Tag Archives: Marissa

CLASSIC 1948 WOODEN LAUNCH – MAKURA

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Ex Sea Spray Magazine

CLASSIC 1948 WOODEN LAUNCH – MAKURA

In late November 2024 WW attended the relaunch of the very salty 24’, 100 year old ex workboat named  – MARISSA at the Te Atatu Boating club. While there her owners, the Monaghan family, very generously shared an old photo album. One the woody craft included in the album was the Collings & Bell built bridge-decker – MAKURA. Seen in the first two photos above.

MAKURA last made a cameo appearance on WW back in 2013 when Harold Kidd and Russell Ward contributed to a WW story titled ’The Collings & Bell Bridge-deckers’ – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/09/the-collings-and-bell-bridgedeckers/

In the story we learnt that MAKURA was built in 1949 for W D C  & C H Leighton and fitted with a 6 cylinder Chrysler Crown. They sold her to Phil Seabrook of Seabrook & Fowlds in 1957. He fitted the Nordberg a year or so later. Phil Seabrook had Billy Rogers design and build LADY DIANA for him in 1950 and fitted her with the Austin Skipper from new, replacing it with a 155hp Nordberg sleeve-valve engine in 1956 shortly before he sold LADY DIANA to Monte Winter and bought MAKURA. 

Later owners were V F Adams (1966) and W G Boughtwood (1973). Back in 2013 she was in Picton.The photo of MAKURA above was taken by Russell in 1961. Russell commented at the time that she was a fine looking ship. Also shown is a photo of MAKURA as built from the July 1951 edition of Sea Spray magazine.

CLASSIC WOODY WORKBOAT MARISSA – GETS A NEW LIFE

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Screenshot

CLASSIC WOODY WORKBOAT MARISSA – GETS A NEW LIFE

When my phone rings and the ID says John Wright I always answer – why? Aside from the fact he is a great guy. John has a great eye for our classic craft and if he tells me to get my A into gear and do a yard / dockside visit, I know it will be a goody.

This time the woody was the semi-ex 24’ workboat MARISSA, a 100+ years old and owned by the Monaghan family for a very large chunk of that time.

Home port is Great Barrier Island and after her re-launch at Te Atatu Boating Club she will be heading back to the barrier.

Some of her history – at one change when she was a cray boat she went ashore at GB and was abandoned on the beach. I may get this wrong, someone correct me if I do – either Don Armitage or the Monaghan family saved the wreck and concerted here to something along the lines of what we see today.

Photos below of her post the wreck / rebuild. These days she is powered by a 4 cyl. Isuzu diesel engine.

INPUT ex KERIN QWEN – Don Milne rebuilt her and crayfished from Wairahi. Then to Whangapara as support vessel for the lodge, then to Monahan’s I believe. That’s from about 1980 on. I would like to know more of her earlier history. I believe she was converted from a launch configuration.

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PUB CRUISE TRIP REPORT 40+ Photos

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NGARO

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PUB CRUISE TRIP REPORT 40+ Photos

Saturday was a great day for the classic wooden boating community – 13 classic craft (twelve launches and one yacht) made the journey up the river to the waterfront Riverhead Tavern for lunch.

In addition to the 13 woodys we were joined by 5 skippers and partners who made the trip by car.

As seems to always be the case – the weather and sea conditions was perfect for the trip and everyone had a great time.

Nice to welcome several newbies to the flock – these gathering are ideal for meeting fellow classic boating enthusiasts – the anchoring, coming ashore to the wharf and dining make it a shared experience and helps break the ice with ’strangers’. These days people seem loath to row up to another woody in a bay and say hi, some anything that grows the classic woody community is to be encouraged.

Saturdays cruise was the last event on the Classic Woody Calendar for the year, we will be back to you in the new year with details on more events. As always click on photos to enlarge – photos thanks to Margo Hudson & yours truely.

NEWSFLASH – as I have told anyone and everyone, the Mahurangi Regatta in late January is not to be missed. PLUS – details soon on an exciting new activity for the Sunday – the heads up – old school yachting and launch race/cruise to Kawau Island and a party at Kawau Boating Club on Sunday night. Perfect for those wanting to enjoy Mahurangi / Kawau longer eg not heading back to Auckland on Sunday morning.

A sad reminder that we were missing one of our family awaited us on the tables at the tavern – RIP David Cooke 😦