s in connection with a cruise to the Bay of Islands in February 1928. A temporary name change??
Every yacht and launch carried a .
22 at least, like the guy on the dodger, for slaying seagulls, gannets, shags, penguins and other predators. Great sport. The really serious guys used .303 SMLEs like the guy by the mast. His weapon of choice looks like a Mk III Lee Enfield complete with issue sling.

 

Mizpah

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Mizpah 1

Mazpah 2

MIZPAH

The 1st photo above shows the launch Mizpah at a jetty in Crail Bay, Pelorus Sound, dated c.1900’s.
Harold Kidd has commented that she was built in Dunedin c.1904 most likely by Jas M’Pherson for FJ Sullivan. M’Pherson had him also build the hire launches Moana & Maitai around the same time.
Sullivan bought a fishing company in Pelorus in 1905 & shipped Mizpah up there. By 1909 she was being used as a passenger & hire vessel from Pelorus by JW Taylor of Kenepuru. In 1924 she was taken to Wellington & survived there under that name into the 1930’s. She had a 20hp Standard engine around 1920’s but was re-engined in 1929. Her dimensions were 40’x8’6”x3’.
(photo is ex Lew Redwood fb)
24-11-2018 Harold Kidd Input – I thought I would hasten to advise that MIZPAH was built by John M’Lellan in Dunedin, not by James M’Pherson. Any residual stress occasioned to WW followers by doubts about her provenance are therefore resolved, and they can now resume their normal lives, untroubled by this concern.