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.

Arohanui

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AROHANUI
photo & details ex Ross Farrant

Arohanui was built by Roy Parris in 1974 & is 30′ long. Owner Ross purchased her a couple of years ago from a gent by the name of Doug Wood. Ross understands Doug runs (perhaps ‘ran’ now) a diesel servicing business out of Westhaven.

Milford boatbuilder Geoff Bagnall was an apprentice under Roy Parris at the time Arohanui was built, Ross spoke to Geoff recently and he told Ross that he remembers there were 4 of these 30′ launches built, he also recalls that Arohanui was built for a Dick Milburn who is now deceased. Geoff knows nothing of her history after that.

You will notice in the above photo a small cabin top on the foredeck. Geoff Bagnall did that job for previous owner Doug wood at his Milford shed a few years ago, it appears that most of Roy’s boats had a flush foredeck but Doug wanted headroom, and it does work, brings more light into the boat and doesn’t detract from the overall look of the boat.

Arohanui is powered by a Lees Marine conversion, six cylinder Ford truck engine, Ross was amazed at how much oil the sump took when he did my first oil change.

Anything anybody can tell ww about her history would be great as Ross & Sue Farrant are a bit light on details relating to her past.

(sorry about the photo quality, as supplied)

A Woody Quiz – Cool Prizes

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A Woody Quiz
photo ex Harold Kidd

Long over due for a quiz – this ones not easy but the prizes are very cool.
In the above photo what we want to know is location, date & who is in the photo. Only one winner for each i.e. 3 winners. HDK & myself will decide the best/closest answers 😉

Update

OK woodys – the correct answers are:

Location : Putiki Bay – WINNER = ROD MARLER
Date:  c1895 – WINNER = MICHAEL O’DWYER
The people :  The guy on the left is Henry Winkelmann in his trademark straw hat. The others are crew members off AORERE – WINNER = NATHAN HERBERT

Prizes will be in the mail  Friday.

What do you win?
For the last two years Chris Miller & myself have travelled to the Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade (Nth Island). Chris is a pro photographer (  http://www.pix.nz/ ) & I’m just an enthusiastic amateur & for the last two years the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association have chosen a selection of our photos for their fund raising calendar. I have 3 copies of the calendar to give away. Like the event the calendar is very well done. Now if your not a winner, you can order one from the club secretary Rachel Jamieson – email Rachel for details
zea.rachel@gmail.com
They cost $10 each & postage is $2.40 for up to 7 calendars, $5 for more than 7 or courier ($6 North Island $7 South Island  –  RD extra).
Payment is via direct credit – please use your surname as reference and email Rachel when you make the payment. Remember to add the postage 😉

The bank account number is:    12 3155 0140546 00  Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Assoc.

Front cover
Back cover
Sample page

waitematawoodys t-shirts

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waitematawoodys t-shirts

Printing is underway – just discovered that custom screen printing is a VERY manual process, reminds me of college art classes –  but the end result is very cool & has a long life.
I’m pushing the overseas orders out first & will start on the NZ orders soon – all well b4 xmas 😉
The new shirt & updated logo is looking great.

ps if you have not paid for your shirts yet, get onto it – paid orders ship first 🙂

pps printing outside to aid the drying

Kohema

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KOHEMA
photo & details ex Michael O’Dwyer

Today’s photo is from the Napier Sailing Club & shows the launch Kohema on the clubs opening day in 1950. Of all the photos in the ww library this one would take 1st prize for the most people aboard 🙂

Can any woody tell us a bit more about Kohema?

04-06-2016 photos added ex Ronald Walker

Corona

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Approximately mid 60’s at Torrent Bay

 

CORONA
photos & details ex Peter Campbell

Corona was built by G.Curnow & M.V. Wilton in Nelson & launched at the beginning of 1938.
She was built for H.I. Dimock who sold Corona typewriters in Nelson, hence the name of the vessel.
Peter’s grandfather purchased the boat approximately mid 1940’s & she has stayed in the family since. 70 years of ownership is very impressive. Her specs are – 38′ LOA, Beam 10′, Draft 3′ 9″ & with 6′ Headroom.
The hull is kauri carvel construction & her original engine was a petrol Chrysler Ace. These days powered by a Ford diesel 2725E, which sees her cruising at 8 – 9 knots, max 11knots.

Peter reports that Corona is a very comfortable, economical boat & perfect for the use it gets now, Abel Tasman, D’urville Island & the Marlborough Sounds.

Legend has it Corona was featured in a NZ boating magazine in February 1938 page 9. Does anyone know what magazine?. Peter love a copy of the article or better still would anyone a copy of the magazine they would part with. So woodys – can anyone help ID the magazine &/or supply a scan of the article / or the magazine?

TURAKINA – Sailing Sunday

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TURAKINA – Sailing Sunday
photos & detail ex Danvers Devereaux via Shane Anderson

Turakina is a very lucky boat, designed by Arnold ‘Bill’ Couldrey,  she started life being built in 1949 by Danvers uncle (Leo H Clarke) under his family home in Mt Eden. She is double skin kauri – 30′ / 8′ / 5′, the timber was actually a wedding gift.
Turakina is a sister ship to Tuirangi (C35). Bill Couldrey was a protege of Arch Logan. These 2 vessels look like clones of Tawera and Gypsy.

Leo sold her approx. 20 years ago, then 5 years ago Danvers found her for sale on trademe, in a very poor state, Danvers alerted his step-father Les & his pal Phil Rice to the sale & they jumped at the chance of getting her back. That was the 1st piece of luck, the 2nd was that her new owners chose Peter Brookes to do a complete 2 & 1/2 year restoration on her, the full monty –  from the keel up and cabin off.

The relaunch of Turakina featured on ww (link here)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/10/12/turankina/
Todays post shows some of the early build & sailing photos + her recent restoration. Enjoy 🙂

 

Navy (Admirals) Barge

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Navy (Admirals) Barge
photo & details ex Ken Ricketts. edited by Alan H

The above launch was photographed by Ken while recently hauled out at Gulf Harbour for some maintenance. We understand that she is still in use by the Navy & used for cadet training. Built at the Devonport Dockyard, she is 3 skins of timber.
Her specs are – Length 14 metres, beam 4.45 metres, draught 1.2 metres.
She originally had 2 x Perkins Turbo 6 cyl diesels which have been replaced with 2 x D4 Volvos giving her a top speed of 10 knots, which seems rather slow ?

Like most service craft she has had highs & lows e.g. she was used by Princess Di on one of her Royal visits & also discovered some ‘unchartered’ (yeah right) rocks off Tutukaka 2 or 3 years ago on returning from the Bay of Islands.

I’m sure some of the woodys that have spent time in & around the dockyards will be able to expand on what we know about her.

OOPS Photos from Chris Leech

18-12-2015 Photo below ex Chris Leech of the twin Perkins HT6.354M diesels with Borg Warner gearboxes as installed when new.

Ready for re-launch – Feb 2016 – photos ex Ken Ricketts

30-11-2016 Photo of Admirals Barge below ex Jon Trimble via Ken Ricketts.

admirals-barge

Hazel May

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Hazel May

Hazel May
photo & details from John Burland

Today’s launch, Hazel May resides in Nelson Marina & is owned by Stephen Donar (?), that folks is the extent of what we know. John took the photo while cruising the dock looking for woodys.

So folks can we shed some light on this old girls past?

Update from Geoff Brebner

Not to sure of when she was built but think it was before 1920. She was built (another “I think”) by T. le Huquet for Henry Bronlund (my mothers uncle) who farmed at Stony Bay on the far side of Cape Colville. Named for their eldest daughter Hazel. Stony Bay was very remote at that time and she was their only means of direct communication with Auckland. Kept in a boat shed, she would  be loaded with bales of wool then return with enough provisions to keep them going. She was latterly taken over by son-in law Jack Strongman  of Coromandel and kept there for many years. I think she was originally powered with a Twigg petrol engine. Strongman’s had the agency for Perkins engines so it wasn’t long before she was re-powered. She was very fast with it seeming no limit to her hull speed. Jack and his sons Cyril and Nigel were great tinkerers and innovators and Hazel May could to the trip to Auckland in under two hours. Jack Strongman set up the Strongman Electric Supply Co in 1946 and supplied Coromandel town with electricity until the late 1950’s when Coro was connected to the national grid. Jack’s brother Sam set up the Strongman Shipping Co in 1936 (Wee Pat, Maretana and Coromel). Hazel May was sold to relations in Nelson a number of years  back. Good to see she’s still alive!    🙂

Photo below ex Andrew Pollard ex Classicboatsnz

 

Kawhiti

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KAWHITI
photos ex Tim Jackson, Russell Ward & Harold Kidd, details ex Russell Ward & Harold Kidd

Tim sent in the above photo of Kawhiti hauled out at The Landing (Okahu Bay) getting some TCL. I’m very happy to see the ‘spoiler’ has vanished 🙂
Kawhiti was built by Collings & Bell in 1952 for D A Wilkie, later owners J M Simpson of Beach Road, Howick (1958). Terry McAvinue owned her from 1968 to 1997 when Harold Kidd took the image below of her in Matiatia.

Kawhiti is powered by a Ford diesel & if the memory is correct was for sale in 2013. I assume she has a new owner, can any of the woodys update us on where she calls home these days & any other info?

 

Lake Taupo Launches

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Lake Taupo Launches
photo ex Paul Drake

Today’s photo was sent in by Paul ex his brother Roger. Roger collects old Taupo postcards & this one is part of the collection. The post card was tagged ‘Launch Haven, Waikato River, Taupo’.
The recently posted launch ‘Katoa’ can be seen center right, can we ID any of the others?

10-12-2015 Input from Paul Drake

In the stream from the left – KAHURANGI (said to be home built in Hastings – last seen at Mana Marina some years ago being set up as a live-aboard). NGARO (Lidgard?). ARCADIA (said to be a Slattery and still at Taupo but with a different cabin). KATOA.

Moored to the river bank – at far left is KOTAHI (now at Auckland Zoo as previously discussed on ww.) At far right alongside each other are MARY (last seen on the Whanganui River) and HAPPY DAYS.

On the far side of the river above KATOA is NOMAD (previously owned by the Bull family who replaced her with KATOA). NOMAD last heard of at Rotorua.