Todays woody is in my neck of the woods – Devonport. The photo popped up on ‘Devonport Locals Facebook Group (NZ) fb and comments said the boat had been drifting in and out of the upper reaches of Ngatarina Bay. The area is very tidal and silted up and it appears that there wasn’t the depth for her to drift further out into the harbour.
I have observed the bridge-decker for years on a mooring in the creek, never could see a name or anyone aboard.
So Devonport, Narrow Neck, Belmont woodys can we learn more about the vessel.
CAN WE PUT A NAME TO THIS CLASSIC LAUNCH + NEXT WOODYS EVENT DETAILS– the boat is LADY JOYCE > LADY JANE
After a record viewing day yesterday, today we revert to one of the many things WW does well – locating / tracking down details on someones classic wooden craft.
Yesterday WW was contacted by John Gilroy concerning his father launch. John tells the story below –
“I am hoping your readers can help identify the old launch as per attached photos.This was my Dad’s,Herbert Gilroy, launch. Mum is standing on the back.
Dad knew Harold Kidd mainly through the vintage car community.I only recently found this photo of the launch in a collection of old slides. I have been told that it may have been built by Sam Ford. I would appreciate any information or details on the vessel” (edited)
John mentions Sam Ford above but in my eyes its got Lidgard written all over her. The addition of the ‘Tauranga Deck’ at the rear would not have been original , and should help with ID’ing her.
Please use the WW Comments section with any replies.
INPUT ex SCOTT – the launch is LADY JOYCE, later renamed LADY JANE, link below. Next question, where is she today.
It is only a mystery because the owner doesn’t think a vessels name is part of its history…….
The woody featured above is approx. 33’ in length, with a carvel hull and powered by a Ford 75hp diesel engine. And that woodys is all we know so keen to learn more about her other than home is Nelson.
I suspect her owner has some basic engineering skills – the stern davits suggest a DIY addition, practical I’m sure but maybe better suited to a workboat.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW -THE FATE OF THESE CLASSIC CRAFT
Todays classic wooden launch photos once more come to us from Robyn Kellian via Tobias Forsyth so we can safely assume the location is the Leigh region. The question today is what’s the background to this series of photos – we have a work (fishing) boat donating her wheelhouse to another classic woody that appears to be a recent pleasure boat refit.
So can any of the Leigh based readers enlighten us on what became of both vessels and put an approx. date to the photos.
INPUT ex GRAHAM ROWE – The first boat featured (fishing boat 3621) is La Vega. She was built by Millar and Tunnage using Totora planks on Pohutukawa ribs, launched 1965, and fished from Leigh until 25 November 2009 – the last entry in her Log. I know little about her ownership but on her last commercial fishing trip she was crewed by Nick and Jarrod, and hearsay suggests that her owners were two brothers nicknamed ‘Swampy’ and ‘The Animal’ Walker?
Sometime later she was bought to Helensville by Dave Cook and I purchased her from Dave after she had been sitting from 2016 with a non-functioning Mitsubishi 6D-14 engine in 2020. Since then, I have been restoring her. La Vega is 11m LOA, 3.9m beam and draws about 1.2m. She displaces about 11 Tonnes.
The doghouse being removed is possibly to enable an engine replacement. The doghouse shown is the one that was on her when I purchased her, but alas is no more, due to extensive rot. The sliding door however was salvageable and will go back on her in due course.
Today classic wooden launch photo is once more from Robyn Kellian via Tobias Forsyth so we can safely assume the location is the Leigh region. No names to help us but I’m sure we will get a positive ID from the readers.
IF YOU NEEDED PROOF CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS ARE COOL – my daughter tells me that over the weekend one of New Yorks biggest (1.1 million followers) fashion socialites – Brigette (the bride) got married and the couple arrived at the ceremony aboard a very smart classic wooden boat – link here for those with instagram https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db6HX-nBHkA/ Screen grabs below for those that dont 🙂
Todays rather disturbing photos again come to us via Robyn Kellian and Tobias Forsyth.Unfortunately WW knows zero about how the wooden double-ender came to be (1) aground (2) a blaze.
I could be wrong but at first glance it appears to have the makings of a ‘Beehive restoration’ eg a box of matches was involved.Whatever the situation its a sad end to what would have once been a fine classic wooden boat.
Can we learn any more eg boats name, date of photo, location and what actually happened.
As mentioned last week Tobias Forsyth located a treasure trove of old photos from the Leigh area, a mx of workboats and pleasure craft.
Todays photo shows a small workboat (Reg # 15156) with an interesting mix of steading sails. She looks a little too smart to be a commercial fishing boat, but there does appear to be a long-line set-up on her stern.
Vessel name unknown, but the Reg No. must make ID’ing her easy for someone with a reference of vessels ‘v’ numbers.
Recently Tobias Forsyth located a treasure trove of old photos from the Leigh area, a mx of workboats and pleasure craft.
Todays photo shows a bridge-decker sporting a steading sail. Vessel name unknown, the photographer is listed as Robyn Kellian.
In my eyes the classic wooden launch looks like LADY JOYCE , refer WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/22/lady-joyce/ but I’m wrong more often than I’m right, so hopefully we can put a name to the launch.
Todays classic wood launch popped up recently on the NZ cars, boats, motor bikes etc fb , via Lew Redwood. The photo comes from the Auckland maritime museum collection and the photographer is unknown.
Reviewing the photos the 2nd one above is minus flagstaff/s and ensign / burgee, so safe to assume different days.
Are we able to ID the launch.
24-07-2026 HAROLD KIDD INPUT – What a pretty boat! I’ve asked Gavin Pascoe of the Wellington Classic Yacht Trust to look around. I have some ideas. I think she’s an Auckland-built launch, about 20-22ft, 1907 or so and would pick Bailey & Lowe, maybe Logan Bros or Chas Bailey in that order. If my woolly suspicions are correct she was built first for Picton.
