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.
Now in the photo above we see on the right a launch that one would have to assume is the 1933 Arnold Couldrey designed and built launch – Eileen Patricia. I bounced the photo of Peter Mence, ER’s custodian and he is in agreement. The question of the day – what’s the yacht under tow? Peters guess was the yacht be by Teddy, that wa Slater wrecked off/on Kawau Island.
See WW story below, note there is a mismatch of dates, but we get that with old stories. Enlargements of the two vessels below + a link to Peter and Jennis stunning restoration of Eileen Patricia. (photos ex Andrew Donovan collection) https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/04/26/the-wreck-of-teddy-sailing-sunday/
Pittwater N S W 1983 Trinidad for sale Sydney 1983 Boating Aussie style. Moored for lunch. Cottage Point boat shed cafe. Hawksbury River NSW. B.O.I.
Woody On Tour
The gallery of photos above are of Trinidad and show her when she was based in Sydney, Australia. The photos come to us from Eddie Higgins, Eddie purchased Trinidad there and bought her home to NZ in Jan 1985. The last photo above shows her in the Bay of Islands, just after her return.
Eddie undertook a refit that included new hydraulic steering. new auto pilot. new water tanks and refrigeration system. The addition of a Sea Wasp 230 volt gen set. Updated electronics including JRC radar and a Walker sat nav. A new tallow wood keelson was fitted by a shipwright at Newport Anchorage. The boarding platform was also replaced. The hull had the paint build up burnt off and was repainted in the shed at the Marina. New stainless steel pulpit and pushpin was fitted. A Muir electric anchor winch was installed.
This one shouldn’t be too hard to ID so no prize today for the boat. In the photo above the launch is seen leaving Fitzroy. It is Koala (Amaryllis).
But woodys – 1st one to correctly ID the slim / trim lad on the left in the photo below, wins a WW t-shirt, fresh from the screen printers – one advantage of CV-19 – 24hr turn around at the printers. 🙂 Email your answer to waitematawoodys@gmail.comAND the gent and anyone related to him isn’t eligible to enter 🙂
Coromandel 1955
03-10-2021 UPDATE / CORRECTION – Eddie has advised that Doug Reid is the 4th from the left. The young man on the extreme is Norris. Ed can not recall his surname. Paul Pettit is tallest 5th from the left. Paul played the Bag Pipes.Murray {Mudge} White extreme right.
The Wooden Boat Centre – A Peek Behind The Door Today we have a short video, narrated by Paul D’Olier from The Wooden Boat Centre in Franklin, Tasmania. The video #2 in a series is titled ‘The Boat Builders’ and show cases the courses being run at the centre. I have listed below a link to the another in the series – wonderful images and words, do check them out.
The videos are bought to us by the good folks at The Australian Wooden Boat Festival, if you haven’t already , put a line in the diary for 10>13 Feb 2023, this event is a serious bucket list item for all woodys.
Bay of Islands woody – Dean Wright sent in the photo above of the ex workboat Ave Gitana, he snapped the photo on this phone as he was hauling out Artthusa for some TLC, as if it needs it 🙂 Any of the workboat gang able to enlighten us on her past?
Dean also sent in the photo below of the sport fisher – which he believes is possibly named – Erelyn. You would get fit climbing the stairs ………….. 😉
Two Black Holes Many moons ago when I was looking at buying a classic boat, my father-in-law commented “son you already own one black hole, why would you want another”. He was referring to the fact that I owned a 100+ year old wooden house that back then was hoovering up every cent I earned, and in his eyes an old boat would do the same, but quicker. He of course was right and I took his advise and didn’t buy the boat.
Waited a few years and after he ‘left’ us, I was back in the market 🙂
When I was sent the above photo by Glenn Martin of a house in Beach Haven on Auckland’s North Shore, it reminded me of the vision my F-I-L had of what I was going to inflict on his daughter. Anyone know the story behind the boat?
Arohanui was built in 1952/3 at the McGeady’s Ponsonby yard. Specs are 42’ x 11’9” x 3’11” and powered by what appears to be a 6cyl Ford diesel engine.
Today’s photos of the Mullet Boat L16 were sent to me by Cheryl Hill who was having a lock-down tidy-up and came across a collection of sailing photos that belonged to her father Ian Hill. Cheryl doesn’t know whether the yacht was a family boat or just one that one of her Dad’s mates owned.
The top photo was tagged – ‘Tiri Passage Easter’ and may have been 1947.
Jason Prew pointed me in the direction of the Ponsonby Cruising Club’s 2000>2001 Year Book, which had a ‘Mullet Boat Register’ at the back and the sail # L16 is alongside the 22′ Mullet Boat named – Rahiri. So we have confirmation Rahiri was still on the scene in the early 2000’s.
Can any of the Muttet Boat crowd enlighten Cheryl as to Rahiri’s past and present where-abouts ?
Melodeon was built in 1934 by Chas Bailey & Sons in Auckland. She has spent most of her life fishing all around NZ, except when she saw service in the Pacific during WWII with the US Navy.
When Dick bought Melodeon she was powered by a T8 Kelvin that is only her 2nd engine, which has seen 100,000 hours. The engine was in remarkable condition and is also getting a ‘holiday’.The ship measures – 57’ length x 15’6” beam x 7’ draft. The scale of the project is immense but that is what spins Dick’s wheels. The photos above are from June 2021, so no doubt things have moved along even further – Enjoy 🙂
Input Below From Robert Nola
"I have often wondered what became of the Melodeon on which I spent much of my boyhood. It was owned by my father Bob (Boze) Nola and his partner was Jack Raos (who did not fish) from 1950s to early 1970s…In those years they fished for Pearl Fisheries in Auckland. Now I see that it has been fully renovated. But then It used to be very different when we owned it. The wheelhouse was much narrower and the bunk area was in the bow. It was very stylish then. It anyone would like to get in touch with me I would be glad to hear. The Melodeon was very much part of my youth. Glad it still survives. And is being looked after. It cannot be the same Kelvin engine my father installed?"
Todays woody come to us from Garry Ralls via Lew Redwood’s fb and shows the launch – Cariad berthed in Whangarei c.1950’s. At the time she was owned by L E Ralls (Maunu Rd, Whangarei).
Cariad is a newbie to me and even Nathan Herbert has commented that she is unknown to him – and that woodys is a rarity 😉
I Suspect a very early name change – can anyone help out with more details?
Thanks to the input of Robin Elliott and Patrick Xavier – we know know the launches name was spelt – Cariad (corrected above). Check out the comments section – links to more intel there 🙂
24-07-2023 UPDATE –
Thanks comments from Harold Kidd we learnt some of her history, refer below. It always amazes me how craft that have had no/low profile come to the surface, a great sign that our classic community is in good shape.
HDK comments – “Cariad was owned by D. Glenys-Jones of Whangarei in 1949. When he joined the Army in that year he sold her to L.E. Ralls of Mauna Road who had owned Valencia since 1946 and Argo in 1957. In 1966/7 at least Cariad was owned in Auckland by H.F. Harkins of Court Crec., Tamaki.” “I have an idea that the saloon in Cariad was stripped out and a tank put in to convert it to a fishing boat. Caraid and Valencia were kitted out with deep sea fishing outriggers in the early days. You can see the base of the outrigger just behind the rear porthole.”
We also learnt from Garry Ralls that in their early days both Caraid and Valencia were powered by Scripps marinised V8 engines.
