Tag Archives: Raindance

Nevada

Posted on by
1

Screen Shot 2018-10-22 at 9.15.36 PM

Screen Shot 2018-10-22 at 9.17.38 PM

NEVADA

Nevada was built in 1942, measures 32’ & is built with split strip kauri planking. Her first role was as a cargo boat for Tauranga Ports, later on she was converted for commercial long line fishing, before being retired for pleasure fishing.
Her zoom zoom is a 135hp Ford Lees diesel.
Home these days is Helensville on the Kaipara & her owner according to the trademe listing (thnx Ian McDonald) was also born in 1942 & the up keep on Nevada is just too much, thence the sale.
Her interior is crying out for some love – for the right price this has the bones of a goof project.
Had a stunning Labour weekend cruise around Waiheke Island, very few woodys out & about, I suspect with the greta forecast, a lot would have headed further north e.g. Kawau Island.
Had the misfortune to get rammed by a rather large vessel that drifted anchor in Man O War Bay on Saturday afternoon – observers say he had very little chain out. A few bumps & scratches, he did come over later on & supplied contact details. Not major damage, just a pain-in-the-ass to have to fix.
Unbelievably I did not take the camera out of its bag the whole weekend. Enjoyed some great hospitality, afloat & ashore. Sunday nights dinners (at the family of good boating friends waterfront island house, was to die for – multiple bbq’s + a smoker = slow cooked beef, chicken & smoked beef spare-rib brisket. Carnivore heaven 🙂
IMG_0012
IMG_0013
IMG_0023
IMG_0020

The Gables Hotel, Russell, Bay of Islands + Mystery Launch

Posted on by
8

The Gables Russell, BOI

The Gables Hotel, Russell, Bay of Islands + Mystery Launch

Today’s photo of the Russell foreshore,  comes to us from Lawry Williams via the ‘Old North Auckland / Northland fb page.
Anyone able to ID the launch on the beach? The canoe stern should help.
Recently I hosted one of the worlds foremost boating photographers onboard Raindance. We were out shadowing the CYA classic yacht race fleet. At some stage I’m sure Ben’s photos will appear somewhere very public. He was very taken with Waitangi, the most photographed yacht on the day. Ben snapped a photo of Raindance – see below, probably the only photo I won’t remove the photographers tattoo from 🙂
Alan Houghton at Helm of RAINDANCE
Also out on the day was the RNZYS photo boat, who kindly shared with me some photos they took, the one below I like a lot (enhanced a little by mate Chris Miller, the light was poor)
Raindance 1-RNZYS- CM

Devonport Yacht Club – Haul Out

Posted on by
8

DYC 2

Devonport Yacht Club – Haul Out

I stumbled across the above photo of the Devonport Yacht Club in days gone-by, I’m sure woody Chris Leech will be able to give as an approx. date.
Interesting that there is a greater % of launches versus yachts hauled out – I wonder how many we can ID?
The clubrooms look a lot different these days but the yard is still operational & long may it stay that way 🙂
They do not pack them in like this anymore – much more civilised. Photo below of my Raindance hauled out 6 years ago on the DYC slip.
Raindance @ DYC Sept 2012
True to form – Chris Leech has sent me the below photos. The one of the “Clubhouse” on the end of the floating crane, is dated 1927. The other ones are dated roughly, and some more recent (1999), showing the orange launch “Tapui” (centre front) launched in 1975. The date of the colour photo is being investigated.
FloatingCrane DYC Large Copy

1929

Haulout 1939

1939

Winter1999

Winter 1999

Foster09
Hauloutabove

RainDance Back In The Water

Posted on by
13

Version 2

RainDance Back In The Water

I have had RD hauled out at Geoff Bagnall’s Milford yard for some winter maintenance & TCL. I always rock up with a list, the content of which makes Geoff chuckle & say “are you serious?”.
This year there were a few jobs that to most people would seem frivolous e.g. can you reduce the height of the bow rail. It was completely out of proportion for the size of RD.

I come back the next day & Geoff has done a template of the height (less than I wanted) & new shape – as always he was spot on & the finished job, to me, is perfect (not to Jason Prew – who has been telling me for years to remove it).

Thats the thing with Geoff Bagnall, he has a great eye for what is appropriate & more importantly what looks right.
It will be a sad day when he closes the shed doors for the last time & heads North. The wooden boating scene will be the poorer, great wooden boat craftsman & railway haul outs are few & far between these days. So woodys – while he is still around – use him 09 486 1445
Lots of other stuff on the list, including re-caulking an area of the garboard seam to fix a persistent wee leak, but the #1 – happy wife = happy life project was a completely new toilet set up. These days the size of a 12v electric head has reduced greatly, so we ripped the (not that old) unit out along with way too much piping / fittings & installed a new electric number + a monster electric pump to empty the holding tank (used to be a manual pump).
Still needs some shiny paint in / around the new head area, but very happy, there will have to be a ribbon cutting ceremony 🙂
Slashed some paint & Uroxsys on & in my eyes – she’s looking very smart. Still got a long To-Do list but thats 1/2 the fun of owning a woody, if you don’t like the process, buy a plastic boat 😉
RD Aug2018
RD was in good company at Milford, Nathan Herbert’s new woody – Pacific, is getting some major love & Jason Prew’s – My Girl, is very close to splashing, even sitting on the trailer, she looks very quick.
Screen Shot 2018-08-15 at 6.34.32 PM
IMG_0052
18-08-2018 Update

As requested by Jason Prew – photos below of my latest piece of bling – a Cattroll Collapsible Pennant Mast, made 25+ years ago by an Auckland company named R. Geo Cattroll. They were based a 1114 New North Rd, Auckland. The box it came in stated “Can be fitted to cabin top or deck mounting. Precision engineered from solid brass, chrome plated. Unique locking devise. Height of mast 889mm

I found it for sale on trademe, bid & won the auction – now he’s the twist. The seller was woody Nick Voerman, who owns the classic launch – Maria (ww link below). Nick bought a ‘job lot’ of old marine accessories / fittings for someone contacted to the long closed Cottroll business.
Fast forward several months & I was having 2nd thoughts fitting it to Raindance when snap – I spy the exact same fitting gracing the foredeck of Jason Prew’s launch – My Girl. Chatting to Jason, seems several CYA launch owners have acquired one from Nick. In fact the trademe listing is still live so he must still have a few. Be quick 😉
Excuse the square-drive screw, I’m doing my best to convert Geoff B 🙂 they will be replace .
MARIA
IMG_0093
IMG_0094

You will note in the above photos the deck was a little worn so as part of the 90th birthday treat, the decks, toe-rails, tram-top & dog-house got a lick of paint.

IMG_0143

IMG_0148

Wild Duck

Posted on by
2

Unknown

WILD DUCK

The top photo shows the 1932 JB Jukes built motor boat Wild Duck back in c.1937/38 in Wellington in one of her previous lives as a flying boat tender, during what looks like a refueling exercise. ) photo ex Richard Easton’s FB page) You can read & see more on her at the link below.

These days the Wild Duck is the mother ship to the Tino Rawa Trust classic yacht fleet.

The photos below were taken by Dean Wright & show her at anchor in the Bay of Islands.

The duck is a rather wide bottomed girl – I have included a photo of her alongside Raindance for comparison.

Screen Shot 2018-06-07 at 9.47.55 am

Screen Shot 2018-06-07 at 9.48.02 am

Screen Shot 2018-06-07 at 9.46.34 am

Easter Woody Cruise – 36 photos

Posted on by
Reply

P1020527

Easter Woody Cruise – 36 photos

Wow – I can not remember when we last had 4 days back-to-back of stunning Easter weather. Not sure about the rest of the country but the Hauraki Gulf was near perfect. Each day the cloud / haze disappeared mid morning & the from then on it was 10/10, even the stick & rag boys would have been happy – enough breeze to push them along.

Above is a collection of random photos from over the weekend – on a personal front I had two highs – 

1. Anchored briefly in Oneroa on Friday & bloke came over in his dinghy & said (to me the magical words) “I used to own your boat years ago”. Turns out he bought her off Blair Cole (boatbuilder), who rebuilt her after she sank (late 1980’s). She was keep in the upper Harbour near Riverhead & he confirmed that her original name was Lady Gay.  Lots of chat & I was rapped to hear about a period of her life I was unaware off . I even forgave him for now owning a Riviera  😉

2. Second highlight was at last visiting Garden Cove, Waiheke Island. Every time I have attempted to enter the very small cove, it has been packed with plastic fizz boats. On Sunday morning the gods smiled on Raindance & we spent the day in this very special spot catching up with Sue & Mark Edmonds on Monterey. Even overnighted there. The entrance is very narrow & we witnessed a few fizzies enter via the wider side – luck must have been with them , as the dodged the bricks (the red arrow on the last photo shows the narrow entry point)

Garden Cove photos below, as always click to enlarge 😉

P1020581

photo – Mark Edmonds

Screen Shot 2018-04-02 at 9.33.51 pm

Classic Woody  Riverhead Hotel Cruise

Posted on by
5
P1020340

Nana

P1020354

_1020386

Mahanui

_1020370

 

Lucille
Lucinda
Te Arahi
Venture
Lillian
Altair
Te Arahi – Lillian –
Te Arahi – Altair – Lillian
Te Arahi
_1020387

Volantis

_1020405

Unknown

_1020409

Korara

_1020431

 

_1020420

Classic Woody  Riverhead Hotel Cruise

Not wanting to sound like a parrot but the CYA has an amazing track record of aceing the weather for its launch cruises to the waterfront Riverhead Hotel. 

The forecast was average, but it just never eventuated & subsequently the boats that made the trip had a great day.  

So cool to have one of our yachties make the trip, that center-board helped 😉

Highlight of the day for me was seeing John Wright’s recently restored launch – Nana. Nana was designed by C. Bailey Jun. &  built by C. Bailey & Sons in 1934. You can view more on Nana’s amazing journey, from rescue to re-launch at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/01/nana-resuced-restored/ 

John has one of the best eyes for how a woody should look, the final details on Nana make her look perfect, in my eyes. John, you should have finished the trip & come up to the hotel, I have a WW tee-shirt for you – email me your postal address – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

 Also had a peek at the publican’s – Paula & Stephen Pepperell’s 1967 Jorgensen launch -Volantis, that is nearing the end of an extensive re-fit, Stephan is another woody with a great eye for detail.

Below are a collection of photos from the camera of Simon Smith who was perched on the Greenhithe Bridge – they give us another perspective on some of our classics. Pity Simon wasn’t there for the return trip – Raindance & the motor-sailer Korara, were just passing under the bridge, being good woodys, traveling to starboard of a large plastic yacht (a Hanse) that was approaching the bridge – when all of a sudden the yachts bow shot up out of the water & the yacht shot backwards. The reason – you guessed it – mast hit the bridge (photo of dent to the bridge, below) luckily they were travelling slow, any faster & they might have lost the mast. I suspect there was a change of undies needed for the crew.

bty

Raindance & Nana

bty

Lucinda

bty

Lucille

bty

Mahanui

bty

Arohanui

bty

Korara

Te Arahi,Altair,Korara
Te Arahi,Altair,Korara,Arohanui

Upper Harbour ‘V’s’ Yacht Oops

_1020434

HDML – Kuparu – P3563 Looking Rather Smart

_1020439

Kupara

_1020441

_1020440

 

Woodys On Holiday @ Waiheke Island

Posted on by
5

P1250935

P1250947

P1250964

P1250967

P1250988

P1250991

P1250998

P1260045

Woodys On Holiday @ Waiheke Island

 Good morning Woodys – the 1st ‘live’ post in 2 weeks & I have to say I have enjoyed the break from the daily task of creating a WW story. Sometimes with everything else that happens in life its been a challenge, I’ll keep on with the daily stories but just a heads up, the frequency may change……… but business as usual for now.

I was amazed at the viewing audience over the Xmas / NY period, there were some huge days – the “Gunk-Holing Up The Weti River’ story had over 6,000 views in 24hrs, not bad for a ‘re-run’.

Despite the weather forecast & a broken freezer we got away on Raindance for 8 Days, came back a little early due to the weather bomb, & so glad that we did. 

For the 8 days we just mooched around Waiheke Island & had stunning launch weather + the water temp was amazing, warmest I can recall in a long time. 

I spotted quite a few woodys around the bays, if I missed getting a photo of you, either the light was all wrong or I was doing something else – so sorry in advance.

Last ones of Raindance were taken by Richard Darke from aboard his launch ’Seafarer’, many thanks Richard, I do not get many of Raindance, normally she is the camera platform.

A word of warning, last weeks storm has deposited some very ugly logs around the inner harbour, so keep a look out. It amazes we no-one (Akl Council etc) gathers them up, they will find there way back into the water & be an even bigger hazard. The one below was on Cheltenham Beach, Devonport.

If you have any photos from the holidays – email them in to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

F61E033F-6873-4604-AB1A-529439FDE85F

While ashore at Oneroa I picked up a flyer for The Island Grocer store, very clever piece of creative 😉

Island Grocer

CYA Patio Bay Weekend – 2017 – 50+ Photos

Posted on by
7

P1250526

P1250630

P1250596

P1250681 (1)

 

 

 

P1250732

P1250733

P1250725

CYA Patio Bay Weekend – 2017

The photos show that 2017 was another cracker Patio Bay year, but what photos don’t get across is what a great group of woodys were there. The numbers were down a little on previous years but those that made the trip will remember it as one of the best. Plenty of room to walk around & mingle without standing on someones dinner plate.

Several Riviera owners, did they bit to re-confirm that they all have big egos & small brains – motoring thru the race finish line at 25+ knots & creating wakes you could surf on. A little exciting if you are sitting in an 8’ dinghy taking photos & wondering if the Riviera is on autopilot & the skippers playing with his small willy 😦

One of the Patio Bay race traditions is the winning skipper of the A Division has to fill the trophy barrel with rum for the following years party. Last year Prize was the winner & based on dock chatter, a sample was drawn off for analyse at the Mount Gay distillery –  purity & alcohol content results to follow 😉

(remember to click on photos to enlarge)

P1250726

Almost A Mystery Launch

Posted on by
4

Unknown

Almost A Mystery Launch

The above photo was sent to me by Nathan Herbert & is tagged ‘Team of horse hauling Karine / Karere’. It comes from ‘Heritage Images’.

So woodys – today we have a few questions, not easy, but we must be able to uncover a bit more about this cute motorboat.

  1. What is her correct name?
  2. Who built her?
  3. Where & when was this photo taken?

As you read this I will be motoring to Patio Bay for the CYA weekend, I cannot wait – a trip to the bottom end of Waiheke Island is long overdue. I have charged up the cameras so Monday’s story on WW will be a rather large photo essay of the weekend. Most Auckland boaties either have not discovered, or forgotten (thank god) how great the bottom end is, the photo below (no digital enhancement) is one of my favourites 🙂

Unknown copy