My Girl Restoration Update
Work on Jason Prew’s launch ‘My Girl’ is processing along well – but not at the speed indicated by the above photos. Jason remembers to take photos, but he is a bit slack with telling / showing people 🙂 In fairness, he does keep his weblog up to date, you can see & read more on the project at the link below.
http://www.my-girl.co.nz/mygirl/Restoration/Restoration.html
.THE RESTORATION OF MY GIRL
While there are few of us with the courage to even consider a project of this scope, there are even fewer with the skill set to do it. That makes Jason Prew a tad special in the classic woody boating community. A lot of us would be worried that a restoration (re-build) project like this would grind to a halt 1/2 way thru – well folks I can tell you this one won’t & as proof check out at the bottom of this story, Jason’s last project – Wairiki, his 34′ 1904 Arch Logan designed gaff rigged classic yacht.
Mr Prew is a member of the fastest growing group in the CYA – woody’s that own a classic yacht & classic motor-boat. There are a lot of photos today but I really wanted to get across the magnitude of the job Jason has bitten off:-)
Whilst I did not pickup a hammer or a piece of sandpaper during my visit to Jason’s workshop, I have contributed – a while ago I was gifted a pair of very cool bronze nav lights & as I’m a big believer in the ‘pay-it-forward’ concept, these will be gracing My Girl on launch day 🙂
My Girl was built in 1925 by Dick Lang for C.B. “Tui” Waldron of the Wade River who commuted with her. Her square bilge design was based on one by W.H.Hand. Waldron later took her to Whangarei & she was in NAPS as Z32 out of Whangarei in WW2.
Jason purchased My Girl from the Davies family of Te Atatu, West Auckland in December 2014, Derek & his Father Trevor were long term caretakers of My Girl, keeping her in the Whau River for many years. After a spell on the hard where she fell into dis-repair, Jason finally persuaded Derek to part with her.
When launched she was powered by a 6 cylinder 90hp Scripps engine & was capable of over 18 knots. When purchased by Jason she had a BMC Commander engine of dubious health. When re-launched she will be powered by a 100hp Volvo Penta, so she should be a bit of a zoom zoomer 😉
The work to date has seen 76 ribs in, 3600 copper rivets riveted, 5 new floors and 2 engine beds. As you will see in the photos there is still lots of hole filling, sanding & painting in the near future.
You can read & view much more on the restoration project at the links below – the ww one has some historical photos & the mygirl link has the whole story so far. Make sure you click on the Archives link to see everything. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/12/12/my-girl/ http://www.my-girl.co.nz/mygirl/Welcome.html
Below is a peak at Jason’s yacht Wairiki, his last restoration project. Click this link to view more http://www.wairiki.co.nz/Wairiki1904/Welcome.html
Input from Jason Prew
Thanks for the injection of smoke up the posterior Alan but I can’t claim too much credit for Wairiki, Marco Scuderi did the bulk of the work. I was mostly the destruction/wrecking department. My Girl is also a collaboration, especially the ribs stage. Nathan, Steve, Andrew, Tom, mostly my brother Daniel, either holding dolly or doing the peening. Robert Brook and Paul Tingey for always being encouraging on the end of the phone when i was having an OMG I can’t work this out day, (which is quite often) I don’t have a moaning chair perse, but i have a squab that gets utilized a lot to do the same job.
Trinidad > Raindance > Wairiki
Dec 2016 Staring to look like a launch again versus a canoe 🙂 Bit worried about the headroom.
Why Is Classic Sailing Stuck In The Doldrums?
Now here is an idea – may be the Classic Yacht Association should change its name to something like the Classic Boat Club – why? well given that over 50% of its boat owner members are launch owners & in physical numbers the classic launches out number classic yachts, maybe the ‘yacht’ name is not reflective of the movement.
If you want further proof, in the latest addition of the CYA newsletter, Sheerlines (see below), the new (to be elected tonight) CYA chairman + a ex yacht captain + the out-going launch captain – all have their latest classic boating projects featured & guess what? – they are all motor boats. Sure 2 out of the 3 people also own a yacht, but the trend for the last few years has been launch ownership. The out-going CYA chairman owns a motor boat & has his classic yacht on the market.
Even a blind-man could see there is a huge shift to classic launch ownership & the more relaxed, social activities associated around launches. Today the ‘sport’ of racing a classic yacht has less & less appeal, the yachts look magnificent but there is no queue of people to own / sail them. Just look at the asking / sold prices for classic yachts these days – that alone tells the story.
Aside from the name, the real issue facing the CYA is membership retention – has been for the last few years. No shortage of people joining up but an un-healthy number continue to drop off at the other end. Despite record numbers joining in the last 3 years (would be in excess of 100 individuals) the total membership number almost remains static.
There will be a change of guard at tonights CYA AGM – lets hope they are open to welcoming new thinking in terms of the classic boating movement & what it offerers up to retain members. The days of the CYA being a yacht club with its primary mission providing yacht racing for classic yacht owners, is over – that role needs to be handed over to the numerous classic yacht ‘trusts’ that these days directly or indirectly control 68%+ of the active classic yachting race fleets.
If your a CYA member, make the effort to come to the AGM tonight – 7.00pm @ the RNZYC, Westhaven.
LOST – The MY GIRL Trophy + Good News on Margaret S
This ones going to test the collective memory base of the all the woodys out there. We are looking for a trophy that was linked 80+years ago to the NZ Power Boat Association, I’m talking here about the old NZPBA, with races that involved real wooden boats – not the lumps of fiberglass with oversized outboards on the back they race today.
The trophy was the ‘My Girl’ trophy & was donated by a Mr. C. (Tui) Waldron to replace the ‘Burt Cup’. There are numerous press clipping that mention events where the cup was contested, won or presented. I have attached copies below for your reference / interest.
Despite all the searching no photo can be found of the cup.
The present-day owner of the launch ‘My Girl’, who the cup was named after, Jason Prew would like to track down the whereabouts of the cup & any information on what became of it. While the cup itself may not have survived, someone out there must know something about its past. Launches that have won the trophy include – Taura, Tasman & Crusader. Crusader was owned by the Rev Jasper Calder & was steered to victory by Miss Edna Herick. It appears that in several of the events that the trophy was offered up, one of the conditions of racing was the vessel had to be steered by a woman.
Launches that have raced for the trophy include – Taura, Aumoe, Edwina, Tasman, Nautilus, Ramona, Crusader, Wailani, Lady Margaret & Wanderloo.
So folks anyone able to help out in the hunt??
Note: Photo above taken during a Victoria Cruising Club annual regatta, year & boats unknown. Romance II could be the launch on the left. Photo ex ‘Sir George Grey Special Collection (Auckland Libraries)
Good News About Margaret S
CYA member Alan Good reports that the Collings & Bell launch Margaret S, built as Marne c.1918/19 that has been moored off Bayswater marina breakwater for several years has found a new owner – sailmaker Bud Nalder, the photo above shows her being towed from BW to Whakatakataka Bay (OBC) where she will be hauled out & undergo restoration. Knowing Bud’s skills & level of craftsmanship, Margaret S is in very good hands.
For more details / photos on her https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Margaret+S&submit=Search
Now moored in Whakatakataka Bay (photo Mark Edmonds)
CRUISING RACE TO KAWAU
(photo ex Nathan Herbert ex Paperpast)
Back in the ‘good-old-days’ there are some very fast motor launches out there & in the last few years several of them have either been restored or are currently in restoration. CYA launch owner Nathan Herbert is one of the owners of a potential zoom zoomer (Lucinda) & has a plan to re-create the above race in a year or two. So gentleman start saving your pennies – it will turn into a drag race 🙂 I’m pretty sure I know who the winner will be, but strange things can happen at sea 😉
In the March 1933 race, pictured above, My Girl now owned by Jason Prew, was the winner. Thats her (white hull) in the middle of the fleet, post start. The skipper on the yacht (B4) must be bricking himself thinking what the _ _ _ _ am I doing in the middle of this 🙂
Todays fleet could include My Girl, Viveen, the Lady Margaret’s, Tasman, Romance II, Falcon, Lucinda, Aumoe, Wirihana & Lady Gay. What old girls that could get up off their backside & dance have I left off?
As you read this I’ll be on-route to the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, so fingers crossed for good weather.
MY GIRL
photo & details from Jason Prew, Harold Kidd & Ian Gavin
At ww we love restoration projects, anyone that commits to saving one of your old girls is a good friend of waitematawoodys.
Todays classic launch is My Girl, built by Dick Lang in late 1925 for C.B. “Tui” Waldron of the Wade who commuted with her. The square-bilge design was based on one by W.H. Hand. She was fitted with a 6 cylinder 100hp Scripps that pushed her along at over 18 knots. Waldron later took her to Whangarei and she was in NAPS as Z32 out of Whangarei in WW2. She survived at Te Atatu owned by Trevor Davies.
The photos above show her in days gone by & being transported from Te Atatu Boating Club to her new home where her new owner Jason Prew , who recently purchased her from the Davies family, will commence her restoration. Jason has both done himself & supervised some of the best restoration projects in the CYA fleet so we will follow My Girl with great interest. I think I might need to re-power Raindance to keep up with Jason (My Girl) & Nathan Herbert (Lucinda).
You can follow the project here http://www.my-girl.co.nz
Interesting statistic – there are 9 CYA members on the CYA General Committee, myself being one of them, of those 9, 6 of them are now launch owners. Owning a classic wooden launch is the hot new boating trend 🙂
Harold – can you help ID this launch – thx
Harold Kidd Update
That’s the lovely MY GIRL, built by Dick Lang in late 1925 for C.B. “Tui” Waldron of the Wade who commuted with her. The square-bilge design was based on one by W.H. Hand. She was fitted with a 6 cylinder 100hp Scripps that pushed her along at over 18 knots. Waldron later took her to Whangarei and she was in NAPS as Z32 out of Whangarei in WW2. She survived at Te Atatu as recently as 2001 owned by Trevor Davies.
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