Tag Archives: Pond Yacht

PAM – OPUA CLASSIC YACHT – What Do We Know About Her

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PAM – OPUA CLASSIC YACHT – What Do We Know About Her

Trolling thru the WW files on Friday and found the above photos of a classic yacht named PAM that had ‘fallen between the cracks’.

The photo was sent to me back in November 2024 by Dean Wright with the commented ‘ spotted today on the hard at Opua’

And that woodys is all we know about PAM, other than she is quite a stunner.

Anyone able to shed some light on PAM.

04-08-2025 INPUT EX DEAN WRIGHT

From the owner, John Oates of Russell: Stuart Knockabout, imported from the US. Fibreglass version of L. Francis Herreshoff’s 1932 Design. 28′ x 6’11”

https://www.stuartknockaboutllc.com

MYSTERY POND YACHT

WW has been contacted by Matt Blaikie concerning a classic pond yacht named – TANIWHA. Matt is selling for a friend and he commented that it was purchased approx. 30 years ago from an antiques dealer in Wellington, and other than that he knows zero about the model. (1.8m tall and 1.5m approx long)

Any of the woodys interested in pond yachts able to tell us anything from the photos (apologise for the quality)

WOODEN LAUNCH – RANGATIRA + I BOUGHT A YACHT

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WOODEN LAUNCH – RANGATIRA + I BOUGHT A YACHT

The wooden launch RANGATIRA recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) and reading the listing it sounds like an abandoned vessel forced sale.

34’, kauri hull, Perkins 6 cyl. engine (not working) – that is about all we know other than a $1 reserve. 

Possibly beyond a restoration but surely someone needs some kauri for a project……

I BOUGHT A YACHT

Well a small one, very small eg vintage pond yacht. Another one for the collection. Very good condition.

On the centre cockpit there is a cover (to keep water out – this one actually sails) on the top are the letters ‘RMYC 1923” and two burgees / pennants – refer photo below. My initial thought was ‘Royal Melbourne Yacht Club’ but can’t find any reference to that other than a Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron and they have no reference on their website to those two ‘flags’. Anyone ablate help ID the graphics / yacht.

NEIL COLEMAN’S CLASSIC POND YACHT 

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NEIL COLEMAN’S CLASSIC POND YACHT 

Inspired by the recent WW story on the 100 years old pond yacht – MARANUI, Neil Coleman made contact with WW in regard to the yacht his father, Bill Coleman, owned and sailed.

Neil commented that he understands the model was built by his father’s uncle – George Dacre, ,who was a boatbuilder for Baileys Yacht Builders in Devonport / Northcote, possibly around the 1930s. . 
The original sails were long lost, but Neil has restored the model to what he thinks it may have originally looked like . 
The sail reg # B57  is in homage to Neil’s  Dad i.e.  B for Bill Coleman, and 57 was the reg # of Bill’s first yacht – a Zeddie called WILD ROSE.     

Neil spent many hours sanding and painting this exquisite hull, and decks along with the pen lined boards .The rig is based on an existing Auckland B class keeler called NGATIRA B2 (owned by Steve Horsley and recently relaunched after a 5 year rebuild – refer below photo ex Rogers Miles fb)

NGATIRA B2

MARANUI – CLASSIC 100 YEAR OLD POND YACHT

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MARANUI – CLASSIC 100 YEAR OLD POND YACHT

Its no secret that I have a soft spot for classic pond yachts (a couple below) so when Chris Brummel contacted me regarding the pond yacht – MARANUI he had a captive audience.

MARANUI was built by Chris’s late father, Roy  when he was a boy, In the late 1920’s early 1930’s.Roy lived on Shelley Beach Rd, Herne Bay, Auckland and would walk down to Shelly beach  to sail MARANUI. This was in the days before Westhaven Marina was built.
MARANUI is made from horizontal layers of kauri, carved out, rib and then riveted. She is gaff rigged with a topsail, Chris still have the original linen sails, that his grandmother mother made for the boat.

She was open decked and still has the carry handle inside screwed to the lead keel.
The last two photos are of the inside looking forward and aft. Chris commented that he started restoring her when he started his boatbuilding apprenticeship in the 1970,s, but only built in her current configuration is Chris’s interpretation back then of what she might look like. Now semi retired, Chris would like to put her back to what she should look like.

So woodys the question of the day is  – would anyone be able to help Chris discover the origins of MARANUI. 

The obvious questions are • was she built from an existing design of the time or not •  does anyone have any info that might help in restoring her correctly.

From my experience the more original , unrestored a model is the greater the monitory value – but with MARANUI its all about the family connection. 

A Spirit of Tradition Woody

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A Spirit of Tradition Woody

The above launch was built in 1983 but looks 50 years older, so she makes the cut on WW. Her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald) describes her as a 37’ Jorgenson Quicksley launch, with a beam of 10’7” & draft of 4’3’.

Hull construction is 1 3/8” kauri plank and the zoom zoom comes from a 100hp GM Detroit diesel.

Home port is Nelson so she comes with all the fruit, including the mandatory diesel heater 😉 Anyone able to put a name to the launch?

Input from John Wicks – Cna’t for the life of me remember her name, but Jorgensens built her for one Cdr. “Sankey” Critchley who lived just outside Blenheim and had a bach at a bay known as Longbeach in the Grove Arm of Queen Charlotte Sound.
Cdr Critchley had previously owned the Albert Strange yawl “Sheila II” which he bought from Adrian Hayter after the latter had sailed her out from the UK.

Anyone Looking For A  Winter Project?

I have been contacted by Mike Renner who inherited a pond yacht (photos below) from his father, who died over 50 years ago.  It’s 1.2 metres long & Mike suspect it belonged to his grandfather.  It’s been hanging in the garage for years and it needs a new home.

 Mike’s grandfather and father were very keen boaties.  His grandfather owned several yachts, including ‘Rogue’, and at one stage owned 32 parts in ‘Waitangi’.  He migrated to launches in later years, including Zane Grey’s ‘Otehei’.
Mike commented that the hull looks is good order & there is a mast included.
So Woodys – it would be a shame for it not to have another life somewhere? Mike can be contacted at  mike@merel.co.nz
 
Ps – looking at the photos I was relieved to see a good stack of firewood in the background 😉
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20-07-2018 Update – I understand the model has found a new home with Greg Lees at his boatyard – I look forward to seeing it finished 🙂