Korawai Heads North

Tapui
Wild Duck
Russell Waterfront

KORAWAI HEADS NORTH

Following on from yesterdays story, I’m just back from sliding up the coast to Russell in the Bay of Islands, delivering the 37’ Owen Woolley built launch – Korawai, to her new owners BOI home. After a few unexpected hiccups we eventually departed Gulf Harbour marina late Thursday afternoon, first stop Kawau Island. Had to sprint to hit the Kawau Boating Club before the kitchen / bar closed. Awoke to perfect conditions so dropped the RNZYS mooring at 6.30am and pointed the bow North – 11 hours later we rounded Cape Brett and eventually dropped anchor in Otaio Bay for the night. Saturday we picked up a friends mooring at Russell and hit the cafe for a coffee. The owner / skipper immediately re-fuelled, collected his better half and was off for a few days cruising. Sad to see the boat head north but, her new owners are a cool creative couple that will spend the time and $ to return Korawai to the condition she deserves. The new owners first thing when he stepped aboard was remove the ‘rocket-launcher’ fishing rod holder from the cabin top and toss it in the marina dump bin – so that bodes well for the future of this woody 🙂 We will follow the boat as the rolling restoration happens. As we rounded Cape Brett I got a great view of the lighthouse and ex lighthouse keepers house – 24 hours later my daughter and friends were doing the 32 km walk to the same spot – the sign says 8 hours in and 8 back, they did it in 4 hrs (each way) but split with an overnight in the now Dept. of Conservation controlled house. The report was its a stunning but tough walk, included a few photos.

Spotted a few woodys once we had made it into the bay – 
• Mike & Robbie Quilter’s Salthouse designed – Tapui • Wild Duck, the 1932 JB Jules built ex flying boat tender • Marline, the Warne family 35’, 1950 launch, designed and built by Leone Warne. Video below of the family heading out for the day, on Saturday – love the jetski being towed 🙂

SCROLL DOWN TO YESTERDAYS STORY FOR INTERIOR PHOTOS OF KORAWAI

Bay of Islands Woodys

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Bay of Island Woodys

Dean Wright has just sent in a few more photos from the BOI, as always stunning photography.
We have Alma G and Winsome fishing off Onewhero and Tapui coming through Kent Passage.
Enjoy.
Hopefully I’ll be afloat this weekend and in case it slipped you by – next weekend is the BIGGIE – Mahurangi Regatta, the biggest woody event in NZ.
If you believe the MCC website – there is a classic launch parade, I understand the CYA are behind it, but details are a ‘little’ light’ 😦
I have cut and pasted below what appears on the MCC website and marked the parade assembly area / time i.e. 10.15am at Scotts Landing.
As per previous years, entry is a formality that a lot turn a blind eye to, you can just rock up on the day – as long as you are a classic and made of wood 🙂
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Remember to slip $20 cash into your pocket to pick up a copy of the Mahurangi Cruising Club year book – its a cracker
MCC YB 2020 Cover

Tapui

TAPUI
photos ex Chris Leech

The above photos show the Salthouse launch, Tapui. When these were taken she was owned by the late Ian Ward and Frank Gimson (both life members of the DYC). I’ll let Chris Leech chip in with the story on the prank that two DYC members played on Ian. The two perpetrators were Rob Wallace & Bob Thompson. The painting is a classic David Barker & now hangs in the DYC clubrooms, as the ‘Ian Ward Memorial Trophy’, for I understand a DYC launch Log Rally – won by Chris Leech in Castaway (Islander) .

The photos below are from her launching at DYC

Can we uncover anymore details on Tapui & where she is these days?

Harold Kidd Input

I first came across Ian Ward when we were founder members of the Pupuke Boating Club which operated off Takapuna Beach from a flagstaff on Muir Douglas’ beachfront house. We raced a motley collection of centreboarders, Zeddies, IA’s, Silver Ferns, and miscellaneous sailing dinghies. Ian was about 14 and a character already. Others of his age included David Barker, Adrian Greatorex, Paul Rusden and Bondy. We saw the meteoric Roberts brothers with their crack Zeddie TAWAKI and Murray Follas with his 1st Div IAs KHAMA then THUNDERBIRD on occasion. At first John Chapple and I raced my IA TUNA, a Zeddie whose name I forget, then a succession of Pennants and Q Class 12 footers, GLEE/CAPRICE, DIXIE and finally FLAMINGO with which John won the Interdominion 12 footer Champs 3 or 4 times in a row. John later designed the CHEROKEE class for the Club.
Ian was a considerable character and that was reflected in TAPUI and her exploits over the years.

photos (ex tradeaboat) added.

Just received a current photo ex Mike Quilter, not a bad sailor 😉 , who now owns Tapui & has removed the flying bridge 🙂 – there will be a ww t-shirt in the mail to Mike, anyone that gets the chainsaw out deserves a reward.