Tag Archives: Seafarer

In Case You Are Hiding At Home, Wearing 2 Masks And Wondering What You’re Missing This Weekend – Check Out the 2019 Mahurangi Regatta

Posted on by
10

MAHURANGI REGATTA  2019 – The biggest & best classic wooden boat regatta in NZ – 90+ photos

FRIDAY NIGHT

p1040788

SATURDAY – REGATTA DAY

p1040795

p1040798

p1040803

p1040839

p1040867

p1040869

p1040872

p1040899

p1040916

p1040940

p1040949

p1040965

SATURDAY NIGHT AT SCOTTS LANDING

p1040987

p1040989

p1040990

p1040988

SUNDAY MORNING

p1040994

MAHURANGI REGATTA  2019 – The biggest & best classic wooden boat regatta in NZ – 90+ photos

WoW what a woody weekend – simply stunning on all fronts –  sun > wind > location > people & of course the boats. On my estimate, the biggest turnout of classic wooden craft ever. Record numbers for Saturday mornings launch parade.
I’ll go out on a limb & repeat a comment made to me on the deck of Lidgard House, Kawau Island on Sunday night by one of our most prominent & influential classic wooden boat people – “Mahurangi is the real Auckland Anniversary Weekend Regatta” & after cruising back into Auckland today, & not seeing a lot of yachts, I would have to agree.
On Saturday between Jason Prew on My Girl & myself with Raindance we hosted three of the wooden boating world’s superstars – if you read or follow the WoodenBoat magazine, Classic Boat & the hottest property on the block – the vblog, https://www.offcenterharbor.com
then the names Maynard Bray, Benjamin Mendlowitz & Steve Stone will be very familiar to you. These gents were motored around the harbour & very selectively photographed / filmed our beautiful woodys. When I mentioned that I had cancelled my trip to next months Hobart Wooden Boat Festival, one commented “why would you go – it’s all here” & woodys – it was.
I have never attempted to understand the ‘politics’ / issues between the Mahurangi Cruising Club & The Friends of Mahurangi people – but between them they turn on a wonderful day, that equals anything on the world classic wooden boat calendar. As with anything, a few wee niggles e.g. crap PA sound system at the beach prize giving meant most people didn’t know the results – but I can tell you that Tony Blake & the crew on Thelma gave all the other A division skippers as master class in regatta sailing. It was wonderful to see the big 5 Arch Logan yachts – Thelma (1897), Rainbow (1898), Ariki (1904), Rawhiti (1905) & Rawene (1908) all on the same race track together, for the first time ever (I think I’m right – Harold?) The results were:
Thelma, followed by Rawhiti, followed by Ariki, then Rainbow & Rawene.
As a result of playing driver for the overseas crew – I’m a little light on sailing photos, but you can see from the gallery above that it was a special day.
Well done MCC and F. of M. for another magic weekend.
If anyone else had the camera out & captured some goodies, email them to   waitematawoodys@gmail.com
We bailed out of Mahurangi on Sunday morning & headed to Kawau Island for some family R&R – photos below.
Question – what do you do when there is no shotgun to signal sunset & the lowering of the burgee? – well a few lads decided to bang some pots together, then drop the flags at Lidgard House – me thinks there might be a letter in the mail to certain members 🙂
_1050003
A WEE BIT OF PR GOING ON HERE – WW T’s & OFF CENTER HARBOUR CAPS 🙂
THERE ALWAYS HAS TO BE A FOOD SHOT – KAWAU BOATING LUB, DINNER SUNDAY NIGHT.
img_0612

Check out the video below of Rawhiti – sent in from Benjamin Mendlowitz from Off Center Harbour

http://offcenterharbor.com

Update – due to not all launches completing 2 laps of the launch parade – I missed photographing a few boats – photos below ex Justine Ricketts (edited by myself)

AND MORE – link below to the Off Center Harbour video of the 2017 regatta, featuring Steve Horsley’s stunning 1904 Chas Bailey Jnr – Ngatira

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/new-zealands-mahurangi-regatta-featuring-chas-baileys-ngatira/?prev=yes

UPDATE ex Graeme Finch of the A Class fleet racing Saturday + one of Raindance showing myself & Steve Stone from Off Center Harbour filming / clicking away 🙂

As always – click photos to enlarge 😉

rd @ mr2019

Also from Graeme – one of Bruce Tantrum’s pride & joy – Paramour + Graemes stunning ship – Te Arahi 🙂

dsc_0139

dsc_0034

UPDATE – An early Saturday morning drone fly-by over Sullivans Bay, Mahurangi. Filmed by Neil Lawton, heads up on the movie from Ian Gavin.

30-01-2019 Update – photos of Laughing Lady ex Jason Prew

Update 11-02-2019 photos below ex Angus Rogers.

IMG_0153

IMG_0123

Woodys At Ponui Island

Posted on by
1
TASMAN
LADY RAE
SEAFARER
CENTAURUS
MASQUERADE

Woodys At Ponui Island
Fiona Driver aboard her classic launch – Arohanui sent in the above gallery of woodys at anchor in Chamberlin Bay, Ponui Island on Friday evening. I’m told the woodys almost outnumbered the plastics 🙂

Nice to see the bridge-decker Lady Rae out and about, she was once one of the flagships in the CYA fleet. 

Classic Woody Weekend At Patio Bay – 60+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

Posted on by
4
The Big Winner On The Day – the Duder Family on Spray – 1st Across the Line
A visitor from Hawkes Bay

Classic Woody Weekend At Patio Bay – 60+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos


As you will have come to expect, the first weekend in December sees the CYA hosting the annual Patio Bay weekend, for some reason in recent years its morphed into a potpourri of events – these days its – the CYA Xmas party, a cake competition, a motor boat poker rally and what it always was – a yacht race down to the bay for a old school waterfront BBQ. A little busy these days but it seems to work 🙂

This year was the first visit since the ownership of the property changed hands from the Woolicott family (100+ years) to Mike Mahoney. It was comforting to hear Mike talk of their feature plans that include continuing the event.


New to the programme this year was a poker run rally for the CYA launches. Skippers collect a playing card from 5 collection on route and then play a round of poker ashore to determine the winner. The event was sponsored by The Slipway Milford. Winners below:

First Across The Line – Gay Dawn – Mark & Pricilla MacDuff – Burnsco voucher + wine

Poker Run Winner- Kumi – Hayden & Linda Afford – COMPLIMENTARY SLIPWAY MILFORD HAULOUT + 4L ANTIFOUL PAINT + WW T-SHIRT

Biggest Oops (involuntary swim) – Lucinda – Jason Davies – WW T-shirt

Shoddy Boat Handling Skills – Lucille – Alan Good (wife name withheld as she was innocent) WW T-shirt
A great time was had by all and special thanks must go to everyone that helps pull the weekend together. To me it always signals the start of summer boating.

Yacht Race Results https://classicyacht.org.nz/patio-bay-mark-foy-race-results-2020/


Mahurangi Cruising Club Year Book

Most WW readers will be very familiar with the annual Mahurangi Regatta – the biggest gathering of wooden boats in NZ. The MCC also put together a year book that is a one of the best boating reads each year and perfect for on the boat over xmas. So woodys, if your looking for a self present (always the best) or being asked what you want from the kids – at $20 for 108 pages it’s a steal.

Pre-order a copy here  ngairehopwood@gmail.com Or pick up a copy in store or on-line at BoatBooks

Summer / New Year 2019 Raindance Cruise Photo Gallery – 70+ Classic Wooden Boats

Posted on by
4

img_0421

p1040669

Best coffee & brownie on the Island = Rocky Bay Hall

p1040639

p1040644

p1040678

p1040686

p1040719

p1040726

p1040760

img_0416

img_0419

p1040761

282′ – Available for rent NZD$970,000 week

img_0422

Very cool packaging design & yum

Summer / New Year Raindance Cruise Photo Gallery – 70+ Classic Wooden Boats

The above gallery is a selection of photos I mostly took at random over the 12 days we were floating around the bottom end of Waiheke Island. I apologise for the quality of some, but the light & direction I was heading were not always my friend in terms of image quality. I just wanted to record & showcase some of the craft out & about over the holiday period. Remember click photos to enlarge 😉
Like most people in the upper north island we were gifted with stunning weather – I rolled the cockpit canopy clears up on day one & rolled them down again when we returned to the marina 12 days later. I can honestly say that it was the best cruise we have had aboard RD, just perfect.
For those of you that were cruising in other parts, email in some photos so we can share.
Even last week the weather remained near perfect, & allowed me to get the sandpaper & Awlwood (Uroxsys) out & re-varnish RD’s trim – 9 coats, looks very smart.
As I write this I’m hoping for some rain, the garden is crying out for a downpour.
Mahurangi Regatta is fast approaching, I say it every year but in terms of vessel numbers & location, it has to be NZ’s premier classic wooden boating event. Put a circle around Saturday, Jan 26th in the diary & make the effort to be there. More details closer.
Check out WW tomorrow for some great photos from the Bay of Islands Tall Ships Regatta – there will even be a photos of Tony Stevenson on the helm of a classic, its been a while 😉

Woody Trip To The Riverhead Hotel – 30+ classic wooden boat photos

Posted on by
6

P1040172

P1040124

P1040185

P1040192

P1040212

P1040263

P1040252

Woody Trip To The Riverhead Hotel

Yesterday, 14 CYA Woody launches got together to visit the Riverhead Hotel, we had a fantastic turn-out with several ’new’ woodys joining in. Of course Jason Prew’s just relaunched – My Girl, had everyones attention, check out the zoom zoom photos above, that girl can move 🙂
A small tide made for some interesting manoeuvres at times, but no one came to grief (for long)
It was great to see the publican – Stephen Pepperell’s magnificently refitted woody – Volantis, alongside the wharf. She is a stunning ship, but the man does have very good taste.
The hotel was buzzing with a band in the garden bar & great food on offer – from those that I talked to, everyone had a great time. Several CYA members travelled by road, including Margaret & Bert Woolicott, our hosts in 2 weeks at Patio Bay for the Xmas weekend cruise / BBQ, which for me is the coolest event on the CYA calendar – see you there on December 1st.
ps if anyone picked up a small white & blue fender on a long rope, with brass clip – its mine – lost it overboard on the trip up, 1/2 way up the creek 😦
waitematawoodys t-shirts orders – don’t be slow in getting your order in, based on the sales to date I will probably close the order book early 😉

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

Orari

Posted on by
8

Orari @ Thames

ORARI

Today’s photo of Orari (in the middle) was sent in by Nathan Herbert, taken at Thames earlier this year.

What do we know about her?

Harold Kidd Input – This first of the three Fisher ORARIs was designed and built by R.P. Fisher and J. Robinson at Whangarei over two years and launched in March 1937. No bridgedeck then.

UPDATE: Photos below ex Paperpast via Nathan Herbert – read the caption

Unknown

Unknown-1

 

I took the photos below of Seafarer on Sunday afternoon as she was sitting on the slip at Devonport Yacht Club, awaiting re-launching after her annual winter haul-out.

Owner Richard Darke is one of those classic owners that we all aspire to – as well as being a perfectionist, he has the skills to undertake almost everything on the boat & builds most of the bits himself. See/ read more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/11/25/seafarer-2/

Hiding under the covers is a stunning Uroxsys job on the coamings. Speaking of stunning Uxroxsys jobs, I also had a look over Trinidad in the weekend , she was relaunched last week after a spell in the Greg Lees Boat Builders, Sandspit shed – looking even smarter after a ‘few’ more coats Uroxsys were applied. Interesting to note that its now the norm to add some of the tinted primer to the middle coats, helps the UV protection* & gives a richer depth to the finish. New cockpit clears as well. Barbara & David Cooke are getting her ship-shape for the upcoming NZ circumnavigation. I’m crewing on the Bay of Islands > down the West Coast > Picton leg.

INPUT FROM THE UROXSYS (Awlwood) GURU – DAVID W

“Can I just clarify that the Awlwood topcoat is chocked full of UV absorbers – each coat blocks 90% of UV so over 8 coats you are left with practically nothing getting through. Trouble is that visible light degrades timber as well – and the only way of reducing this is by adding colour hence the improved performance from coloured primers. Cheers, David.”

Unknown

Unknown-1

 

 

 

A Mixed Bag

Posted on by
Reply

img_9047

A Mixed Bag

One good deed deserves another, I posted the other day that Robert Brooke had given me a ‘stern’ off one of his model clinker dinghies  – I have just returned the favour with a rather large framed photo of his family launch – Linda (below). I purchased it via trademe for next to nothing, after a thoughtful person posted a comment on ww about it being for sale. She was worried someone would buy it for the oak frame & scrap the photo.

Speaking of trademe I also purchased a brand new, never used, full set of signal flags, made in the UK, all hand stitched (not printed), 50cm x 40cm so too big for Raindance but perfect for events & boat launchings. I bought them for $60 – a steal 😉

img_9051

I had some left over Uroxsys (Allwood MA) in the shed & gifted it to Richard Dark who was re-doing his coamings on his classic launch – Seafarer. Richard used Uroxsys 2 seasons ago but misread the instructions re using the primer (which provides most of the UV protection) so had an unsatisfactory result. Richard is a perfectionist so back to bare wood & then the yellow primer & lots of coats of Uroxsys. In the photos below I think there had only been one top coat, so will look even better after 6>8 coats 😉

I had a few blisters on the cabin top of Raindance so paid my son to (gently) scrap it off. The end result was great but it looks like I have a chart of the Hauraki Gulf on there at the moment, one wag (Murray Deeble) has offered to drop down & mark the fishing spots with red X’s 🙂

fullsizerender

And the UK ww numbers have improved big time, after a little bit of SEO (search engine optimization) – top ten viewing countries, below, for the last few days.

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-4-05-16-pm

CYA Patio Bay BBQ & Xmas Race Weekend 2015

Posted on by
9

Seafarer & Richard Darke

Arohanui

Allergy
Rotomahana
Silens
Freeboard? Lifejackets?
Kailua
Waimiga, Arohanui
Arohanui
Arohanui
Seafarer
Alpheus
Lucille
Allergy
Peg
Margaret & Bert Woolicott, Alan Houghton

Viking

Waitangi on her way to winning

Chris McMullen

CYA Patio Bay Weekend 2015
photos ex Alan Houghton & Fiona Driver

Just back from another spectacular wooden boat weekend at Patio Bay, Waiheke Island. The weather was good for the yacht racing but a little rolly in the bay. This put a few owners off anchoring but most bit the bullet & dropped the pick & were rewarded with another brilliant evening ashore at Margaret & Burt Woolicott’s waterfront bach. It had all the ingredients of a classic kiwi boating function – sun, sand, wood fired BBQ’s, the odd cold beverage, a barrel of rum, fire works & lots of nice people.

The evening was made special by the presentation to Chris McMullen of the CYA Outstanding Achievement Trophy for services to classic boating. See the previous ww post for more details.

Even yours truly got a mention in dispatches – I was the surprised recipient of the 2015 Patio Bay Trust Book Award – for my work on/with setting up this site & ensuring that future generations will be able to better experience our wooden boating history.

Enjoy the photos. Sorry that its light on yachts but conditions did not suit bobbing around in a wee dinghy & by now I hope most people realize that a ‘drive-by’ past Raindance almost always ensures a photo on ww 🙂

Must also mention the  magnificent sight of having Viking sailing in the fleet.

I have posted on the CYA forum photos from the yacht post race prizing giving  – link here

http://classicyacht.org.nz/cyaforum/topic/cya-patio-bay-race-xmas-party-bbq-weekend/

Yacht race results here http://classicyacht.org.nz/sailing/

10-12-2015 Sailing Photos below ex Carolyn Anderson (Waimiga)

Waitangi
Prize?
Waitangi
Rainbow
Seaward
Rainbow