Tag Archives: Mystery Launch

A Big Woody Weekend – A message for all classic woody owners.

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A Big Woody Weekend – A message for all classic woody owners.

Next weekend has the potential to be one of those moments when come Monday when you read ww, you go bugger – I should have made the effort to do that 🙂 So don’t make that mistake – go down to the boat this weekend – fuel up, run the hose over her, a little bit of TLC – then ring a few friends & invite them to have a woody experience next Sunday.
This coming Friday > Saturday > Sunday the Classic Yacht Association NZ is hosting its annual Classic Yacht Regatta & its a great opportunity for all woodys to rub shoulders & celebrate your shared passion.
If you have not experienced the regatta before or if you have been AWOL for a few years, things have kicked up a level – Regatta HQ is now the RNZYS so plenty of parking & opportunities to get up close to the race fleet – pre & post sailing.
In 2017 the Regatta Committee have included a launch event & introduced a parade for the  classic launches (you do not need to be a CYA member to take part) on Sunday morning & as a bonus the gods have smiled & given us an early afternoon high tide (1:42pm + a biggie @ 3.3m) – the significance of that is we can slide up to the Riverhead Hotel for lunch while the yachts race. Details are below in the event flyer. I will post a reminder on ww with the meet times etc later next week, but for now – there are just 2 things you need to do:-
1. Put a circle in the diary for Sunday 5th March.
2. Email CYA Launch Captain Angus Rogers (link below) with a quick heads re your attendance (include your boat name & approx. crew numbers)
RSVP EMAIL LINK
As a bonus for registering early & if you attend the Sunday prize giving (no charge for attendance) to will participate in the amazing spot prize draw – includes a Emirates Airline Holiday Package, Takacat Inflatable, Explore Group ‘Bay of Islands Package’, Steiner Binoculars, Yamaha Outboard, Kiwi Feather Props, Coast NZ product, Mt Gay Rum and more……but you need to be there. And the CYA Launch Trophy is being put up as a prize for the best presented Launch on the day – I’m the judge 😉 I’m a fan of Amisfield Pinot Noir 2014 😉

And woodys everyone is welcome at Race HQ at anytime over the weekend – grab a coffee in the morning & check out the boats or later in the day grab a beer/wine & catch up with old/new friends. Each day there are meals available. And let me kill off one of the oldest fallacies on the Kiwi boating scene – the RNZYS is one of the coolest, friendliest boating scenes in NZ – you can wear almost anything, maybe not a singlet & jandals 🙂 & prices are on par with most venues around town. Come down & have a look, you will not be disappointed 😉

Time to get back to today’s photo* – who can ID the launch that high & dry?

*ex Paperspasr via Nathan Herbert

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Mystery Launch 26-01

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Mystery Launch

This one could be a little harder than some of the recent mystery boats I have posted on ww 🙂 The photo was sent in by Nathan Herbert & all we know is the location is Mechanics Bay in the late 1930’s. Nathan’s only comment was that the hull has a Coulthard look.

So woodys anyone able to ID the launch closest the camera?

UPDATE 13-01-2019 Nathan Herbert believes he has tracked this launch down, see photo below from Motuoapa Marina, name on side is possibly ‘Lady Val’?

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Mystery Launch 05-01-2017

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Mystery Launch 05-01-2017
Today’s launch is a total unknown to ww but the photo does show some very distinctive features so I’m confident someone will be able to ID her. I love the canvas bucket on the starboard side, I have two identical ones on Raindance & they get used for everything from carrying tools, beer & as intended – water 😉
(photo ex the Tudor Collins collection via Ken Ricketts)

ps I’ll give away a Lake Rotoiti Wooden & Classic Boat Parade 2017 calendar to the 1st woody that can ID the boat. Entries via the comments section on ww.

Gold Bell

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GOLD BELL  Mystery Launch Quiz

The above 1936 photo from the Tudor Collins (Auckland Museum) collection shows a dark hulled launch in the foreground, the first woody that can correctly name her, wins a copy of the 2017 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Calendar (still available to purchase via Rachel at  zea.rachel@gmail.com ). Entries via the ww comments section. Also keen to ID the other vessels in the bay. photo emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.

Harold Kidd Input

GOLD BELL. She was built by Alf Bell (ex Collings & Bell) at St. Mary’s Bay in September 1929. She had a hard chine and was painted gold.
Funny story about that; Dick Coughlan and I helped clear out Alf’s basement in St. Mary’s Bay after his widow (Dick’s great aunt) died. It was a treasure trove of automotive parts going back the early 1900s including an incredibly early single cylinder Cadillac engine which we gave to John Stewart of St. Heliers, a bandsaw using two 1905ish De Dion Bouton car wheels, the major components of a 1914 Wolseley and yards of launch gear patterns, mostly borer ridden.
On Alf’s workbench was a very large wax vesta tin which was extraordinarily heavy, weighing at least 25lbs (11kg). I opened it and found it full of glittering metal grains.We knew Alf had done some panning at Coromandel (as did most early yachtsmen). The Estate Duty had been paid on the estate, so there was an ethical problem.
Anyway, eventually it was analysed and found to be just bronze filings that Alf had used to mix into the paint for the hull of GOLD BELL!

Mystery Launch at Nelson

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Mystery Launch at Nelson

My woody spy in Nelson, John Burland sent me the above photo with a note saying the vessel could named Kaituna – any woodys able to ID the vessel &/or supply more details on her.
To confuse us there appears to be a few additions added over the years 🙂

FREE TO GOOD HOME
No not a box of kittens – this gift is both useful & valuable.
ww woody Jason Prew who is currently restoring (aka rebuilding) the 1925 Dick Land launch My Girl ( https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/08/the-restoration-of-my-girl/ ) contacted me with the offer below.
” I have a heap of leftover wood cut down to size to use for ribs, it’s red beech and takes to steaming well, a very durable NZ hardwood.  32mm x 16mm x 2.5m is the cut size, but i also have a heap of 8mm x 32mm, free to a good home, also use of a steamer that fits if you wish”

Felisa @ Oneroa

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FELISA

Every so often you get sent a photo of a vessel & you just go ” where the hell did that come from”. Today’s launch was photographed last Sunday anchored in Oneroa, Waiheke Island by Lindsay McMorran & folks she is a complete stranger to me – any woodys able to put me curiosity to rest ?

UPDATE – that was fast it is Felisa & you can read all about her here , Harold Kidd has all the details 😉

Felisa

Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?

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Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?

Today’s woody lives in the Marlborough Sounds but could equally be a perfect North Island lake boat. She measures 24’6″ & is constructed with kauri carvel hull, with glass on ply cabin & deck.
Power comes from a 3QM Yanmar 30hp diesel & as you can see in the photos had been fitted out to a very high standard.
Asking price is $9.5k, that is not a lot of $$ for a woody that is presented in the condition this one is 😉

Its hard to read her name but Ian McDonald who tip me off on the trademe listing feels it could be either Scuffy or Scuppy – any woodys able to ID the boat & supply more details on her?

Lake Boat Truckers

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El Alamein

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Okataina
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Lake Boat Truckers

Rotorua boat builder Alan Craig sent me the above selection of photos that he ‘uplifted’ from a book owned by Tony Mitchell, its called – Urewera Trucks and Truckers, by Gavin M. Abbot. The photos showcase some of the boats that the truckers used to cart around the lakes.

Now ID’ing the first one is easy, El Alamein, because its got a name plate on her bow, how many of the others can we ID? Remember you can enlarge photos by clicking on them 😉

Unfinished Project

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Unfinished Project – Yeah right

The above 33′ launch is located in Kerikeri & the trademe listing states that the owner auto bid on two boats & won both auctions & now this ones surplus to needs 🙂
There is no reserve & the opening bid is $1 so it could be a good buy for someone looking for a project. The seller states that the previous owner could finish her, on behalf, if a buyer was interested – all very confusing. Thanks to Ian McDonald for pointing out the listing on trademe.

Anyone know more about the vessel?

Unknown Motorboat & Seaplane + Cool Event Invite

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UNKNOWN MOTORBOAT & SEAPLANE

Hello woodys, triple header today – name the motor boat, the seaplane & event / gathering, if there is one? Lots of people lining the breakwater, so possibly a VIP onboard. Photo belongs to the Tudor Collins collection at the Auckland Museum, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts (as is the M-class photo below)

CLASSIC YACHT & LAUNCH EXHIBITION INVITE

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Once again the Tino Rawa Trust is hosting the annual Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – this years exhibition celebrates the iconic Mullet Boat.
On this Saturday & Sunday 10am > 4pm – Karanga Plaza – Halsey ST, Wynyard Quarter (in front of the ‘old’ Team NZ base)

ENTRY IS FREE – Further details here http://www.tinorawatrust.co.nz

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I APOLOGIZE
If sometimes I’m a tad slow in answering your emails – that is because I average around a 100 emails a day relating to ww. BUT keep them coming, I love hearing from you all. 🙂

Harold Kidd Input

The PanAm flight was a proving flight in late December 1937. PanAm  had set up an infrastructure at Mechanics Bay for their Sikorsky flying boat SAMOA CLIPPER which Imperial Airways’ Short Empire CENTAURUS also used. Capt Edwin Musick was pilot in command of the Sikorsky. Musick Point was named after him when the SAMOA CLIPPER caught fire and crashed at Samoa while dumping fuel preparatory to landing. The Short arrived just after the Sikorsky, obviously to show that the Brits were up to it as well as the Yanks. The Short’s range made it unable to carry a viable payload across the Tasman however.
As for the runabout/launch, the only reference I can find is that PanAm had a “special launch” at Mechanics Bay. Need to dig deeper.