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.

Bonita

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BONITA
All ww knows about today’s boat Bonita is that Ken Ricketts took the photo in Feb 2013 at Lake Taupo. So woodys can we shed some light on her?

Harold Kidd Input

According to the “HIstory Site for Boats of Taupo” she was built c1959 by Rogers Jones for himself to a design by Ted Herd for use on the Manukau. She’s 33′ x 11′ and has an 85hp diesel. There’s a full history of her there, but the Drakes probably know far more.

26-11-2015 Input from Paul Drake
From the publication “Boats of Taupo”.

She arrived at Taupo in the mid 1960’s. Roger and Joyce Jones ran her commercially. Built by Roger’s father (a professional boat builder) in the late 1950s. He purchased two large kauri logs and had them milled (those were the days).

There have been three sisters built to the same Ted Herd design.

Used as a patrol boat for the Manukau Yacht Club. Also used for fishing trips up and down the West Coast, outside the Manukau bar.

I believe she is still in survey, but seems to be little used. She is, however, well maintained.

Update from Paul Walsh 05-06-2018

The Bonita is currently owned by my father-in-law, John Hunter (former head vet at the Taupo vet clinic), and is used regularly for fishing trips by him and the rest of our family. (I have also just painted a Chorus cabinet on Acacia Bay Road that features the Bonita moored in front of the Karangahake Cliffs)

 

waitematawoody t-shirts – remember to get your order in – limited print run, full details here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/11/22/waitematawoodys-t-shirts/

Old Logo ww shirt

Royal Saxon

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ROYAL SAXON
photos ex Mark Javis

After the amazing response to yesterdays post on Arohanui, which set an all time ww record for the most views in a single hour (1,707) it was always going to be a challenge to back it up. So when I received out of the blue a selection of photos of one of my favourite boats – Royal Saxon, from Motueka resident Mark Javis the challenge was solved.
Mark lives near a little old-world estuary where boats were once built and scows traded at the remaining wharf. A small number of woodys are still berthed there, one being Royal Saxon.

Royal Saxon was built by Colin Wild for Whangarei surveyor Harold Frederick Saxon Charlesworth and launched in October 1930. She is 33ft loa, 9ft 6in beam and draws just under 4ft. Lots more details & photos + a few good yarns found on the ww link below.

Royal Saxon

She is a very pretty boat & was once owned by Rick McCay who owns Luana, Rick is a man with a very good eye for beautiful things 😉

waitematawoody t-shirts – remember to get your order in – limited print run, full details here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/11/22/waitematawoodys-t-shirts/

Old Logo ww shirt

Arohanui Relaunched -4sale

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‘Fiona the Owner’

AROHANUI RELAUNCHED – 4sale
photos ex David & Barbara Cooke and Greg Lees

UPDATE: 4SALE – All enquiries to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Yesterday was a one of those special days in the classic wooden boating scene, after what seems like the whole of winter, the 1966, 48′ Lane Motor Boat Co. built Arohanui slipped out of the Sandspit shed of Greg Lees Boat Builder. Her owners Fiona & Rod were very proud owners of the ‘new’ Arohanui.
We have come to expect only the best from Greg Lees & his team of craftspeople & they have not disappointed, again. The standard for workmanship & finish is world class. Speaking with Greg, he made special mention of Dale Colins the yard forman.  Not only does he cut to the chase when directing the work to be done and his expected result,  Dale is extremely talented on the end of a spray gun & the finish Dale gets is 2nd to none in the industry.  Just one of those multi-talented guys that make us DIY’ers look so bad 🙂
Brian Thompson did the new cabinet work matching the existing cabinetry, another true craftsman, but saying that, the whole crew at the yard are pretty special. The classic wooden boat scene is very lucky to have this yard on its back door.

Arohanui always has been a special boat & in the past been gifted with great owners, read more about her here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/03/9526/

Fiona & Rod have taken her up several levels & she will join the ever-increasing fleet of spectacularly restored big classics that now grace the Waitemata. I can see I have solved the problem of who I’m going to sell my supply of USA brass/bronze polish to 😉

I will post more on her soon. For now I’ll let the photos tell the story. Remember you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them 😉
waitematawoody t-shirts – remember to get your order in – limited print run, full details here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/11/22/waitematawoodys-t-shirts/

Old Logo ww shirt

Waitematawoodys T-Shirts

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Waitematawoodys T-Shirts

The most asked ww question is “can I buy a ww t-shirt? ” – well now you can.

I have been playing around with logo designs & colour options & have now settled on the final logo (see below).
On previous t-shirts I used a vinyl iron-on logo, in the future I will be high-end screen printing for really tight detail & durable finish.

In terms of the T’s I wanted a T that would last a few years, fit & feel good on & not end up in the rag bag after a few washes. So quality only T’s for ww – sourced from NZ’s best supplier. I’m passionate about ww & will only put the logo on something that is 100% quality.

Colour – previously I have printed – white, brown, black & very dark blue. Of these, dark blue always gets the big tick – so its a very dark blue T with a white logo.

So how much? – $34.95 (gst inclusive) + $5 p&p (one off freight charge, no matter the number you order). If thats too much to pay for a T-shirt, well I guess you wont be buying one, but I’m not prepared to compromise on standards.

Sizes will be Medium / Large / XLarge / XXLarge /XXXLarge (fyi – I’m an XL). If there was interest I could do a smaller female size.

Ordering – B4 xmas I’m doing a limited print run, so if you want a shirt/s – I need your order by Monday 30th November, sooner would be even better. I’ll advise payment details when I confirm your order.

Whats Next – email me at waitematawoodys@gmail.com & advise:

1. Your name
2. Postal address
3. Phone #
4. Quantity & size

Now even if I know you, make life easy & include all the above 🙂

Cheers Alan

Waikato Woodys – Sailing Sunday #2

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Easter regatta, Hamilton YC
H11 Joyful (Judith Le Clerc) 1948
Sardines in a mullety. Judith & friends, Auckland

Waikato Woodys – Sailing Sunday #2
photos & details from Judith Le Clerc

Today’s post follows on from a previous sailing sunday post on the trailer boat scene on Hamilton Lake in the late 1940’s. See captions for details.

A wee bonus – The Fife 23-Metre beauty Cambria has just completed a 12 month refit which included stripping back the fibreglassed hull to reveal the planking and replace those lengths that were beyond repair. Here is a short clip of her launch.

An Evill Boat

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An Evill Boat

I posted a few weeks ago about a 14′ clinker motorboat, built in 1914 by Miller & Tunnage that was heading north, in fact to Waiheke Island, Auckland.
You can read all about the history behind the boat here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/06/23/classic-clinker-motorboat/

Today post documents its journey to Waiheke Island.

It all started when Tim Evill called me & told me he had bought the clinker off trademe & he was having the boat & her trailer trucked up to Auckland. A few days later Tim & I have borrowed my wife’s ute, she’s a landscape gardener 😉  & Tim & I are driving around Penrose looking for a freight depot. We hook her up & head off to Bayswater to launch her, the plan being to put her on a berth at the marina for a week to take up (been out of the water for 2>3 yrs). You know what they say about plans – ‘if it can go wrong, it will’ – we backed her down the ramp & straight away the water starts p_ssing in – big time, a bucket & a big manual bilge pump could not keep up. So before she sank we started the single banger motor & did a few circles in her & popped back on the trailer.

Time for a team talk, I suggest to Tim if she was mine I would be taking her up to Pam & George at the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard & letting her sit in the back tidal estuary for a few weeks. So Tim heads back to Waiheke & the boats parked on my front lawn.

Next we borrow the ute again & head off on a road trip to Whangateau. We safely deposited her into Pam & George’s experienced hands, then I had a mission dragging Tim away from the shed & Laughing Lady (the boat not Pam). Over the next few weeks Pam sent us photos & trip reports (laps of the bay).
Tim collected her this week on a totally foul day & caught the car ferry to Waiheke Island. Home is now Sandy Bay so keep an eye out her.

Now I’m sick of calling her ‘the boat’, ‘she’ etc – so how about we suggest a few names for her – with Tim’s surname (Evill) it could be amusing – the best one wins a ww t-shirt.
And b4 you say anything Jason P, I have yours on board Raindance & will give it to you at Patio Bay. Just finalizing the logo & will be printing more – details soon.

Bayswater Launching

Love the CYA bucket
Still smiling

Back In Devonport

Dropping Off At Whangateau

Got to love those front towballs
Old Salts

On Holiday at WTB

Collection Day

At Home At Last

Post an application of the magic Houghton bronze polish

 

Mullet Boat SoS + CYA News

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Mullet Boat SoS
photos ex Tom Kidd & Nick Atkinson facebook page

Today’s post is a cry out to the owner of a Mullet boat that appears to have been abandoned at Te Atatu. The story goes something like this – a guy turns with the boat on a trailer 4 weeks ago & launches her at the bottom of Oliver Road so her planks could take up before he sailed it to Waiheke Island. Then he disappears & no one has seen him since. Talk is it will be chopped up soon if its not taken away.

Kidd Family (Harold & Tim) Input – the owner may be Mike Knuckley. And she was (tbc) built in 1904 by Fred Mann, sail # I-7. There is confusion as to her actual build date as there were 2 identical Mistletoe’s, one built in 1904 & the other in 1913.

So woodys – anyone know the owner? if so give them are rather big nudge.

Time For Some CYA News
See flyer below for the annual Patio Bay Weekend – the biggest & best event on the CYA calendar. Click to enlarge.

Also below is the latest edition of the Classic Journal (if hard to read, blue link below will download a copy)

Issue 103

Sarina

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SARINA (MYSTERY LAUNCH)
photo ex Pam Cundy

Realized today that we have not had a ‘mystery launch’ quiz in a while so here we go – she was berthed in the estuary behind the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard.

When looking for a suitable photo to post this one just jumped out as it also features a rather special boat, the steam ship Romany II. I was gifted the tiller one day by her Captain, Russell Ward, on a misty morning on Lake Rotoiti & I was hooked on steam.

So woodys – who can ID the launch?

L>R – Russell Ward, Murray Deeble , Alan Houghton

Update ex Pam Cundy
Strange coincidence Alan, Sarina is going back in the water at the top of the tide today, see photos below. She’s been out for 8 months having a refit – out with the BMC Commodor and a reconditioned Perkins in as the replacement.
The builder does remain a mystery.  Current owner, Kevin Lawton, took over his fathers boat after his passing. Sarina has been in the family for about 25 years.
Kevin seems to recall mention of Jack Telford building her at Milford around 1961-2. Can any one verify this ?

 

Matira

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Sea-trial

MATIRA – re-powered

The 1956, 46′ Collings & Bell launch Matira has featured on ww previously & extensive details on her can be viewed here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/03/matira/

Matira is a very pretty boat, again one of those designs that look good from any angle & look fast even when anchored. She was for sale on trademe for a long time & I was aware of several people who ‘looked’ at her but were put off by a few things that just were not right. Primary concern was the engines which if I recall correctly were mismatched in hp.
I’m very pleased to advise that she has a new owner, Guy Warman, & work has began on bringing Matira back to the condition that a vessel of her size & provenance desires.
In the last month she has been hauled out at Okahu Bay & the team from Moon Engines have removed the old Ford D series engines & installed twin 110hp Yanmar’s.
On her recent sea-trial Matira comfortably cruised at 9.5 knots with a top speed of 13 knots. I’m told that the reduction in noise & space was worth the expense alone 🙂

Guy is interested in any more history that can be uncovered on Matira’s past so if any woodys can help out , please do.

Matira has joined the CYA launch fleet so we look forward to seeing her attending a few events. She will be in good company with Rod Marler’s Arohanui, due to slide out of Greg Lees Sandspit boat shed this weekend after an extensive renovation.

Little Jim – Price Reduced

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LITTLE JIM – Price Reduced

Little Jim is a rather special boat, bermudan rigged she was designed & built in 1934 by Arch Logan & Bill Couldrey.
LOA: 42’10”, LWL: 28′, BEAM: 9’1″, DRAFT: 6′

A gentlemans racer cruiser & arguably the NZ’s best classic yacht in terms of pedigree, condition &  sail-ability.
Fresh from a Peter Brooke repaint in 2014 & a full Brookes restoration 2007-2009.

Folks – not wanting to sound like a real estate sales rep but opportunities like this do not happen often, this is your chance to own a piece of NZ maritime history, presented in better-than-new condition for less than the price of a tried old Beneteau 9.85m or an old Wright 35. For around $120k LJ will be yours.
Buy it or one day you will kick your self for not leaping at this opportunity.
Link below – you can also view more photos by searching Little Jim on ww

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/auction-942245200.htm

Contact owner on 027 561 4257 or rm@drivenevents.co.nz