CLASSIC 1948 WOODEN FLEET GATHERED AT KAWAU ISLAND 

Recently WW was contacted by Moss Carlin concerning a cache of b/w photos that his wife found among her mothers processions. Her father Ray Rhodes was a member of the RNZYS at Westhaven in the 1940’s – 1960’s period.

Included was todays stunning photo of a squadron gathering at Mansion House, Kawau Island in 1948. WW has previously shared other photos most likely from the same gathering, but none have offered a panorama of this scale, nor been of the photographic quality of todays photo. Reviewing the photo its warming to see so many of these classic wooden craft are still afloat today – 80+ years later. Tomorrow we get to share a gallery of classic sailing craft from the Rhodes family album.

And while on the subject of Kawau Island – sad to get advice during the week that the RNZYS had found a buyer for Lidgard House and surrounding land. The pros & cons of the sell off have been well documented, so I’ll leave the topic alone……….

WHO DESIGNED THIS IMPRESSIVE DINGHY

WW has recently been in discussions concerning the dinghy below and the owners desire to ID the designer / builder. The dinghy has the hallmarks of vacuum bag, multi veneer construction, a technology with origins from the late 1940’s New Zealand boat builders were early adopters and this dinghy is a product of that technology.

Found derelict in an Auckland shed she was carefully restored to its current condition – only used occasionally for classic boating events where its lightness and low resistance hull form saw it win several classic boat races. It remains an immaculate very rare time capsule of mid century boating.

SPECS: Length 8’ 9″, beam 4’ 5” – weight 45kg. Constructed using straight grained Mahogany and resorcinol glue. Her transom is kauri.

SO WOODYS ANYONE ABLE TO ID HER ORIGINS

And woodys its for sale on tme.