Tag Archives: Robyn Gae

Robyn Gae Lives On

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ROBYN GAE LIVES ON 

Following up on yesterdays story which had a photo of the 1934 Cox & Filter built launch – Robyn Gae hauled out at the Te Atatu Boating Club hardstand, today we get to share a better view of the project.

WW understands that the launch was / is being re-launched this week. The seams have been re chalked and next year once they have ‘settled down’ will be faired then.

As mentioned yesterday, this launch was very close to having a date with a back-hoe – fantastic to see she dodged that bullet and gets another life afloat.

If the new owner reads this – would love to learn more about the work done and to see some interior photos.

16-06-2023 UPDATE – Back in the water at TBC

Winter Woody Yard Report #2

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RAINDANCE
CASTAWAY
ROBYN GAE

Winter Woody Yard Report #2

Several coming and goings mid-week – Raindance slid down the railway at the Slipway Milford. And then she passed Castaway being ‘assisted’ to the Slipway to take Raindance’s vacated spot. Probably the fastest Castaway has moved in a while 🙂 Video of Raindance ex WW cadet reporter Luca Beachman. Now if some of you are thinking – “didn’t Raindance have a paint job less than two years ago” – yes you are correct. I could say that Jason Prew and myself were never 100% happy with the colour – Snow White’ on a classic woody and that the new ‘ Mediterranean White’ is a better look, while there some truth in that, the old girl suffered some hull damage on the marina in one of the many storms Auckland has had, so that is the real reason 🙂

The last photo is of the 1934, Cox & Filmer built launch – Robyn Gae, getting ready for re-launching at the Te Atatu Boating Club. Very happy to see that she is being cared for – at one stage a ‘beehive’ restoration was on the cards, see WW SOS story link below. Big ups to the new owner of the choice of blue for the coamimgs – big call but it really works and would get the Cameron Pollard tick of approval I’m sure 🙂 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/06/21/robyn-gae-sos/

Robyn Gae – SOS

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ROBYN GAE – SOS

I was out west Auckland on Sunday and dropped into the Te Atatu Boating Club yard for a nosy. Sad to see that the rather pretty x1934, Cox & Filmer built launch Robyn Gas is still hauled out and looking for a new owner. Given the 4sale sign points people to the yard office, I would suspect its being sold to re-coup yard fees. 

There appears to be some ‘average’ hull work done to her, but at $6k, its a very low entry to a worthwhile project. Surely someone will step up and take her own. Make the TBC an offer, you might be surprised.

For no fault of her own other than bad timings, the boat has been crying out for a passionate woody owner for a number of years – see previous WW stories below.

2015 https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/09/10/robyn-gae/

2016 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/06/water-gipsy-connie-v-robyn-gae/

2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/09/10/a-lot-of-boat-for-not-a-lot-of-money/

Estevan

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Estevan AH

ESTEVAN
The above photo of Estevan was sent in by Juliana Cooke, Estevan was her families launch in very late 1969 > early 1970. Juliana was very young back then but she recalls it was hand (home) built either by or for a doctor, probably in 1969. Juliana’s family acquired her in late 1969 & had their first trip away starting on Friday 26th December to Motuihe > Waiheke > Ponui, this cruise went into Jan 1970. Juliana recalls her brothers sailed a Flying Fifteen to Ponui Island and slept there in a tent because Estevan was too small, or thats what they claimed 😉
While the family altered the layout from the original design, it soon became apparent that Estevan was too small for the family, so they bought the launch Robyn Gae, which they owned until very recently.
So woodys does anyone know what happened to Estevan?
(As a side issue, I understand that Robyn Gae, that was being sold by Tom Nesbitt, has been sold. Will be interesting to to find out what the buyer paid, relative to the buy price……. I’m not against a fair profit but there is fair & fair 😉
Harold Kidd Input – All I have is that ESTEVAN was owned by Dr J.E.R Edgar of Orakei Road in 1966 and by R.G. Shaw of Dominion Road in 1973. The Turnwalds owned her in between those two.

A Lot Of Boat For Not A Lot of Money

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Water Gipsy > Connie V > Robyn Gae 4Sale

The 1934 Cox & Filmer (Speedcraft Boat Co.) built Robyn Gae has had a very interesting & colourful life – you can read all about it on the WW link below. But to regular WW readers thats old news & not the reason for today story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/06/water-gipsy-connie-v-robyn-gae/ 

Robyn Gae has been ‘hanging-out’ on trademe for a very long time waiting for a woody to takeover her ownership, I in fact gave the sale a plug on WW just over one year ago, but still no takers.

It is rare these days to find an almost original condition classic that is just in a run-down condition. On face value, mechanically she is good, she has just suffered from a lack of exterior maintenance – in my eyes nothing that could not be fixed by a wooden boat enthusiast with the basic skills. Her interior is very ‘as-built’ but that is all good,most woodys have had square edged MDF cabinetry fitted & need to be gutted, give RG’s interior a good scrub with sugar soap & a lick of paint & you could go boating this coming summer & start a rolling restoration next winter. I suspect the right buyer could own RG for not a lot on money. Take a look at the wonderful old photos of her in the WW link & you’ll see the potential she has to be a stunner.

So woodys, we must know someone thats looking for an entry level classic……………..

Water Gipsy > Connie V > Robyn Gae

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connie v

connie v 4

connie v 3

Water Gipsy > Connie V > Robyn Gae

I was mooching around Westhaven Marina on Raindance last weekend & spied ‘Robyn Gae’, sadly looking very tired & crying out for a new owner to take her over. So sad I did not even take a photo 😦

There is a very well documented history of her by Harold Kidd & Martin Turnwald on ww at the link (blue) here.  https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/09/10/robyn-gae/
The photos above of her when she was named ‘Connie V’ are from the Tudor Collins collection at the Auckland Museum.

07-08-2016 – 2 photos added below  from the Auckland Museum’s Tudor Collins collection, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.

ROBIN GAE - CONNIE V c1938

ROBIN GAE - CONNIE V KAWAU 1938

09-08-2016

Hi, My Dad, John Turnwald, has decided reluctantly to relinquish his ownership of the classic woody. Robyn Gae.
Do you know of anyone who would like to give her the pampering she deserves?
John’s phone = 827 3538.  Please negotiate directly with him.

18-08-2018 UPDATE
 
Robin Gae – has just appeared on Tom Nisbitt’s web site for sale, I’m told a coat of paint & its now double the purchase price. Nice of him to use some WW photos + video in his listing.
 
 
Same guy trying to sell the below launch
24-06-2021 UPDATE – Robyn Gae was spotted early June 2021 hauled out at the Te Atatu Boating Club, looked like it had recently had a coat of paint and had a for sale sign in the window – photos below
 

Robyn Gae

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ROBYN GAE
video ex Martin Turnwald, details ex Martin T & Harold Kidd, photo ex PapersPast ex Nathan Herbert

The video clip above is a little scratchy but features some good footage of the classic woody, Robyn-Gae, owned by Martin’s father, John Turnwald. There is even a cameo apperance of the 1919 Joe Slattery launch Raiona (at 1:30).

Robyn Gae started life as Water Gipsy & was launched in October 1934 for C. Miller by Cox & Filmer (Speedcraft Boat Co) with dimensions 32ft x 8ft 6in. She was a slightly extended version of a 30 footer built by Cox & Filmer for a Mr. Martin. Miller used Water Gipsy for a while and then she “disappears for a while. Ted Valintine bought her in 1937, renamed her Connie V after Mrs. V, had her lengthened to her final dimension of 38ft, with the provision of a cockpit, coaming and dodger over. The work was undoubtedly done by Lanes who also fitted her with a 6 cyl Chrysler Crown petrol engine in September 1939. That was after the Kawau petrol fire in January 1939 when Valintine scuttled her by chopping a hole in her hull, saving the boat (photos below). Valentine sold her to E.M. Henry & the Lambourne family bought her from Henry in 1939. She remained in the Lambourne family until 1956 or so but Lambourne obligingly changed her name to Robyn Gae on 14/11/49 at the time Lanes launched the second Connie V for Valintine.
She is registered as a “Her Majesty’s Ship” in London.
The Chrysler Crown engine was replaced later by a Commer TS3 two-stroke diesel . The bridge roof was raised about 20 centimeters way back in about 1979 Martin thinks, because a stroll on the bridge always ended with  a ding in one’s head . The beams were just that little bit too low and the bridge deck floor had to be raised a bit to accommodate the new engine.
The Commer has since been replaced by a Perkins & with this engine Robyn Gae is able to achieve a true 9.6 knots running a 5 blade prop.

Robyn Gae is for sale – for details contact Martin Turnwald at  mturnwald@bluewin.ch

Robyn Gae (Connie V)

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Robin Gay (Connie V)

New Photo (Water Gipsy) ex Harold Kidd 16/04/2014

WATER GIPSY464

ROBIN GAE (CONNIE V)
CONNIE V was built by Lane Motor Boat Co in 1949 for Valentine of Hamilton and originally had 2 x Chrysler 75hp Ace engines, hopefully the article reproduces well enough to read. The photo shown in the article was taken in 1938 at the long demolished Mechanics Bay wharf.

Harold Kidd Update 16/04/2014

I’ve had a chance since posting the above to review all the above material and to compare images of WATER GIPSY and CONNIE V. Morrie relies heavily on the Register of British Ships and it leads him into a whole bunch of traps because, for various reasons, the information is frequently dodgy. I’ve discussed this with him before. He infers that CONNIE V was built new in 1935 for Valintine, and that’s exactly what I’ve always thought until now.
WATER GIPSY (another image attached) was launched in October 1934 for C. Miller by Cox & Filmer (Speedcraft Boat Co) with dimensions 32ft x 8ft 6in. She was a slightly extended version of a 30 footer built by Cox & Filmer for one Martin (haven’t identified her yet). Miller used WATER GIPSY for a while (eg Marjorie Miller visited yacht LITTLE JIM from her on 2/2/35) and then she “disappears”.
Now, if you compare my image of WATER GIPSY with the image of CONNIE V in Paul Titchener’s highly erroneous article above (I assume whoever posted it had PT’s copyright permission), which was based solely on family anecdote I imagine, as Paul married Valintine’s daughter, you will clearly observe that the two boats are identical back to the aft end of the clerestory.
It is obvious to me that the truth is in the cracks between the various versions.
I think this is what happened.

WATER GIPSY was obviously a bit of a problem, ergonomically. She had no cockpit, had a pair of davits across the counter, and would have been a pain to handle. Valintine bought her in 1937, renamed her CONNIE V after Mrs. V, had her lengthened to her final dimension of 38ft, with the provision of a cockpit, coaming and dodger over…..much more user friendly. The work was undoubtedly done by Lanes who also fitted her with a Chrysler Crown in September 1939. That was after the Kawau petrol fire in January 1939 when Valintine scuttled her by chopping a hole in her hull, saving the boat. It may also have been after he sold her to E.M. Henry (Lambourne bought her from Henry).
She remained in the Lambourne family until 1956 or so but Lambourne obligingly changed her name to ROBYN GAE on 14/11/49 at the time Lanes launched the second CONNIE V for Valintine.

There’s a whiff of assumption in the above which I detest in others………………….