What is Waitemata Woodys all about?
We provide a meeting point for owners and devotees of classic wooden boat. We seek to capture the growing interest in old wooden boats and to encourage and bring together all those friendly people who are interested in the preservation of classic wooden vessels for whatever reason, be it their own lifestyle, passion for old boats or just their view of the world.
We encourage the exchange of knowledge about the care and restoration of these old boats, and we facilitate gatherings of classic wooden boats via working together with traditionally-minded clubs and associations.
Are you a Waitemata Woody?
The Waitemata Woodies blog provides a virtual meeting point for lovers of classic and traditional wooden boats. If you are interested in our interests and activities become a follower to this blog.
The Vessels Featured
The boats on display here (yes there are some yachts included, some are just to drop dead stunning to over look) require patrons, people devoted to their care and up keep, financially and emotionally . The owners of these boats understand the importance of owning, restoring and keeping a part of the golden age of Kiwi boating alive. The boats are true Kiwi treasure to be preserved and appreciated.
Todays story headline should do wonders for my google search score 🙂 but the stories all about the photo above, not the mood enhancing pills. How I’m sure a Yes / No score on the photo would be 50/50, as its one of those boats you either like or dislike. In fact it would be fun to do a vote – see below. The design wouldn’t be very practical for the Hauraki Gulf but its just so ‘right’ and her skipper looks like he has discovered divine happiness. You would have to assume there is an internal helm.
So woodys excuse the pun – but just sit back and smell the flowers 🙂
VOTE BELOW ON TODAYS WOODY – Thumbs up = you like • Thumbs down = don’t like
FREE TO A GOOD HOME Curved hinged deck chain pipe – leads anchor chains from the winch through the deck and into the anchor well.
The 36’ Sequoia is a rather special woody, almost every detail on her is unique to the boat. Designed and built by Lewis McLeod in Helensville in 1938, McLeod was a seriously talented gent and as well as boats, crafted several motor vehicles. He built Sequoia from a single Kauri log, how he obtained the log is one of the many stories that make up her provenance. Her owner has traced and documented her full history, which includes – being raced at regattas in her youth as well as a game fisher and charter boat. Stem to stem she measures 36’ and has a generous beam of 10’9” and draws just 3’.
Built using the traditional carvel plank method and copper fastened. Powered by a Ford 60hp diesel that was rebuilt by one of NZ’s most respected motor engineers. McLeod was always interested in speed and the 60hp engine combined with her hull shape (refer the flat dead rise in the out of water photos below), gives her a comfortable 8.5 knot cruising speed, but if you use the upper rpm’s she can exceed 12+ knots, an example of McLeod’s design skills.
Her owner has had Sequoia for 20 years and between 2007 and 2009 undertook a full out of water restoration / refit. Recently she received a full repaint of the interior and exterior, as well as being re-caulked and puttied below the waterline. In the photos above you can see she sleeps 6 and has all the amenities of a proper galley and head.
The launch – Beaver II was built by Jorgensen in Picton c.1960 to a Quickly design. She is 36’ in length and powered by a Detroit 4/71 100hp diesel engine that sees her comfortably cruising at 10 knots.
Like most Jorgensen boats she is a very well (heavy) built boat and has good walk around decks. Home port is Havelock and she is / was on tme.
The 1947 Lidgard built 36′ launch – Awarua has been hauled out at the Slipway Milford for several months. Her new owner righting some deferred maintenance, enhancing her internal layout to suit ’todays’ expectation re amenities, giving the engine a birthday and getting a JPPJ (Jason Prew paint job).
Awarua slipped back into the water on Saturday morning looking very regal, still a few internal jobs to be ticked off, as there always is. Her owner is a committed woody, this is the 2nd woody in the fleet 🙂
Awarua has appeared on WW numerous times – links below
Having spent a bit of time at the NZ Traditional Boat Building School, numerous times I bumped into one of the schools trustees – Kere Kemp and was fascinated to learn the Kere was having a yacht built in the USA, which would end up in NZ waters.
The yacht is a ‘Dark Harbor 17.5 – gaff rigged sloop. Full specs below:
LOA 7.6M (25’), LWL 5.3M (17’ 6”), Beam 1.9M (6’ 3”), Max Draft 1.3M (4’ 3”), Sail Area 28.9 sq M (311 sq ft), Displacement 1,588 kg (3,500 lb)
I’ll hand over to Kere to tell the story –
“Designed in 1908 by American naval architect B.B. Crowninshield she was built by the classes of 2017-18 (under supervision) at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building (Port Hadlock, WA, USA). She was launched at Port Townsend, WA, USA in August 2018 and arrived, to Auckland New Zealand by container in November 2018.
Dark Harbour 17 ½’s often, are described as “pure racing machines of great beauty.” They were originally intended primarily for racing but have become increasingly popular for day sailing as well as overnight coastal cruising.
Construction is of traditional Western Red Cedar planking over White Oak frames with a Mahogany backbone, Teak deck and Spruce Spars.
She has a large self-bailing cockpit plus a small cuddy cabin with 1.1M (3’ 6”) head room and dual berths. A low freeboard, slender hull lines, long ends, a deep draft and a large gaff rig makes her a powerful, fast and responsive boat.
Sails are from Northwest Sails (Port Hadlock, WA, USA) and include a full main with double reefs, a working jib and a storm jib. Both jibs are club footed.
For added propulsion she is fitted with a Torqeedo through hull Cruise 4.0 pod drive. This is a 9.9HP equivalent, electric (dual lithium-Ion battery) system. This includes all shore charging systems, a morse key for forward / reverse and power control plus a computer which provides for a variety of informational outputs including Speed (GPS-based, over ground), range, power consumption and battery charge state. In addition, hydrogeneration is possible via a fitted folding prop.
The Torqeedo system makes for easy “in and out” marina access and, also provides more than ample power when needed to go head-to-wind when reefing sail. The onboard computer is further supplemented with a Raymarine Micro-Net 100-2 that provides digital read outs of true boat speed and depth. All deck and rig fittings are in bronze.”
To view the A>Z building of Kotimana at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building click on the image / link below to view an amazing gallery of photos.
I bumped into Kere the other day at Half Moon Bay marina, while he was doing the annual maintenance – and he advised that due to health issues, sadly he had made the decision to sell Kotimana – so woodys, if you are looking for a very manageable (1>2 crew), low maintenance, gaffer in immaculate condition, that sails like a witch, Kotimana is worthy an inspection. Perfect classic for a couple of woodys wanting to continue their classic sailing interest without all the downsides of a 50’gaffer that needs a crew of 10 to take out 🙂
Earlier in the year Ian MacDonald sent me the link to this Hartley, kauri carvel construction 30’ launch. Named Oiseau de Mer, which we can assume wasn’t the name on her stern when she was launched. The launch made a brief appearance on WW back in Dec 2019, at the time she was for sale on tme and I believe sold for a very low figure. https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/21/oiseau-de-mer/
The ‘new’ tme listing states that work had commence eg replacement fuel tanks and pump + steering but the engine, Ford 100hp, doesn’t run and from the photos there is some serious housekeeping needed before I’d be heading off the marina in her.
Home is Akaroa down south. The one positive I will say is that well done to the owner for their honesty (photos) re the condition of the vessel.
Would love to know if she sold again and if someone has accepted the challenge to bring her back to the condition she deserves.
Today’s woody story is a call out to our community to ask if anyone can help secure the future of Kotahi, a 26’ Bailey and Tyer built kauri carvel planked launch that for the last 9 years has been living the life of a celebrity at the Auckland Zoo as part of a permanent display. This semi- retirement village lifestyle is probably very fitting for a 110 year old.
After being launched in Nov 1912 at the Bailey and Tyer, Halls Beach yard in Northcote, Auckland, Kotahi had a very nomadic life which saw her spending time in Auckland > Tauranga > Lake Rotoiti > Tauranga > Lake Taupo, then back to Auckland where in 2013 she was craned into her ‘berth’ at the Auckland Zoo.
Like most things in life, priorities change and things get updated so the call has been made to find a new home for Kotahi. Anything that once moved her along has long been removed so as she sits Kotahi is just a hull but appears to be reasonably solid.
SO woodys – looking for suggestions – restore her?, repurpose her? eg as another display, or a playground?, or maybe incorporated into a retail environment – Auckland Zoo is open to all suggestions. But lets not let Kotahi die at the hands of a back-hoe.
Sarah MacWilliam at Auckland Zoo has asked that interested parties contact her direct at the email address below to register any interest. BUT do not hesitate, a deadline has been set of March 18th 2022 for you to make contact. Sarah.MacWilliam@aucklandzoo.co.nz
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?
In Oct 2021 on the BOI historic photos fb page a photo of Wondabyne popped up, posted by Myra Larcombe who commented that the launch was her fathers, and in the top photo above was berthed at Opua during the war years thence the #27 on her.
Then in early Jan 2022, Phil Bull posted the colour photo above of Wondabyne, now named Pakatoa, sitting in a Warkworth paddock. Phil commented that she had been there for a longtime and it looked like, sadly this was her final resting place. Under the name Pakatoa, the vessel was used to ferry passengers between Auckland and Pakatoa Island in the Hauraki Gulf.
In the past on WW there has been robust discussion around whether Wondabyne was actually the launch – Lolita. After reviewing these recent photos and others on file – Nathan Herbert is confident that Wondabyne and Lolita were in fact sister ships. The only visible difference being the Wondabyne had a short tram top, and Lolita a long tram top. Sadly Lolita ‘resting’ on the beach at Russell / Okiato. Refer below photos
Back in April 2021 Dean Wright sent me the above photo of Anne-Marie, somehow it slipped into the ‘bottom draw’ of the WW hard drive, so today she gets her day in the sun. The photograph was taken at Tutukaka Marina.
Can anyone tell us more about this ex work boat and when she was converted to pleasure use?
21-03-2022 Input from Phil Vining – In the comments section Simon Manning commented that he thought Anna Marie was the old “Lady Fisher” that was one of the original Outward Bound work boats before being upgraded to a pleasure launch. That is my memory as well. There was a question as to who built her. I visited the Vinings Office and they had a old listing in their files, refer below.
VERY QUIET ON THE HERITAGE BASIN NEWS FRONT…………
……………. First Tuesday of the Month today = another Classic Yacht Association committee meeting, no doubt the Heritage Basin marina bigots will table another mock report on the efforts to negotiate with the Auckland Council controlled Panuku Developments to ensure all CYA vessel owners get access to the new >40 berth marina, at approx. $100 a month berth rental, for a minimum term of 3 years.
