Tag Archives: Menai

2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH PARADE 130+ PHOTOS 

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My GIRL
MEOLA
Launch Parade

2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH PARADE 130+ PHOTOS 

As regular readers of the waitematawoodys site know the last weekend of January is always a biggie on the wooden boating calendar. The Mahurangi Cruising Club year-on-year pull off the biggest wooden boating event in New Zealand – {the} Mahurangi Regatta. If you type that into the WW search box your day will be ruined – hundreds of classic wooden boating photos.

I’ll apologise upfront for the lack of sailing photos – these days there are a lot of other happy-snappers recording the racing – when and if I get photos or links, I’ll add them to the story. 

It was a sub 24hr up and back trip to Mahurangi – I had an important family event that I have been dodging for years, and this year the message was – “be here” 🙂

I came away from Mahurangi feeling very upbeat for the health of the classic wooden motor boat movement – there was in excess of 50 classic woodys in the Mahurangi Harbour and from that fleet 32 skippers participated in the classic woody launch parade. A record turnout, so I say thank you those that took part and specially those that dressed their craft.

I was particularly heartened to see the return of several craft that had drifted away from the scene due to relocations, long tern refits and frustration with the community. Of note was Florance Dawn, Kumi and Raiona.

People linked to the supposedly organisation of the the parade (I’m not talking about the MCC) need to wake up to the contribution that the classic launches make to the event – 50+ craft is a mighty powerful visual vista. So fingers crossed the housekeeping improves to ensure the loyalist keep turning up.

After the speed bumps at the start, the parade got underway and a good time was had by the skippers, crews and spectators afloat and ashore at Sullivans Bay.

Enjoy the gallery of photos – some (most) boats appear twice, some I’m sure missed the camera, can’t be everywhere:-) Thanks to Steve Horsley for the photo of Raindance and Murray Deeble for the race start photo.

As always click on photos to enlarge 😉

A reward – first woody to tell me which boat in the above photos has the largest WW flag – wins a normal size WW burgee – enter at waitematawoodys@gmail.com

SCHOOLHOUSE BAY KAWAU ISLAND – XMAS 1959 – BOATS & OWNERS

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SCHOOLHOUSE BAY KAWAU ISLAND – XMAS 1959 – BOATS & OWNERS
In todays photo Ken Ricketts has tagged as may launches as he can confidently ID and provided us with details of who owned the boat at the time of the photo + details on each craft. Hopeful Ken’s memory from 64 years ago is better than mine 😉 Photo by Palmer ex Lew Redwood fb. Engines are listed as on that day, a number had had other preceding engines, some mentioned and most have had other engines since.

  1. MARGARET S – Owner – Alec Stewart. Builder – Collings, & Bell c1919, Engine – Fay & Bowen 40hp petrol
  2. HUKARERE – Owner – Les Ravenhall. Builder– McGeady, ( hull& engine), & L Ravenhall (coamings & interior), 1949,  Engine – Perkins diesel.
  3. ROTUI – Owner – Alec & Linda Walker. Builder – Chris Craft, c1938-39. Engine – Ford V8 petrol        
  4. VARLENE – Owner – H T Morton. Builder – McGeady. Engine – 4 cyl Ailsa Craig diesel.
  5. APACHE – Owner – Harold Parkinson. Builder – home built by original owner in Capt. Springs Rd Te Papapa 1939. Engine – Chrysler Crown petrol.
  6. GAY DAWN – Owner – Ralph Ricketts. Builder (&designer), home built by Bill Waters 1953. Engine – twin 6 cyl Leyland diesels.
  7. MENAI – Owner – Clive Menzies – Builder – Sam Ford 1936/37. Engine – Ford V8 petrol, or perhaps newly fitted Ford 4 cyl diesel, – (original engine when built, 8 cyl Lycoming petrol repl., 1942 by Ford V8 ).

I think I have ID’ed REHAI , the 1938 Colin Wild built launch on the right, last launch – see below. 

03-12-2023 ADDITIONAL INPUT EX KEN RICKETTS – below is additional data ex KR, the accuracy of which is un proven so view as ‘maybe/could be 🙂

Some engine history & installation details of the above where known.

1. MARGARET S original or early days Twigg petrol engine.

2.HUKARERE original Less ( Ford?) marine petrol engine

3.ROTUI – original 

4. VARLENE –  original

5. APACHE – original

6.GAY DAWN original single flathead Studebaker petrol converted truck engine ex ROYAL FALCON painted bottle green.

7. MENAI – original 8 cyl Lycoming petrol engine

LADY MARGARET – original twin Fairbanks Morse diesels. These were side exhausted, out each side, below the bridgedeck, about 6 inches above the waterline, & were left in place for many years blanked off, after the Fodens were installed. 

Her Fodens to me, had a unique exhaust system, with 2 short stacks, one out each side of the cockpit cabintop, & were identical to those installed in Fred Porter’s MARNINE, during the building of her, for him, by Lane Motor Boat Co. 

Ted C. & Fred P. were very close friends, for much of their lives, & shared the same shed for the 2 boats, in Wakatakataka Bay, for a great many years, & both sets of engines were  purchased & installed at the same time. 

Fred P. was the M.D. of Mason & Porter Ltd, ( Masport), the huge engineering organization, & my father, Ralph Ricketts, was manager of the machine shop for about 30 years, & Fred asked my father to design, & for dad & his staff, to manufacture, the 4 exhaust/muffler units, for the 2 boats, which were a wonderful feat of engineering design, & a great success, as he was able to make the exhausts on both boats, almost completely silent, something that with those engines, was almost impossible, as exhaust back pressure, can be a real issue with all 2 cycle engines, which is what Fodens, GM Detroits, Commer TS3s, & others are also. — 

You never heard either of these 2 boats leave the bay, (Compare with original Police launch DEODAR I, which had 2 similar engines, or the navy HDMLs,  you could hear them coming around North Head, from Mansion House Bay Kawau Island, — well almost anyway!!).    

REHIA – still had her original engine, but the installation had a number of unusual special features about it & its installation. It was a Buda 6 cyl flathead, painted grey, with dual ignition (12 spark plugs), with a single 12 position distributor, with double sided rotor, which to me, seems inappropriate, as one benefit of dual ignition system, is the safety factor of having a separate back up, in event of failure of 1 system. She also had a Bendix reverse control system on the manual gearbox, which was operated by a little 6 inch lever, in a dual reverse lever/throttle control, console mounted unit, with an emergency long lever, for a manual linkage control alternative, poking through the floor, by the helm, that could be quickly connected, in event of failure of the Bendix system. I knew the boat & Ryans so very well, & in all the years I knew them, I never knew the Bendix system to fail. The Buda remained for a great many years, during their very long stewardship & was eventually replaced by a 6 cyl Ford Diesel, as I recall, around 1980ish. — KEN R           

When You Sell On-Line You Have Little Control Over Who Buys Your Gear 🙂

Busy Morning – One Down & One Up

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As purchased

Busy Morning – One Down & One Up

Yesterday the 30’ 1978 Roy Parris built launch – Waikaro, slipped back into the creek at the Slipway, Milford, looking very smart post a lot of work both in and outside. A Jason Prew paint job and 15+ coats of uroxsys were just the icing on the cake + lots of work on her systems and ‘lets keep the water on the outside’ eg new windows etc.

No sooner had Waikaro vacated the cradle, the 38’ 1937 Sam Ford built launch – Menai (below) was climbing into a warm bed. After a lot of deferred maintenance work, Menai had been ’settling down’ eg taking up on one of the Milford marina berths before getting her final top coats. The new bow-thruster certainly made manoeuvring in the creek easy. 

UPDATE 12-07-2022 back in the water after the JPPJ at The Slipway Milford.

Classic Woody Yard Mooching

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Update 05-07-2022 1st coat of the shinny stuff goes on 

Classic Woody Yard Mooching

Dropped into The Slipway Milford the other day, very pleased to see the 1937, 38’ Sam Ford built launch – Menai, getting some serious TLC after languishing at the CYA’s Heritage Landing for many years, dockside chat was it was a permanent fixture. 

As with most things in life, boat ownership goes in cycles and with new owners she is get the attention she deserves. Always nice to see painting prep well executed i.e. back to bare wood – that kauri looks as good as the day Sam Ford fastened it.

I understand a new engine has been installed so the TCL is serious – we like that 🙂

See more on Menai here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/11/menai-a-peek-down-below-2/

While there the 1945 K-Class – Jenanne was getting a Jason Prew Paint Job, the photo is coat one of two top coats, already very slick.

Now a tip on how to get marine engineers to come down to your boat – keep your engine room as ship-shape as the 1965 Owen Woolley built launch – Adonis – the man from the Moon didn’t even have to put his overalls on 🙂

Classic Launches – Lady Karita, Menai, Valsan + Others – 1947 NZ National Film Unit

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Classic Launches – Lady Karita, Menai, Valsan + Others – 1947 – NZ Diary #8 Movie

Following on from yesterday story on the launch – Lady Karita, Robert Phillips sent in a link to a 1947 movie tagged – ‘NZ Diary #8’ from the NZ National Film Unit. Its a great look back at post war life in Auckland. The movie is only 5 1/2min long so watch it all but if you’re time poor – go to 1.43min in and to 2.07min where it shows Lady Karita motoring on the Auckland Harbour in 1947 with someone wake boarding (or Aqua-Plane as they called it back then ) behind her. Carrying on further and we see more wake boarding at Kawau Island with Menai and others in the background. Later in the video, more wake boarding, this time behind the launch –  Valsan.

Wonderful to see all the launches and yachts, most of which are still around 75 years later and looking as good or better than in 1947.


Woodys Classics Weekend Cruise To Clevedon – Call for RVSP’s
The dates for the next Woody Weekend Cruise to the Clevedon Cruising Club are Saturday 21st > Sunday 22nd May 2022.As always due to wharf and river size numbers are restricted – so Woodys if you are interested in doing this event RSVP to address below ASAP to avoid disappointment. Send – Your name > Boat name > and if you know approx. numbers on board. Well behaved dogs are welcome. 

RSVP TO   waitematawoodys@waitematawoodys

Flashback Friday – Menai and Valsan

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Menai c.1947/8
Menai c.1947/8
Valsan c.1947/8

FLASHBACK FRIDAY – MENAI AND VALSAN 

Recently I was contacted by Pat Menzies the youngest son of Clive Menzies who bought the launch Menai from Arnold Baldwin. In a previous WW story Harold Kidd refers to Clive as ‘C.B. Menzies’, link to that story below. After reading the numerous WW stories on Menai, Pat decided to share a little more information that he hopes may be of interest to us. It is a good yarn so I’ll hand over to Pat and let him tell the story.  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/09/02/menai-valsan-her-owners/

“First, a little background about Arnold Baldwin “Baldie” to his friends (unsurprisingly). He is referred to as “involerd in the paper and printing industry”. But he was a bit more significant than that. Born in Canada, he emigrated to New Zealand some time pre-war and founded Universal Business Directories Ltd. By the 1950s and continuing through most of the next half-century UBD’s metropolitan provincial editions were the first place to look for detailed information about businesses of all and any sorts and the advertising revenue they engendered had made Baldie quite a rich man. Very rich by the standards of the day. I presume he must have been in the RNZ Volunteer Reseve pre-war and was appointed skipper of the Menai during the war years when it was commandeered the Navy and put to Coastal Patrol duties.  (I believe that virtually every harbour which had a fleet of launches had some commandeered by the Navy for this purpose, but the Menai is the only one I know about. After the war I understand Mr Reynolds, the original owner did not want it back and Arnold was able to buy it. By the late 40s he was looking for a bigger boat and bought the Valsan, selling the Menai to my father.

Dad and Arnold were at the time (and for a number of years thereafter) flag officers of the Auckland Motor Yacht Club and were able to organise the various transfers to suit their calendars and cash flow. Dad sold the “Taufale” a 28 footer launch which he had bought in 1944 (I think. May have been 1945.) I was only about 5 at the time so my memory of such details is non-existent.

Dad owned the Menai through to some time in the early 1960s when he sold it to a then well-known local architect – surname Dalton. I did know his first name but have long since forgotten it. He, after quite a short period on-sold it to Alan (I think) Martin who was at the time CEO of TVNZ Auckland and did a lot of work on the boat. It then went through a number of owners before Peter Smith bought it and turned it into the film star beauty she is now.

The reference to Horry Whimp as an owner is quite mysterious.  He was, as stated, the manager of the UBD printing works, had worked for Arnold for many years and had the perk of being boat husband, first for the Menai and later for the Valsan.  It could very well be that Horry had the use of the Menai over the 48-49 season while Dad and Arnold were trading their paths to each owning only one boat – and that Ken Ricketts (who is/was a couple of years older than me) simply assumed he owned it.

Menai was powered by a flathead Ford V8 with a marine conversion by OSCA, rated at 100hp. Whether that was as a car motor or marine I don’t know. It had a 2 to 1 reduction box and we cruised at 1750rpm on the rev counter.  Dad went through about three propellers and numerous re-pitchings and re-cuppings and finally achieved claimed figures of cruising speed of about 6.5 knots and petrol consumption of 1 3/4 gallons per hour. Pushing it up to 7 or 7.5 knots resulted in it squatting at the stern (“digging a big hole in the water” Dad used to say) and consumption soaring to about 4 gallons/hour.

Dad also fitted a Ford 8 auxiliary motor following a rather nasty experience when the motor stalled (a scale of rust in the fuel line, I believe) and left us powerless on a lee shore, either down the Bottom End or over on the Coromandel. I was about 11 or 12 and getting ready to drop the 45lb big pick when the motor fired up again. He also fitted another smaller motor to charge the batteries so we didn’t have to go cruising to have  electricity. He also fitted a gas powered freezer box under the starboard seat in the bridgedeck. Larger boats such as the Valsan generally had such facilities but the Menai was well up-to-date for its age and size. One of the perks of being one of Arnold’s friends was that ownership of the Valsan came with one of the boatsheds on Ngapipi Rd – the third from Tamaki Drive. Arnold ran a tight timetable. He had the shed from about Easter to near to Queen’s Birthday and then Dad and several other of his friends each had about 2 weeks or so, during which we worked hard to complete the season’s maintenance. Dad would go to the shed each evening direct from work and I would pitch on at the weekends working from dawn to as late as we needed. I remember varnishing the coamings in half-light of a winter evening was a truly awful task. But better than doing it in the open at Vos Bros or any other shipyard. At least we didn’t have dust to contend with”.

Moa Ra and Menai Update

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MOA RA

The above photos of the launch Moe Ra just popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb (via Te Papa > Christopher Bede).They are dated 1969, not sure if thats the build year of photo year, could be both.
The boat draw a total blank with me, so suspect its had a name change along the way. Can we learn more about her?

Harold Kidd Input – MOE RA was built by Alan Orams in Whangarei in 1966.according to APYMBA records when first owner Eric Lane registered her.


MENAI – Has a new owner 🙂 after many years of being almost a permanent structure at the Classic Yacht Association’s viaduct marina – yachty Bruce Tantrum has in his words “moved over to the dark side” and bought the classic launch – Menai. (Disclosure: not a Wooden Boat  Bureau sale) We look forward to seeing her out and about again on the Waitemata.

Speaking of the CYA marina (Heritage Landing) if you are a CYA member and have a well presented (NZ designed & built) classic launch and are looking for a marina, Put your name on the CYA waiting list (I’m told its a very short list e.g. no one on it) Added bonus I understand it costs less than $100 a month 😉

Total Wooden Boat Porn

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Total Wooden Boat Porn

Over the last week I have had numerous woodys asking if I had seen the YouTube video on one of the UK’s stunning new motor boats – the Spirit P70. My answer was yes I had, so today I thought I had better share it with you. Built by Spirit Yachts to a very simple owner brief – it must be able to cover (non-stop) 1000nm at an average speed of 18 knots, she tops out at 23.5 knots. And budget? – somewhere between 4 and 5 million pounds. That woodys gets you are very swanky vessel, every single item is bespoke – check it out.

Menai

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MENAI – A Peek Down Below


Menai is one of those launches that no matter what angle you approach her from, she looks stunning. She’s a superb example of her type from a boat builder, Sam Ford, at the peak of their craft, restored by an owner with an exacting attitude to authenticity and originality. Menai was built in 1937 from full length since skin kauri, overall length is 38’, with a beam of 10’, drawing 3’.

She underwent a refit in 1983 and then got very lucky when she was purchased in 2007 by the late Peter Smith, who undertook an extensive restoration that returned her to her former glory of one of Auckland’s smartest classic wooden launches. She looks bigger than 38’ and whilst a bridge-decker, her configuration makes her a very relaxing vessel. The wheelhouse even has a wine cellar 🙂 Powered by a very economical 60hp Lees Marine Ford.

1940’s

Mahurangi / Warkworth c.1961

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Photo 1

 

Mahurangi / Warkworth c.1961

photos ex Ken Ricketts

Todays post show 2 photos taken c1961, most likely at Xmas & show a collection of launches tied up at the wharf at Warkworth. The really neat thing is hat most of these craft are still a float today & in as good, if not better condition.
It would be nice to see some of those varnished coaming again 😉

Several of these launches will be at todays Mahurangi Regatta & weather & numbers interested – maybe making the trip up the river to Warkworth for lunch.

Ken has attempted to ID the launches – see below.

PHOTO 1
Front row Gay Dawn, Ken can’t identify outer 2 boats.

Top left row, tiny bit of bow too small to indentify next to wharf next is
Cherokee & next is Menai. Ken can’t identify outer boat of that group

PHOTO 2

Bottom left Gay Dawn, Ken can’t identify the other 2 boats.
Next row to right is Faye at wharf, next to her is Royal Falcon & next is
Cherokee & then Menai. Ken can’t identify the outer boat.

Far row to right –  boat at wharf is Southern Belle, may have been owned by Stan
Blundell, the outer boat next to her is Lady Karita.

Boat at anchor Reelemin II

Photo 2