CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CLEVEDON SPRING CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS

Very Early Start Up The River
Follow The Leader
Raffle Prizes

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CLEVEDON SPRING CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS

A tad weary writing this story so it will be short and I’ll let the photos tell the story.The weekend just gone saw a fleet of classic wooden craft making the pilgrimage to the CLEVEDON CRUISING CLUB for the annual woodys overnight BBQ.

As always the tide wags the dogs tail so we were looking at a very early trip up the Wairoa River, by early try 6.15am. The smart woody skippers travelled down Friday afternoon and anchored overnight at the river mouth. A great sunset delivered some nice photos.

I took photos of the classic woodys moored on route, it is always interesting to view the deterioration of some craft and the new arrivals. Will do a story on the river trip tomorrow.

Most of Saturday was spent boat hoping and catching up on dockside gossip. Rest assured if you weren’t there you were talked about.Captain Giddens hosted late afternoon drinks on ALLERGY and then we moved onto the clubrooms for the evening.

If you haven’t been to a Woody gig at the CCC its an all-embracing old school night shindig – bbq’s, outdoor fires, karaoke with a professional singer that could make even the worst shower singer sound ok. There are raffles, which I have to report the woodys skippers did very well at – Captain Giddens collecting 4 prizes.
Everything is BYO but the club very generously provide additional food and an impressive dessert table.

Departure home on Sunday was almost as early as Saturday and the forecast wasn’t flash eh N>30 knots. I can’t speak for the others but it wasn’t the very pleasant and if it wasn’t bolted down it ended up on the cabin floor 😦

A big shout out to the classic yachts that joined the flotilla this year, with access to the local knowledge of Barry Abel, the deeper draft yachts had an uneventful  passage on the river . Special thanks to all the woodys that attended by car, your company added to the evening.

Enjoy the photos and start thinking about the Spring Splash At Kawau Island on Labour Weekend.

CLASSIC LAUNCH PHANTOM – Name change or just been hiding up a creek

CLASSIC LAUNCH PHANTOM – Name change or just been hiding up a creek

Recently woody John Dawson sent in the photos above of a launch named – Phantom that he found on fb. A quick search of the WW archives came up with a big fat O, so maybe there has been a name change at some stage.

John is a man of few words, normally just emails in photos, so we will have to assume from the photos that she has had a recent paint job.

Any woodys able to ID the boat and tell us about her past and confirm the name.

I CAN CONFIRM THAT COPIES OF THE 2025 MAHURANGI CRUISING CLUB YEARBOOK ARE NOW IN STORE – well done Steve Horsley – best issue that I have seen – $20 well spent.

Available At These Outlets

The first woody that emails me the name of the boat on page 46, gets a WW burgee watematawoodys@gmail.com

Phantom

Screen Shot 2019-05-10 at 11.22.33 AM

Screen Shot 2019-05-10 at 11.24.54 AM

Screen Shot 2019-05-10 at 11.20.25 AM

PHANTOM

Ok, Phantom isn’t a Kiwi woody, in fact lives in Newport Beach, California , but she sure is a looker. And she is / was for sale, and I know I leave myself open to criticism, but I don’t care 🙂 she has to be bargain at around NZD $190k it would be a great buy.
Phantom is no old woody that has been allowed to deteriorate at its marina – she is in magnificent shape and is powered by twin 2006 Yanmar 240hp diesels that have only done 430 hrs. She cruises at 14 knots, with a max of 21.
Built in 1936 by Astoria Marine and measures LOA = 52’. Beam = 12’. Draft = 3’8″
She is a well maintained e.g. new fuel tanks 2011, new inverter & batteries in 2017, new covers 2017, new heating system 2017.
So Woodys – have a look a Phantom, getting her to NZ might rule buying her out, but she is a wonderful example of a 1930’s classic wooden motorboat. (Thanks to Andrew Christie for the heads up the listing.

More input below (click link) from Andrew Christie on her history and WW2 war service + photos

IMG_5621
IMG_5622
Screen Shot 2019-05-11 at 9.57.11 AM

Phantom 4Sale

Screen Shot 2018-03-02 at 3.23.24 pm

Screen Shot 2018-03-02 at 3.21.54 pm

PHANTOM 4Sale

The 1925, 16’ day launch “Phantom” has a carvel planked kauri hull, and cabin. An electric start Yanmar YSB 8hp marine diesel engine with reduction gearbox, driving a small (10×7) 3 blade prop through original 1955 “Stuart Turner” stern gear. All this sees her get along at a comfortable 5 knots. I have photographed her numerous times at the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, she is a very pretty craft & with a little TLC she will be back to her best (the photos are 12mths old & she needs a paint). Currently located in the Tokoroa / Putaruru area.

The added bonus of being on a trailer makes the Phantom a very usable classic woody. 4 sale on trademe.

Does anyone know more about where & what the Phantom has been up to for the last 93 years??

Input from Mick Jones 

“I purchased “Phantom” from the late John Goudie of Otautu Bay in 2007. He found “Phantom” wrecked in Tukituki Bay before the Second World War, and it considered an “old hull” at that time. The purchase included a “Stuart Turner” 4HP engine and sterngear which dates it back to the mid 50s when the engine was originally purchased. I suspect the cuddy cabin and engine were fitted then Phantom” was the family settlers launch operating out of Colville Bay in the Coromandel for many years. She was taken out of the water before 1985, and stored in a series of sheds as a bare hull. I had her trucked to Tokoroa, sat her upside down on three 60l oil drums, and proceeded to recaulk and pay the seams, fit a second hand diesel, strip back the kauri cabin and finish bright- as it should. The transom hung rudder was replaced with modern thru hull steering gear and tranverse seating fitted. Phantom has been negotiating the waikato hydro lakes over the past 7 seasons , and an annual trip to Rotoiti for the Classic Boat Parade.”