Tag Archives: Paul Drake

CLASSIC WOODEN BOATING LAKE LEGENDS  – Drake Brothers

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOATING LAKE LEGENDS – Drake Brothers

Todays woody story is big on the feel good scale. During the week Taupo woody Shawn Vennell sent me todays photos of the Drake brothers, in the top photo  L>R we have – Micheal – Paul and good friend Monte Jones. The Drake ‘boys’ are a walking encyclopaedia of boating on the central north island lakes and are the WW go-to for any classic wooden boating questions. I have been lucky to meet them at the annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parades and have always admired how they present their craft. Genetics is a wonderful thing, I’m told their father was also a legend on the lake. I’m too polite to ask but the combined ages of the brothers would equal an impressive number of years classic boating. 
Have to like the name for SIR FRANCIS’s tender – ‘Love Me Tender’.

The photos were taken by Wendy O’Callaghan for an upcoming show on the history of the Taupo Boat Harbour.

UPDATE FROM PAUL DRAKE – Just a correction – the chap on the right is not Nigel. This is our great friend and vintage outboard expert Monte Jones, who, by the way, built a sixteen foot Hartley cabin boat POLARIS when he was sixteen (he is now in his eighties), and which he still owns and uses.

The occasion in the photo was the trial run of Monte’s recently restored 100 year old  2 hp twin cylinder Johnson outboard. It ran perfectly and pushed SIR FRANCIS along at a couple of knots.  

Missing from the photo are brothers Nigel and Roger – Roger being our engineer, without whom none of our vintage petrol engine powered launches would be running!

Full weekend details in the downloadable PDF file below, which includes the entry (free) form for the sailing events. 

LABOUR WEEKEND SPRING SPLASH (2)Download

SILVER SPRAY – A Peek Down Below

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SILVER SPRAY – A Peek Down Below

Back in early January 2024 we ran a story on the ex workboat > 50’ motorsailer – SILVER SPRAY, at the time we only had a few photos and we were fishing for more details on her past life. Thanks primarily to Paul Drake we uncovered a lot of intel on her. Link here to that story, make sure you read the comments section  https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/01/04/the-motor-sailer-silver-spray/

The readers digest version is that she was built c.1943 by Jack Guard , Wellington, for a Wilfred McManaway and operated as a fishing boat in the Cook Strait, later sold in the 1960’s.

Sank (struck rocks) in Marlborough Sounds (date unknown but in the last 15 yrs). Salvaged and converted to pleasure use at Mana Marina.

Currently powered by a 180hp GM 6/71 Diesel engine that gives her a cruising speed of 8 knots.

In recent years SILVER SPRAY has resided in and around several Auckland marinas.

Today thanks to Ian McDonald we get to have a gander down below.

INPUT ex RON ROLSTON – My wife is the grand daughter of Wilfred McManaway the original owner. The image below was taken from a framed photo belonging to a relative.

Sir Francis & A Cool Family Idea

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SIR FRANCIS 

During the week Paul Drake commented that every year he produces a family calendar for circulation amongst my family – brothers, children, nieces and nephews. What a cool idea 🙂

All family birthdays are included. Every year the birthday list grows longer.  Paul said it takes a bit of work, but it serves to keep family connected, and it pleases him to know that the calendar hangs on walls in England, Austria, and Australia, as well as in New Zealand. 

Every year I choose a photo of one of the familiesboats, for the calendar, this year it features SIR FRANCIS, a photo from the 1980’s, homeward bound on Lake Taupo. Paul brother Michael is on the helm, and out of sight in the cockpit is their mother. Looking at the phot you would think that SIR FrANCIS had just rounded one of the headlands on the east coast of the North Island, a great reminder that Lake Taupo can get little gnarly.

SIR FRANCIS has made several appearances on WW before and is of course is a 1916 Collings and Bell built launch. 

Paul remembers that as children, the brothers all thought that any vessel which was not Collings and Bell was rubbish! These days they are not so blinkered 🙂

I’m back on dry land now after 9 days mooching around the gulf – lots of woodys out and about – big story on Monday. Talking of big – the beast below was anchored in Bon Accord, Kawau Island on New Years Eve – the tender was approx. 48’