A Victory For Blokeish Escapism At This Year’s New Zealand Antique & Classic Boat Show
Something for everybody at the popular New Zealand Antique & Classic Boat Show.
Today we are traveling to beautiful Lake Rotoiti in New Zealand for the 16th Annual New Zealand Antique & Classic Boat Show, which was held on February 8th & 9th. Woody Boater has been covering this event since 2010 thanks to Pete Rainey (New Zealand Classic Boats) and photographer Alan Doak who kindly shares his great photo gallery with us each year. A few days ago, Alan (his friends call him “Skinny”) once again sent us a link to his farm fresh photos from the recent event. Skinny also participates in the event each year with is race boat, so we appreciate the fact that he can take the time to cover the two day show in pictures for us.
The single greatest part of this annual boat show for us is the vast array of classic boats (and classic boaters) that attend the show, and how everyone gathers together to share their common interest of classic boats. Some of the boats are recognizable to us and others are unique to the area with a certain international flavor. Regardless, they are all cool and well cared for by their owners. Some are also very innovative crafts as you will see.
Here is an overview of this year’s event from NZ Classic Boats website. Unfortunately we don’t have a list of the over 120 classic boats from the show, so it’s hard to identify many of them, or to identify the winning boats that are mentioned in the following Press Release – So we will do our best to add some commentary. – Texx
A regular at this event, Wellington’s Johnny Malthus was on hand with his Chris-Craft Racing Runabout “My Love” – A crowd favorite.
New Zealand Antique and Classic Boat Show 2014 Results
New Zealand Antique & Classic Boat Show
Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park
February 8th & 9th, 2014
It’s was a victory for “blokeish escapism” at this year’s NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show, held at Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park over the weekend of February 8 & 9 2014.
Over 120 clinkers, steam launches, classic motorboats and sailing dinghies enjoyed two days of boating and chatting about boats, with the Jens Hansen trophy for best vessel overall going to the Christchurch-owned shallow-beam skiff, “Willow”.
Judges’ spokesman John Harris said this 16’ 7’’ plywood skiff stood out as unique.
16’ 7’’ plywood skiff stood out as unique. Winner of “Best Vessel Overall” was “Willow” owned by Darryl Maffey.
“The owner, Darryl Maffey, bought her from an elderly man last year and has done her up as a ‘blokes boat’, finished simply in grey and white with a red trim,” he said, “Willow is a boat that says ‘I can escape in this and go fishing or do a bit of duck-shooting with my mates or with my kids’, it’s a male-bonding kind of boat.”
Ace photographer Alan Doak captured this great shot of “Willow” out on beautiful Lake Rotoiti.
Harris said the boat show, now in its 16th year, draws a consistently high standard of entrants and is a great motivator for people to restore old craft or build new boats on traditional designs.
Boat show organizer Pete Rainey said the sunny weather drew good crowds both days, and though the southerly prevented much on-water activity on Sunday there was good sailing by mid-afternoon.
Celebrating a weekend of pure classic boating fun.
Rainey said holding the show a month earlier than usual was popular with visitors, with some enjoying a day out at the lake after attending the Marlborough Wine and Food Festival. However he said the earlier time was more cluttered with events, which would be taken into account when deciding the date for next year’s show.
A rare British made Albatross aluminium inboard – don’t mess with these dudes!
The award winning boats were:
Best New Craft: Boat 67 (unnamed), a 13’ 8” ultra-light ply dinghy with total design and build by the owners, John and Dianne Macbeth, Todd Valley, Nelson.
Best Restoration: Andiamo, a 18’ 6” power boat built in 1949 and based at Lake Rotoiti (NI) over 60 years ago, where it was one of the fastest boats on the lake, owned by Mary Fuller of Tauranga.
Best rowed craft: Inverie, a 12’ 1947 traditional clinker dinghy, owned by the Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club.
CWF Hamilton trophy for best jet propelled boat: Potential, a 4.5m Hamilton jet 30XL, built in 1964 and now owned by Geoff and Shelley Neutze of Christchurch.
Johnson Family Trophy for the best sail powered craft: Julie, a 14’ X-class built in 1950, owned by Guy Manning of Nelson.
Mathieson/Jeffcott trophy for best motor powered craft: Matariki, a 5m launch built in 1965 and restored in 2014, owned by Marlene & Peter Crapper of Picton.
Best outboard motor boat: Miss Molly, a 13’ Clinker runabout built in 1963 and owned by Dick & Rita Hall of Picton.
Eventiac best themed display: Thunderbird, a 15’ 1972-73 jet boat, bought as a bare hull for $500 in 2006, returned to red and white color scheme and re-launched in 2006; entry included music and costumes, owned by Edward Wicken of Christchurch.
Ron Culley trophy for best steam boat: Tecumseh, a 17’ 9” steam launch built in 2003 by Myron Givets, owned by Tony Collins of North Otago.
People’s Choice: Vanquish, a 19’ powerboat, a new build by the owner over a period of seven years, in the style of a 1930s-40s gentleman’s racer. Owned by Dave Deavoll of Christchurch.
For further info, contact Pete Rainey at pbrain@xtra.co.nz
Thanks Pete, congratulations on another successful boat show. – The only problem that we are always faced with when we start to go through Alan Doaks huge photo gallery is deciding what photos to use for our story today, as we want to cover the wide range of boats as much as possible. So we managed to get it down to about 30 photos – It’s tougher than it looks, believe me. – Texx
Back again this year is our friend with his human powered cycle-boat. You will notice in almost every boat the folks wear their PFD’s while out on Lake Rotoiti – For some reason, bicycle’s must not be required to wear them…
Steam powered boats are popular at this event, “Flirt” is gorgeous 1890 mail boat.
Classic wooden boating at it’s finest.
“Blondie” has also been a regular at the Lake Rotoiti show since Woody Boater started covering the event in 2010. Every classic boat show should have at least one post war Chris-Craft 20′ Custom – and she continues to look great out on the water.
This shot that Alan Doak snapped of “Belvedere” kind of says it all – two young men out on the lake honing their classic boating skills. It’s great to see…
Another shot of “Belvedere” up on plane with her mighty Johnson outboard in fine tune.
As I was going through Alan’s photo gallery yesterday, I noticed that fellow Woody Boater Philip Andrew (from New Zealand) was at the boat show with his cool 1966 Century Arabian. So I sent Philip an e-mail to get his comments on the show. Within 30 minutes, I received a return e-mail from Philip to say he was in the United States, en route to Florida to attend the NASCAR Daytona 500 race this weekend. Here’s what Philip had to say…
Fellow Woody Boater and New Zealand correspondent Philip Andrew in his mighty 1966 Century Arabian.
Hey Texx – Great to hear from you. I am in fact in the beautiful USA this evening. I’m in Fayetteville, Northern Carolina on the drive from NYC to Daytona Beach to the great race (Daytona 500) this Sunday.
The boat show was as usual a fun affair again last weekend. I had left my ’66 Century Arabian down at the lake since the previous Christmas, so I flew to Nelson, picked up a rental car and drove the hour to the Lake Rotoiti for the show.
Originally a Lake Tahoe boat, the beautiful Arabian now makes her home near Wellington in New Zealand with a few other classic Century’s.
Saturday was a perfectly flat day on the lake and by 11:00 AM we were all out there in the broadest range of watercraft you could imagine. The show is really set up to be a fun day out and not at all a serious concours competition. There are distinct camps of Jetboats, Sailing Boats, Clinkers, Steam Powered, Canoes and Kayaks, and cool Outboards.
There were 6 (I think) powerboats like mine. A couple of Chris-Craft Racing Runabouts – Johnny Malthius has the Red & White one called “My Love” and Sven Baker has the other, a varnished one. There was a Chris-Craft Continental “Ruby” recently brought up from Queenstown (previously owned by a friend of mine) and last years winner, Bruce Judge’s Chris-Craft Custom “Blondie”.
A couple of other locally made boats rounded out the inboard speedboats. I would describe the weekend as rather like the movie “Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World!”
Philip describes the two day show as a “Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” – not sure if there was a Star Trek Convention in town or…? But what the heck, just adds to the fun!
The highlight of the day was a fly-over of the newly restored Avro Anson WW2 light bomber / observer / commanders transport plane. Very, very pretty aircraft and sounded glorious. (Philip Andrew is also a vintage plane nut as you can tell – Texx)
Photographer Alan Doak captured these great photos of the restored Avro Anson WW-II war plane as it made an exciting fly-over.
A shot of the belly as the Avro Anson WW2 flew overhead for the boat show spectators.
Sunday the lake was pretty rough so only the carefree went out on the water. One guy had made a kayak out of a thin framework covered in a gossamer transparent plastic. To that he had fitted hydrofoils and an outboard engine and off he went. – Thanks for the report Philip, and enjoy sunny Daytona this weekend! – Texx
The innovative kayak constructed out of a thin framework covered in a gossamer transparent plastic c/w hydrofoil like outriggers.
Sail boats are also welcome at the NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show, and add some nice color.
I can say that after covering this show for the last four or five years here at Woody Boater, there appears to be an increase in classic fiberglass boats in attendence, which is great to see. Like this cool looking 1974 Glastron GT-150 sporting a period correct (I think) Chrysler outboard. Great stuff. Note the tall ski tow to clear the big outboard…
A nice looking wooden Gentleman’s Runabout with… a couple of Gentleman on board.
A great looking wooden pocket cruiser that appears to double as a classic fishing boat when not attending classic boat shows.
It would be fun to learn more about this sleek looking sedan, certainly appears to be in nice shape.
“Move over Honey – I’ll do the driving today!”
A great shot of the Iron Duke Sea Scouts boat from Nelson.
A nice contrast between the 100 year-old steam launch and the pocket racer nicely up on plane.
Strictly business in this little outboard as the pilot searches for maximum speed.
The best thing to do with a classic Chris-Craft Racing Runabout – Go out and race! And Alan Doak was there to catch the action. That’s Philip’s buddy Johnny Malthius in the Red & White racer and I think that’s the lady driving the other boat.
The coveted Lake Rotoiti Seagull Race Prize.
Ace photographer Alan (Skinny) Doak in his race boat sharing his experience with a young pilot. That looks like fun for everybody. Thanks for sharing your photos with us Alan!
And after another successful classic boating weekend, the dock at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Parks once again closed.
Special thanks to Alan Doak (Skinny) for sharing his photos from the boat show with us here at Woody Boater. Also to Philip Andrew for his comments.
To learn more about the show and to see some upcoming video you can vist the NZ Classic Boats website by Clicking Here.
For further info, contact Pete Rainey at pbrain@xtra.co.nz
Texx
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That looks like a lot of FUN!
More snow coming down as I look through these great shots, I sure am glad someone can use their boats this time of year.
It’s a bummer when I have to use my fingers to do the math.
We were thinking it would be fun to replace the math question with a series of Classic Boat Pop Quiz Questions.
D’OH!
1 beer plus 2 beers equals “‘We’re low on beer again.”
Alan, Andrew, and Texx, thanks so much for today’s story. It was as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot day to me. (Make that a hot drink on a cold day, because we’re descending once again into the wintry abyss.) I especially enjoyed seeing young kids enjoying the boats. And, of course, what a beautiful country you have.
Another foot of snow greeted us this morning in Minneapolis. It will never end. So a visit to the southern hemisphere is just what I needed. Love Belvedere.
That’s not Kirk & Spock…
It’s INTERNATIONAL RESCUE!
Thunderbirds are GO!
(usually seen in “Supermarionettevision” and not in person)
Thanks Sean – I think it’s been 30 years since the last time I thought about The Thunderbirds series – at age 5 of course. (Guess I have to get out more…) – Texx
If Woodyboater wants to send a North American representative to the show next year, I volunteer to go! I promise more photos of the vintage Hamilton jets as well as extended coverage of the local show foods (lamb on a stick?).
Wow !…great shots of an obviously great show…Back in the days when Dale Murray was branching out with Chris Craft dealers all over the world, I sold a 16′ Chris Riviera to a Japaneese fellow who wanted it for a dealer showroom in Sidney. Even after repeated requests, he never acknowleged receiving it nor have I ever heard of it since. I realize New Zealand is not Australia but I just wonder if by chance anyone has ever seen or heard of a 16′ Riv down under?
I hate the numbers too but can’t think of anything better. Lets not use squirley words I can’t read
What a nice relaxed event, nobody complaining about the non-wood boats. I guess they really do use terms like “bloke” and “mate”, its not just Hollywood. Argggggg, cold rainy (snow coming) day, nice escapism, thanks all. Math is 5×6? Really? You buy beer in cases of 4 6 six packs or you get a keg. I guess ts just flight of ideas day. I NEED SUN!
Looks like a great show to add to the bucket list. I’ll bet that aluminium inboard was fast as hell. I love the trophy too. Thanks for the coverage.
I have never met a Kiwi I didn’t like. Nice boats too!
A shot of (what I think is) a Hamilton Jet Boat from NZ. Is Fingal New Zealand’s version of our WoodyGal?
Another Hamilton Jet Boat shot (I hope) in NZ for m-fine – snow bound in upstate New York.
Belated congratulations to Pete Rainey and his crew for another hugely enjoyable boatshow. Lake Rotoiti and the people make it a magic place we enjoy going to.