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.

WW Needs Help Navigating The Next 4 Weeks

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Duchess – 1920 Bailey & Lowe – parked off Cowes Bay, Waiheke Island

WW Needs Help Navigating The Next 4 Weeks
 
Hello Woodys
We all knew ‘Lock-Down’ was going to happen but Level 4 status so soon was a surprise, I thought we had a few more days before that. But it is the right call for the country. 
The last few days have been surreal, driving around Auckland the traffic / parking has been brilliant and almost every thing is on-sale. But no people in cafes and high street shops, so the buzz of a big city is missing – its a bit like walking down the main street in Whangarei at 2.30pm on a Saturday afternoon.
So woodys whats the next 4 weeks looking like?
• There will continue to be a daily WW story
• I’d encourage you to visit some of the WW stories from upwards of 6 years ago – there are approx. 3000 stories and over 20,000 photos on the site. Use the Search Box to find a particular boat, or a builder, year of launching etc.
• Always read the comments section on a story, there have been over 500,000 visitors to the site and 5,300,000 views, so the feedback sometimes is better reading than the story 🙂
 
I Would Love Some Help
If you have some spare time over the next few weeks during the enforced stay at home, have a look in the bottom draw for any old photos, log books and memories of you and your families boating life. Do not play god and try to decide if its of interest to WW readers, let myself and my helper – Flora McKenzie  do that 🙂
 

WOODY WATCH

I have had a cool idea – a lot of us live close to marinas. As part of your ‘allowed to do’ exercise, we could walk to the marina and check WW friends boats. Only applies to those marinas with open gates.
I’ll be strolling (its a good walk) to Bayswater once a week, so let me know if you want a txt confirming the love of your life is still afloat etc
These May Save My Marriage 🙂
Recently I purchased a pair of Bose bluetooth sunglasses that allow you to listen to music and take phone calls – there is nothing in or over your ears, so you can hear and interact with things around you. In the enforced close quarters we will find ourselves in being able to listen to your own music, shows and take mobile phone calls will be cool – I suspect there would be a murder if we were all listening to something different at the same time. Plus – perfect on the boat, last trip I listened to a whole day of cricket and could still hear the engine purring.
One of the coolest features is the gesture control for volume – to turn the volume up/down, you press and hold a button and look left or right to adjust the volume 🙂
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Alana – Where Is She

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ALANA – Where Is She
 
Recently I was contacted by Al Laslett regarding the launch – Alana, that his grandfather, Alan Laslett, owned in the 1950’s. Subsequent correspondence with Al’s mother, Anne Palmer (nee Laslett), has uncovered the above photos and intel on the vessel below.
 
Alana  was built in the 1950’s in the backyard at, Anne believes 54 Tarawera Tce., St Heliers or on a property nearby. Anne it not sure of the exact date she was launched, but believes it was before mid 1958. Anne believes that Alana was kauri planked and her mother once told her it was approx. 36’ > 40’ in length.
 
Anne’s father, Alan, was quarry manager for McCallum Bros. on Pakihi Island from approx. 1958 until his sudden death in May 1960 (heart attack). He had separated from his wife, and was waiting for the divorce to come through when he died.  Because he was still legally married, the launch passed to his wife Elsie and the family do not know what happened to her after that – presumably sold. The family has tried several times to find where she is now, but to no avail.  The only reference they know is a single mention in a Radio Hauraki news bulletin in the 1980’s about a cabin fire on a launch called Alana on the Waitemata Harbour.
The unusual cabin design was because Anne’s father was a very tall man and specifically built a cabin where he could not hit his head. She was rigged for deep sea fishing, but Alan never got the chance to do that. Alan died just before his 50th birthday, at the time Anne was only 19 months old and her sister was 6 weeks old. Sadly Anne has no memories of my father or the launch, only the old photos above.    
In the photo at the wharf at Pakihi Island, Alan is the tall, balding man at the back, is full name was Alan Edgar Laslett. He used to drive taxis in Auckland just before he and Anne’s mother went to Pakihi Island. 
 
So woodys – big call out today – Anne and her son Al, would love to find the Alana and if possible see her in person – I’ll give a WW t-shirt to the woody that provides the best intel.
30-03-2020 Update / Input from Anne Palmer

Anne was sent the photo below from her cousin David who lives in Australia. David commented that the boat was nearing completion in the backyard of Alan & Elsie’s property at Tarawera Terrace, St. Heliers, taken in December 1955.
David H and Alan's boat St Heliers Dec 1955
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Bay Of Islands 1950’s Gallery

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(Launches – L>R) Lady Eileen, Crusader, Makura (ID ex K Rickets)

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Bay Of Islands 1950’s Gallery

Thanks to a prolific burst of Bay of Islands photos recently on Len Redwoods fb page we get to have a glimpse of boating in the BOI’s back in 1950’s.
Most are taken in or near the waterfront township of Russell.
Make sure you check out Mondays WW story – a wonder full gallery of photos and a special request for help to find a woody.
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Lady Jane On The Move

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LADY JANE ON THE MOVE
Back in December 2019 Angus Rogers sent in the photos above of Lady Jane anchored at Kawau Island. Then yesterday David West emailed me the two photos below of Lady Jane on the move – David was travelling behind her on state highway one heading south, nearly in Taihape.
Read more about here at the WW link. https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/02/22/lady-jane/
Anyone know where she is off to?
LOOKING FOR LESTER TURRELL
Does anyone know the where abouts of – Lester Turrell,  he was building a 43′ Roger Carey design based on the fishing boat “Achenar” 20 odd years ago in Auckland.
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Annalisa

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ANNALISA
Annalisa was launched in 1960 and is a 36’ Roy Parris built launch.
Powered by a Ford 120hp Lees diesel engine. Current home is Mangonui, Northland and that woodys is all we know about this woody.
Can anyone tell us more about Annalisa’s past?
(thanks to Ian MacDonald for the tme heads up)
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Ngaio – A Peek Down Below

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NGAIO – A Peek Down Below

Last weekend a few woodys gathered in Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island, one of my all time favourites was there – Ngaio the 1921, Arch Logan built, 36‘ launch owned by Jan Barraclough.
Ngaio is such a stunner she couldn’t be from any other designer / builder than Arch Logan. I got to have a peek below – enjoy 🙂
She has made several appearances on WW, links below – her restoration is well documented here.
19-03-2020 Harold Kidd Input – How interesting to see the Logan Bros’ builders’ plate on NGAIO. I assume it was put there by Arch? If so, he was keeping the LOGAN BROS name alive. Of course he would still have had a stock of their builders’ plates but I can’t quite work out his motivation in using one on NGAIO. Robin might care to comment too?
20-03-20 Robin Elliot Input –Sorry I missed this. I have been self-isolating for the past 15 years or so and now it seems the world has caught up with how peaceful it can be.

The Logan plate is Interesting. From the photos in the earlier WW posts, that plate has been there on Ngaio for some time but whether it was there at the time of launching is impossible to say. Doubtful.

I’m not sure if there is one on Doreen/Coquette – I don’t think so – but as you say why would he put one on Ngaio in 1921? He was very ‘proper’ and it just would not have been right.

I suspect that rascally his son Jack was flinging them out when he cleared out the house in Bayswater in the 1950’s and passed one over to the then owner of Ngaio; probably on the grounds that Ngaio was an Arch tweak of a general hull shape developed at Logan Bros?

Interesting that there are 4 small screw holes in the plate around its edge but some philistine has drilled two big boofy holes in the centre for a couple of bog-standard slotted screws. The two empty holes in the timber above the plate lead me to believe there was another item (a different plate?) there before the Logan plate.

It’s not strictly correct but hey, its a nice addition.

RC Yacht Racing
Yesterday while waiting to pick up a family member from the medical centres near North Shore Hosp. I wandered down to Lake Pupuke and spied a group of gents sailing their yachts in the Quarry Lake.
A very pleasant way to fill in 1/2 hr – nearly forgot about the patient 🙂

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Telstar II – Vintage Speed Boat

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TELSTAR II – VINTAGE SPEED BOAT

I came across this ‘classic’ speed boat while trolling thru trademe. All the Masterton, Wairarapa based seller knows is that its 13’ in length.
Maybe the number on the hull, W.P. 45, will help us ID the boat.
 
Unless she held the NZ water speed record (which I highly doubt) the vendors asking price of $3.5k is a tad bullish.
 
23-05-2022 Update
Peter McLeod contacted us to advise that he now has Telstar II under his care and has just about finished recommissioning her. Photos below.
 
 
 

Welcome To The Waitemata – Cindy Jane

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Welcome To The Waitemata Cindy Jane
These days we seem to lose more woodys to other parts of Auckland than gain them on the Waitemata. So its very cool when we get one back.
I was recently contacted by Steve Taylor to let me know that he had just bought the 34’ Pelin Empress – Cindy Jane. Launched in 1975 she slots into the ’spirit of tradition’ category, built from kahikatea she has been glassed.
I’m always impressed with the amount of space on these woodys.
Cindy Jane is now calling Bayswater home but previously was a Taupo girl.
Steve bought Cindy Lane along to the Woody Classics BBQ at Little Oneroa last month.
Anyone able to tell us more about Cindy Jane’s past?

Erinor – A Peek Down Below

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ERINOR –  A Peek Down Below

Back in August 2014 Erinor made a brief appearance on WW, link below, lots of chat in the comments section.
What I can tell you is she was built by McGeady in 1953 for Gordon Collie and measures 33’6” x 10’8” x 3’6”. Powered by a Ford 120hp diesel.
In a previous life she was named – Lady Allyson.
Thanks to tme we get to have a peek down below.
Note To Self – Don’t Raft Alongside Trinidad – tends to lead to ‘short pants’ syndrome 🙂
RD+Trinny+Ngaio
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