CLASSIC WOODYS CRUISING THE HAURAKI GULF – SUMMER 2023/24
Now todays post is the one you have been waiting on – the classic wooden (mostly) craft that I spotted around the Hauraki Gulf over the Dec 27 > Jan 5th period.
Probably the best turn out of woodys that I have seen – seems it just wasn’t me suffering from cabin fever 🙂
As always some photos are good, some not so good – direction of sun and distance dictates that. Mostly I’m taking photos as a visual account.
Enjoy the gallery – broken into locations – I have endeavoured to list the craft in the tagged section.
With 2023 being the worst boating year that I can recall, whilst I held high hopes I also was semi expecting another fizzer – well as most of you will know the Christmas – NY period turned out to be a winner for those that slipped the lines and headed away. Other than New Years eve being very wet (but warm) we enjoyed great launch cruising conditions. Not always perfect but if you picked a spot that suited the wind and travelled at times when conditions were settled it was never unpleasant. I put my faith in PredictWind and they delivered.
We left the marina on the 27th Dec. and chose Woody Bay, RAKINO ISLAND for Night One. Sundown drinks aboard Jenny and Angus Rogers stunning classic launch – Centaurus. Stunning sunset (as above)
Day Two was also spent in Woody Day as the wind had picked up, but very sheltered in the bay + the call had gone out for pizza from the islands Woody Bay Pizzeria, truely the best pizza’s I have eaten.
Day Three we moved around the corner to West Bay as the forecast had a W in it which isn’t normally a good thing at Rakino – very quiet in the bay so again secured a good spot and sent Day Three and Four there.
Morning of the 30th, Day Four was decision time – head north to KAWAU ISLAND or south to WAIHEKE ISLAND – forecast was turning south so WAIHEKE was probably the better call but me stuck with the original plan and head to KAWAU, Raindance is at her best when everything on the nose so it was an ok passage. We choose to anchor for the day / night in Bostaquet Bay , a first for me, and can report a very nice anchorage and again very few boats.
Day Five (31st) we headed over to Bon Accord Harbour and took up residence on one of the RNZYS club moorings just off Lidgard House in Smelter House Bay. Plan was NYE at the recently refurbished and re-opened Kawau Boating Club. Slight problem, the power had been off on the island for 24+ hours so club closed 😦
As we relaxed onboard several helicopters were flying overhead with all manner of kit dangling below – ladders, tool boxes etc – Around 3pm power returned and thank god the back up generator had kept the beer frig working 🙂 . But the rain arrived and continued non-stop most of the night. KBC appeared to get well supported but people tended to come ashore for a meal and retreat to the boat.
Day Six was a lazy day mooching around the island and back to the mooring + KBC
Day Seven we head south to WAIHEKE ISLAND and spent the day in Oneroa re provisioning and hosting some friends from Devonport for drinks, then catching up with Waiheke friends ashore.
Day Eight a lazy day exploring WAIHEKE and moved to Hekerua Bay for the evening. I crossed the dark side and had drinks onboard another friends new non wood boat – putting aside the construction it was very grand (ice maker + water maker – 200L a day) our pup was very taken with the ability to do 360° laps of the boat.
The plan was to head down to the ‘bottom end’ the next day but the forecast included a H & a E so the decision was made to head home after another lazy day, on Day Nine.
The trip restored my faith in owner a boat and helped make 2023 a distant memory.
There is so many photos that I have divided the trip report into two sections, Part One = the trip and Part Two (tomorrow) = the classic boats that were out and about. Todays story is broken up by location – ENJOY
(And sorry for the lengthy, slightly over-the-top title but there are key words that do wonders for the overseas search engines)
We last saw the Collings & Bell built Lorna Doone on WW back in April 2018, at the time we learnt that she was built in 1926, and one of four launches for the Zane Grey Sporting Club. When launched she was powered by a Redwing engine that gave her a very respectable 16 knots of speed.
In the 2018 story (link below) Martin Howson advised that in the late 1950’s when owned by Des Shimanski Lorna Doona came ashore in a big easterly blow in Hooks Bay, Waiheke Island. She survived that oops and returned to life as a long-liner moored in the Tamaki River, near Bucklands Beach.
In todays photos sent in by Ray Morey we see Lorna Doone in Whangaroa Harbour, in Northland. Sadly in the bottom two we see her c.1970’s when she was wrecked on Peach Island, in the middle of Whangaroa Harbour. (as advised by Gavin Bradley)
Can anyone tells us the back story to the Peach Island incident – its a well protected harbour and the island is almost dead centre with good deep water both sides – see photo below.
08-05-2023 Input ex Alice Morrison – Whangaroa can get some gnarly gusts through the valleys. A few months ago, the wooden yacht ‘Hope’ ran aground in Waitapu Bay/Ota Point when a big gust came through as he was lifting anchor. It actually happened again around at Ratcliffs Bay a few days later.
Waiheke Island Causeway Haul-Out After driving past the haul-out yard at the top of Putiki Bay most days, normally around mid-morning (worst light) I at last got the light and the tide right. Great collection of craft in various states of repair / refit – I imagine the council nazis’s keep a tight rein of the ‘residents’ but it was remarkably tidy.
The top b/w photo of the Rocky Bay Memorial Cruising Club at Waiheke Island is dated 1990 comes to us from the Akl Library Hert. Collection via Maurice Sharp – fast forward 30 years and its not a lot different – photo taken yesterday.
I also spotted my 1st wooden – below.
Found this little gem in a Waiheke store -1st Editions sell on trademe for $120+ , the asking price was $70, but the WW t-shirt, got me a $10 discount, because she felt it was gung to a good home. Further proof Joyce Talbot that I do like yachts 😉
Back in 2017 we reported that the 21’ carvel planked (kauri) ex workboat Leonardo was for sale. At the time she was in Christchurch an had had a new wheelhouse added. You can read and see more at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/11/leonardo/ She was powered by a 20hp Ford diesel engine.
Fast forward 4 years and Grant Edwards, owner of the launch Phyllis M reports in that Leonardo had been purchased by a fellow Waiheke Island gent named Lance Peterson. Lance had the boat transported to Auckland and started an extensive period of repair and restoration as she was in very poor health. Included in the refit was a replacement engine, another Ford, 2 cylinder this time, and the additional of a set of bilge keels for ‘drying out.
Leonardo was slipped back in the water during the week, but I understand did not travel far as she has a wee gearbox issue, which I’m sure will be righted quick smart.
I have to say she is a very salty looking ship and a fine additional to the island’s woody fleet. The photo below is from her early days in top of the South Island. Apologies for the two middle photos above , camera person oops 🙂
Rakino Island (West Bay on left – Woody Bay on right)Raindance & Morgana
West Bay, Rakino IslandMarise
Woody Bay Pizzeria – Rakino Island
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON RAKINO ISLAND – click to play – the singer, Jennie Cruse is Auckland based and available for hire – 021 266 4330
LibertyWindhaven II
MariseManuroaWaiariRaindance @ Garden Cove
GARDEN COVE – 360 deg Video – click to play
WOODY SUMMER BOATING CRUISE The WW story today is a photo gallery from the 2020/21 holiday period cruise on Raindance, the photos are not always that sharp, it was more like “look there’s one” and I would grab the camera and snap a photo. Click on the smaller photos to enlarge 😉
We mostly mooched around Waiheke and Rakino Islands – had 11 great days afloat, a little blowie at times but tucking away in the right spot with a good book was just what the doctor ordered. Only had 2 hours rain on one day, so can not complain. General observation was that it was quiet in most of the bays. I understand Great Barrier Island was very popular.As always there are a few food pix to break things up. The discovery of a pop-up pizzeria in Woody Bay, Rakino was the culinary highlight of the cruise 🙂
Thanks to help from several woodys sending in photos, we were able to continue the WW stories everyday over the holiday period and the viewing / reading numbers were strong thru-out. I think that one of the few positives from CV-19 is that a lot more people have either upgraded their digital devices or are now more tech savvy and are on-line more often.
Enjoy the photos – the next big woody event will be the Auckland Anniversary long weekend at Mahurangi.
Mystery Workboat Conversion According to her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) the above woody is – 44’ in length, built of kauri, powered by a 1978 Detroit 150hp diesel and calls Waiheke Island home. And that woodys is all we know.
I’m sure we can uncover more details. The conversion looks very tidy and the wood stove would indicate she has spent time in the our southern waters.
Stunning weather afloat, photo below of Raindance in Garden Cove, Waiheke Island – we sneaked in before the fizz boats and SeaLegs arrived.
Waitematawoodys resident B.O.I. woody – Dean Wright sent in the above gallery of photos from around the B.O.I.’s over the Christmas > NY period.I’ll let Dean tell the story.
“A few pics since Christmas Eve, not too many woody’s about.That is a floating jacuzzi. Just when you thought you’d seen everything 🙂 Zooming in looks like a woodburner mounted for’ard. A beautiful Townson in Opunga have forgotten the name, owned by a boat builder, complete with Townson dinghy. Gary’s Mason Bay in the background.Tamaroa also in Opunga Cove. Pics of the Fleming 55 on fire. Thank god the flames didn’t make it onto land. Moturua upwind or Motukiekie downwind.”
As always if you spot anyone or thing that might appeal to the WW readers, pull the phone out and snap a photo and send in to waitematawoodys@gmail.com Most of you will know that I like my food – the cheese scone below from the Beach Store, Onetangi, Waikehe Island – would have to #1 ever. Worth getting a wet ass relaunching the dinghy in the Onetangi beach waves 🙂
SARITA I have been contacted by Brian Blake in regard to his launch – Sarita, a 28’ possibly built by Shipbuilders. Brian purchased approx. 12 months ago and knows very little about her other than she was kept at Rocky Bay, Waiheke Island. Prior to this she may have resided in the Tauranga area. In the next few weeks Brian plans to haul her out for a refit that will include re-powering. Like all of us woody owners, Brian would love to learn more about Sarita’s past – so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Make sure to check out WW tomorrow, we have a stunning photo gallery of the classic yacht – Little Jim, competing in this years Coastal Classic Yacht Race. Tease photo below 🙂
Coming back last night from a 5pm re-launching at The Slipway Milford, I spotted a pod of Orca off NorthHead – that is two sightings in the last month.
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