Mystery Whangaroa Launch 1930’s
Todays woody is a big ask to identify – the caption is captioned ‘1930’s Whangaroa’ but the vessel is unnamed.Its mooching around a large school of Kahawai so no doubt is trolling a lure.
The photo comes to us from the British Museum via Lew Redwood fb and the photographer is probably J.M. Booth.
Are we able to put a name to the launch?
REMEMBER – WOODY STILLWATER DOCKSIDE PICNIC TOMORROW
Ethel Big Game Fishing
The passage of life sometimes is a tad scary – recently I have been doing several stories based around Whangaroa Harbour in the Far North and yesterday the phone rings and one of the last standing relatives has passed on – and where is the funeral – Whangaroa, so tomorrow the car will be pointing north. These events are never good but in her mid 90’s, it will be a celebration of life.
Anyway moving on to todays story – thanks to a Lew Redwood fb post we get to see a c.1931 photo gallery of the launch – Ethel in / around Whangaroa Harbour, in her big game fishing heyday. Regular WW readers will known my personal views on this heinous practice – one photo is tagged ‘Mako shark being killed with a spade’. Ok its not a spade, but seriously how barbaric is that.
(Photos ex The British Museum collection)
Get a Wee Bit Excited About The Upcoming Mahurangi Regatta – next weekend – Jan 28th.
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
Weigh In Time At Whangaroa
Todays photo, dated 1938 by Tudor Collins ex the Auckland Museum via Glen Ngapuhi and Len Redwood fb shows several launch off the wharf at the Whangaroa Swordfish & Big GameFish Club.
Can we attempt to name the boats L>R? My contributions – I think of the two dark hulled craft, stern in, the one on the right (middle) is Ethel.
INPUT EX NATHAN HERBERT – These game fishers are the Marlin, the Rosemary and the Wanderer II
Woody On Wheels
Last year on fb John Bertenshaw posted the photo below of a 1963 woody MGB , photo taken at the 60th anniversary of the MGB model.
Mooching Around Whangaroa Harbour
Pointed the car north yesterday for a fleeting visit to one of my favorite woody haunts – Whangaroa Harbour in the Far North. Always a great display of classic craft either tied up at the marina or moored in the bay.
Terrible internet connection and battery life disappearing fast – so I’ll add names to the vessels when I’m back in the big smoke 🙂
Enjoy the gallery.
BLUE SKIES
The photo above is of the game launch – Blue Skies, anchored off the Hotel Marlin in Whangaroa Harbour. The photo is ex The Northlander – issue #4, 1964 and comes to us via Anthony Waddingham.
The photo was used in an advertisement for the hotel. The ad stated that Blue Skies was licensed to carry six fisherman in unsurpassed comfort.
Can anyone enlighten us as to theft of Blue Skies, is she still around and if so, in what configuration?
I’m told from several sources that the snapper fishing in the gulf is excellent at present – my daughter caught 5, late afternoon on Monday – and says this was the smallest 🙂 yeah right. You’ll note the low % of wood in the photo – points off for going out on a plastic boat.
Whangaroa Big Game Fishing Launch
WHANGAROA MYSTERY LAUNCHES
Whangaroa Harbour 1971
The above photo (by G. Riethmaier) is dated Jan 1971 & show several craft in the bay of the Northland Lodge (later to become Kingfisher Lodge)
Can any woody ID the launch on the left?
CYA Riverhead Pub Cruise – Tomorrow
Don’t forget that tomorrow (Sunday) we will have some of the classic launch fleet cruising to the Riverhead Hotel for lunch. Boats are departing at 11.30am from under/around the Auckland Harbour Bridge, then proceeding to the Riverhead with an estimated ETA of 1.00pm. As always it’s fairly casual, so you can join in at any stage on-route. For the newbies – follow the leader & you will be all good in terms of navigating the ‘creek’. Remember to bring a dinghy. And if you are boat-less, come by car.
There is always a good turn-out of waitematawoodys there (photo below)
If the sun shines, there will be some good photos on WW on Monday
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