2023 Thames Traditional Boat Festival + Woody Kawau Weekend

2023 Thames Traditional Boat Festival + Woody Kawau Long Weekend

Following on from Sundays story on Olaf Wiig’s slipper launch – Vega, todays photos comes to us from Olaf who attended the Thames traditional boat festival in his slipper launch.

There is an awful lot of varnish on display and the attention to detail is spot on. The festival is on my bucket list. Olaf commented that this years festival didn’t have the usual sparkling weather but there was still plenty of varnish on display. He focused the camera on some of the interesting smaller boats.  

Links below to previous festivals:

2019 (photos ex Ian Gavin)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/11/04/2019-thames-traditional-boat-festival-100-classic-wooden-boats/

2020 (photos ex Olaf Wiig)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/09/06/thames-traditional-boat-festival-2021/
2021  (photos ex the ‘Cruising The Cut’ weblog)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/29/2022-thames-traditional-boat-festival/

There are a few woody events coming up as we enter spring > summer, but I wanted to highlight the plan for Labour weekend (October 21>23). If your anything like me this year has been a non event in terms of over nighting on the boat, so lets all try and make Labour weekend special.

As a bonus the Kawau Boating Club will be re-opening that weekend after a refurbishment, if your not a member I encourage you to join, the club needs help to continue to operate as a haven in the gulf.

Ps you don’t have to be a KBC to enjoy the weekend.

More details closer and pre-xmas event dates below.

Woodys Abroad

WOODYs ABROAD

One of our most passionate and talented woodys – Olaf Wiig is currently based in the UK but still owns back in NZ the stunning 48’ 1953 Lidgard built launch – Ngaro (photo below) which the family cruises on in the NZ summer (when we have one).

After returning this time to the UK Olaf quickly found a woody project to keep his hand in.

The photos above are of Olaf’s 1930’s Andrews slipper launch named – Vega. This is a style of launch which is unique to the upper Thames.  The first of its type was a boat called “merc” it is part of the national Maritime museum’s collection https://nmmc.co.uk/object/boats/slipper-launch-merk-from-1912/

Olaf commented that the boat had been out of the water for some time so the main job was to address the dried out bottom planks and re caulk her seams. The more enjoyable bit was to re-varnish her. Some 14 odd coats of traditional yacht varnish and some 24ct gold leaf she was ready for the water. Just in time for the Thames traditional boat festival, and that will be tomorrows story 😉

Ngaro