Tag Archives: Mystery boat

Mystery Workboat Conversion

Posted on by
5

Mystery Workboat Conversion 
According to her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) the above woody is – 44’ in length, built of kauri, powered by a 1978 Detroit 150hp diesel and calls Waiheke Island home. And that woodys is all we know.

I’m sure we can uncover more details. The conversion looks very tidy and the wood stove would indicate she has spent time in the our southern waters.


Stunning weather afloat, photo below of Raindance in Garden Cove, Waiheke Island – we sneaked in before the fizz boats and SeaLegs arrived.

Hokianga Mystery Wooden Boat

Posted on by
5

Hokianga Mystery Wooden Boat – Seabird


WW was sent the above photo by Alistair Rowe, who took the photo earlier in the week from the deck of the Boathouse Cafe in Rawene. As we see her above, there is an interesting mix of lines and styles – and one would have to assume she started life as a work boat. Her colour scheme indicates that someone loves and cares for her.


Keen to learn more about this old girl.

Input & photos below from Cameron Pollard – SEABIRD. Been on Hokianga for eternity. Powered by a 100hp Hino noise maker.

11-12-2020 Harold Kidd Input – SEABIRD was built at Motukaraka by Kelsey Bros to their own design for their own use in April 1912 with a 6hp Automatic engine. Another clone of Chas. Bailey’s MILKMAID.

WAITEMATAWOODY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
Just a heads up, we have almost sold out of WW merchandise, orders have been coming in think and fast over the last month, even without any promotion – on Monday we sold 16 t-shirts to a very big visiting yacht – seems all the crew are getting one in their Santa sack 🙂


The WW cupboard as of today looks like this:
Mens short sleeve dark blue – size 2XL – 8 in stock
Mens short sleeve dark blue – size 4XL – 1 in stock
Mens short sleeve dark blue – size 5XL – 2 in stock
Mens short sleeve orange – size 2XL – 1 in stock
Mens short sleeve dark brown – size L –   8 in stock
Mens short sleeve dark brown – size XL – 4 in stock
SOLD OUT of hats
T-shirts are $34.95 + $5 p&p. Email me the size / colour you are after and I’ll get back to you with availability and payment details. waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Mystery Motor-Sailer

Posted on by
6

MYSTERY MOTOR-SAILER
The photo above of the motorsailer is dated late 1960’s, early 1970’s. Location probably in/around Whangarei. Anyone able to ID the boat and tell us more about her past?

I know the answer, just hoping the arrival of this good quality photo will shift a few brain cells in some woodys.

Stuart Turner Engines One of the woodys was unable to attend Sundays boat boot sale – he has x5 Stuart Turner engines…1 P66 (10hp) and at least 4 P55 (8hp), for sale at a modest sum to a good home. One P55 and the P66 are intact, the rest in various stages of disassembly. Plus various manuals and technical articles. These wonderful little British 2 stroke engines run like a sewing machine….when handled by a knowledgeable operator!Once a very popular yacht auxillary but would be perfect for that restored classic clinker dinghy/open launch. If interested, I can supply contact details.


WOODYS CLASSICS RIVERHEAD TAVERN LUNCH CRUISE – RSVP TODAY Just need boat name and guesstimate of crew numbers – email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Mystery Woody at Whangateau

Posted on by
3

IMG_0478 Interesting woody in Wangateau Harbour

20191112_121258

Mystery Woody at Whangateau
 
Woody Denis O’Callahan (MV Tasman) spotted the above woody anchored last Saturday when he was mooching around the Whangateau Harbour.
There appears to be a ‘pole’ (maybe the main mast) lashed to the starboard bulwarks.
A few splashes of paint on the stern might be concealing a name, home port?
 
Anyone able to ID the vessel for us?
 

Waitematawoodys T-Shirts + New Release – Caps – Perfect Christmas Presents

Well woodys Summers almost here so it’s T-shirt weather. If you want a WW t-shirt nows the time to order – details below.
  1. Some background on the T’s – I only source top quality garments & use high-end screen printing for really tight detail & a durable finish. I’m passionate about WW & will only put the logo on something that is 100% quality.
  2. In terms of colour – we are like Henry Ford, we only do one colour – a very dark blue (navy) with white logo. 
  3. Price – same price for the last 3 years  – $34.95 (gst inclusive) + $5 p&p (one off freight charge, no matter the number you order). If that’s too much to pay for a quality T-shirt, well I guess you won’t be buying one, but I’m not prepared to compromise on standards. This years T’s are an even better cut / fit.
  4. Sizes – Refer chart below. If there is interest I will do a smaller female sizes.
  5. Ordering – B4 Xmas I’m doing a limited print run, so if you want a shirt/s – I need your order by Monday 25th November, sooner would be even better. I’ll advise payment details when I confirm your order.
NEW RELEASE – CAPS
I have done a small run of WW Caps and the feedback from my crash-test dummies has been very positive – so we have added caps to the merchandise list.
1. One size fits all
2. Light weight, 6 panel
3. Two colour options Navy Blue / Light Blue
4. Price is $32 (gst inclusive) + $5 p&p (no charge if ordered with T-shirt/s)

What’s next – email me at waitematawoodys@gmail.com & advise:

 

# Your name 

# Postal address

# Phone 

# Quantity & size/s & colour (cap only)

Ps – Sent in a sealed courier bag, so if you are ordering for a Xmas present, no-one will know the contents.

Size Guide

1940’s Woody Speed Boat

Posted on by
1

Screen Shot 2019-11-08 at 10.43.06 PM

1940’s Woody Speed Boat

Todays woody speedboat was built by Richard Hall’s father and his best mate John Primrose in the late 1940’s. The zoom zoom came from a 1938 Cadillac V8.
The caption on the back of the photos says 35 knots – very impressive – refer the photo below for more more details.
Richard commented that John Primrose had a boatbuilding business in Gisborne, undertaking a lot of Govt. contract work.
Can anyone tell us the name of the speedboat and what became of her?
Screen Shot 2019-11-08 at 10.42.55 PM

Mystery Boats October 1939

Posted on by
2

48394471_2235508836771312_5784478507056758784_o

Mystery Boats October 1939

The above photo is tagged ‘Auckland’s Fine Holiday Week-End’ and is dated October 1939.
And interesting mix of craft hauled out, given the stated date, I would have thought it was a little late in the year to have that number of yachts with their rigs out.
Any one behave enough to name them?
Des Townson Book
IMG_2160
The postman/lady delivered a special parcel today, I have been sent one of ten review copies of the book ‘Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy’ by Brian Peet. It is a big read (both in size and weight – 1.8kg) with 340+ pages loaded with tales, details and hundreds of photos and line drawings.
The Foreword is written by our own Harold Kidd and I’m sure Harold and author Brian Peet won’t mind me quoting from it.
“It is without doubt, the most intimate and accurate portrayal that we will ever see of Des Townson and his yachts, but it also provides insight into that vibrant network of highly skilled people – yachtsman and yachtswoman, yacht designers and yacht builders – who have made the last 75 years of the sport in New Zealand so amazingly successful home, and on the world stage.” HKD
The on-sale date is 18th September  – I will do a review before then.  BUT GOOD NEWS waitematawoodys have two copies on offer as prizes – details to follow 🙂

Hawkes Bay Mystery Motorsailer

Posted on by
6

Screen Shot 2019-06-01 at 3.26.21 PM

Screen Shot 2019-06-01 at 3.26.09 PM

Hawkes Bay Mystery Motorsailer

Todays photos come to us fro Lew Redwood’s fb, the name of the yacht is unknown, but we know it was owned by J.A. Louis Hay.
Again the location is also unknown, but the photo is tagged MTG Hawkes Bay which is – Museum Theatre Gallery, Napier – so that might be a big help ID’ing the location.
Interesting ‘funnel’ , I assume for a solid fuel stove. And speaking of wood stoves on boats (my dream) Mondays WW story ticks a lot of my boxes – wood stove + a Ford Model T wheel / helm.
Harold Kidd Input – I’ve scratched my head over this one before. J A Louis Hay was a well-known Napier Architect and amateur musician. Just a guess, he designed he boat himself and had it built locally at Westshore by R. Farquhar, very possibly the unnamed one he built in September 1915 before Hay went overseas to France, She was 26’6″x6′ with a 4hp Monarch. The “funnel” is probably a dry exhaust.
Bonus Read
I’m a big fan of the UK website Classic Sailor, it started out as a magazine, published by a past editor of Classic Boat magazine, but then after a few issues, went to a weblog format. They have some great articleds- check out this one on the restoration of the yawl – Wayward – see link below.

Woody Lake Boat Project

Posted on by
4

IMG_4477

IMG_4475

IMG_4574

IMG_4576

Woody Lake Boat Project

I’m pretty sure this woody was a trademe listing for a very long time, so when I received a note from Rachel Jamieson from the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat group telling me Micheal Booth had bought an old wooden kauri 4 seater, carvel construction speedboat for restoration and attached the above photos –  I was so rapped that she had a new owner and her restoration would be completed.
 
I’ll let Micheal Booth tell the story 

“She  belonged to Andrew Lang the previous Harbour Master who now skippers in the Med. Andrew bought the boat in Rotoru and tracked the motor down in Rotoiti which he then restored. He had started restoration but because of his circumstances has elected to sell.

 I believe the boat was used by the Rangiheuia sisters on Lake Tarawera in the early days. It is of kauri construction and has an oregon ply transom. It is powered by an Austin 7 Thetis motor. Apparently the local historian knew of the boat but has unfortunately passed away. Andrew thinks this boat was designed by the  Logans and built by Lidgard. The boat is thought to be around 1934-36.
The boat builders I have taken it to aren’t convinced and wonder if the boat was of an American design but built locally. It measures 4850mm long, 1600mm wide and 1250 wide at the stern.”
 
Michael is wondering if anyone may some more information on the boat.
 

1910-1920’s Mystery Launch & Yachts on the Waitemata Harbour

Posted on by
9

img_0499

1910-1920’s Mystery Launch & Yachts on the Waitemata Harbour
 
The above photo comes to us from the Auckland Museum, Bourne collection – via Lew Redwood’s fb. 
It shows a smallish motorboat towing two gaff rigged yacht.
Can we ID all 3?
10-04-2019 Update from Steve Horsley – photo below
Ngatira & Kotiri

FLYING 15 4sale

screen shot 2019-01-12 at 8.09.07 pm
I have been contacted by Rachel Jamieson, the driving force behind the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association, asking for help finding a new owner for her parents 20’ Flying Fifteen yacht. I’ll let Rachel tell you about the yacht – 
“ She is currently named Ffelony & registered as ff 851. From what I can find out she was launched in 1966 as Aphrodite, then renamed ffelony in 1971.
My parents raced her in Wellington in the 1980’s and were calling her flying forties, as they were in their 40’s. she does not have a name on her.
Next she came up to Lake Rotoiti where she has been ever since, only taken out of the shed occasionally in summer and not for the past 5-6 years at all except to re-coat the deck with Sikkens.
She appears to have a few sets of sails, all quite old as they have not been replaced since she was raced.
She has stainless steel lifting eyes for crane-age launching which is what was used when in Wellington.
She has a launching trailer, but it does need repair, the main part of it is galvanised so not to bad, but the uprights at the back to guide the boat on have rusted away…
Overall the boat is in not too bad a shape, she is complete and sailable. It is a wooden hull (glassed over), plywood decks with aluminium mast, boom and spinnaker pole.”
  
She has a no reserve starting price on trademe of $250, so someone will get a bargain. Talking with Rachel, their #1 issue is finding a good home for the yacht. She has been in rachel’s family for the last 40 years.
Viewing is in Otaramarae, Lake Rotoiti – please email Rachel to make a time.     zea.rachel@gmail.com
 
BIG PHOTO GALLERY STORY TOMORROW (Monday) FROM MY NEW YEAR CRUISE.

Orakei Hard Stand

Posted on by
5

48373309_2231306743858188_2560697164443418624_o

48355627_2231320580523471_1209192989297999872_o

ORAKEI HARD STAND 1920’>1930’S

Today’s photos come to us via Lew Redwood’s fb, and show a selection of launches & yachts hauled out. The probate date is somewhere in the 1920>30’s.
The 2nd photo shows a magnificent collection of rear ends 🙂 Whilst I would never be able toID them, a woody like Simon Smith (convalescing at home, should be able to 😉
I’ll give a 2019 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Calendar (see below) to the woody that correctly ID’s the most bums 🙂
I’ll have to get outside help to judge the winner. Entries (this time) via the WW comments section.
Closes Jan 7th, 2019.