The ‘marina’ (I use the term loosely) at the Riwaka Wharf, located between Motueka & Kaiteriteri, Nelson is probably best called mud berths. Don’t get me wrong thats not a negative description – the area is very well maintained and visually engaging.
Back in March 2018 friend John Burland snaps some photos of the area, WW did a story and the lead photo was the wooden clinker launch – WEST BAY berthed next to ROYAL SAXON.
Fast forward to yesterday which was a miserable wet day in Auckland and I was searching the WW files for a lost boating photo and I found a file tagged ‘Mud Berths – Riwaka Inlet’, it contained a collection of photos I had taken of the Riwaka Inlet on a trip down south.
Included were todays photos of WEST BAY ‘dried out’, she is a rather smart wee woody that must have a cool back story – so woodys can we learn more.
Results from Mondays poll on the hull colour of the launch – BONITA – blue the winner by a wide margin 🙂
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)
Following on from Sundays story on Matahorua the sailing cutter tied up at the Riwaka river / estuary , today we follow the camera of Tim and Pauline Evill as they explore the craft that call Riwaka their home ‘port’.
A fine collection of woodys, all appearing to be well loved – if you had the Riwaka agency for marine varnish , you wouldn’t remain in business for long 🙂
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.
The collection of photos above was sent in by my friend John Burland taken at the Riwaka Wharf, located between Motueka & Kaiteriteri. John commented that Aurora II has been in the channel at Mapua & Royal Saxton (one of my all time favorites) is often at Kaiteriteri Wharf.
Will be interesting to know what is hiding under the boat cover. The (to quote JB) ‘Disney World > Boats of the Future’ boat is c1950 & would have to be an ex life boat ? maybe off the sunken (1986) Russian cruise liner – Mikhail Lermontov.
Input from Brian M – Boat under cover is the “Rhonda Marie”. Wee clunker next to Royal Saxon is “West Bay. Life raft is “Jelly Bean”.
“Kairaki” with blue tarp over cockpit. “Mariner” with 2 masts. Pilot looking boat is the “Ponui”.
Input from Ken Ricketts – the last photo (bridgedecker with cover across front windows) is Varlene (previously Lady Sunshine) a Supreme Craft build. Also pictured Ken thinks is Al Marie (or La Marie) in the small strip of photos, 3rd for left.
Input From Paul Drake
Great to see PONUI in such good condition (photos 6 and 7). Named for Ponui Island, she is a 1907 Logan and was advertised For Sale in the Feb 3, 1912 New Zealand Yachtsman for 700 pounds. She became Napier’s pilot boat until 1950 when she appeared at Lake Taupo and worked commercially until the mid 1960’s. She then went to the top of the South Island (by sea from Napier) before going to the Kaipara Harbour where she continued to work commercially. She appeared on Trade Me in more recent years and was spotted departing Onehunga heading back to the South Island as deck cargo on a coastal ship. She is mentioned in the book ‘U-boat in New Zealand Waters’ – the story of U 862’s war patrol off Gisborne and Napier in 1945. PONUI was observed through the U boat’s periscope leading the coaster PUKEKO out of Napier harbour. (Some hours later, a torpedo was fired at PUKEKO but missed).
One of my favourite boats. Photos below:
First pic – PONUI when she was the Napier pilot boat.
Second and third pic – at Taupo, where she was a busy commercial boat. The third pic shows her on the beach at Waihaha in the Western Bays.
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