Tag Archives: Mystery boat

1940’s Woody Speed Boat

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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?
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Mystery Boats October 1939

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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
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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

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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

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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

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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
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FLYING 15 4sale

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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

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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.

No Varnish Today :-)

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No Varnish Today 🙂

I received an email from Jake Bradshaw yesterday, Jake is from Southland, for the non Kiwi woodys that’s the bottom of the South Island. Jake was asking if any WW followers may know the  hull design of the woody runabout above that he has just acquired. The boat is 12’ & appears to have a marinised Vauxhall motor, from what Jake can work out.
And when a woody dies – the photo below is where we hope we will end up – looks like boating heaven.
Boat Heaven

McKenzie Bay – Rangitoto Island

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McKenzie Bay

McKenzie Bay – Rangitoto Island

The above photo show a collection of woodys anchored in McKenzie Bay, the photo is ex an old photo album that Steve Horsley uncovered. The owner of which is unknown.

Can we ID any of the vessels? Steve has sent me a high-res copy of the image & have taken close-ups of the boats (see below).

I’m pretty sure the ‘big’ launch closest to the camera in the 1st photo is Romance II , as to the others, what do you think?

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Vixen > Water Beetle – Akaroa

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Vixen > Water Beetle – Akaroa

Another photo ex Lew Redwood’s fb page, this time we have a yacht anchored at Akaroa, the photo is dated 1911. It’s a great photo

Any of the woodys able to ID this gaffer?

07-05-2018 Input from Harold Kidd – 

She’s the little half-rater WATER BEETLE designed by Prof Scott and built for Wardrop of Wellington by Robert Logan Sr in 1895 as VIXEN. MASCOTTE (53ft) and YVONNE (42ft) were big gaffers. Scott later bought her, renamed her WATER BEETLE and raced her at Lyttelton. He sold her in 1901.

VIXEN/WATER BEETLE had a lugsail like most of the Wellington half-raters which raced with the Arawa Sailing Club and was 24ft loa. She was owned at the time of this photograph by J.L. Vangioni of Akaroa. Prof Scott had owned YVONNE for many years at this time.

21-07-2018 Update ex Ian Campball

Ian sent in the photo below from 1910 showing Waterbeetle on Akaroa Harbour, owned at the time by Louis J Vangioni MBE of Akaroa (1872-1951).

1910c Waterbeetle

 

Good Things Take Time

Greg Fenwick sent me the photo below that he took last November on a trip to Oban, Stewart Island. Pretty well sums up wooden boat building 🙂

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And a wee bonus today – check out this Facebook movie of dinghy sailing back in 1955, at Plymouth, Devon, UK. Link via Wooden Boat fb – enjoy

A Treasure Trove of Old Auckland Sailing Photos

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A Treasure Trove of Old Auckland Sailing Photos

I was contacted by Keith Humphreys who told me that in the 1950’s he discovered a box of glass plates under the Anglican parish hall (Devonport).

A friend’s father, an amateur photographer printed them off for him at the time, but Keith had no idea what or where they’re of?

He presumes that they’re taken in Auckland.

Can we help ID them? HDK, a wee job after chapel & before your bike ride today 😉

ID’ing the cricket match photo below will be tougher challenge 🙂 A WW t-shirt if some can, & prove it. 

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Harold Kidd Input – Top pic RAINBOW? 2nd pic IDA? 3rd THELMA? The Anglican Parish Hall is next door to Le Huquet’s former residence and last yard and I think WAIONE was built in the near vicinity. Mad guess at the cricket match with a little church on a hill is Waiheke. Awaroa? Owhanake before the 1918 flu epidemic which just about wiped out all the Maori population there?