Tag Archives: Vacuna

SUNKEN CLASSIC LAUNCH (VACUNA) & TWO CLASSIC YACHTS ON THE ROCKS

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SUNKEN CLASSIC LAUNCH & TWO CLASSIC YACHTS ON THE ROCKS

Woody Ian Gavin (MV FLORANCE DAWN) sent in the above photo of what appears to be a classic launch in serious trouble. The photo appeared in the NZ Herald, online Northland edition and the location was tagged ’Near Parua Bay jetty, Whangarei’ . The article appeared on 21-01-2025.

From what I can see it does have several Lidgard design events visible.

Can anyone ID the vessel and give us an update on what became of her – hopefully recovered.

Update ex Ian Gavin – didn’t sink below the waves and has been re floated.

UPDATE ex Paul Drake and Ken Ricketts – the ;launch is the 36′, 1958 Owen Woolley built  – VACUNA. Which also sank in 2016 and is one of WW’s most revealing stories https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/25/vacuna-2/

SATURDAY NIGHT AT MAHURANGI WAS EVIL – To quote John Bertenshaw (EX FB) – “Last night at anchor was , let me search for a phrase which might best capture the experience…oh yeah, it was hell. Crowded anchorage, serious wind, nasty chop , wind against tide, etc etc. No one dragged on us though, choice.”
ELSE WHERE NOT SO GOOD – 2 WOODYS ON THE ROCKS – I took the photo below of RANUI and CORONA at 6.15 am on Saturday morning. Post the yacht race they must have made the call to head to a ’safer’ anchorage , in this case – Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island. The storm was that bad that RANUI dragged anchor and both her and CORONA went onto the rocks. Dockside chat says the damage was superficial only.

Big WW day tomorrow – a photo gallery from the Mahurangi Regatta and happenings around Kawau Island. Enjoy the last day of the long weekend and if in Auckland check out the classic boating activity on the harbour for the anniversary day regatta.

Katoa + Vacuna – In The 1950’s

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KATOA + VACUNA – In The 1950’s
Following on from the recent WW update story on the launch – Katoa, I was contacted during the week by Richard Daley, whose grandfather – Reg Bull owned Katoa during the 1950’s. She was kept on Lake Taupo and Richard’s mother –  Judy, spent much of her holidays aboard her during this time. Richard commented that the family found her a vast improvement on Reg’s previous boat, the Nomad, which rarely managed to get around Rangitira Point on the way to the Western Bays.


On selling Katoa, Reg had Owen Woolley build him a replacement – Vacuna, which was launched in 1959. Vacuna  featured in WW a few years ago in a less salubrious story regarding her sinking & subsequent sale – RIP Tom the Torch 😉 .

The photos above show both from that period, Richard says the one of Katoa is proof that she did make it to the Western Bays on many occasions.
WW Katoa links

https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/03/54970/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/12/04/new-arrival-at-mapua/


WW Vacuna link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/25/vacuna-2/

RSVP (boat name & approx # of passengers) to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Vacuna

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VACUNA

I have deleted my comments about this boat – yes its for sale but be careful. The 4 sale story & her actual past appear to not add up.

I repeat – be careful – in fact refer the last ww story on her – link below

Vacuna

26-11-2016 UPDATE

This weblog is many things to many people, one of those things is to ensure that the classic wooden boating community is kept abreast of happenings in & around the many marinas & boat yards scattered across NZ.
We get sent 100’s of photos of boats hauled out, photos of work-in-progress – both good work & dodgy work, I publish most things, often just an addition to  previous story, that way future owners can get an insight into a vessels maintenance history. Quite often an owner gets a surprize to learn that at some stage in the past their pride & joy may have hit a rock, or even been to the bottom. In fact I learned this about my own boat.

So folks when I hear things that appear to be not right, I alert you to them – the launch Vacuna is a case in point – I have NEVER had so many phone calls or emails about one single vessel, all I’ll say is that I would not buy her 😉

Also at waitematawoodys we very rarely moderate what others post in the comments section – the seller of Vacuna has attempted to post 9 comments that we have chosen to not publish – the last will be enough to get them banned from waitematawoodys, only the 2nd person ever.
I have repeated the comment below – this was their reply to a comment made by one of waitematawoodys most loyal & knowledgeable woodys.

“Get your facts right before you comment on marking a quick Buck.
Who the hell are or what are you. A lose mouthed women that has no idea about anything trying to get a name for her self at the expense of others.”

Vacuna

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VACUNA – a woody project?
Vacuna is a 36′ Owen Woolley launch, designed and built in 1958. Unfortunately she has had a wee oops, to quote the insurers she was flooded to the top of her twin Perkins diesel engines, not sure how that happened but we are told the engines were immediately flushed & inhibited.
At the moment Vucuna is hauled out at Half Moon Bay & available for inspection. Bidding starts at $5,000 & closes 23 August.

Now if it stays low, someone will get a nice woody that appears to not need too much to bring her back.
Do we know anything about her past ?

Input from Paul Drake
My understanding is that she was built for a Mr Bull (Jack?)by Owen Woolley. She was built of totara, since she was destined for Taupo, and her owner was wary of rot which, in some quarters, is associated with fresh water boats. She was at Taupo for many years under the same name. Mr Bull had previously owned KATOA, well covered in WW. This information is as I have always understood it, and was recently confirmed by the original owner’s son, who I chanced to meet down at the boat harbour here in Taupo.  It is interesting to note the beamy, hard chine VACUNA compared with the narrow gutted, round bilge KATOA. No doubt the Bull family had had enough of rolling around. A VACUNA story was related to my brother Michael only two days ago. VACUNA was on a temporary mooring off the beach at Kinloch. She came free in a sou’westerly and was about to wash up on the beach. The call went out to the local holiday population and dozens of them entered the water in an effort to save her, much like a beached whale. One of them, a strong swimmer, took a line back to the mooring buoy, and VACUNA was hauled off the beach.
Below is a pic of VACUNA, it shows her on her mooring in the Taupo boat harbour in the early 1960’s. The other launch is EL ALAMEIN, now RANUI, already featured on woodys.
The boatsheds in the background are long gone, sadly. SIR FRANCIS occupied the shed seen here over the stern of EL ALAMEIN. The door is open and our car parked on the road outside. The photo I took, of course, from SIR FRANCIS.

L>R Ranui > Vacuna
photo below ex Ken Ricketts

VACUNA - KR