Tag Archives: Mapuna

Classic Woody Summer Cruising – A Game Of Two Halves

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WOODYS AFLOAT

Classic Woody Summer Cruising – A Game Of Two Halves

Happy New Year Woodys – WW is back ‘live’ so no more oops boating photos 🙂

On Saturday when I was reviewing and editing the above photos I struggled to believe that we had a xmas/ny cruise, but as they say the truth is in the photos 🙂

I decided to break todays story into two parts:

1. Raindance related

2. Woodys Out & About 

Mostly from my camera but assisted by Barbara Cooke (Bay of Islands), Mark Edmonds (Waiheke), Russell Ward, Jason Prew (upper harbour) and Alan Gilder (Woody Bay Rakino)

Raindance’s cruise / tiki tour mainly consisted of bouncing between Rakino Island and Waiheke Island. Left on 27 Dec and the weather was just stunning with crystal clear, warm water. On 01 Jan the forecast was starting to look very average and most concerning was all 3 weather platforms that I follow were saying the same thing. So early morning on 02 Jan we made the call to up anchor and head home. Turns out that was a good call because for the next 5+ days if it wasn’t raining it was drizzling non-stop + ugly seas and high winds.

So woodys the second half of our planned cruise was sent at home enjoying good food, wine, movies and watching almost every wooden / classic boating video on YouTube.

Very grateful we had 6 days of great weather before we pulled the pin. As an old salt told me once – when it comes to happy family boating – better to have a handful of fabulous days than an abundance of average days – very sage advise.

Enjoy the gallery.

UPCOMING ON-THE-WATER WOODY EVENTS

Circle the calendar:

28 January – Mahurangi Regatta launch parade – more details closer to the day

25 February – Stillwater Picnic + Dockside Raft-Up – more details closer to the day

Almeda – Mapuna – Sisters?

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ALMEDA –  MAPUNA – Sisters?
Recently Alan Sexton and Mark McLaughlin were plating hooky from work to check in of the launch Trinidad that is receiving some serious TLC at Greg Lees shed at Sandspit. 

Back in February 2017, Alan sent in some photos and details on a local (Matakana) classic launch named Almeda, at the time he commented that the designer was unknown but it appeared to have John Brooke’s name all over it – link to that story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/02/almeda/

While at the Lees yard they spotted Almeda hauled out at Sandspit Yacht Club and are both sure she is a slightly updated version of Mark’s launch – Mapuna. Alan commented that Almeda’s keel is obviously rather more substantial and that Greg Lees told him they fitted the deeper keel to Almeda quite a few years ago for the previous owner. The pieces attached to the keel are the lead ballast relocated from the bilges. She has a reduced transom tumble home but the bow and hull lines look identical to Mapuna (first photo below ex Mark).

Mark is keen to hear peoples thoughts re comparing Almeda and Mapuna with Tarata, also by J Brooke. Tarata is rather deeper in the forard sections, no doubt to provide the buoyancy required to offset the forward mounted engine in the smaller hull. (Refer second photo below, also ex MarK). https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/21/tarata/


So woodys – thoughts, comments, opinions ?

Harold Kidd Input – There was a strong connection between Snow Waters and Jack Brooke, witness SCOTT COLVILLE. Robert Brooke worked for Snow about this time and will know exactly what the story is about these designs.

Yesterdays winner of the Off Center Harbor cap was – John Hunter, with the answer Lady Ellen

Mapuna
Tarata

Easter Classic Wooden Boat Cruise

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P1060047

Waiari

 

Woody Bay
Woody Bay
Deep in thought
Summer in a glass

 

Off Center Harbor
Adonis
West Bay

P1060051

Mapuna

P1060043

 

Kowai
Kowai
Hinemoa
Hinemoa

Easter Classic Wooden Boat Cruise

If you stayed at home this Easter, you missed one of the best long weekends, in fact probably the best Easter weather I can remember.
We headed out early Friday morning with the plan to spend Friday night at Rakino Island and then slide up to Kawau Island early Saturday. We arrived at Rakino mid morning and dropped anchor in Woody Bay (great name), conditions were perfect, only complaint a few too many plastic boats had the same idea. Caught up with a few friends for late avo drinks and took in the sunset – it was up there with Fiji on the visual wow rating.
Saturday morning dawned and a we had a wee anchor / winch problem – reverted to the days of old & pulled it up by hand – but then had 18+m of chain on the deck. Didn’t fancy going to Kawau as I was unable to let anymore out (even manually) as the winch was jammed. So decided to hang around Rakino – tried a spot of drift fishing – as normal no joy.
Decided on West Bay for the night (with my 18m of chain) and we got invited to dinner (fresh snapper) on a friends plastic boat. He was surprised and deleted that we turned up with a roasting dish of crunchy roast potatoes – their rather large boat has no oven – just electric induction hobs and a microwave 😦
Another 10/10 sunset.
Next morning, despite my best efforts the winch remained jammed so a restful day in the bay reading and headed home later on Sunday.
Not a lot of woodys at / around Rakino – I suspect Kawau and Great Barrier islands were the destinations of choice.
The 1962 Owen Woolley sedan launch – Waiari was looking stunning in West Bay after its 2017 top chop that say a flybridge despatched to the dumpster. Anchored nearby was the 1961 Jack Brooke built launch – Mapuna, enjoying a family cruise.
On the unsuccessful fishing trip we passed another Owen Woolley launch – the 1965, Adonis. Whats with all the 1960’s boats…….. even had Andrew Millar off Rorqual (1959 Jack Morgan) & Geoff Diggle off Florence Rose (1960’s Billy Rogers) over for a drink, sorry guys no photos, both were on the other side of the bay, with a lot of white plastic between us. Check out Flo Ro here   https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/03/21/florence-rose-launch-day/
When Andrew can get around to writing me a draft story, there will be a WW feature on the extensive renovation of Rorqual.
Also snapped a photo of the very salty looking ex? work boat – Kowai off Home Bay.
And just so I’m not accused of being one-eyed, I spotted a very pretty yacht when we were leaving West Bay – Hinemoa. Can anyone tell us what she is?
25-04-2019 Input from Harold Kidd 

HINEMOA was designed by Eric Cox for C.T. Jonas of Auckland and built by Lidgard Bros in 1948.
Jonas sold her to Norm Galbraith in 1955. Jonas had owned a couple of great yachts, CAROLYN (Coulthard, 1937), MATATUA (Lidgards 1938) the launch HIRAWANU (Lidgards 1946) then HINEMOA.
Lidgards built the Cox-designed SNOWGOOSE for Ian Titchener in 1948.
I recall that Ian Titchener (once Mayor of Devonport) was Paul’s uncle.
Ps I sorted the winch problem out back at Bayswater on Monday – two links had locked together on an angle – involved a wee bot of open heart surgery, best done at the marina v’s at sea.

Mapuna

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MAPUNA  – yes again 🙂  but I was sent today a wonderful collection of old photos by her current owner (Mark McLaughlin) that he received courtesy of the Robert Brooke family collection.

The young lady breaking the champagne over the bow on launching day is Elizabeth Brooke, daughter of the original owner A.R (Bill) Stephenson. A.R Stephenson was the principal of Avondale College at the time. As mention in the post below, Robert Brooke built her at Snow Waters’ yard and then married Bill Stephenson’s daughter after proposing in the forward cabin during construction!

Mark believes Snow Waters’ yard in the photos was located near where the Mitre 10 Mega store at Wairau Park is now. Jack Brooke is the man wearing the tie walking past Mapuna as she is being extracted from the shed. Snow Waters is crouching down next to the cradle, nearest Brooke.

CYA member Neil Chalmers (Gleam) sent me the Nov. 1963 Sea Spray article.

Mapuna

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MAPUNA

Designed by Jack Brooke for A.R. (Bill) Stephenson. Built by Allan (Snow) Waters & Robert Brooke at Snows’ Takapuna yard. Robert later married Bill Stephenson’s daughter,Elizabeth, I understand he proposed in the forward cabin of Mapuna. Fast forward many years & Elizabeth is on the stern in the photo above taken at the 2013 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – which celebrates the work of Jack Brooke.

SEE MAPUNA THIS WEEKEND (5TH & 6TH OCT) ON DISPLAY AT THE CLASSIC YACHT & LAUNCH EXHIBITION AT THE VIADUCT – scroll down 2 postings for details