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.

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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See Bee – Part 1

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SEA BEE – Part 1

On my trip up North this week I spotted Sea Bee berthed in the Whangarei Basin. Looks to be a very recent recipient of a conversion from work boat to cruiser.

Lovely lines and great use of colour.
Anyone able to tell us about her past?
Update ex Linda Holdaway – this is the same Sea Bee owned for many years by Ian Boyce.  She was designed and built by Harold Saunders, we’ve been told. Brett Stanaway bought her in 2014 from Steve Greasley up in the Kerikeri inlet and we worked solidly on her every spare hour we could find, and launched her unfinished in 2016. I went and talked with Ian Boyce while he was still alive. He said she was originally built in 1965 for a partnership between Dave Baker and George Cornwall and was called CB when launched. They bought 4 kauri trees in the Coromandel and had them railed to Saunders’ boatyard in Mana Harbour. 
09-04-2020 Input from Brett Stanaway
Below are a few photos of Seabee the day she was launched, a couple of her when she was still working and a couple of her the day we bought her. 
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I know I’m A Nutter
Anyone else got all 8 editions of the CYA Classic Register? fyi – there is actually 9,
one was reprinted due to an embarrassing oops – and yes I have that one as well 🙂
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Northern Star

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NORTHERN STAR
Its not often we see an Australian designed / built Halvorsen in NZ waters, they are the darlings of Sydney Harbour. Its even rarer to see an ex WW II one.
Northern Star was built in 1944 by Lars Halvorsen & Sons for the Royal Australian Air Force as a air-sea rescue boat.
She measures 38’x10’x4’. Current power is from a 306hp Volvo TAMD61A diesel that gets her along at 12>13 knots.
Her owner has had her for 45 years and she is  now 4sale on tme – a few rot issues to her plywood stern area and fore deck but I’m sure easily fixed. Rather a smart boat for the current price ($20+k)
Anyone know how she came to be in NZ ?
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Doris

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DORIS

While mooching around the Whangarei docks yesterday I spotted Doris. Had a brief chat with her owner who hopefully is going to email in what he knows about her past. She made a brief appearance on WW back in late Feb 2019. At the time there was a lot of chat in the comments section as to her provenance and military (WW II) service. WW link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/02/27/dorris/

I walked away with two photos from her past, the 2nd one above from when her owner purchased her and the b/w one, possibly, from her time in the Pacific Island’s during WW II. The location is thought to be Vanuatu.
When I get more intel – hopefully we can confirm her bloodline and life journey 🙂
Harold Kidd Input – In case the subject of DORIS has become scrambled during the previous post, this DORIS (W66) was built by T M Lane & Sons at Kings Drive, Mechanics Bay in December 1910 for Fuller of Russell as a 36 footer with a 12hp 2 cylinder Scripps engine.
We Have A New Leader In the – Boat That Most Resembles A Block Of Flats – Competition  – spotted off Waiheke Island last weekend.
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Timeless

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TIMELESS
The above photos of the 44’ Timeless were sent in by John Burland and show her berthed at Nelson Marina.
Back in March 2014 she appeared on WW and we established that she was potentially launched in 1998 as Daphne Dee, later (2002) renamed Timeless. Link to the 2014 WW story below.
I’m liking the new paint job 🙂
Any of the newer (since 2014) woodys able to shed more light on this woody?
Off to Whangarei today to check-out a few woodys, more details soon 😉
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Mystery Whangrei Harbour Launch

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Mystery Whangarei Harbour Launch

It’s a little hard to back up yesterdays WW coverage of the CYA Classic Yacht Regatta – big numbers viewing, including the USA and UK.
So today we have a very cool b/w photo of an unknown launch pictured at anchor in Whangarei Harbour, its dated c.1900’s and that woodys is all we know.
Can anyone help us ID the boat?
(thanks to Lew Redwood’s fb for the image)
12-03-2020 Input from Harold Kidd – I think it is the 32ft KIA KOA, built by Bailey & Lowe in 1908 for A.R. Pickmere of Whangarei with a 10hp Gardner petrol engine, 6ft shorter than GLADYS/GISPA but from the same stable and a year or so earlier.
And if you missed yesterdays WW story (100+) photos – just scroll down 😉
Input from Denis O’Callahan (MV Tasman) – The lines of the hull look similar to my father’s boat, Mapu, designed by H E Cox in 1927 for H A Adams. I think she was built by Col Wild. She had a 2 cylinder Kelvin sleeve valve engine which was run on kerosene during WW2. The photo below of Mapu at the Needles Eye, Birkenhead some time in the 1940s. This was where Jim Young had his boat shed back in the day.
Mapu at Needles Eye 1940 something
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2020 New Zealand Classic Yacht Regatta Photo Gallery – 100+ photos and videos

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A7 – Thelma / A2 – Rawhiti

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2020 New Zealand Classic Yacht Regatta Photo Gallery – 100+ photos and videos

As I have mentioned in the last two WW stories, the Classic Yacht Association of New Zealand have over the last 3 days been running its annual classic yachting event on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.
The near perfect conditions on all three days made for happy skippers and a relieved race organisers. I was on the water for two of the three days and had a blast. The gallery above is a mix of Races 1/2/3. If your boat doesn’t make an appearance, I apologize, I was only a passenger, so captured those that were within range.
On the second day, James Dreyer and myself hosted the world acclaimed marine photographer Benjamin Mendlowitz onboard Jame’s motorboat – Laughing Lady, the perfect platform for recording the on the water activities.
For me it was a master class in boat positioning and photography angles, I tried to keep out of Ben’s way and took the above photos / videos when I could without being in Ben’s line of sight.
These days the CYA run the regatta using the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron as Race HQ and entertainment hub, it is the perfect venue and as always the service and staff were 10/10.
 Scroll down for the official regatta results below
As always – click on photos to enlarge.
Race Course Videos Below (Races 2/3)
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PRIZE

A DIVISION

ARIKI

RAWHITI

CORONA

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Ngarurua + CYA Regatta Sailing Photos

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NGARURUA

The 37’ Ngaruroa was built by Nobby Clark, a commercial boat builder and launched in 1965. Built from carvel plank, heart kauri. Powered by a 120hp 6 cylinder Perkins diesel engine. 
Over the last 8 years she has been under gone an extensive re-fit and her owner now finds themselves just too busy to complete the project – so if there is a woody out there handy with their hands – Ngarurua just needs her interior finished and a lick of paint. She is fully operational in its present state. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.

CYA CLASSIC YACHT REGATTA UPDATE – DAY TWO (Races 2&3)
Yesterday morning I was dock side at Race HQ co-ordinating a meet up between renowned wooden boat photographer Benjamin Mendlowitz and James Dreyer (MV Laughing Lady) and I got ‘press ganged’ into accompanying them on LL for the day. Was not what I had planned but sometimes you just go with the flow.
Had an amazing day and got some great sailing photos. A taste below – full story on Monday.

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A10 – Thelma / A7 – Rainbow

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A7 – Thelma / A2 – Rawhiti

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A16 – Little Jim