A look in a boatbuilders yard Auckland NZ

[John B]

So since Friday is a day I have cover in the office I snuck out and took a ½ Hour drive out to a boat builders north Auckland yard for a sticky beak at what’s going on. Colin Brown has accumulated a collection of boats out there that are either being stored awaiting work or are current projects.
Amongst them are the 1886 Bailey design Awatea built as a centerboard fishing boat but converted to a yacht later.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/pe9d4fa10ca3c57b2831891101d957ef8/ecde5965.jpg
She has a complicated and intriguing history but was pulled apart for restoration in the 1980’s and sat outside for many years.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p79f7fad6f29cb5d1f838909d0f2cd127/ecde5905.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p7f37c4defcf370931453ffc8721ecf1d/ecde5843.jpg
Colin and his partner in the boat, Peter McCurdy have secured it and have now formed a trust with their wives with the aim to restore this boat to an as original condition.( they will seek sponsorship to assist with what will be a major and significant restoration.) Most importantly she's stabilised and is not detiorating further.

Also in the yard is Tucana , a racing yacht built in Otago circa early 1900’s IIRC.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p917573a8f4c2658e868bc8e40a689d1e/ecde59d7.jpg
She’s had a plank or two added to her sheer and had a major rebuild in the mid 1980’s .
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p5c3c0e8b92c8b9ef924cc0c8b7238868/ecde59d6.jpg
Unfortunately she’s somewhat loosened up and being a single skin boat she’s need some rather radical garboard and rib and floor surgery. A bit of an Eye opener. She’ll miss the first race of the season but should be in for the major part of summer. She's an interesting boat for her flat run which is quite different to the norm for here.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p059d2e8631add089bbd7c5df89f9bf3b/ecde59db.jpg
about 36 ft approx

Outside is Windward , an 1890’s Logan boat . I think she’s 1894 from memory.She's also about 36 37 ft thereabouts.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p5f5a290a5eff187991289be11735e222/ecde57ee.jpg

She’s in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment but is a very shapely and potentially speedy boat. Incidentally Ngatira , a boat also under current restoration is sail # B2, Our boat Waione was B3 ( now A33)and Windward is B4.

Also outside is the Jessie Logan which is also owned by a new Trust.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p30a1f39408f11a2affef56e440e59dbc/ecde574d.jpg
J. lo is a Logan snr of 1886 approx and is a very significant historic yacht for NZ. She had a major rebuild a few years ago and sailed very well with an enormous rig in her. I think the plan is to lighten that rig and make it a bit smaller to make her safer and more forgiving to sail.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/pe4abf2d64302c4239c31587ac26bc17e/ecde5734.jpg

[MarkC]

Look at that difference between the 1880's boats (flat stem - fishing-boat-style) and the 1890's (V shaped - with keels).

Interesting transition period - the J. Logan has a center-board?

[John B]

Hi Mark.. yes she's a cb.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid40/p1c3a84c0f222417480a2e11ad0e8ef7d/fd02cf58.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid50/p8eafa33e36d1f0438d1b8c19be0686b1/fca92a52.jpg

I always liked this shot with Rona ,the Watson in the background
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid50/pec86abe31addfa6c9205cf5ffdca564c/fca92945.jpg

[John B]

Can't find a Tucana sailing shot.
here she is to the right of us
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/pd7176da722d7c26458bf7e905bc602de/f0249295.jpg.

[Rick Starr]

What a great field trip!

Did I understand correctly that this boat...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p059d2e8631add089bbd7c5df89f9bf3b/ecde59db.jpg
...had a plank or two added? If so, Wow!

[Rick Starr]

Now with the pic of Tucana you just posted I see more clearly. Still, the stern seems too dainty to have had anything added!

Thanks for a great set of pics.

[John B]

Its a good day you get to paw around a bunch of old boats eh Rick.
She's been docked. IIRC she just feathered out into a radiused counter with no transom per se. I have a pic of her in a magazine or book somewhere.

[Jase]

http://www.classicyacht.org.nz/photogallery.php?photo_id=58
Tucana Sailing

[Concordia...41]

Thanks John!

[pcford]

Yes, thanks, beautiful old queens.

[John B]

Worth a look isn't it. I've said before I'm reluctant to crash in and stop people working but all these guys are so welcoming and really have a lot of passion about what they do. I'm envious because they're in a vocation, not just a job.

Its interesting getting back to that 1880's threshold as there doesn't seem to be many of that age left. The kauri is good but generally they're suffering around any fastening areas.stem and keelson etc.I've had some interesting discussions as to why they cut off there and there aren't any much older. One reason is that they were of a hull form which suited launches and that they were converted for fishing and therefore went on for a pretty hard life. Or that they are there but as launches, just not that recognisable. Anyway the idea with Awatea is to keep her hull intact including as many ribs as possible. They want to skin her with a second layer but instead of encapsulating with glue they'll lay her up with red lead between hull layers and mechanically fasten with screws and rivets where appropriate. They'll stagger the plank seams so the new seam lies about the middle of the original plank. I haven't heard of this idea before but knowing Colin and Peter ( ex curator of the national maritime museum)obviously they have put a lot of thought into the method of acheiving the most sympathetic restoration whilst still being able to sail an 1880's boat hard in the usual NZ weather.Which is 5 to 35.plus.