Tag Archives: Workboat

LAUNCH DAY MYSTERY – MANAIA

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LAUNCH DAY MYSTERY – MANAIA

Another photo sent in by John Dawson – to some of the WW workboat group the answer to ’Name the boat’ is probably very easy. Not for me however – things that help –

• 1st three letters of the name are  – MAN

• home port is shown as Whangarei

• lack of varnish suggests a workboat

• style suggests pilot boat• funnel may have the letters WHB on it > Whangarei Harbour Board

So what say the workboat brains trust

UPDATE – Thanks to several woodys we have confirmation that the vessel is Manaia – Designed by AJ Collings and built at the P. Los yard in 1963, for the Northland Harbour Board as a toilet boat.  LOTS of photos and detail in the links below https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/01/26/manaia/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/04/05/manaia-a-peek-down-below/


MYSTERY MAHURANGI WORKBOAT – RURU

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MYSTERY MAHURANGI WORKBOAT – RURU

Todays woody comes to us from Dave Balderston via hid cubby Dave Stanaway. 

Dave B. spotted the boat hauled out at the Cement Works Marina up the Mahurangi River in Warkworth.

The Daves and myself are keen to learn more about the boat and what the plans are for her.

18-04-2024 Input ex Ari at the Quayside Boat Yard – Yes, Ruru was designed and built by Chris Robertson for John Spencer to help them transport gear and maybe the odd animal between John’s island farms in the Coromandel and the mainland. As can be seen by her condition, she had been left unused for years, with the Spencer’s having larger barges to do this kind of work nowadays. One of Chris’ Son’s, Martin, has since acquired her and collectively with the crew here at Quayside Boatyard, plan to bring her back to her former glory and utilise her as a river/harbour work boat.

KONINI – A Peek Down Below

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KONINI – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody slips onto WW primarily because home of the 34’ launch – Konini is Queenstown and thats where I am today. Thanks to a tme listing back in Nov 2023 (via Ian McDonald) we learnt that Konini started life as a fishing boat from the east coast of the South Island. Her owner back in 2023 bought it from a fisherman in Bluff.  Her hull is double skin kauri plank and the cabin and wheelhouse were rebuilt about c.2017.

A 51hp Perkins 4.108 pushes her along at 6>7 knots. I’m sure she gets some sideways looks from tourists onboard the TSS Earnslaw, but as they say – ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ 🙂

MYSTERY WORKBOAT TA74

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MYSTERY WORKBOAT TA74

Todays woody photo comes to us from the Tauranga City Library collection via Dean Wright.

Based on the photo tag – the date is probably April 1966. The fishing ‘license’ # (someone remind the correct term please) is TA 74.

Anyone know more about the boat and what became of her?

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