Author Archives: Alan Houghton - waitematawoodys.com founder

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About Alan Houghton - waitematawoodys.com founder

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.

Tradition – A Peek Down Below

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TRADITION – A PEEK DOWN BELOW

Back in May I did a WW story on the 44’ 1990 Geoff Bagnall built, Bo Birdsail designed, spirit-of-tradition (excuse the pun) launch – Tradition, link below.
This was an amazing story and took the form of an interview between her original owners Rhys and Dick Boyd and a subsequent owner, Keith Busch. If you missed the story I would encourage you to read it, its a cracker + lots of photos.
Today, thanks to Ken Ricketts, we get to have a peek down below on this magnificent woody. Ken was aboard while she was berthed at Gulf Harbour marina.
These days Tradition is owned by Chris and Rae Collins – so she is in very good hands and well used – which we like 🙂

Mystery Clevedon Launch – Seaforth

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Mystery Clevedon Launch

MYSTERY CLEVEDON LAUNCH – SEAFORTH

While sliding up the the Wairoa River on Saturday, on route to the Clevedon Cruising Club, I spotted the above launch hauled out.
Her identity is really bugging me, I feel I should know who she is, but just can’t ID her.
Hopefully one of the CCC members will help us out or Mr Herbert 😉
Update – Nathan has come to the rescue – the launch is Seaforth – lots of photos and details at the WW link below

HELP NEEDED TRACING LAUNCH

Can anyone provide details on the whereabouts of the 40’ launch – Albatross III, built c.1960’s to a Harry Biddle design.
Previous locations are Auckland > Bay of Islands > possibly Nelson. Owned at one stage by Joe Bosanquet. Call sign was ZM4180

Rowena

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ROWENA

I have been contacted by Kelly Ellis seeking info on her previously owned launch Rowena. Kelly bought the 24’, carvel built launch in c.1997 and sold her in 2003.

Kelly commented that if she remembers correctly she was built c.1966 by Jim Cox.

During Kelly’s ownership she cruised extensively around the Northeast quadrant of the North Island.
Powered by a Perkins 4108 with a Paragon gearbox.
Anyone able to update us on what happened to Rowena after 2003?

Fiesta – A Peek Down Below

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FIESTA – A PEEK DOWN BELOW
At the weekends Woody Clevedon cruise I got the chance to have a look aboard Gordon Love’s launch – Fiesta. I first spotted the woody back in late December 2015, anchored in Rocky Bay, Waiheke.
Gordon has owned the launch for 15+ years and Fiesta is a Panmure river rat 🙂
Fiesta was built by Phillip Lange at Hoppers Landing, Wade River in 1964. Build is strip planked 1”x2” kauri, with mahogany coamings. Specs are 32’ x 10’6” x 3’4″.
When launched she had a 6 cyl. Ford Trader diesel engine, this was updated with a 120hp Ford D series in 1986. She is still very much in ‘as launched’ configuration and is a very room launch.
I cruised alongside her on the way back from Clevedon on Sunday and she looked to be a good sea boat with a nice turn of speed.

Classic Wooden Boat Cruise – 72 photos

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S/S Romany

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Arohanui

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Trinidad

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Matira

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Ann Michelle

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Raindance CCC trip Aug2020

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WEEKEND CRUISE TO CLEVEDON  – 72 Photos 

Lets be honest, a large chunk of 2020 has been very average – locked marina’s, no on-the-water boating and cancelled events. After spending the weekend on-board Raindance, cruising up the Clevedon river and over-nighting with 12 other woody boats at the Clevedon Cruising Club, I realised what I had missed the most was the sense of fraternity that comes with being in a space shared with people who love the same things as I do – woody boats. 
 
The trip up the Wairoa River revolves around a tide window, so it was a very early start for some of us, helped by coffee on-route, the smart ones left on Friday and were enjoying breakfast in a bay as we were sliding down the Tamaki Strait. We were meet at the river entrance by CCC member Barrie Abel who ‘piloted’ us up the river – no opps, so thank you Barrie.
 
Awaiting for us at the CCC wharf was Russell Ward with his steam boat – Romany. The gent deserves a medal – all day Saturday and Sunday morning he was taking the CCC members and families + the woodys for rides. Romany is coal fired and as Russell tells everyone getting aboard – “if its metal – its hot, if its varnished – its dirty 🙂 . I’m a big fan of Romany, but the star was Cooper the English springer spaniel – I could have taken him home.
 
After some wonderful ‘air-traffic control’ we managed to get everyone either alongside the wharf or rafted to another boat that was alongside – soft bumper fenders along the entire wharf makes for very civilized berthing. However – no names, but one woody had to leave the Saturday night BBQ to check that their diesel fired on-board central heating outlet wasn’t roasting the fenders 😉
 
The day was very leisurely with most people enjoying a dockside lunch and CCC members dropping down to view the boats and people having steam boat rides. One woody took the opportunity to buy some fuel from the club’s dockside bowser, seems he forgot to check the level before departing, staring to become a habit……….
In addition to the activities afloat we were treated to some eye-candy in the car park – a stunning 1947 Ford Coupe and a replica 1945 Fairliner Torpedo speed boat.
 
Come 4pm we invaded the CCC club house for the main event – as always amazing hospitality from the club and to use that old saying “a good time was had by all”. It was announced that our visit will be a compulsory event on the club’s annual calendar – so woodys – no excuses for missing out next year. Date to be advised.
 
Check out the outdoor heater – a piece of kiwiana and it worked a treat.
 
Overnight it was a tad nippy, with several re-filling the boat water bottles in the early hours of the morning. But we woke to a stunning day and departed at 10am for the trip home.
 
And the Clevedon Coast Oysters were divine – photo below was my lunch – another set were dispatched as a appetizer – 8.5/10 – not Bluff but on the day as good 🙂
Special note of thanks to David Cook (Trinidad) who is my sidekick pulling these events together 🙂
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Tides Out 🙂  (photo ex Alan Good)

CCC tide out

Pakawai

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PAKAWAI

I’m told its difficult to design a small boat that to the eye is proportionally right. Saying that Colin Wild didn’t have any problems – there are some stunning sub 35’ Col Wild launches afloat.

 
Today’s woody – Pakawai, pictured here on Lake Wakatipu in 2004, she ticks all my boxes, which is even more surprising when I learnt she was an ex work-boat. 
 
Parawai started life was as one of two work-boats aboard the Southland Harbour Board tug – Awarua. The tug was built by Lobnitz of Glasgow in 1931.
 
Pawawai started out as an open hull, carvel built, with no mast or engine. Unsure whether she was built in NZ or arrived in NZ on Awarua.
She was rebuilt and named Pakawai by Alistair Young of Invercargill. 
Thanks to David Neville for the above photo and details. Andrew commented that she resides in North Otago these days.

Spindrift

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Spindrift CCC Picnic

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Spindrift 1953 Waipu Landing

SPINDRIFT
Weather permitting as you read this we will be on-route up the Wairoa River to the Clevedon Cruising Club, so it seems fitting that today I feature a local boat.
In the above colour photo we see the launch Spindrift heading to the Clevedon Cruising Club picnic at Ponui Island, the ‘crew’ were the the McKenzie family, owners at the time. Read the page ex the CCC 75th Jubilee booklet for details, but quick headline – Gordon McKenzie purchase the 30’ 1934 Spindrift from Harry Morton in 1948 and owned her for 34 years, she sold in 1987 to the current owners, the Renall family.
The CCC Jubilee booklet was written by Merle McKenzie.
In her early years Spindrift had an interesting life as a work-boat, refer story.
The black and white photo, shows Spindrift  in 1953 alongside the Waipu Landing.
(Thanks to Barrie Abel, Colin McKenzie and Jess McKenzie for photos & input)
I love the poem below – very on the mark 🙂
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LADY JANET (Poco Lento)

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LADY JANET (Poco Lento)

The 31’ woody Poco Lento started out in life back in late 1970’s as your typical Roy Parris kauri planked launch, then in 1991>92 master boat builder Geoff Bagnall undertook a major refit to make her more liveable.
Geoff B is a talented man and has a reputation of creating Tardis’s e.g. boats that are bigger on the inside than they appear on the outside.
When I first boarded Poco Lento I was amazed to learn she was sub 32’ and powered by an underfloor Ford Lees 115hp engine. I was even more taken aback with fit-out  – auto pilot, power anchor winch, bow thruster, hydraulic steering, on-board shower, fridge, freezer, pressurised hot water, stand-alone galley, electric toilet, high-end engine sound proofing, holding tank and a lot more –  she really has been a rolling restoration with her owner undertaking a major project every year. The 295L fuel tank allows her to cover a lot of distance when cruising.
 
Now I’m not a fan of the name, if she was mine I would be reverting back to her as launched name – Lady Janet.
The gallery of older photos show her arriving for the re-fit and the work-in-progress + a young looking Geoff Bagnall 😉
 
 

Crusader + Woody Weekend

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CRUSADER + WOODY WEEKEND
 
Today’s woody story features the above photo of the 1929 Collings & Bell built launch – Crusader. The photo comes to us from Bryce Strong, who uncovered it while undertaking a ‘lock-down’ cull of his father’s photo albums.
At a guess the photo could be from the late 1980’s.
 
Crusader has made numerous appearances on WW, being a well done launch having been owned by the Rev. Jasper Calder.
She started life as a very fast flush decker but very early on (between 1929 > 1935) she morphed into a bridge decker.
As testament to her speed, she won the NZ Power Boat Association – ‘My Girl Trophy’ for launches steered by ladies. I understand My Girl’s current owner Jason Prew is very keen to locate the trophy or any intel on its past.
 
In the WW link below you can view her transformation and read more about her past.
 

https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/10/02/crusader/

21-04-2024 UPDATE ex James Mobberley – photo below of Crusader on pontoon at Whangamata

 

 
THIS WEEKENDS WOODYS CLEVEDON CRUISE – REMINDER
 
Full details on the weekend have been emailed to the attendees. Great numbers attending, over 20 boats.
BUT REMEMBER – today (Thursday) is the last day to order our freshly shucked 1/2 shell oysters from the Clevedon Oyster Company – see ordering flyer below. These will be delivered to the Clevedon Cruising Club.
 
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO DAVE GIDDENS – Dave has provided us with gift for the CCC , as a thank you for hosting us. The man is a legend 🙂
 
Woody Classics Weekend Clevedon #2 copy
 
Clevedon Oysters - Ordering

Southern Woodys – Work Boat Wednesday

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Southern Woodys – Work Boat Wednesday
 

Iain Forsyth, owner of the 1961, 42’6″’, Miller & Tunnage built ex work boat – Meola, has recently returned from a trip to the other island. Ian commented that he stopped off at Carey’s Bay and saw Pakeha (recently featured on WW) on the slips after a large refit by Carey’s Marine and ready to launch.


Iain snapped the above gallery of workboats. It was opportune timing as the Bluff fleet were in port and getting ready for the season. Now I’m sure they aren’t all woodys but as per the NZ Classic Yacht Association rules (see below) metal is all good 🙂 
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