Tag Archives: Valhalla

Valhalla At Whangaroa 1932 + Woody Quiz

Posted on by
Reply

Valhalla At Whangaroa 1932

In the above March 1932 photo we see the launch Valhalla alongside the wharf at the Whangaroa Swordfish and Big Gamefish Club in Northland.

Two very impressive Mako sharks are being weighed in – must have been a hell of a battle to land that pair in a boat the size of Valhalla 🙂

I’m a bit light on intel on Valhalla – can we learn more on her?

(Photo ex Lew Redwood fb)

INPUT ex Greg Philpott – below press clippings. I wonder if she survived the fire i.e. rebuilt.

WEDNESDAY WOODY QUIZ – Win WW t-shirt + a Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Calendar

⎈ Name the boat yard and location (approx) in the photo below – and your are in the draw for a WW t-shirt + LRC&WB calendar. ENTRY ONLY VIA EMAIL TO THE ADDRESS BELOW (entries close 6pm 18-01-2023

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

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

Kerikeri Wharf

Posted on by
3

Scan_20171225 - Copy (3)

Scan_20171225 (2) - Copy

KERIKERI WHARF

 

Todays photos come to us from Nathan Herbert and show a small flotilla of woodys that regularly cruised together – the boats being – Kudu, Lynmar, Kotanui, Haunui, and Valhalla. On this cruise Rakanoa was present also but had not made the trip up the river for provisions, she decided to ’stay out’ at anchor.

 
Nathan commented that Kotanui was always the ‘pilot’ boat for the Kerikeri river being as his grandfather – Jack Hobbs had been up so many times over the years in Pacific, now owned by Nathan.
 
Dulcie Dennes (Valhalla) told Nathan that on this particular trip, the men were sent up to Kerikeri township to get groceries, and forgot them altogether, instead spending the whole time at the pub. They had to hitch a ride on an orchard truck back down to the Stone Store basin, a few sheets to the wind…  I understand not all the men were guilty – Jack and Harry Julian had stayed at the boats to keep an eye on them.
 
Yesterdays Best Caption Competition
The comments section on WW only ever goes a maximum of 15 (the last 15) comments, so I have reproduced them below. Given Flora’s on / off relationship with the boys in blue – her winner is Matthew Drake.  
Screen Shot 2020-04-17 at 5.26.38 PM
Click to view / enlarge the below 🙂 Thanks for all the entries
 

Mahurangi Weekend – Biggest On-The -Water Wooden Boating Event Down Under  – 200+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

Posted on by
Reply

IMG_3780

P1070941

 

DSC_0190

IMG_3779

IMG_3778

IMG_3773

P1080059

P1080052

Mahurangi Weekend – Biggest On-The -Water Wooden Boating Event Down Under  – 200+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

I think I should start today by apologizing to all the partners and bosses out there – I can see a very slow start to the week, might take a few hours to digest the above photo gallery – a selection of photos from Friday night thru until my trip home on Monday.
The weather for Auckland’s long weekend was just ace – for everyone, launches and yachts, for the whole 4 days.
As always the turnout for the regatta was incredible, I would predict record numbers afloat. The woody launch parade saw 25 launches register and another 17 (approx.) joined in on the day. One of the photos above shows some of the parade launches snaking across the harbour. Well done woodys.
If the attendance count was based solely on the number of dinghies at Scotts Landing for the Saturday night party, again it would have to be a record.
I apologize for the lack of photos from the Saturday night party at Scotts Landing, I was unable to attend, I was banned . Now I can imagine maybe one person on any committee could be a dog hater, but for the ‘Mahurangi Action’ (formerly  known as ‘Friends of Mahurangi’) committee to agree on a total 48hr dog ban ashore is hard to believe. But then I was told by a very public figure in the area – none of them have ever had to buy contraception in their lives – they use they personalities. So my question – Is it actually their ‘role’ to decide on whether boat owners can bring Fideo ashore?.
Maybe Mahurangi Action should stick to their core reason for being i.e. the Mahurangi Harbour.
I can imagine the relationship between the Mahurangi Cruising Club, the promoters of the actual boating regatta – the reason we all attend and Mahurangi Action, who run the shore based activities at Sullivans Bay and the Saturday night party, must at times be interesting. If I was MCC I would be appointing an event manager and running a solo event, including a function that the revenue from, would help fund the club. The weekend has got too big – I and a lot that I have spoken to would buy a ticket to attend – food for thought MCC ……..
Ps There were numerous dogs ashore, I was just one of the unlucky one that were apprehended coming ashore. What a waste of rate payers money to have professional security there + a dog ranger……….
A special thank you to Roger Mills for the aerial (drone) photos of Scotts Landing and the launch parade. Also Graeme Finch for topping up my photos with some of his own – thanks Graeme.
The photo below, while out of focus due to distance and 2 moving boats – sums up woody boating perfectly. The launch is Linda and the gathering of life jackets on the bow is the Brooke clan 🙂
Monday also saw the CYA running a launch race as part of the Auckland anniversary day regatta – coverage of this later in the week.
P1080064 2
WAITANGI DAY WOODY BEACH PICNIC – FEB 6 – Put A Circle In Your Diary, All Woodys Welcome. RSVP Below
Woody Waitangi Picnic
WBB0003_Banner-980x160

The Folly of Buying A Fixer-Upper With Mates

Posted on by
Reply

Screen Shot 2019-12-26 at 6.59.06 PM

The Folly of Buying A Fixer-Upper With Mates

Click the link below to read / view this great tales from ABC News – Australia, about 6 mates that took on the restoration of  – Southwinds (previously named Valhalla), a 70 year old, 18m, Hueon pine built classic ketch.
Thanks to Andrew Christie for the heads up on the story.

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

Valhalla A Peek Down Below

Posted on by
4

valhalla-14

valhalla-11

VALHALLA A PEEK DOWN BELOW

Valhalla featured on ww back in April of this year but we had no interior photos, Ken Ricketts has just emailed me the above. You can read more about her & her past, including photos at this link. Enjoy 😉
https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/04/30/18920/

23-12-2016 Update – photo below (ex Ken Ricketts) suggests that she was named Valhalla 1 when launched but the plate looks newer than the 1960’s so the jury is still out.

valhalla-official-name-valhalla-i-as-per-plate-22-12-16

 

Valhalla

Posted on by
9

Valhalla 2016

Launch day – May 1964
Launch day – May 1964

VALHALLA - 1

VALHALLA
details & photos from Kazik Jascia, Sea Spray magazine (Aug 1964) Ken Ricketts & B Worthington. edited by Alan H

Valhalla was designed & built by John Gladden of Milford & launched in May 1964 for Tony Bullock, as a sport game fishing boat.

She is 40 ft x 12ft. 6 x 3 ft. 6 draft, could sleep up to 7 people, & at date of launching was powered by a John Andrew converted, 100 hp, naturally aspirated, 6 cyl Ford diesel. She also had a 9 hp Lister auxiliary, for trolling, on the port side,  at the time of launching. Currently she s powered by a 130hp Ford Dover engine.

Her original cruising speed was 9.5 knots (now 8.5) at 1950rpm through & “Snow-Nabsted” hydraulic gearbox fitted with Morse controls, with a 2 to 1 reduction to a 3 bladed Henley 24 x 16 propeller

Her hull is single skin kauri carvel construction, with varnished solid teak coamings & decks & hardwood timbers.

Given that she spent time in charter there must be some photos & stories out there so if you can contribute to details on her past, email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Its That Time Of The Year

Posted on by
3

Retawai

Katie Didit
Katie Didit
Time Piece
Time Piece
Lucinda 🙂

Valhalla

Its That Time Of The Year

Mid week I dropped in to say hi to the Milford based boat builder, Geoff Bagnall & went next day to the Milford Cruising Club’s yard with the camera to snap a few woodys that are hauled out for the annual pre-summer love.

ps now I’m not a member of the Vindex fan club but there were two examples in Geoff’s shed getting makeovers, one in particular receiving an semi-enclosed cockpit, a job the Mr Bagnall does very well, Geoff has a very good eye for proportion & just getting the look right. Sorry no photos.