Tag Archives: Roy Parris

Looking For Help Identifying This Wooden Boat

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Looking For Help Identifying This Wooden Boat

Todays woody recent popped up on a Lester Oliver fb post and appears via Maurice Sharp reposting.Lester’s commented that the boat at the dry dock at Ahuriri, Napier. The gent on the left is possibly Napier architect Louis Hay. In the background is the Hawkes Bay Farmers Co-Op Assoc. building . The cowel on the cabin top looks very large relative to the rest of the vessel. Anyone able to put a name to the vessel.

INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – We’ve been here before.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/06/30/hawkes-bay-mystery-motorsailer/

I still can’t establish a name for the boat but have a little more information. She was built in Auckland, no builder known, and shipped to Napier in May 1936 as a hull. Later Louis Hay fitted a steam engine which accounts for the small funnel shown in the earlier images. My guess is that the steam plant was replaced with an internal combustion engine later, hence the large ventilator occupying the same hole as the funnel. As for her name, it doesn’t appear in any newspaper articles even those announcing that Louis Hay was the Commodore of the new Hawkes Bay Yachting & Power Boat Club in November 1936.

Work in progress

29-04-2024 UPDATE ex HAROLD KIDD – The hull was built in Auckland and was offloaded from the PUKEKO at Gisborne because of heavy weather.

Message For The Owner Of The Launch – KARAKIA

If you send me an email confirming the boat location and your ownership I’ll drop a WW burgee in the post – why? Because if you look carefully at the photos you will see they have painted the WW logo on the cabin side 🙂  photos ex JASON PREW waitematawoodys@gmail.com  Read / view more on KARAKIA here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/01/karakia/

POCO LENTO (Lady Janet)

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POCO LENTO (Lady Janet)

Back in August 2020 we featured the classic woody launch –  Poco Lento on WW. We learnt then that she started out in life back in late 1970’s as your typical Roy Parris kauri planked launch, then in 1991>92 master boat builder Geoff Bagnall undertook a major refit to make her more liveable. When launched in the 1970’s her name was – Lady Janet.

When I first boarded Poco Lento I was amazed to learn she was sub 32’ and the internal space, helped by the underfloor Ford Lees 115hp engine. I was even more taken aback with the fit-out  – auto pilot, power anchor winch, bow thruster, hydraulic steering, on-board shower, fridge, freezer, pressurised hot water, stand-alone galley, electric toilet, high-end engine sound proofing, holding tank and a lot more –  she really has been a rolling restoration with her then owner undertaking a major project every year. The 295L fuel tank allows her to cover a lot of distance when cruising.

Click this link to view photos from the early 1990’s refit  https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/08/07/poco-lento-lady-janet/

LADY LUCK – A Peek Down Below + 4sale

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LADY LUCK – A Peek Down Below + 4sale

Todays woody is – Lady Luck, a 36’ Roy Parris launch, built in 1961 from kauri planks.    With a 10’6” beam Lady Luck is very spacious and has 6 berths, and a rarity on a 36’ vessel – separate shower and head. 

Forward motion is via a 6 cyl. Ford 120hp diesel that gets her along at a comfortable cruising speed of 8 knots.                                From her tme listing she appears to be well fitted out in terms of utilities  – instrumentation, auto anchor, frig/freezer, hot (gas) shower, solar charging and more. 

Home port is Thames. Booked for annual haul out and anti-fouling.

Advancing years necessitates her owners locating a new custodian for Lady Luck. Interested parties in the first instance should contact Bruce Fulton 021 857255 –  email b.fulton@xtra.co.nz

NGA KIWA (Ngakiwa) Update

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Pre Roy Parris work

Pre Roy Parris work

Post Roy Parris work
Post Roy Parris work
Pre purchase survey

NGA KIWA (Ngakiwa) Update

Back in July Dean Wright sent in some photos of the launch – Nga Kiwa being relaunched at Opua in the Bay of Islands, link below to that story. At the time we learnt from Russell Ward that she was designed and built by Percy Vos and the original spelling was Ngakiwa. The launch had previously appeared on WW back in June 2013, link below) – lots of details and photos at both links + read the comments section.

WW July 2023 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/07/20/nga-kiwa/

WW June 2013 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/06/16/ngakiwa/

Fast forward to September and I was contacted by John Oates a previous owner of the launch, John was ordering a WW burgee and made comment that he was a previous owner of Nga Kiwa. John offered up some photos of her during his ownership. Then yesterday an envelope arrived in the post with todays photos. I had a chuckle, not often these days you get sent prints and negatives 🙂 

In an accompanying letter John mentioned that he is not sure of when he bought and sold her but the photos show her at the Slipway at the bottom of Roy and Irene Parris’ property Rawene Ave in Westmere. Roy did the boarding platform, the 2 poles on the transom, the rails forward and rebuilt the mast.

The photo on the grid is most likely taken during a pre-purchase inspection.

July 2023 – Opua

LEILANI (Florae / Floray) + Jolly Roger

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LEILANI (Florae / Floray) + Jolly Roger

In the photo above the launch on the left is Leilani, she first appeared on WW back in March 2016, link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/13/leilani-floray/ At the time she was high and dry in a paddock in Thames, second photo.

Thanks to Harold Kidd and Ken Rickets we learnt a lot about her – probably designed and built (hull only) by Lidgards and Major George Bailey finished her off. Named Florae when launched, her original owner was Percy Coutts, more details on her owners in the link.

In her day she was a very fine looking woody, will be sad if she dies a slow death – anyone able to update us on the status of the Leilani.

In the photo the launch in the background is Jolly Roger, built in 1956 by Roy Parris in the mid to late 1960’s this boat was owned by Clive & Bernice Irvine. The Irvines eventually purchased the house besides the Panmure Bridge and berthed the Jolly Roger on the jetty at the bottom of their property. This was probably around late 1960/1970. She made an appearance on WW back in Oct 2015 link here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/10/15/jolly-roger-2/

  I spotted her berthed in the Whangarei Town Basin in March 2020, photo below

Carlotta Anne

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CARLOTTA ANNE

The launch Carlotta Anne was was designed and built in 1972 by Roy Parris, powered by a For 6 cyl 140hp diesel engine – WW doesn’t know much about her other than that world x Kiwi boat designer – John Welsford owned her for 7 years, so she must have been a well behaved woody for John to have kept her that long.

The top photos were taken by K Ricketts in May 2021 when she was being hauled out for some TLC at Gulf Harbour Marina.

The photos below are dated Jan 2016.

Can we learn more about Carlotta Anne.

17-04-2023 INPUT ex Dennis Boggs – I spent many years cruising in company with this boat in the Bay Of Islands and know it inside out.Her build was commissioned by Ray and Anne Simmons and spent her earlier years in Hauraki Gulf.For some of that period was based at Waiheke.From memory she was brought to the Bay of Islands in 1996 and I met Ray and Anne as near neighbours in 1997.The original power unit was a Bedford 330 C.I. diesel and was re-powered with the Ford which gave a cruising speed of 9 knots @ 9 litres of fuel per hour.Ray and Anne sold the boat about 10 or 12 years ago and took to a life of roaming the roads.Ray must be in his early 90s now. 

Busy Morning – One Down & One Up

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As purchased

Busy Morning – One Down & One Up

Yesterday the 30’ 1978 Roy Parris built launch – Waikaro, slipped back into the creek at the Slipway, Milford, looking very smart post a lot of work both in and outside. A Jason Prew paint job and 15+ coats of uroxsys were just the icing on the cake + lots of work on her systems and ‘lets keep the water on the outside’ eg new windows etc.

No sooner had Waikaro vacated the cradle, the 38’ 1937 Sam Ford built launch – Menai (below) was climbing into a warm bed. After a lot of deferred maintenance work, Menai had been ’settling down’ eg taking up on one of the Milford marina berths before getting her final top coats. The new bow-thruster certainly made manoeuvring in the creek easy. 

UPDATE 12-07-2022 back in the water after the JPPJ at The Slipway Milford.

Karakia

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KARAKIA

Karakia is another classic woody that Jason Prew recently spotted at Motuopa Marina, Lake Taupo. She was designed and built by Roy Parris in 1968, but as they say – has had some work 😉

24′ in length, powered by a Sole 34hp diesel engine. To have a peek down below , click this WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/01/karakia/

Waitematawoodys Site Navigation Tips

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While there is a lot of thought and planning that goes into what we publish, the actual waitematawoodys website has grown organically i.e. sections have been added and deleted over the years, and we kind of assumed that you all had a good understanding of how to navigate your way around the site. In my recent travels mooching out stories, I have become very aware that not everyone is as good of driver as others and this means a lot of you are not getting the full experience.

So I have put together a few graphics to explain how to navigate around the WW site.I hope this helps you enjoy WW even more.

CONTENT  I’m always looking out for stories, frequent comments I get are “I only have one photo” or “I have a photo but do not know anything about it” – well woodys, do not be the judge, send it in and let me decide if it has the makings of a WW story. Sometimes I already have another photo of the boat and now with your one, we have a story.
DAILY STORY or REFERENCE TOOL When WW started the focus was on a daily story about classic wooden boats and the people connected to them, over time WW has also morphed into an amazing reference tool – we have over 3,800+ stories, 35,000+ photographs on tap.
Most days when you look at the daily viewing numbers and what people are looking at, you get a 60/40 split – 60% are reading that days story and 40% are searching for something e.g. the name of their past boat, designs of a particular designer / builder etc.
The site continues to grow year on year – the graph below shows the growth of the number of visitors. The graph of views is even more impressive, as people spend more and more time in and around the stories.


THANK YOU & A CALL FOR HELP As always WW would be very average without all your help and input – so a big thank you. If you like the site we’d appreciate you spreading the word – share the content via one of those social-media giants by following the links on the WW site, or may be you’re old school like me and find it easier to tell people or just email the link to others that you think might enjoy a shot of classic wooden boating news each morning.


HOW TO FIND / SEARCH FOR ANYTHING


BUYING OR SELLING BOATS


VIEW RECENT COMMENTS + HOW TO GET EMAIL ALERTS ON NEW STORIES


EMAIL OR SHARE A STORY WITH OTHERS + SHOW YOU LIKE A STORY

ANOTHER SEARCH BOX + HOW TO ORDER WW MERCHANDISE


NEED SOME HELP


FIND THINGS BY CATEGORY (click on a word) – Note: the bigger the size of the text, the more popular the subject


MOST POPULAR CONTENT – Select by tag e.g. boat size / year / type of vessel – yacht/launch/work-boat etc. Note: the bigger the size of the text, the more popular the subject

VIEW MORE STORIES – We try to not slow down your computer loading up past WW stories , so each day only a few appear automatically on the site page you see. Click the box to view more & more & more etc

And There Always Needs To Be a Boat Photo 🙂 Popped out for a lunch cruise to McKenzies Bay, Rangitoto Island – shared the bay with the very handsome woody – Pleasure Lady

Serene

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SERENE

The 36’ Roy Parris designed and built launch – Serene last appeared on WW back in Oct 2014, link below for lots of photos and details. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/03/serene/

Over the CV-19 lockdowns Serene’s owner Tom Lindesay gave the launch a birthday, work included new flooring, whilst ‘new’ to the boat, the wood is actually ‘young’ totara aged between 80 and 100 years. Tom commented that the trees were cut on a sustainable basis and that you are allowed to harvest 10% of a stand mainly on farming land. There has been a lot of totata planted over the last 20 years. The wooden boat business is going to need it, because there will be nothing else left. It would best used for inside work.

Tom made the two back hatches from sheep grating recycled from under a woodshed, the wood is heart matai and totara. The steering device is made from bits of the old flooring and turned on the lathe.

Great to see that Serene is going well and the old 6-354 Perkins is still doing the job 🙂

The top photo was taken by Dean Wright in the Bay of Islands in Jan 2021