Classic Woodys Cruise To Riverhead Pub
The NZ Classic Yacht Association (CYA) launch group have amazingly good fortune when it comes to the weather for their events. Saturday was just a day out of the bag – sun, mill pond sea state, cool boats & nice people. The trip was a first for me in that I did not take launch Raindance & instead traveled on Trinidad, Barbara & David Cooke’s magnificent 1965 Salthouse motor launch.

On the trip up the harbour we passed 2 very cool steam boats – Puke & Zeltic out for a cruise & enjoying the day.
We do this trip 2 or 3 times a year & a few trips ago added a mid trip raft-up meet & greet to the agenda, its a great chance to say hi to everyone before we hit the pub. A little like the American concept of a ‘rehearsal dinner’ the night before the wedding day 🙂 If you check out the raft-up photos, all the males are enjoying a coffee & the females have a glass of bubbles in hand – how did that happen.
Arohanui
Trinidad & Arohanui
Trinidad & Arohanui
Arohanui
Rod Marler & Arohanui
Arohanui
Arohanui
Florance Dawn & Monterey
Silens
Lady Jane & Bruce Pullan (Ann Michelle)
We had 3 creek virgins making the trip for the first time – Florence Dawn, Lady Jane & Skipper CJ.

Florence Dawn

Lady Jane

Skipper CJ
Interesting to witness the speed of the housing development in the Riverhead / upper harbour area – once all we saw was trees & paddocks, now its houses houses houses. Check out the photo of launches anchored Indian file – the land at the top was all pine trees 6>12 months ago.

From the top – Skipper CJ, Florence Dawn, Arohanui, Lady Margaret, Monterey, Silens

Arohanui
Monterey
Skipper CJ
Arohanui crew
Silens
Skipper CJ
Arohanui touch parking
Monterey
Lady Margaret
Arohanui & Lady Margaret

Lunch at the hotel was more casual i.e. less organized than on previous visits & that was a good thing – in fact the food got a big tick from everyone.
The day was not without a few oops – two people enjoyed an unplanned swim, no damage other than bruised ego’s & a lesson that when on-board always have two points of contact 😉 My lips are sealed on names, photo below of the 1st oops, no photo for the 2nd – I was doing the Piha Rescue.
Wave goodbye
oops
Publicans Paula & Stephen Pepperell came out to inspect Trinidad, given their history of wooden boat ownership / travels I suspect a classic could be on the shopping list.

Paula Pepperell, David Cooke, Stephen Pepperell
Spotted this smart bridge-decker (Lady Thelma) anchored off Hobsonville Point.
