Tag Archives: Oliver & Gilpin

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CAROUSEL – Launch Day & Present Day

Posted on by
6

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CAROUSEL – Launch Day & Present Day

Bay of Islands based woody and professional photographer Dean Wright and his partner Deb have just returned from a couple of weeks afloat in Fiordland, thats another story.

Today we see the 1967 Oliver and Gilpin launch – CAROUSEL, on her mooring in Te Anau. Dean also sent in the b/w photo from her launch day (Nov 1967) on the Wairoa River. Which solved a mystery for me, I had the same photo but no reference to the boat name.Links to previous WW stories below.

CAROUSEL resides these days on Lake Te Anau and operates as a charter boat. 

JUNE 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/06/25/carousel/
AUG 2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/09/carousel-2/

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

LAURA MAY > LAURA VEE

Posted on by
Reply

LAURA MAY > LAURA VEE

Todays classic wooden launch is the c.1965/6 Oliver & Gilpin built 48’ launch – LADY VEE , named LADY MAY when launched. 

The top b/w photo is from the Tauranga City Library collection and was taken not long after launching.

In the 2nd photo ex Jason Prew (date unknown) we see her in Chamberlains Bay, bottom end of Waiheke area.

The 3rd photo was taken in Jan 2019 by Peter Loughlin and the location is Great Barrier Island. Peter at the time commented that he had been aboard and she was post a recent refi and looking very smart.

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Waimarie

Posted on by
5

WAIMARIE

The two b/w photos above show the 32′ Oliver & Gilpin built launch – Waimarie being launched c.Sept 1964. She was built for a RG Falconer.

The b/w photos came to WW from Dean Wright via the Tauranga Library collection. 

Ana Maree

Posted on by
1

Ana Maree

The 32’ launch Ana Maree has appeared on WW several times (links below). Thanks to Harold Kidd back in November 2013 we established her start in life and some of her history – all in the links.

Built in 1965 by Oliver & Gilpin for Sir William Stevenson, over the years she has under gone several visits to the orthopaedic surgeons – we last saw her in Jan 2020 when she was part way thru a refit at Pine Harbour. At the time she lost her flying bridge so I was very happy. I understand there is still a few items to tick of the list but all of the major work is completed.

Forward motion is from a 120hp Lees Ford engine

Thanks to her tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a gander down below.

Nov 2013 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/11/19/ana-maree/

Jan 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/01/23/ana-maree-2/

SAPPHIRE + LADY LYNN

Posted on by
2

SAPPHIRE + LADY LYNN

Todays very impressive photo comes from the Tauranga Museum archives via Dean Wright and show the launching of the launch – Sapphire, also centre stage is Lady Lynn. Photo dated Dec 1969

Lady Lynn – 48’ built by Oliver & Gilpin – later named changed to Lady Sophia and currently Tide Song. Read and view more about her here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/09/06/lady-lynn-lady-sophia-tide-song/

Sapphire – Don’t know anything about Sapphire but In May 2016 Dean Wright snapped the 1st photo below of Sapphire in a berth at Whangaroa Marina. And again in Jan 2017 she popped up again in a gallery of photos that Dean  sent in from the Far North, 2nd photo below.

Kurangi

Posted on by
2

KURANGI

In todays story we feature the 1960, 35’ Oliver and Gilpin built launch – Kurangi.

WW does not know a lot about her other than she is powered by a 100hp Ford diesel. When she was advertised late last year for sale on tme, her then owner had had Kurangi for 15 years. Thanks Ian McDonald for the listing heads up

So woodys – did she sell ? And can we learn what she has been up to for the last 60 years.

Mystery Opua Big Game Launch – Its Noelani

Posted on by
11

MYSTERY OPUA BIG GAME LAUNCH – Noelani

The above photo recently popped up on Maurice Sharp’s fb and generated some speculation as to the identity of the launch. The photo is dated 1976.

Several suggested Lady Doreen but the LD that I’m aware of didn’t have any forward portholes and the ones on this boat are very distinctive being a combination of oblong and circular. 

Brian Worthington suggested Noelani (Oliver & Gilpin) but nothing like the 2015 photo of Noelani that has appeared before on WW (refer below) unless there has been some major work done to her or maybe there were more than one sharing the name?

Can anyone correctly ID the launch?

UPDATE – Quite a bit of chat in the comments section, it would appear that the launch above is the Oliver & Gilpin designed and built – Noelani (not the one below). Thanks to Greg Philpott for sending in this link that tells the back story of the Oliver & Gilpin boat building dynasty https://sunlive.co.nz/news/10869-days-when-boats-were-wood.html

(The launch above was launched as Lady Rosaland designed by Owen Woolley and built by Oliver and Gilpin – input ex Brian Worthington)

Carousel

Posted on by
1

CAROUSEL
Back in June 2020 we ran a brief story on the Lake Te Anau based launch – Carousel. At the time Peter Kicker advised that she was in charter and running cruises on the lake with “Cruise Te Anau’ (photo below on the lake) We learnt that she is a Oliver and Gilpin design, approx. 44’ in length. Being O&G she was built in Tauranga for a gent named Sid Gamman and was based in Tauranga before heading south.

Todays photos come to us from David Glen and show Carousel hauled out for some TLC, given her location and role, I can almost over-look the ‘block-of-flats’ 🙂

Nereides II

Posted on by
4

NEREIDES II

Nereides II would have to one of the biggest woodys built in NZ in terms pf length and volume – the Oliver and Gilpin built launch was launched in 1974 and is 66’ in length, with a 15’ beam. Tripe skinned diagonally laid kauri with some of that ‘fg’ stuff on top.

A one owner boat she has sent most of her life cruising the Kings and outer islands on fishing and dive trips, hence the fuel tanks – 5,455L. Powered by twin GM Detroit 671s rated at 275hp a side.

Being ex survey, and reviewing the tme photos (thanks Ian McDonald) Nereides II is very well spec’ed.