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.

Windhaven II

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WINDHAVEN II
Yachting Developments have just completed a major refit & restoration on the Colin Wild ketch Windhaven.
Her relaunch was a little more dignified than when she was first launched at her builders, Colin Wild, Stanley Point, Devonport yard. Ngatiringa Bay lacks H2O, even at high water 🙂

Wonderful to see one of your iconic classics returned to her former glory. In fact, the team at YD have delivered her in better than ‘as-new’ condition. As further proof of the work YD do on classics see the photos below of Ranger, also returning to the water after some TLC in the YD shed. Thanks to Paige Cook/facebook for the images. Launch day photo ex John Salthouse collection via Mike Drummond.

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Tui

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TUI
Sometimes you wonder how serious someone is about selling their boat, Tui is listed on trade me – as a 30′ inboard ‘beautiful girl’ & is a wonderful sea boat”.

When it comes to specs the seller says “I will need to put all the mechanical details on later all I know is she starts every time first time. Engine, shaft etc will be updated all I know is that I think Tui has a ford tractor engine”. And they want someone to pay $35k+ based on that ;-(
A few hours with a tungsten tipped chainsaw & you could end up with a nice wee sedan top launch, if the price was right. Thanks to Ian McDonald to the trademe tip.

Do any woodys know ore about Tui – builder, year etc?

An apology – if you were wondering what was happening around yesterdays story on Vacuna – I removed the ww story because the vendor was not being upfront with the vessels past & had been very creative with the story. There was over 10 comments that I chose to ‘moderate’ & did not appear on ww, mostly name calling & threats, I’m the only one that’s allowed to do that 🙂  so they got the delete button.

Vacuna

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VACUNA

I have deleted my comments about this boat – yes its for sale but be careful. The 4 sale story & her actual past appear to not add up.

I repeat – be careful – in fact refer the last ww story on her – link below

Vacuna

26-11-2016 UPDATE

This weblog is many things to many people, one of those things is to ensure that the classic wooden boating community is kept abreast of happenings in & around the many marinas & boat yards scattered across NZ.
We get sent 100’s of photos of boats hauled out, photos of work-in-progress – both good work & dodgy work, I publish most things, often just an addition to  previous story, that way future owners can get an insight into a vessels maintenance history. Quite often an owner gets a surprize to learn that at some stage in the past their pride & joy may have hit a rock, or even been to the bottom. In fact I learned this about my own boat.

So folks when I hear things that appear to be not right, I alert you to them – the launch Vacuna is a case in point – I have NEVER had so many phone calls or emails about one single vessel, all I’ll say is that I would not buy her 😉

Also at waitematawoodys we very rarely moderate what others post in the comments section – the seller of Vacuna has attempted to post 9 comments that we have chosen to not publish – the last will be enough to get them banned from waitematawoodys, only the 2nd person ever.
I have repeated the comment below – this was their reply to a comment made by one of waitematawoodys most loyal & knowledgeable woodys.

“Get your facts right before you comment on marking a quick Buck.
Who the hell are or what are you. A lose mouthed women that has no idea about anything trying to get a name for her self at the expense of others.”

Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?

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Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?

Today’s woody lives in the Marlborough Sounds but could equally be a perfect North Island lake boat. She measures 24’6″ & is constructed with kauri carvel hull, with glass on ply cabin & deck.
Power comes from a 3QM Yanmar 30hp diesel & as you can see in the photos had been fitted out to a very high standard.
Asking price is $9.5k, that is not a lot of $$ for a woody that is presented in the condition this one is 😉

Its hard to read her name but Ian McDonald who tip me off on the trademe listing feels it could be either Scuffy or Scuppy – any woodys able to ID the boat & supply more details on her?

Message for CYA Launch Owners + Mataroa Spy Photos

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CYA Xmas BBQ Poster

Message for CYA Launch Owners + Mataroa Spy Photos

Doing a shout out today to all Classic Yacht Association launch owners to remind you that next weekend (Dec 3>4) is the annual CYA Patio Bay weekend. The highlight of which being the byo BBQ (bbq’s provided for cooking) ashore at Woolicott’s bach. Most of us rate it as the #1 social event of the year in terms of mix & mingling. Check out the photos from last year here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/12/07/cya-patio-bay-bbq-xmas-race-weekend-2015/
The weekend sees over 50 classic launch & yachts come together for a weekend of fun, friendship & fraternity.

Mataroa Update
Not wanting to short change you today in terms of your classic woody ‘fix’ – below a few spy photos taken by Max Uivel of the progress being made on the 1928 Joe Slattery launch, Mataroa in the Evans Bay slip yard.
Rob Uivel can be seen hard at work. Max commented that there is still a way to go but progress has been good considering the meteorological and seismic conditions in Wellington.
I have to say she is a very pretty classic & looks to be getting a very sympathetic make-over – we like that 🙂 More details on her past here. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/31/mataroa-kenya-2/

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A Message From Manu PB

Hi Alan,
 My name’s Manu, i’m in wellington. was looking for photos on the net of a nice kauri launch out of interest, as i used to own and live in one.
What do you know, Mataroa comes up!
My father Simon Blakiston bought her from Kevin, end of 1999 (?) and had her brought down to Chaffers marina straight away. We enjoyed trips to the sounds, havelock, and around the harbour (some of the photos posted are ours) for a few years, and he and I ended up living onboard for a couple years, all the while he worked as an architect there!  the rearmost port side berth in the main cabin may still have a fold-out drawing table under it. I lived there with my partner later on also. in 2007 Dad was taken by cancer and I inherited the boat. Sadly I’m not a particularly nautical person, and it became apparent that i was doing her no favours by putting off some much needed restoration work. I sold her to a young couple who lived onboard at chaffers for a while.
It’s great to see the photos up on display! really brings back some memories of quite an important little bit of my life!
One of the better stories from my time with Mataroa was being in my last year of school, and a friend saying his father and grandfather were wandering at the marina and had found a boat the grandfather had driven during the war. it took only a small amount of figuring to realise he was talking about Mataroa. Granddad was Bluey Barnes (forgotten his actual first name sorry! this can all be revised), the 18 yearold mentioned on your site by Kevin. Dad met with Bluey and took him out for a spin, apparently his stomach wasn’t what it used to be by this point. Somewhere i have a couple of copies of photos from Bluey, one of his boat boy topside, and another of her absolutely loaded with troops. I hope copies of these photos made it into the boat’s files, otherwise i can try and dig them out. Kevin also mentions a tape recording of Bluey’s exploits which i have too, but havent played since dad recorded it.
There are a couple more stories floating around i think, let me know if you want me to dig up any of them, or the photos and tape. I can also find a little more out about Bluey, sadly he passed away a year or two ago, but i still see his grandson regularly.

Cheers and thanks for getting Mataroa up on the net for all to see, she’s missed out on a lot of due credit over the last few years. great to see some photos i haven’t before.
thanks,
  Manu PB

Kowai

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KOWAI
Kowai was spotted on the hard at Half Moon Bay las week by Alan McDonald. She lives up the Tamaki River at Panmure, on piles.

Thats all we know about her – so can any woody supply more details? One of the river rats must know the boat.

Input from Peter Morton (ex Ken Ricketts)

Help needed – I have been contacted by Kerry Costello with a question. I’ll let Kerry tell it.

“Recently I found a small wooden sailing dinghy (below) at an op shop – unintentionally – and now I’m trying to piece her together and get her in the water. I really want to find out what the make and model is. My partner and I are taking the paint off and want to fix her up nice – figure out the correct paint, put fiber glass on the seams and a of couple dents, and find a mast for her!
It seems that knowing the make and model would be helpful in finding the right mast. I’ve looked on trade me and someone told me that the lumber yard might mill one for me? But it seems that finding a used one would be more appropriate than anything else; using something made by a boat builder rather than milled by someone who doesn’t know boats. So as I said before any advice that you can give me would be so so appreciated.”

So woodys, can we ID the yacht design & any chance someone as an old mast in the garage rafters ?

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No Salt – 4Sale – All Offers Considered

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NO SALT

NO SALT IS BACK ON THE MARKET – I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF WORK & MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT ON CORRECTING THE ISSUES SHE HAD. NOW 4SALE & ALL SENSIBLE OFFERS WILL BE CONSIDERED. CONTACT ROGER – 021 02546184

I have spoken before about the emergence of what I call ‘the floating bach’ – well No Salt fits that category perfectly. I predict in the next 5 years we will see more & more of this ‘trawler’ style classic motor boat on our harbours & lakes. Just look at the camper van scene, it has exploded but camper vans only appeal to a % of the population & the biggest negative is  you have very little control over who your neibour is 🙂

No Salt is the real deal, a genuine wooden Grand Banks, from the desk of the renowned American designer Ken Smith. She was built / launched in 1973 & is one of the last wooden Grand Banks before they switched to GPR production 😦  40′ on the water (the yanks assign the LWL length to their craft so she is a GB36) she is mahogany carvel planked on sawn frames & features a full length keel that provides protection for the twin props/rudders – perfect for nudging into that secluded bay.
Powered by twin Ford 120hp (non turbo) engines she cruises at 9knots & would run on the smell of an oily rag, this efficiency combined with 720L fuel tanks makes her perfect for extended cruising. While she carries 800L of water if I owned her I would drop a water maker on board & then there would be no stopping you.

The Americans can be a little OTT in terms of safety but in No Salts case her high bulwarks & all round teak railing make her very family / older person friendly. Another bonus is the window / seating height in the saloon – few boats get this right, with No Salt you can be seated & enjoy brilliant exterior views.

Yes No Salt is for sale & would have to represent the best value for money in the leisure / lifestyle market.
Who will buy her? with her 7 berth layout there are lots of options with this floating bach & while I would not like to see her leave the Waitemata, what a low-cost lake pad she would be & you have the best view on the lake + you can fish from your door step.
As always click on any photo above to enlarge.

Tarata

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TARATA

Today’s ww story one of the ones that makes it all worth while – Alan Sexton contacted me a while ago trying to track down a launch his father (Howard) owned in the 1970’s – Tarata. Never confirmed but the family believed the 32′ sedan launch was built by Snow Waters, possibly to a Couldrey design. Alan had not photos of her & the last known where abouts was that she was moored in the Tamaki Riv just up from HMB.
Alan’s father sold her to a Wayne Kidd (the broker at HMB) and a partner in 1979.
Now Alan works overseas & returned to NZ last week from Chile & was in the Pakuranga area last Thursday and having been advised that Allan Keane at HMB Brokerage had some history on Tarata, Alan took the opportunity to drop into to his office. He kindly searched thru his sales records and found  the last transaction he had done in 2003 and gave Alan his display photos (as above). Attached are scans of the photos.
As a result of Alan’s time with Allan Keane & other sniffing around he has been able to assemble the details below on Tarata. Still very keen to learn details on her recent history & current where abouts.
” Tarata was built by Snow Waters and launched in 1962 for Lloyd Kitchen (of the H.C. Kitchen formica family). Designer is believed to be Bill Couldrey but this is not certain. She is 32’ x 10’6” x 3’, hull is 7/8” single skin kauri on steam bent ribs with solid timber floors, decks are one diagonal and one fore and aft tongue and groove sheathed with canvas & fiberglass. Cabin coamings are solid timber and cabin top appeared to be plywood over solid beams with the surface between the beams Formica lined. Original engine was a marinised 60hp Fordson Super Major with a Paragon 2:1 mechanical gearbox. The engine installation was quite cunning, the engine is mounted forward of the main cabin and offset slightly to starboard to allow sufficient width for the passage to port and a narrow bunk. The drive train consisted of truck assembly double universal and sliding spline shaft, with thrust from the propeller taken by a rigidly mounted thrust bearing. All tanks were copper as were the bow rails and cabin top hand rails. She has a mast approx. 6m tall fitted with a jib used as a steadying sail.

The Kitchen’s sold her about 1967 to Arthur Wagner and my father, Howard Sexton bought her in 1971, owning her until 1979. She was then bought by Wayne Kidd and a partner who owned her until approx. 1983. She has had a number of owners since and last record is that she was sold to Barry and Jane Radford from Kerikeri in 2003.

She was re-engined sometime in the 80’s with a slightly larger 85hp 4 cyl Lees Ford and a hydraulic gearbox. Otherwise she appears virtually unchanged, at least in 2003 when the photos were taken. She was a tough little launch and would plug on thru just about any sea. There is at least one sister ship, Yin Yang at Westpark, who has had her cockpit extended. At one time we were told Snow had built up to 6 of this design but this is not certain.”

Input from Robert Brooke – Tarata was built by Snow Waters to a modified ” Mapuna” design of my fathers

Jade – Sailing Sunday

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JADE – A Herreshoff style weekend/daysailer

Jade fits into the classic category that we call ‘spirit of tradition’ – a gaff-rigger that not only sails well but also has none of the maintenance headaches that other wooden boats have.
Specifications: LOA: 7m, Beam: 2m, Draft: Centerboard up: 650mm, CB down: 1.5m Sail area: 20sqm, Ballast: 300kg, Displacement: 1300kg.
She is 4sale on trademe. With her custom trailer & cover + being a center-boarder she would make a great lake boat. You could even troll for a trout with the 8hp outboard 😉

Kia Ora

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Kia Ora
A 43 foot wooden boat powered by a Gardner 6LH through a Gardner gearbox.  Kia Ora is an ex fishing vessel converted to a pleasure boat for her well deserved retirement.
Built in 1939 at Kaikoura by local fishing legend Syd Cormack & launched on the foreshore at Kaikoura.
She is very well known along the South Island east coast, not many places you won’t bump into a fisherman thats worked on her.
With her Gardner ticking over her cruise speed is 7 to 8Knts and fuel usage is around 5 to 6 liters per hour.

Any of the woodys able to tell us more about Kia Ora, Ian McDonald alerted me to the trademe listing, hopefully she survived the earthquake & tidal activity that it the area this week.

Harold Kidd Input

KIA ORA was built by Syd Cormack in Kaikoura and launched in 1940. Her first engine was a 50hp Bolinder. Her dimensions are (official reg) 41.2′ loa x 12.7′ beam x 5.6′ draught, 13.03 tons gross and 3.88 tons net. Cormack was her first owner. She was registered as LN 93.
When Ainsley Sinclair of Akaroa owned her in 1950 he steamed her up to Auckland for the Sanders Cup contest. During her life she has been sunk and salvaged three times.

Sheds at Clyde Quay Wellington
The capital has also been suffering the effects of the earthquake, Gavin Pascoe sent me the photo below. This is the result of earthquake surge + king tide + torrential rain. Hopefully the water did not do much damage to the sheds contents – click this link to view the sheds on a good day 😉 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/12/31/ever-wondered-whats-inside-those-sheds/

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