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.

Marangi – Sailing Sunday + CYA Events Update

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MARANGI – Sailing Sunday
The photo above of Marangi is ex the September 1910 edition of the NZ Yachtsman magazine, sent to me by Ken Ricketts.
The photo (9/10/1910)is just prior to her launch in Auckland, where she was built at the Le Huquet yard. She possibly went to Wellington. Can any of the woodys enlighten us on her details & history?

A Little Boat Porn
Check out this video of Rosemary III, designed by William Fife III & built in 1925 by William Fife Fairlie. waterline length is 25′ (38’6″ overall) with a 8’6″ beam. The video shows hr sailing in Falmouth, UK in early December 2017, post a very sympathetic restoration by a relative of William Fife III. For sale for NZD$520k – makes the Logan – Little Jim, a steal for around 25% that price – enter Little Jim in the ww search box for details.
Enjoy 🙂

CYA Event Updates – Update Your Diaries

Don’t always believe what you read – 🙂 there have been several changes to the CYA launch / cruising calendar.

  1. Firstly next Saturdays (18/02) lunch cruise to the Riverhead hotel has been cancelled. But there is a replacement event – an overnight raft-up at Fairway Bay (Gulf Harbour), we did this once before & it was a lot of fun. Note there is a tight window for entering & leaving the basin (gate/boom) so refer copy of CYA newsletter below for details.
  2. March 3>5 is the dates for the CYA Yacht Regatta, this year on the final day (5th) there will be a Launch Parade, just prior to a cruise to the Riverhead hotel.Full details in the newsletter below.

RSVP for these events to    admin@classicyacht.org.nz

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ID the Location & Any Vessels

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ID the Location & Any Vessels

Another photo above from the ‘Found Album’ ex Peter Renall. Anyone able to shed any light on the impressive number to vessels hauled out?

Drone Footage
Check out this Vimeo drone ‘video’ from the Mahurangi Regatta 2017” filmed / complained by Roger Mills. I even spotted by clinker dinghy, middle of the beach

3/4’s a Woody – Wild Horses

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3/4’s a WOODY – WILD HORSES

Taupo woody’s Cathy & Shawn Vennell own a rather special zoom zoom woody, Judy H – a 19’6″ Chris Craft replica speed boat, which I have had the pleasure of skimming over the top of Lake Rotoiti in. For an 8 knot woody, doing 75kph+ is like space travel 🙂 You can check out Judy H here    https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/02/10/the-two-extremes-of-classic-boating/

Last weekend the Vennell’s turned up at the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat weekend with a floating bach – a Mason Clipper named Wild Horses. Now this addition to the Vennell fleet was not a total surprize to me as we had chatted on & off last winter about the suitability of a MC for Shawn & the family.

Wild Horses has a plastic (f/glass) bum but there is enough wood else where to get the ww tick. Zoom zoom comes from a very grunty V8 (Shawn will chip in soon with details)
Already Wild Horses has made a lot of Vennell love & looks stunning – can not wait till next year to see what else they will (tastefully) do to her 🙂

Marie J + Hirawanu

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MARIE J

Marie J was built in Whangarei by Master-Craft ( M Ryan) in 1956 & measures 30′. Built of kauri & presently owned (for approx 5 years) by Peter Croft  & kept at Gulf Harbour.
Peter C.  bought her off a Mr Hambrook of Auckland, who bought her in Motueka (2005) & cruised her to Onehunga, Auckland, via the West Coast. Then a quick road trip over to the Waitemata Harbour. Her history at Motueka & before that, is unknown.

She has been powered by a 4 cyl 90 hp Ford diesel since new & due to some very bad luck has had a total of 3 of these engines, including one installed  this week by Moon Engines.
The engine history goes like this , whilst in the care of a previous owner, she was tied to a wharf one day, at low water & when the  tide came in she got jammed under the wharf & ended up with water on the wrong side of the hull, which flooded the engine. This resulted in a replacement identical engine. Then the  present owner Peter C. had the misfortune to be cruising along one day & an oil cooler hose ruptured & sprayed lubricating oil all around the bilge & pumped the engine dry, which then promptly seized up. Thanks to Peter Croft & Ken Ricketts for the photos & details (edited by Alan H)

OMG – words fail me……………….. Its a bit like one of those dogs with a big body & very short legs – normally the result of a hole in the fence 🙂
For the record – it’s a 1948, 38′ Lidgard named Hirawanu.

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Some Days Are Just Made For a Wheel-house

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Some Days Are Just Made For a Wheel-house

Far north woody – Dean Wright was recently going thru a pile of his old images & came across the above shots from the 2012 Bay of Islands – Tall Ships Race. Dean reports that it was bucketing down and a 3 meter swell, the 3 above do not appear phased by the conditions 🙂
From the top the 3 photos show:

1. Bram Cone’s Meola coming around Tapeka in a trough
2. Cal Crook’s Donna Maree
3. Jim Ashby’s Olga

Meloa has been well covered on ww before – can any woodys tell us more about Donna Maree & Olga?

Update from Dean – below is the beautiful Nina, she was later lost in the Tasman with the loss of all crew.
Bob Van Pierce’s Cora
Spray behind a swell.

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Mystery Launch – Boat Sheds

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MYSTERY LAUNCH – BOAT YARDS

Morning woodys, after the gigantic post (160+ photos) yesterday from the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, I thought it was time to serve up some mono-tone imagery. Today’s photo is from the album that one of Peter Renall’s clients saved from the dump bin.
The S. Ford & R. Lang branded sheds must help with ID’ing the launch in the forefront.

And woodys if you were out & about yesterday enjoying Waitangi Day, just scroll down for a serious woody experience 😉
Enjoy.

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 – 160+ photos

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Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 – 160+ photos

Another stunning long weekend weather wise & also on the woody front – this weekend I was down at Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) for the annual classic & wooden boat parade. Holding hands again on the trip with Chris Miller. For the last few years we have positioned our selves in one shore based spot & snapped the boats as they have passed, this year we were very kindly offered the use of a RHIB to get out on the water & get amongst the fleet. The RHIB was provided by LRC&WB Association Rear Commodore Fraser Wilson, Fraser deserves a lot of credit for the above photos 🙂 . Given that CM is a professional photographer we decided that I would be the boat boy & helm the boat & CM would snap the photos, that was a good call because he is rather good 🙂
Being afloat meant that we could get a lot closer to the boats & the crews. So woodys the photos above are CM’s & below are a few of mine + a collection that I took while ashore for the post parade picnic.
I was asked to judge the awards for 7 categories, these awards are highly contested as they are only handed out every 5 years. The winners are featured at the end of todays story.
I would also like to like thank LRC&WB Commodore Grant Cossey for his help & support & as always the LRC&WB Secretary & event registrar – Rachel Jamieson, who is the real hero of this event & the association.
You can also view more on the event at CM’s blog – http://www.buggeritweareoff.com
Remember to click on photos to enlarge. Enjoy – we did 😉
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20th Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 Winners
BEST ORIGINAL WOODEN BOOT – CARVEL
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BEST ORIGINAL CLASSIC BOAT – WILD HORSES
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BEST CONVERSION – PIKO
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BEST DECORATED BOAT – HAUMOANA
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BEST DRESS CREW – ALBERTO
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BEST REPRODUCTION – SUZY Q
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MOST QUIRKY – MAGGIE
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V16 – Sailing Sunday

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V16 – Sailing Sunday

One mans rubbish is another mans gold 🙂
Daniel Renall mentioned to me at the Mahurangi Regatta last weekend that his father, Peter, had uncovered an old photo album (see below) a few weeks back while he was doing some work for a client. They had discovered the album in the inorganic rubbish! I received a copy of the album photos on Friday from Dan & there are some great shots of both sail & motorboat classics, I will share these in the coming weeks.

In the album the yacht V16 features a lot, ID’ing her may give some indication to the owner of the album –  can any woodys supply more info on V16?

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05-02-2017 Harold Kidd Input

V16 was the 18 footer SURPRISE designed by Arch Logan and built by Bill Couldrey and Ben Mayall, both of Northcote, for themselves in December 1923/January 1924. Ben had already built the crack Logan-designed 18 SECRET a season before.
M2 MOLLIE, the gaff rigged Emmy, is in the pics which puts the dates between say 1922 and 1931but I reckon in the early part of that range.

Sail number V18 was allotted more than once but I reckon this is the first boat to carry it, PHANTOM, which was  built in late 1924 by George Honour and wrecked in May 1928.This is clearly a George Honour boat. So the timeline is narrowed to between 1925 (early) and May 1928. I reckon at least some of the photos are of the 1925 Anniversary Regatta.
Robin will be more exact when he gets back from cruising.
As for ownership of the album, it is tempting to think it is from Bill Couldrey or one of his Northcote crewmen.

Dinghy Day at the Lake + CYA Picnic Invite

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Dinghy Day at the Lake

The Lake Rotoiti wooden boating scene is not all big boats – recently the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boar Association held their annual Dinghy Day, which always sees a great turnout. The much prized Seagull Trophy was won by Grant Brebner, pictured standing beside his boat – Saucy Sue* (on the trailer). Many thanks to Mike Johnson for sending in the photos.

Fingers crossed that the weather gods smile today & we get to see the running of the 20th Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – I’m down there with the camera, so look out on Monday for a bumper woodys story 🙂
*ps I’ll be doing a ww feature story on Saucy Sue in the next few weeks.

AND WOODYS- IF YOU ARE IN AUCKLAND OVER THE WEEKEND OR A COMING BACK FROM A WEEKEND AWAY ON MONDAY – DROP THE ANCHOR & JOIN THE CYA WAITANGI DAY PICNIC – DETAILS BELOW 🙂

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My Woody Happy Place

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My Woody Happy Place

Later today I’ll be heading down to Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) for the weekend & its no ordinary weekend – its the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade weekend. Over 70 classic & wooden vessels of all shapes & sizes make the lake their home for the weekend, which climaxes with a lake front parade in Okawa Bay on the Saturday morning (starting at 11:00am), all the vessels are viewable from the roadside/ grass reserve. Following the parade the fleet will cruise to Wairau Bay for a good old fashioned picnic.
Myself & Chris Miller have been making the crusade for the last 4 years & its now a most do each year for us.
To check out the previous parades type Lake Rotoiti in the ww search box.

The photos above were taken last weekend by CYA Launch Captain, Angus Rogers who was at the lake for a wedding. The classics (Lady Kathleen, Achernar & a couple of unknowns) are a few of the boats that have a permanent home on the lake.
If you are out & about this long weekend & near the lake, check out the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association website for viewing details.
http://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz

Weather permitting there will another cracker ww post from the lake to start the week with 😉