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.

T7 – Sailing Sunday

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T7 – Sailing Sunday
photo ex Colin Pawson
Today’s photos are from Colin Pawson’s grandfather, Charles Pawson, photo collection. The yacht shown has the sail number T7 but that’s all I know. Im sure one of the sailing woodys can enlighten us.
A question – is there anywhere, a master list of the New Zealand classes that shows a vessel, would make ID’ing a lot easier. Have tried google, but no joy.

And because its Sunday – some classic wooden yacht racing porn – link below

http://classicyachtinfo.com/2015/06/27/argentario-in-photos-by-jrt/#jp-carousel-13071

Lynmar

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LYNMAR The above photos were taken recently while Lynmar was hauled out for some maintenance at Geoff Bagnall’s yard at Milford. ww knows nothing about her so any input would be great. New Photos Below (ex Brian Worthington via Ken Ricketts) ww loves the sedan top 🙂

Late 1960’s
Coromandle 1976
Early 1970’s – Frank Orr,Frank Reynolds, Roley Gillett
Pakatoa 1976
March 1976 – left photo- Roley Gillett,Stuart Orr,Lex Aitman,Frank Orr,Eric Orr

Nohomoana (Rasputin)

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NOHOMOANA (Rasputin)
photo & details ex Russell Ward

As Russell says – no prizes for guessing whose stable this woody came from, pretty obvious its a Sam Ford.

When Nohomoana was in the ownership of Capt. John Watson (c.1967) who was a great friend of Russell’s  father, they cruised together for many seasons in their launch Naiad. Prior to Noho, John had Wanderer the 30 foot old woody. Russell’s Dad had Ngakiwa at that stage.
Russell was told that Nohomoana means “She floats on the water”. Engine was a 6 cylinder Ford Lees Marine conversion.

Russell would like to know where she went and whether the name was changed. He has spoken to Bill Belton about whether his boat Moana was her.
Noho spent a lot of her time filtering the waters of Half Moon Bay through her planking and a lot if time was spent pumping the bilge.

Harold Kidd Update

This one has always puzzled me.
First, the maori name. “E noho ra” is a common way of saying goodbye, by a person leaving, to a person staying behind. The verb “noho” means “remaining”, “being in a place”, so I guess “nohomoana” could mean exactly what Russell says, “floating on the sea”, in a nicely poetical way.
As NOHOMOANA, she first pops up in 1952 owned by W.S. Wagstaff. In 1953/4 to 1962 at least she was owned by J.R. Butcher. Her engine was a Graymarine (unspecified). Again her build date is stated to be “1941” which is implausible.
J.R. Watson owned her in 1973. Webb & Taylor owned her in 1983 when they (allegedly) sold the rights to the name NOHOMOANA to Gary Barnett of VALHALLA and renamed her RASPUTIN.
As to her origins, there were a couple of Sam Ford standard express cruisers being built at the outbreak of war in 1939 which “disappear” and I think she’s one of those, LADY NGAIRE, for example, which he built for Shelley B. Atkinson and the boat being built alongside Atkinson’s launch as a replacement for Vern McGeady’s burnt out LADY PAT.
MOANA was on Lake Taupo in the 50’s. I don’t know how she fits into this conundrum but I’m sure she does.
Someone out there will have the answers.

30-07-2015 – photos of Rasputin at Westpark Marina ex John Wicks

Lady Ellen

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LADY ELLEN (Mystery Launch 25-06-2015)
photo ex Jason Prew

At the recent CYA visit to Chris McMullen’s workshop, Jason & crew arrived in the Tino Rawa Trust 1902 Logan Bros. day boat Otira (below).

On route Jason photographed some of the wooden boats moored on the Tamaki River – an amazing number of craft.
Can anyone ID todays launch & provide details on her?

Update from Shane Billingham – She is Lady Ellen , is on dads wharf, unfortunately in bit of a sad state.  Was owned by my grandad (Harry Collard) for years (from 60’s? would need to check with mum).  Now owned by Ian collard since early 1990ish, unfortunately deteriorating.

Otira- 1902 Logan Bros

Otira- 1902 Logan Bros

21-11-2016 Ken Ricketts has been digging into Lady Ellen’s past in regard to the boats original name & existence of an axillary engine. See below.

Input from Ian Richards (grandson of the second owner) edited by Alan H

“Lady Ellen was renamed after my grandmother, it was granddad who had named it after his wife Ellen who was JR’s mother. I do not know the original name of the boat but will see if I can find anything out.”

Input from Cameron Collard (son of present owner – Ian Collard) edited by Alan H

“My Grandfather Harry Collard brought Lady Ellen in c.1962.  I think  (his original log books are still on the boat so all the details are there) from Mr Richards. I was told Mr Richards renamed the boat after his wife Ellen. Also told it was taken to Fiji by one of the previous owners – has second log for an axillary engine and mountings for forward tanks however both had been removed by 1962. In the 70’s the fore deck was re-canvassed and then a few years later the cabin top was glassed both done by Lanes. In 1985 the 96Hp 6 cylinder Lees Ford was replaced with a 135HP Lees Marine Ford.
After my grandfather passed my father purchased the boat in 1990. My father has been overseas for the last 5 years, hence the present condition.”

Update – 26-04-2017 ex Ken Ricketts

 

Wondabyne

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WONDABYNE

photo ex Colin Pawson

Today’s photos are from Colin Pawson’s granddad, Charles Pawson, photo collection. The one above shows his launch ‘Wondabyne’. The first one below shows Wondabyne anchored with another launch in a mystery location.This photo is one of my favorite black & white classic boating photos.

I’ll give the first woody to correctly ID the location a Harley Davidson motorcycle leather key fob. The first woody to positively ID the 2nd launch (on the right in the photo) scores a HD pen & its not a plastic ball point. (2 prizes = 2 winners) Wondabyne was kept moored off Hamilton Road in Herne Bay, Auckland, as were a lot of vessels in the days before the Westhaven marina was developed.

Keen to know more about Wondabyne e.g. designer / builder, other owners, what became of her.

Harold Kidd Update Her correct name is WONDABYNE, not WONDERBYME, thanks Harold, Colin P had already pulled me up on that 😉. Her history is somewhat obscure but my best guess is that she was built in 1921 by Dick Lang as LOLITA for H. M. Phillipson. A.C. Pawson of 33 Hamilton Road, Herne Bay, the publisher of the Auckland Star, bought her about 1924 when LOLITA II was built, and renamed her WONDABYNE. She was 30′ x 8′ and had a 2 cylinder Palmer. My guess of spot is Deep Creek if Riverhead’s not correct. PS after reviewing the LOLITA and WONDABYNE entries in my database, I’m more confused than ever as I see Phillipson owning WONDABYNE (sic) on the RNZYS records until 1925. No doubt there’s a strong link between the two boats but I can’t be precise on it. However, it looks like it was Phillipson (who formerly owned AORERE) who named her WONDABYNE. PPS Sorry to have a third hack at this. Andrew Pollard came across a launch in 2008 of very similar layout with the name LOLITA carved in her bows. Perhaps Andrew could have a look at the pics he took at the time and confirm whether that LOLITA is WONDABYNE? Photos added below. Alan H

Nathan Herbert asks the question – same boat (below)?

Classic Clinker Motorboat

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Classic Clinker Motorboat

Now this little classic appeared briefly on trademe ($5,000) & then the listing was pulled, so hopefully the owner changed their mind or a buyer was found off-line.

This clinker built tender / lifeboat was built by Miller & Tunnage of Port Chalmers, Dunedin.

She started life as one of two lifeboat / tenders on the back of the tug ’Dunedin’ which was launched on Jan 6th 1914.

Built by Miller & Tunnage of Port Chalmers she is 14’ with a 6’ beam & powered by single cylinder diesel motor. The current Yanmar diesel was installed by Miller & Tunnage in 1961 & propels the craft at 6 knots. She has had only 2 owners in the last 40 years & as the photos show has amazing attention to detail & has been well loved.

If anyone was interested in her, a call to the seller agent might be a good idea – Shauna Brady 06 356 1084.

24-06-2015 Input from Russell Ward

Aha! Rivet counters of the NZ coast unite!
Below is a deck plan of the good tug Dunedin as built 1914 showing a transom-sterned motor dinghy mounted to starboard on the boat deck. Measuring off the scale on the plan, she might be 15’ -similar to our little darling under discussion.
A conventional dublenda BOT lifeboat is seen to port.

Now, sorry fellers, but the natural response of a sorta kinda apprentice historian to claims made in adverts for boats as well as cars is “No it ain’t!” because more often than not, vendors embellish the provenance a tad from time to time to stimulate the market. So be it with our little incumbent.

Lets face the facts, Dunedin would have been supplied ex builders (Stevenson and Cook Port Chalmers) with ships boats and equipment as per specifications a part of which I have scanned. This plan shows a smaller motorboat to stb and it was likely built along with the other in the Port by Millers or Tunnages. M & T used to bead the edges of the stringers –Iona is the same. However, the photographs I have attached show some real heavy boats on board.

I hate to rain on the party, but that boat doesn’t look all that robust and a workboat doing pulleyhauly stuff on a tug in Dunedin would be a very strong heavy boat and would have a plum stem so that the inevitable collisions would be better dealt with. The raked stem as our little darling has wouldn’t take a collision so well. Also a motorboat of that era would have a big thumpy single banger engine or maybe a two stroke made in the US that would shake a light boat to pieces right quick. The two strokes didn’t usually have a reverse box so might be a handful in tight corners.

Maybe it is a later addition –the Dunedin may have had a progression of boats on board as the old ones were dropped, smashed or squashed in their duties. William the Conqueror’s axe and all that.

She’s a lovely boat, however,  and I am tickled by the nicely polished rotary bllge pump which she doubtless needs. BTW I have a nice little Stuart Turner P5 single with reduction gear that would fit in real nicely…… Fitted with the usual Critical Need factor –if you need it urgently, it ain’t gonna start so there. Any other time starts easily with a flick of the flywheel One titled owner, only used on weekends.

A Visit to Chris McMullen’s Boat Shed

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Chris McMullen & his 1898 reproduction Herrreshoff steam boat

One of Chris’s experiments

Otira- 1902 Logan Bros
Otira- 1902 Logan Bros

And of a few photos of one of the prettiest boats on the Waitemata – Wirihana, the 1933 Colin Wild launch.

A Visit to Chris McMullen’s Boat Shed

Yesterday was a biggie on the wooden boating front – Barbara Cooke & myself organized for the Classic Yacht Association a visit to Chris McMullen’s workshop & boat shed. I have posted photos of the shed & its contents on ww before & ww has published several of Chris’s posts on the topic of electrochemical damage to wooden boats – but it was special for the members to meet the man himself & hear him speak on his past, his current passions / projects & future plans. The reproduction 1898 Herreshoff steam launch project just has to be one of the best kiwi ‘can-do’ tales around. The day she hits the water will be a very special occasion, I just hope I’m around to see it 😉

Today two things stood out for me:
1. The turn-out of two wooden boating icons – John Salthouse & Max Carter
2. The healthy number of sub 35 year old guys with a new found passion for classic wooden boats in attendance

If your a CYA member & you didn’t make the effort to come to the event – more fool you – as one of your most respected members said to me “today was a privilege, Chris is a one of a kind, his practical knowledge on boat building and engineering is unique”.

In my time as CYA launch captain one of my personal goals was to help deliver up events & access to people & ‘cool stuff’ that people would not normally have access to without being CYA members – from the comments & the smiles as people where departing today, Barb & I got it right today 🙂

To read / view more on Chris, his boats & the topic of electrochemical damage to wooden boats just enter – Chis McMullen – in the ww search box 😉

Tebor- Sailing Sunday

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TEBOR – Sailing Sunday
photos & questions ex Russell Ward

A little while ago on ww we posted up the motor-sailer Korara which generated a huge amount of interest, comments even from the Channel Islands.
Russell mentioned on ww at the time that John Gladden built a Francis Jones? Sole Bay design in the early 1970s. The photos above of the vessel Tebor hauled out at Westhaven could be the Gladden built vessel. Can anyone confirm this & supply more info on her & the origin of the name – Tebor.

She has a near sister-ship at Bayswater, Tara-Nui (photo below). Tara-Nui is owned by a friend of mine, Richard Poor, & has been the recipient of my fine sanding / Uroxsys skills.  Unfortunately Tara-Nui is now lacking the original varnish on the wheelhouse. Richard is not a big fan of the cold, so is currently basking in the sun in New Caledonia aboard Tara-Nui.

A Little Classic Yacht Sailing Eye Candy

Seeing its Sunday I have also posted below a little treat – click the link to view the ‘Classic TV’ feature on the recently restored 1915 Herreshoff 48′ NY Class – Chinook’. The brief film gives you a chance to experience a race aboard during the Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge in Cannes.

http://www.classicyacht.tv/journal/2015/6/5/racing-with-the-competition

Acquiesce – Garage Sale

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THIS GARAGE SALE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Acquiesce 1

I have been contacted by Robin Fullerton who owned Acquiesce that came to grief on Auckland’s waterfront breakwater during a recent storm. The story of her final days was well covered on ww.
Now like so many (too many) classics, Acquiesce was under insured & Robin is faced with having to sell all the good bits off her to help fund the replacement boat.
Below is an inventory of what Robin saved before the hull went to the land-fill. Ideally Robin would like to move on as one lot, and that the would be reflected in price, so woodys if you or someone you know has a project on the go – maybe this lot or parts of it would be of use. The 7 matching brass portals alone must be of interest to someone, I wouldn’t like to guess what they would cost new.
Robin can be contacted on  09 629 3857, txt 027 227 50 44

ACQUIESCE INVENTORY

2 12v capstans one with gypsy and button, + cables. 150ft as new short link chain, 2 cqr plough 25 /30lb anchors, 1 hose down pump, 1 head waste pump,12v, wooden steering wheel, 22in across complete with shaft and sprockets.1 deck hatch as new 2ft x 2ft with centre alloy hatch, 1 prop shaft, 10ft 4in, x 1and quarter in dia, need to be checked, complete with 6point clamp and hanger bearing, Simms injector pump,Spe, 4A70S371 P8615/RMO,Being rebuilt, Starter motors, x2 12v, VHS radio,as new waterproof, 2 hand rails, 1 wall shelf, Heat exchanger complete with water exhaust, manifolds flanges, 7 brass portals, 8in x 5, Solar panel, reads 16v,timber surround, Varnished mast 5ft, x31in xtree, aerial dish, 2riding lights, stern light, The motor was 60hp Fordson lees marinised circa mid 50s. 6 lifejackets, and other bits and pieces, stainless sink, xstock fuel filters complete ready to bolt on

Tairaroa / Tairoa

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TAIRAROA / TAIROA
details from Russell Ward- photos RW & NZ Herald (screen grabs)

Russell reports that sadly Fridays big blow in Wellington put his old cutter, the Athol Burns Tairaroa onto the rocks. From the NZ Herald news footage you can see that she has nibbled through her mooring pendant. Russell’s Maroro chomped through hers at Devonport and ended up going walkabouts for the previous owner. she was a third of the way through her new one when Russell saved her. He has put a chain on Maroro’s Mahurangi mooring in case it became a habit- gets windy out there.

View NZ Herald footage here   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/national/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503075&gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=151530

Can any one post an update in the comments section as to whether they were able to crane her off?

Russell’s comments on owning Tairaraoa

I bought her in a rather decrepit condition 25 years ago. She had not long gone walkabouts from her Okahu Bay mooring and ended up on the bund rocks at Tamaki Drive. Happily she was floated off and served as a mussel and kelp farm for a long time until I read the riot act to her owner. He responded by offering her to me as is where is.
I put a diver down and he verified that there were deep gouges and as far as he could see, she was in reasonable nick.
I got him to clean off as much as he could –including three bags of mussels for which he thanked me warmly.
Buck Rodgers and I towed her to Bayswater –where there was a welcoming slipway.
Merv Sefonte put in a lot of dutchmen and graving pieces, repaired the edges of several planks so there could be recaulked and she was a lovely member of the Ward family until I bought Gloaming.
She was an amazing yacht. Buck reckoned she’d be a rocking horse with her hull shape but no so, she’d just put her shoulder down and rip into it. She’d keep her weigh in a slight breeze because of her weight. We could sneak up on and overtake much bigger boats to their horror. The cutter rig made her very easy to sail on and off the mooring –yes Alan I had a swing mooring there in those days. The engine was an Arona single and had to be started on a pull cord -it was kind of hard in a confined space to manipulate the decompressor and pull. Easier to sail everywhere.
No electrics –a real boat.
I took her out in a snorter of an Easterly gale to see what she could do. Got her on her beam ends several times and she never developed any nasty helm traits. Could have/should have taken a few rolls down but she was a real Cook Straiter with a very heavy rig and I wanted to try her out.

21-06-2015 An Update from Russell Ward

Thanks be to Ward Minor (Caroline) for these pix. High tide at 8.30 am 9 pm. The pix below were taken 1500 Saturday amid feverish activity to get patches in place.
She has been floated off. Russell’s spy will take more photos later in the week. Russell’s guess she is at Evans Bay haul out.
Cranes????!!!! This is a proper ship and a proper salvage job! She is well repairable by the looks. Those planks are thick!
BTW the name can be taken to mean “spending ones time in a pleasant way” but Russell will leave it to HDK for the definitive translation.

22-06-2015 – Russell Ward Update

To quote Russell “Solid planking pays off eh what? Taiaroa lives!”

13-10-2018 UPDATE – She is being restored.

Her new owner Otto Schutte has advised that the name of the boat in the photos above is actually Tairoa not Tairaroa. Otto found this carved into the transom while stripping the paint off. All the planks and corking have been done on the hull below the water line But still a work in progress – photos below.

DSC_0117 (1)

DSC_0314[1]

13-10-2018 Input from Robin Elliott

Tairoa was registered in Auckland in 1965 as E-194 as designed by Athol Burns and built by her owner Mr. A. Bland. Her launch date is unknown. She was still registered to him as late as 1978.
Other Owners: R. Shipman (Mt Roskill) 1987?/93+?; S. Hall (Waiouru) 1999+?

Dimensions 25’10in x 20’10in x 8’10in x 4’6in; 240sqft sail; ballast 300lb inside, 2ton outside. She was allocated NZYF number 594 in 1969.