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.

Cygnet

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CYGNET

The launch Cygnet has just popped up on trademe (thanks Ian McDonald) & while the listing makes no reference to her past, given the location of Motueka, one would have to assume that she is the ex Mokau River work boat, previously featured on WW (photo below), with a lot of work done to her.

Details – she is approx. 30’ in length, made of kauri carvel construction in c.1960s. Her zoom zoom comes from a Lombardini 87hp diesel that pushes her along at a cruising speed of 8.5 knots, max 10 knots approx.

In her previous appearance on WW, Harold Kidd commented that she was built in Auckland and shipped down to Waitara for Sjolund of Mokau in July 1913, She was described as “on the tunnel style” 34ft in length, 7ft 6in in beam with a draft of 12 ins unloaded and 18ins with a two ton load. No hint of builder but Baden Pascoe thinks she is by T.M. Lane and Sons and that seems entirely likely. She was meant for the then flourishing Mokau River trade. Sjolund had several launches.

You can view / read more on her at the WW link below.

M.V. Cygnet

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Rowena

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ROWENA

Todays boat comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb & shows the vessel Rowena. It was captioned – Feb 1948, Rowens fishing launch.
To me it doesn’t look like a working fishing boat, any of the woodys able to tell us more about her & the location?

Mystery Clinker Launch

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CLINKER LAUNCH WELLSFORD

MYSTERY CLINKER LAUNCH
The photos above were sent to me by John Bullivant & show a large clinker built, canoe sterned launch parked up at 115 State Highway.
John commented that she looks like she’s been built for the rough stuff.
I apologise for the quality of the photos – ex google earth 🙂
Anyone able to tell us more about this unusual looking craft?

Roamer

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ROAMER
I was recently contacted by Anita Friedman in regard to the launch Roamer, which was owned by one of her father-in-law’s uncles, Frederick Louis Pierce Friedman, possibly from 1919 and to late in WW2.
In the photos above, the top one shows Roamer moored at Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton Harbour.
The hauled out photo, dated Labour Day 1940, was taken on the slipway at Lyttelton. At the time Roamer was still owned by Fred Friedman.
Anita’s understanding is that Fred Friedman entered ocean races, probably to Akaroa, in Roamer. (Refer the April 28, 1930 press clipping above).  He also was a member of the New Brighton Powerboat Club and moored the Roamer there.  He lived on Roamer.
When Fred died Roamer was passed to his nephew, Maurice Friedman. After Maurice was killed in WW2 the Roamer was sold.
Can any of the woodys enlighten us more on Roamer & what became of  her?
Input ex Harold Kidd – George Andrews of Redcliffs built the 40 footer ROAMER in 1911-2, possibly at Millers in Corsair Bay. Andrews ran her commercially as a passenger launch until he went off on the Hospital Ship MAHENO in 1915 in charge of the two donated motorboats aboard. Lawrence Joyce took her over and passed her to F. L. Friedman by 1927. By 2003 she was still in Lyttelton owned by Noel Norris and in 2011was for sale on Trade Me. So she still soldiers on it seems..
10-09-2018 Update from Dennis Rule  – Dennis was in Lyttleton on Sunday (09-09-2018) and spotted Roamer, a live & well & looking very sharp.
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PILAR – A Woody On Tour

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PILAR – A Woody On Tour

A little while ago woody Rod Marler was in Cuba, while there he visited the Ernest Hemingway museum & photographed –  ‘Pilar’, Hemingway’s 38’ sport fisher. Built by the Wheeler Boatyard, Brooklyn New York and launched in 1934.

Below is a great read on the history of the boat, published courtesy of the Hemingway Home website, as are the b/w photos below.
“Returning to Key West from an African safari in 1934, Ernest Hemingway stopped off in New York to take a few meetings. At one with the editor of Esquire, Arnold Gingrich, Hemingway was given a $3300 advance for some short stories. He promptly took himself out to Coney Island to the Wheeler Shipyard and used the cash as down payment on a customized yacht.
Wheeler was known and rewarded for producing exceptional hand-crafted wooden boats. It had begun producing a pleasure yacht called the Playmate in 1920 and been very successful (the model would be produced until 1939.) Hemingway’s modifications to the 38-foot version he ordered included a live fish well and a wooden roller spanning the transom to aid in hauling fish aboard. He also requested extra large fuel tanks so he could stay at sea for longer periods of time. The boat had two motors – a 75hp for traveling and a 40hp for trolling. And he requested a flying bridge. The photo above shows Hemingway atop that flying bridge as Pilar pulls out of Havana harbor.
The finished yacht cost $7500 and was brought to Key West and christened Pilar. (Not only the name of the heroine in For Whom the Bell Tolls, Pilar is also the nickname for then-wife Pauline.) Through Key West friend and hardware store owner, Charles Thompson, Hemingway gained permission to dock her at the Navy Yard (the Navy was barely using it at the time.) This put the ship at dock only a few blocks from Hemingway’s home on Whitehead Street.
In 1940, when Ernest and Pauline divorced and he subsequently married Martha Gelhorn (whom he’d met at Sloppy Joe’s,) they relocated to Cuba and bought Finca Vigia (Lookout Farm) the home on a hilltop overlooking Havana. Pilar was docked at Cojimar, a small fishing village east of Havana, which was the inspiration for Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.
When he left Cuba in 1960 with fourth wife, Mary he knew he’d be back. But the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 cut off his return and separated him from his beloved Pilar. After Hemingway’s death in July of that year, his widow gave the ship to Gregorio Fuentes who had served as her captain. Fuentes also served as the basis for the character Santiago, in The Old Man and The Sea and passed away in 2002 at the age of 104.
Today, Finca Vigia is a museum where Pilar is on display atop the tennis courts with a walkway encircling her so visitors can view the interior.”

Flying Boats

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FLYING BOATS

I have been sent the above collection of b/w photos that John Bullivant found on a British seaplane site, it appears a lot of the photos are from our national library or similar.  They give a snap shot into the Teal flying boat history in Wellington. In them we see a large clinker launch, a work boat (Wild Duck which has an identical sister), a Civil Aviation flarepath launch (the dark stepped cabin launch to right of jetty) two different Teal launches (one from Auckland for some reason) Len Southwards Red Head racing one of the planes and a few views of the larger Teal launch.

The Teal launch appears to have the engine box towards the stern so may have had a v-drive (more room in the cabin / safety / noise perhaps?) The group of fine gentlemen in the Teal launch (pipes and all) are some of the 1951 All Blacks departing for the test in Australia.

Aquarius – SOS

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AQUARIUS – SOS 
Aquarius has been mentioned on WW before – link below . To remind you she is a 38′ ex big game fishing boat built / designed by McGeady/Supreme Craft and she was the first boat worked on by Ben Hipkins when he started his apprenticeship in 1955.
This time she appears as an SOS. I have been contacted by Murray Smith who has been looking for a project boat for some time and came across Aquqrius advertised on trademe. Murray has viewed the boat but she is a bit small for him, so on behalf of her current owner Phil Tarr, he has asked that we do a shout out on WW to find someone to take her over.
Currently she is sitting up on the hard in a storage yard on Waiheke. Phil pulled her out to renovate her (2012?) and has lots of the interior cabinetry safe n dry under his house. He has brand new fuel tanks ready to go back in then everything else should slot in. Sounds easy but this gives the new owner the chance to build the interior how they want. The engines have not been started for a few years and condition is honestly described as seized, more likely just reluctant to turn over, as Phil has had them overhauled prior to loosing focus. Sadly she is showing the signs of neglect one would expect, but her heart is sound.
A little history – she had been built for and was working in the B.O.I. and has been owned by many big names including Lofty Blomfield and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa’s mum.
I’m told the trademe photos are very poor & do not do her justice , also that the owner is very negotiable on price.

Dixie – Motor-Sailer

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Dixie –  Motor-Sailer

The above photo was sent in by Simon Smith, details are unknown but being such an impressive looking craft, it won’t be long before a woody ID’s her for us.
Update – chat in the comments section between Paul Drake & Harold Kidd around whether she could be Ponui. HDK has advised that he agrees with Paul in that the stem is too plumb for Ponui, but HDK commented that she’s very similar in layout for the time, even to the conning tower in the cabin top. Photo below.
Ponui
Update 11-02-2019 As ID’ed by Nathan Herbert & endeared below by Harold Kidd – it is Dixie.
DIXIE. Built by H.N. Burgess October 1913 for Jas Kennedy of Putiki Bay, Waiheke (a Squadron member hence the flag). 18hp Automatic kerosene engine later 30hp Twigg. In Kennedy’s family until 1985. Recently in Thames.

Olivette at Westpark Marina

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Olivette at Westpark Marina

My Westpark spotter, John Wicks, sent in the above photo. She looks very familiar to me but I just can’t recall who it is. Must be the blue paint (I like it) – from the condition of the rest of the boat, she looks like she has been ‘saved’.
Any woodys able to ID her? & remind me that the memory is slipping 🙂
Update ex Cameron Pollard – she is called Olivette & in the Pollard fleet. The reason she is familiar to me was I passed her under tow unroute to Westpark, several months ago. I even took photos (below) 🙂
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Harold Kidd Input – She was originally called ARK ROYAL and owned by Charles Blackburn of Egremont St Takapuna c1950. He sold to Jim McCauley of Kawerau St Devonport c1955. RM & GW Best owned her some time around 1960 but I don’t know when in the chronology. Her recent owner bought her c2003 and he renamed her OLIVETTE after his wife. Possibly Shipbuilders?

Kaiurunga

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KAIURUNGA – Workboat Wednesday

Kaiurunga is a double ender solid kauri planked launch at 41′ long & built in 1935 by Ernie Lane.

She is an ex-Westport Harbour Board pilot boat. The name Kaiurunga means ‘highest cloud’.  

Rumour has it she has done a lap of New Zealand and often crossed the Cook Straight.  

Zoom zoom is via a 95hp Perkin diesel motor that has her cruising at around 7 knots.  

Her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald) tells us her current owner has had her for a year and is unable to finish the project.  While looking a little ‘work-in-progress’ there has been a lot of time & money spent on her & she would make a good low cost live aboard / tiny house-boat.
Home port is Mana, Wellington.