Tag Archives: Work boat

Souvenir – Work-boat Wednesday

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SOUVENIR – Work-boat Wednesday

Back in March 2020 whilst mooching around the Whangarei Town Basin one of the craft I photographed was he ex work-boat – Souvenir (my photo below).

Early this week Ant Smit was also walking the docks and sent in the above photos of Souvenir.

Can we learn more about this vessel – when I ask the question “does it move” I know I leave myself open for a side-swipe but every time I’m at the basin she is there.

INPUT ex Dean Wright – Photo below ex Dean dated xmas 2021, location – Army Bay.

Dean also forward comments from John Gander – “Souvenir was designed by Roger Carey for Erskin Neame a Blenheim fisherman, built in 1954 by Curnow and Wilton Nelson Boatbuilders. And powered with a 6L3 Gardner. For a number of years after launching Erskin with his crew Frank Derbyshire trawled out from the Wairau bar. She was later to be seen fishing out of many South Island ports.”

Gaylene – Where Is She Now

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GAYLENE – Where Is She Now

Woody John Dawson sent in the above photos of the vessel – Gaylene, and commented that they were dated Jan 1955 and the event was her official launching. 

Based on her configuration, its safe to assume she was a work-boat, hard to read but her reg # may be AK96.

Location – the old viaduct, possibly near the P. Vos Shed. A quick scan of the P. Vos book – ‘Launching Dreams’ didn’t uncover her build name, so its not a Vos built woody.

The question today is what became of her and is she still around.

INPUT ex Chris Rabey via Russell Ward – GAYLENE has been Gisborne based for many years, I think she is still there. I took the picture below a long time ago in Gisborne.

INPUT and photos below ex Cameron Pollard – sadly Gaylene is no longer afloat, sunk. Unsure of reason, location, date.

Waihou > Ngapuhi

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WAIHOU > NGAPUHI 

The 1953 Lane built woody – Ngapuhi started life as a towing launch for Lane & Sons (Timber Millers) at their premises in Totara North, Whangaoa Harbour. Originally named Waihou. Purchased by Northland Port Corporation in 1963 her name was changed to Ngapuhi & she served as the pilot boat for the Whangarei Harbour  Board for 35 years. 

She last appeared on WW in December 2020 when she was offered for sale – lots of history, details and photos at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/12/18/ngapuhi-waihou/

Brief over view – 45’5″ in length, 12’ beam and draws 3’6”. Kauri carvel planked. Powered by twin Gardner 6LXBM52- 127hp that has her governed at 11 knots max speed.

Given her ex commercial work and being in survey Ngapuhi is very well spec’ed.

Other than the occasional cruise to Auckland and the outer islands, home has been the Far North.

Fast forward to mid 2022, sees Ngapuhi residing in Auckland and getting a birthday – like a lot of ex work boats there was a degree of deferred maintenance that her new owners are addressing. The new paint job is rather swish. Looking forward to her joining in on some of the woody events coming up this summer.

Photos below per-purchase at Opua

UPDATE 18-08-2022 – Ex Ray Morey – Ngapuhi ex Waihoa was designed and built by Brian Lane himself at the old Lane property in Totara North. Original engines were a handed pair of GM 4-71 @ 115 hp. N.H.B replaced these with Detroit 4-71N series engines after several years of service.

Phyllis

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PHYLLIS

After a long career earning her keep across multiple owners in and around the Waitemata Harbour, the ex work-boat Phyllis has been up north in the Bay of Islands in recent years. Sadly her owner pasted away and his 3 daughters inherited the boat. 

I’m sure that the likes of Russell Ward and Baden Pascoe will be able to enlighten us further on the vessel. What we do know is that she was built by Harvey and Lang c.1913 and was up until recently (2013) the oldest working tug boat still in survey.

Woody John Wright and cohorts have taken over Phyllis and last week steamed her down from the B.O.I. to Auckland on one engine – took 23 hours, and with only on board.

Already she has been hauled out at the Te Atatu Boating Club and been given a freshen up.

Call For Help – Phyllis has one dud engine, so the guys are looking out for a Ford 120hp – so if you have one in the basement / under the bench etc – Phyllis would be a very good home for it 🙂

UPDATE – READ THE COMMENTS SECTION – LOTS OF CHAT

INPUT EX CAMERON POLLARD – photos below from her Auckland working days for Blue Boats etc

12-04-2023 Update – new photos added.

Sad video below of the 162’ schooner Eleonora E being hit by a commercial ship – she later sank. Happened in the Port of Tarragona, the offshore supply vessel – ‘Punta Mayor’ had an issue with being locked in reverse and t-boned the Eleonora E.

Argo

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ARGO

Earlier in the month Dave Stanaway sent in the above photos of the ex fishing vessel – Argos, docked at the Kaipara Boating Club berth in Dargaville. She was there for a couple of days. Dave later advised that Argo was owned by a young family that were cruising NZ waters in her. 

Update ex Dean Wright – check out the owners travels here  https://www.facebook.com/cruisingonargo

Back in June 2020 she was spotted in Te Kouma by Dennis MacConaghie, photo below.

Can we shed some more light on the history of Argo.

Patina

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PATINA

Several WW readers gave me the heads up on the tme listing for the 36’ launch – Patina. She started life as a passenger ferry in the Marlborough Sounds, but these days is a live-a -board in Wellington.

We are told she was built in 1913. Looking at the stunning shaped stern – this date is possible. 

A very sage woody told me once, when you buy a classic wooden launch, value wise, all you are buying is a floating shed for the engine and that is where the true value lives, in the case of Patina, that is so true. Back in 2007 she was re-powered with a 40hp Yanmar diesel that has only done 150 hours.

Anyone able to confirm / add to what we know about Patina?

Leonardo – Gets A Birthday

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LEONARDO – Gets A Birthday

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 🙂

Koputai – Workboat Wednesday

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KOPUTAI – Workboat Wednesday

I was recently contacted by Campbell MacLean after he ‘discovered’ the WW stories (links below) on the boat – Koputai. She was built in 1939 by Miller & Tunnage in Port Chalmers for use as a pilot vessel. Her specs are 56’ x 14’6” and she draws 6’5”.

Campbell sent in the above photos he has of Koputai, his grandfather, John Maclean was chief pilot and Harbour Master in Dunedin, and had a bit to do with commissioning of the Koputai in the late 1930’s.
The top photo is a painting by C R Carey in 1940. This was on the wall at the MacLean crib (Pilot House #1) at the Spit, Aramoana, and probably gifted to John before he died in 1940.

The 2nd photo is of Koputai in the harbour near Taiaroa Head, opposite the spit.
Do link on the above below links – so much material and photos from the past and her conversation to pleasure craft.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/03/08/53293/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/06/koputai


LABOUR WEEKEND – MATAKANA RIVER RAID – POSTPONED 

The folks at the Kawau Boating Club have advised that due to the uncertainty of the ability to gather due to CV-19 restrictions, the decision has been been made to postpone the event – fingers crossed for a new date this year 🙂

Power Chief

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POWER CHIEF

Today’s woody is a very smart looking 40’ ex work boat named Power Chief, which given the stated 1906 year of build, I suspect has had a name/s change at some stage.

Her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) tells us she was built by McPherson Bros. on the banks of the river Lieth in Dunedin, South Island. She fished for many years out of Port Chalmers, Oamaru and Timaru – these days home is Back Beach, Port Chalmers.

The seller is very conservative in the asking price so I suspect she will be snapped up asap. No mention of what powers her.
Any southern woodys able to tell us more about how and when this fishing boat made the transition to pleasure?

Harold Kidd Input – POWER CHIEF was a new name given to an earlier launch built in 1923 (according to NAPS records – Z166) probably by McPhersons.
G J Morrison of Company Bay Port Chalmers bought her in 1939 and renamed her POWER CHIEF after a popular brand of Caltex petrol. He was probably a garage proprietor. Her dims were 36′ x 9’3″ x 3′ 6″ and she had a 16hp Viking marine engine built in Dunedin by Tonkinson.
I haven’t figured out her original name yet.

07-03-2022 UPDATE Recent photos of PC hauled out, she is powered by a Nissan LD28 diesel engine.

KOTARE – The Most Affordable Waterfront Apartment In Auckland

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KOTARE – The Most Affordable Waterfront Apartment In Auckland


Over the last few years we have seen a surge in the number of workboat > pleasure boat conversions. Bang for bucks you can end up with a lot of boat.Todays woody Kotare has appeared on WW before, link below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/03/05/kotare-3/

At 50’ Kotare would be one of the best conversions I have seen and is now offered for sale – owned by a fastidious passionate woody, everything is presented in as perfect condition and is ready to motor off into the sunset or just stay at the marina and enjoy waterfront living.

Expressions of interest to   waitematawoodys@gmail.com

31-03-2021 More photos & video added