Tag Archives: Mystery Launch

Mystery Launches – Onerahi, Whangarei

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Mystery Launches – Onerahi, Whangarei
photo ex Nathan Herbert, most likely ex National Library

Time for a ‘who can put a date on the above photo & ID some of the launches in the bay. You will need to enlarge the photo.
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WW – Tip of the Day – Now I assume that ww readers know how to ‘blow-up a photo ? If not see below.
1. Click on the image
2. Scroll down on the black panel that appears & click on the tab that says ‘View Full Size’ (on the right side of the panel).

3. You can focus in on a selected area by scrolling the magnifying glass icon across the area & clicking, note only allows one ‘enlargement. If you click again it returns to the original (enlarged) image.
4. To exit the photo, click on the ‘X’ in the top left hand corner.
This works most of the times, unless the photo was a very small image to start with.

NOTE: Do not write in the ‘Write A Comment’ panel as copy here just gets tagged to the photo & does not appear on the main ww comments section e.g. unless people click on the photo, your comment is not visible (seen).

Iawai (Tidesong)

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Iawai (Tidesong)

The above photos were sent to me by Andrew Pollard, owner of the 1913 Tom Le Huquet launch Aumoe.
Andrew received them from the grandson of Aumoe’s original owner, Mike Brookfield.

Can anyone ID the launch? (done)

Harold Kidd (+ Baden Pascoe) Update

She’s the 55 footer IAWAI, built for Judge H.G. Seth-Smith of Russell by James Reid’s brother David Reid at Customs St W in late 1911. She had a 40hp (rated) heavy duty 4 cylinder Buffalo engine. She was the largest pleasure launch in Auckland at the time. Seth-Smith donated her to the Government in 1915 for war work. The Government sold her to R.B.S. Hogwood in 1922 and then she went to Auckland metal and carrying contractor A.W. Bryant and used for commercial work, heavily modified from this configuration, but looking very smart. I’ll post a pic later. Baden and I struggled over this pic for some time until Baden hit the spot.
In 1933 she was renamed TIDESONG and run by C.D. Cooper until 1938 when F.D. Cadman bought her and had her renovated by Joe Wheeler at Bayswater. She was taken over by the RNZAF as W95 by 1942 for towing at Hobsonville. She also possibly went to the flying boat base at Lauthala Bay. There is some confusion in the RNZAF records on this (and her correct W number).
Post war she was used as a hire launch at Gisborne and Tauranga. She finished up being a total loss when she sank at anchor in Shipwreck Bay, Northland on 23rd June 1972 when owned by Roy Callister of Browns Bay.

Photos ex Harold Kidd

23/02/2015 – A message from Shelley Arlidge , the Curator at the Russell Museum

Hi Alan,
I was able to narrow down the date of that photo of Iawai to about a five year window. Your commentators say that she was built in 1911. There was a Russell Regatta in 1912 after a gap of some years and then every year after that until the 1950s. There is a building in the background of your photo of Russell’s first town hall. It collapsed in a storm in 1916 and a new one wasn’t built until 1922. So this photo must have been taken in the years 1912 to 1916.

Mystery Launch – 06/12/2014

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Mystery Launch – 06/12/2014

This one should not be too hard to ID, I snapped the photo early on the Sunday morning of Labour Weekend at Onetangi. Given how close in they were, these guys must have been very optimistic about catching a fish for breakfast 🙂

Off to Patio Bay, Waiheke Island, this morning for the annual CYA Race Weekend / Xmas Party. Always a hoot & a great collection of beautiful old wood, so the camera will be working overtime.

Mystery Launch 18-11-14

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Mystery Launch 18-11-14

Now this ones a big ask – all I know is the current owner of the photo, Harold Kidd, bought the photo (a bit blurry) at an antique fair.
Come on classic woody spotters – who can ID her ? the very flat face of the cabin front, must help.

Mystery Launch 16/10 – Doris

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Mystery Launch 16/10

photo ex Heather Reeve ex trademe
The description on this post card says “Oldest wooden & stone buildings in NZ. KeriKeri Bay of Islands.”
Who can ID the launch?

Both Baden Pascoe & Harold Kidd have ID’ed her as the Fullers launch ‘Doris’

Mystery Launch 19/09/2014

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Mystery Launch 19/09/2014

photo ex Dave Jackson via Adrienne

All I can tell you about the above launch / motor-sailer is that she is a Brin Wilson sedan. Now there can’t have been many sedans around with a stick, so lets see what we can uncover.

Mystery Launch 10/09/2014

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Mystery Launch 10/09/2014

photo ex Ken Ricketts

Anyone able to ID or attempt to ID this rather cute small motorboat. The photo was sent to me by Ken Ricketts so I suspect he knows more than he is letting on 🙂 but what say you on the origins of this one? Its a big ask as these motorboats were the ‘taxis’ of the inner gulf & a lot were built.

Mystery Launch 24/06

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Mystery Launch 24/06

Mystery Launch 24/06

The above photo, according to its tag on Pictures-past was taken in 1946 & the launch is nudged into the causeway between Rangitoto Island & Motutapu Island.

Its a big ask but is anyone prepared to have a go at ID’ing her?. The square windows may help.

Mystery Launch 30/01/2014 + 200,000 Views

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Mystery Launch 30/01/2014 + 200,000 Views

Mystery Launch 30/01/2014

photo ex Simon Smith

The caption on this brilliant photo says ‘Mansion House Bay, Kawau, Christmas Day 1934. Looking to ID the launch & if possible the people in the tender, have to love the bloke relaxing with the pipe while his partner rows the four of them ashore – those were the days 🙂

I sent way to long last night trying to ID her – every time I thought I was close , the 10/11 windows on the tram top threw me.

More than likely this is the same boat??

UNKNOWN c 1940sUNKNOWN c 1948

WE HIT THE 200,000 VIEWS MARK THE OTHER DAY & IN THE LAST 3 DAYS PEOPLE HAVE VIEWED THE SITE OVER 5,500 TIMES. AMAZING NUMBERS & IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THERE IS A SERIOUS AUDIENCE INTERESTED IN CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS.

Its been a little frantic at times but given the number of you checking in each day you are obviously enjoying it, so thanks for the support. The back library of really cool material stored in ww is amazing, read below how you can access it.

ARE YOU GETTING THE MOST OUT OF waitematawoodys.com ?
There are many ways to enhance your ww experience, the three easiest ones are :-

(1) by using the categories & tag sections on the right hand side of the page, here by clicking on a (blue) word/s you will see a summary of articles linked to that word e.g. individual designers, build / launching year, CYA vessels, boat names or locations etc.

(2) by typing a key word/s in the search box, then click your computers enter key & all related posts will appear. Scroll down to view & click on each post to view it.

(3) to get the most out of the ww you really need to be a ‘follower’, to become a follower all you have to do is click on the ‘Follow’ tab that appears at the bottom of you computer screen on the right when you have the waitematawoodys page open. You then enter your email address in the box that appears & now you will be able to:
(a) receive an email advising you when new articles have been posted. Means you no longer have to check in all the time.
(b) allows you to make comments on articles that have been posted.

REMEMBER – If you have any classic boating related photos & tales you want to share & more importantly record / store for feature generations to view – email them to me at

waitematawoodys@gmail.com