The Rudder Cup From Up High
My Girl
Waitangi
Rorqual
Lady Crossley
2018 Rudder Cup – Motor Boat Race – 60 + Classic Wooden Boat Photos
CYA Chairman James Mortimer + Brett Evans – Sterling – Winner 2018 Rudder Cup
Sterling Skipper & Winning Crew
CYA Chairman James Mortimer + David Cooke – Trinidad – Winner Classic Division
CYA Chairman James Mortimer + Iain Forsyth – Meola – Spot prize winner
Peter Boardman Skipper – Lady Margaret (D. Lang) Spot prize winner
Ferro Skipper – Dick Coughlan – Spot prize winner
Ronaki Skipper – Daniel Thomas – Spot prize winner
Korara Skipper – Anatole Perry – Spot prize winner
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 🙂
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
RONAKI
photos ex Pam Cundy at the Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard
I know nothing about todays launch other than that Pam & George saw Ronaki in Ruakaka a couple of years ago. She went onto trade me and was sold. The lifebuoy has 1912 on it so maybe that’s some indication of her age. A serious case of the ugly sister going on in the last photo.
Anyone know what became of her?, fingers crossed someone took on the challenge & restored her.
Harold Kidd Input
RONAKI has a picture in our “N.Z. Vintage Launches” at page 63.
She was built as a fast harbour launch by Collings & Bell for the Auckland Harbour Board in January 1913, a 38 footer powered by a big 55-75 hp H.C. Doman marine engine with a max of 14 knots. Photo below. After many years of service with AHB she was sold to G Hyauiason who had her bridgedeckerised. The RNZN took her over in 1942 for control service (at the boom, I think) but sold her in 1944 to J.A. Collins. My uncle Lou Wilson, MD of Morris Black & Matheson bought her soon after that. Lou certainly wasn’t the one who rowed over and asked for points for a V8. I really don’t know about that story, particularly where the V8 came from.
The AHB bought her back subsequently and fitted a Leyland. A group of us looked at her around 1986 but bought FERRO instead, principally because we were warned off the Leyland and favoured the Caterpillar in FERRO, plus she was much more original.
The other RONAKI was built as MANUKAU by Chas. Bailey & Son in 1914 for the AHB to use on the Manukau.
The photo below is from Ron Wattam & was taken during her sea trials.
