The owner of Pirate, Bryce Armstrong, sent in the above photo of the 32’ Bob Swanson built launch. She was launched in 1977 and was the last launch Swanson built. The original owner in Picton finished the topsides
WOODY MOOCHING AROUND MANA MARINA
Dean Wright was recently reviewing his extensive photo library (he is a professional photographer) and found a file labelled ‘Mana Marina’ and sent it off to me asking if he had already sent it to me 🙂 my answer was no, so today we get to enjoy Deanand his camera mooching around Mana marina, Porirua, Wellington.
Classic Woodys at Sandspit Marina
A couple of weeks ago I was up Sandspit way & spent an hour or so mooching around the new (ish) marina. Very impressive set up & with the yacht club’s haul-out facilities its a prefect spot to keep a woody. The real win win factor is the proximity of the ‘Greg Lees Boatbuilder’ yard, in recent years Greg & his talented team have rubbed the magic wand over some of our finest classic woodys. Just type Greg Lees in the WW search box to see the level of workmanship & perfection.
I have included a few photos of the motor camp where I stayed with my ex woodys boater – Chris Miller in this stunning motor home.
A real bonus was the amazing meal & service we had at the Sandspit Yacht Club on Saturday night – I was expecting burgers & fries but no – everything – décor, service & the food was superb – check it out if you are up that way. The scallop entree was as good as anything you would get in Auckland City. Photos below.
Update: I have been sent by Dean Wright the photo below of the dinghy ‘Tiki’ in happier times 🙂
Under construction c.1903 at Little Barrier Island
Port Fitzroy GBI – May 1903
Big cave – NE Coast – April 1904
Ilex & Pirate at anchor – Port Fitzroy GBI – May 1903
June 27 1907
Final resting place
PIRATE – Sailing Sunday
Pirate was built by Robert H. Shakespear in a shed alongside his house on Little Barrier Island c1903.
Shakespear was a talented boat builder & worked for the Logan Bros and was involved in Ilex (seen in the above photos) and built Frances at Logans’ yard as a close twin to Victory.
He also had the Logan built clinker keeler Pandora to service his little farm on Little Barrier where he was custodian for a while.
Sadly, Little Barrier was not a friendly home to Pirate & she was ‘wrecked’ twice, the first time during a hard SW gale in June 1907, she was repaired but the second in July 1908 was fatal & she was winched ashore & put to rest under the tress on the Island.
(Photo credits & details – J Russell via the Hocken Collection, University of Otago, Nathan Herbert & Harold Kidd)
The 1895 C&W Bailey Yacht IDA For Sale
Ida resides in Australia these days & her owners have advised that they are interested to hear from anyone that would consider purchasing her (& hopefully repatriating her home).
Harold Kidd has commented on WW that IDA was built by C. & W. Bailey for the Jagger brothers and Frater and launched on 21 December 1895. She was a contemporary and competitor to the other 5 rater of that season, the Logan Bros’ MOANA. You can also view/read an excellent article on Ida by Harold in the November issue of Boating NZ (pages 148>151), on sale now.
Interested parties can contact Catherine Shirley cathshirley@gmail.com
You can read more about Ida here.
https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/05/15/ida-sailing-sunday-more/
UPDATE: Photos below ex Harold Kidd of IDA hauled out at Noakes yard in Sydney last week.
Trinidad
Beats A Day At The Office
There is a saying I like – “Some days you are the dog & some days you are the tree” – all week Friday was shaping into a tree day, so when David Cook called & asked for a hand taking Trinidad to the Greg Lees Boatbuilders, Sandspit yard – the answer was yeap I’m in 🙂
90% of the day = the 1st day of summer, the other 10% was wet, but that is greater Auckland for you.
Trinny, below, was being hauled out for some TLC before her upcoming circumnavigation of NZ (again).
Spotted a few classics at the new marina – scroll over photos to see names, most have appeared on WW before so a quick look in the WW search box will show / tell you more.
Nereides
The Sandspit Yacht Club is looking very smart these days
Pirate – designed by Leon Warne 1936
22/01/15 – photos below ex Ken Ricketts
Easter 2016 Photos ex Don MacLeod
On Good Friday we passed a 1939 classic between Little Barrier and Great Barrier.
The launch PIRATE was romping along enjoying the excellent sea conditions.
