MYSTERY TUTUKAKA CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MERLIN
Todays woody story is the last from my recent trip to Tutukaka marina. The woody seen in the above photos looks a tad familiar but my brain search mode is a somewhat slow these days 🙂 Not sure if she is midway thru a varnish job or just crying out for some TLC, hopefully the first.
Can we put a name to the vessel and anymore intel on her. – Its MERLIN, but we still know very little about her.
REEL THING / REAL TIME / MARY ANN + 2025 TALL SHIPS REGATTA
Not often I start with an apology but todays craft wouldn’t normally be a lead WW story, a tad too much happening up top but I spotted REAL THING berthed in the Tutukaka Marina recently and the there is a very smart hull under the additions. I’m sure the addition would pass the Auckland Council Unitary Plan re height of new dealings 😉
Can any of th northern woodys tell us more about REEL THING.
INPUT ex ERIC SANDERSON – the boat featured on WW back in 2023 under the name REAL Time (also once named MARY ANN) built in 1962 by ‘Tauranga Boatbuilders’ See/read more at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/08/15/reel-time-mary-ann/
TALL SHIPS REGATTA 2025 – RUSSELL BOATING CLUB
Learn more here russellboatingclub.org.nz
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – VOI
On my recent trip to Tutukaka marina one of the classic craft that caught my eye was – VOI.
A modern-ish hull and a small apartment on top but VOI is set up for game fishing so gets away with it nicely.
My brains trust have suggested its design starts with a V, as in vindex, with a possible spot of lengthening. Dam if it is thats another one thats slipped under the WW radar 😦
Anyone familiar with the vessel and can enlighten us more on her design / builder.
Hopefully today I’ll be enjoying the company of fellow classic woodys tied up at the Clevedon Cruising Club for our annual (ish) overnight BBQ cruise up the Wairoa River 🙂 Lots of photos on Monday.
CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS AT TUTUKAKA MARINA
Łatę last week I had to visit Tutukaka Marina in Northland, first up a confession – I had never been there before by road. Made an emergency stop there 40+ years ago on a yacht that was taking on water to the extent that we were sinking i.e. manual bilge pump and bucket couldn’t keep up – ’saved’ by a fishing boat that rafted us up and took us into Tutukaka where we went straight on the grid and waited for the falling tide. Issue repaired and after a very long day at the bar in the Swordfish Club, continued on to the Bay of Islands. That woodys is the short story, before the fishing boat arrived we were at the point of grabbing what we wanted to take with us in the very small dinghy……..
Very impressed with the marina and surrounding area, friendly staff and well maintained set up.
While waiting to meet someone I walked the docks and snapped a few photos of some of the classic wooden craft berthed there. I have a few more but will save them for future stories.
Looking forward to the woodys Clevedon overnight / BBQ cruise this weekend – weather forecast to looking good.
Northern Classic Woody Gander
Today thanks to Dean Wright we get to wander the docks at Tutukaka marina and point the lens towards the Ngunguru River.
It was a slow day yesterday so I have done the hard work for you i.e. you will find links to previous WW stories on the boats that have appeared on WW in the past. Links found in the title section under each photo – enjoy 🙂
And if you can tell us more about the unknown boats e.g. there provenance, that would be great. If you haven’t come to grips with using the comments section – just send an email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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