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.

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #20 – Xmas 1967/68 Cruise On Kiariki & Defiant

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #20 – Xmas 1967/68 Cruise On Kiariki & Defiant

Another Jack Brooke drawing, published on ww thanks to son Robert for making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Today’s post is the 20th featured – this one shows the xmas 1967/68 cruise aboard Kiariki & Defiant. A lot water under the keel on this trip – Kawau Island, Bay of Islands, Whangaroa & Great Barrier Island. It appears there was a little fire incident. Crew list below – you’ll note there was a mutiny* post Kawau 🙂

Crew On board Kiariki : John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Howard Wallace, Monty Wallace, Peter Walker

Crew On board Defiant : John & Judy Salthouse, Philip, John Brooke*, Elsie Brooke*

Mystery Boat 30-04-2015

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MYSTERY BOAT 30-04-2015

Been a while since we had a “who can ID this boat” on ww. All I know is that the photo was taken in Auckland. Her colour scheme is quite distinctive & the location says Clevedon to me, so hopefully we can uncover some info on her.
In my eyes a nice sedan, without the fruit on top 😉

Okareka (Fergy)

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OKAREKA (formally FERGY)
photos & details Kent Dadson & Ken Ricketts. Edited by Alan H

Looking for lots of clarification today. Today’s launch was built by Colin Wild & reportedly launched c1940’s (but her owner, Kent Dadson, has been told 1952). She started life named Fergy & is approx. 35′ long.
She was built for Don Brown of D. D. Brown Ltd & had 2 x Graymarine flat head 6 cyl 90 hp petrol engines. Ken Ricketts commented that she was one of the very first boats that had mufflers fitted to petrol engines with above water exhausts – most boats popped or roared along in those days, but Wanda II, Connie V & Fergie were all virtually silent,  from idle up to cruising speed. The petrol engines were later replaced (c.1965?) with twin Ford 2701Es diesels (Lees conversion). Her varnished coamings went white, very early in the peace, pre 1953.
1954 photo of her below in Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island.

Any help in confirming the above & filling in her past would be appreciated.

FERGY 1954 DENNIS BROWN BY C WILD - IN MANSION HOUSE BAY

Update from John Blundell – Ted Copsey and his son Peter were the Fergusson tractor agents based in Pukekohe and they rented some space at the back of Fisher and Blundell Ltd in Newmarket around 1960 – thence the name Fergy 😉

August 2015 Photo at Gulf Harbour

12-02-2025 INPUT ex KARYN KLARWILL – In September 2024 work began on Okareka by Tim Beck who purchased her to share with his young family.   Tim has had the guidance of his father-in-law who has just finished helping restore the 1959 bridge-decker Kotuku. So far Okareka has been surveyed, cleaned, new front windows, engines serviced, the hull caulked, puttied, primer and antifouled applied, topsides, decks and cabin tops painted while on the hardstand at Northcote Point.  She will eventually need more work including new carpet, the squabs recovered and perhaps even a name change.
Okareka was relaunched on 22 December 2024 in time for her new family to enjoy the summer. Okareka will be moored on piles in the Wairoa River in Clevedon.

Florence M / Carla Maria

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Florence M
A bit of a mystery to me this one, owner says a 30′ single skin, Logan ‘design’, built in the Bay of Islands…………….. Had recent work that would make the purists frown e.g. splining & glassing.

Anyone able to shed some light on her past?

Pre-restoration photo below

29-09-2016 photos ex trademe via Ian MacDonald & Ken Ricketts

02-10-2016 Update ex Ken Rickets. edited by Alan H
Florence M, (formerly Carla Maria), is owned by Bill Morgan of Mahurangi, who bought her c.2007, off the one time harbour master of Mahurangi, the late Graham Meikle, who owned her for many years. At purchase she was 2 years into a 7 year stint in a shed at Mahurangi where Graham M had started a major total rebuild. As a result of poor health, Graham M. passed her to Bill M. to continue the restoration,  which took until 2012 to complete. Bill is a perfectionist cabinet maker, with a very strong bent for boat building, witnessed by the new interior seen in the above photos. Sadly she has been splined & glassed 😦

Graham M replaced the twin cylinder Lister (seized up) she had when purchased & fitted the Isuzu she has today. This gives her a cruising speeds of around 8 -9 knots at 2400 RPM with top revs of 3000 RPM & around 12 knots.
Bill is now reluctantly selling Florence M, as he is making a major move to Whangaroa.

(photo below pre restoration)

screen-shot-2016-10-02-at-5-50-50-pm

Acquiesce Sinks

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Acquiesce Sinks

On the sea wall at Okahu Bay, broken its mooring – until there is a positive ID, I wont say who it is but I suspect its one of the Norm Beetson’s 4 sisters 😦

Update @ 6.30pm – yes sadly its Acquiesce. She featured on ww in February. https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/02/25/11397/

Hopefully recoverable but my spotter says it did not look good.

Update 29/04/2015

Update again 29/04/2015

Memories of Supreme Craft

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My Memories of Supreme Craft by Ben Hipkins
Story & photo sent to ww by Karen Moren/Lyn McGeady ex Ben Hipkins

(Disclaimer: Story as from memory)

This is a great read & compliments all the recent McGeady/Supreme posts on ww – read on & enjoy Ben’s story. Alan H

Mac McGeady – (A good Boatbuilder and Designer)

“I first met ‘Mac’ in 1955 at his boat factory in 1A Summer Street, Ponsonby. I was 16 years old and I now know he would have been 55.

‘Mac’ was a very intimidating looking man to me and I had a daunting job to convince him that I was the right boy for him to apprentice.

When I started work (at £2-16-0 a week!), the staff comprised of five men. Mac, Barney Glasgow, Peter Williams, Bluey Jacobsen, Graeme Kitchen and me.

Graeme Kitchen had been in the same class as me at Takapuna Grammar School and had started with Mac McGeady as an apprentice a couple of months before me. He had suggested that ‘Supreme Craft’ was a good yard to work in and to ask Mr. McGeady if I could work for him. It took some time to wear Mac down but eventually he took me on.

The first boat I saw in the boat yard was AQUARIUS, a game fisher for a Bay of Islands client. She was 38ft with twin gray marine engines and capable of 16 knots on trials.

The second boat was AUSTRALIS 42ft twin screw launch for Jack Plowman.

The third boat was ASTRA 30ft launch for Mr. Percy Ward.

The fourth boat was AMARYLLIS 40ft twin screw for Mr. H.T. Morton.

The fifth boat was a 38ft launch for Mr. Stan Suter. I can’t remember the name of this boat.

Graeme Kitchen had left by this time and did not complete his indentures. Bluey Jacobsen and Peter Williams had also left.

Mac had sold his twin screw launch AQUILA to Mr. Chub Sibun.

At this time 1959, Mr Norman Fairly came into our lives. He owned a 26ft plywood boat named REEL EM IN built by Don Norton and used to game fish from Tauranga and up to the Poor Knights area. He convinced Mac McGeady to skipper this boat to Mercury Islands and Mercury Bay area. Fairley and Bert Jones were car dealers and visited our boat factory quite often.

Mac had decided to build a boat for himself and designed a forty foot launch for this purpose.
At this time, only Barney Glasgow remained in the work force and myself. We took on a new apprentice, Gary Wheeler, a good keen boy.

When this boat was planked and ready for superstructure and decks to be constructed, Mac and Mr. Fairley agreed for Fairley to purchase the boat and for it to be finished to Fairleys’ requirements. This boat was named CHALLENGER. At this time it was noted that neither Lila or I knew of this ‘deal’. Mac seemed confused about this whole episode.

McGeady had been a good boss and a fair person but now seemed to be confused and unable to work effectively.
The after work drink session would become an ordeal as Mac would not leave until all the alcohol was gone. The business was failing and many of the suppliers were concerned.

Another boat was built (by me and Gary). This boat was 38ft designed by me. She was called WAIMARU and owned by Mr. A.C Gray.

On the shakedown cruise of this boat, Mac acted very strangely, staying at the helm exclusively, not sharing the controls at all. At the conclusion of the trip, we entered the boat harbour of Okahu Bay in the dark when Mac opened the throttle to full speed. The speed limit in this harbour was 4 knots – no wash.
Fortunately we, crew removed Mac from the wheel and no damage was done. All on board were most concerned with Mac’s behaviour and all agreed he needed medical help.

We received an order from Mr. Wal Brebner for a 30ft launch which Gary Wheeler and I built.

Our accountant Athol Nigro laid down the law regarding SUPREME CRAFT. He stated that I must make Mac work, must stop him drinking and smoking or have him retire and buy SUPREME CRAFT myself. What choice!!! I couldn’t make him work, I couldn’t make him stop drinking and smoking. I could leave……….. so I did.

I worked for Alan Williams yard at Milford. This was a good change for me and I was well respected.

After a year or so it was 1961, I received an offer from Mac to return to SUPREME CRAFT and receive a 50% shareholding and ran the factory; this I accepted.

We received an order for a 43ft motor launch from Mr. Stan Horner. This was a twin screw bridge deck boat with a fly bridge. The name of this boat was ALTAIR and was launched in November 1961.

Mac’s condition deteriorated and he was very confused and at this time we received an order from Gordon Collie for a 48ft bridge deck motor launch.
Mac still had the ability to design the hull. This boat was too big to build in the factory in Summer Street, so we built the backbone and frames in the factory and built the boat in a shed supplied by Mr Collie on a poultry farm at Pakuranga.

Gary Wheeler and I built the hull up to deck level and Gordon and his cousin Ralph laid the decks and built the superstructure and furniture, a truly excellent job. The name of this boat was RANGIORA.

By this time, Mac could not drive and was incapable of getting about. Lila was his carer.

At the Accountants insistence, I bought the remaining shares and Mac retired. He and Lila went to Snells Beach to live.

Mac’s career with SUPREME CRAFT began in 1936 and ended in 1962. He was a skilled man and good designer.
There are many mysteries regarding his early years and his birth in Pilliga NSW, his time in Fiji, his time in the motor business and the formation of SUPREME CRAFT in 1936.

The future of SUPREME CRAFT is a story that needs to be told.

After RANGIORA was completed, Gary and I returned to the factory in Summer Street to begin work on a 36ft launch which had been ordered by Mr. Len Buckby of Fodenway Motors at Penrose. This boat was powered by a Foden engine.

As construction proceeded the owners were most interested in the progress and quality of materials being used. This boat was called WHITE CLOUD.
Mr Buckley and his accountant called on me and announced that he would like to become owner of SUPREME CRAFT with Fodenway Motors supplying engines and me building the boats.

I thought this would provide stability and security for the future and agreed to the proposal. Almost as soon as this was done, the factory building in Summer Street was sold and we had to move!. We rented a factory in Archers Road, off Wairau Road, Takapuna.

We built a 36ft motor launch for Mr. Stuart Dalton in this factory. This boat was called, SCEPTRE. We also built a 36ft sister ship for Mr. Fred Bales called VENTURE.

Our relationship with Fodenway Motors grew and as they were situated at Penrose, they were keen to relocate SUPREME CRAFT closer to their business of truck assembly so we were moved again and rented a shed at the Lane Motorboat site at Panmure.
There we built a 34ft Express Cruiser for Mr John Furley. This boat was called, NIKASIA. Fodenway Motors had orders for a 43ft passenger launch and a 36ft cruiser.

Decimal currency was coming to New Zealand and disaster struck with a financial downturn. Fodenway Motors two orders were lost and they decided to liquidate SUPREME CRAFT.

I then took up a position in a ship yard in Suva, Fiji and after this, moved to Australia where we still live”.

Anyone Seen This Dinghy?

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Stolen Dinghy

I don’t normally do this on ww but a neighbour at Bayswater Marina has just reported that their boat at Bayswater was busted into yesterday. Among other things, an inflatable was taken. It is unusual –red colour. Photo & details below. Owners contact is Jillian at    jillianradford@gmail.com

Update – dinghy found, but still lots of gear taken 😦

The Wreck of Teddy – Sailing Sunday

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Is This The Wreck Of Teddy?

photos & info ex Chris McMullen

Recently Chris McMullen was sorting through a box of old photos from the Wilson, Gould family & came across the two above showing wreckage of some vessel. Pretty hard to tell where or what vessel but Chris feels that the presence of an horizon makes one think it is not in the harbour. Also yacht B16 seems to feature in some other photos.
Chris commented that the gentleman in the image looks rather like the helmsman in Paul Gilberts (Weekly News) photo of the early Wirihana.

Chris wonders, could it be the yacht Teddy wrecked on south east end of Kawau?. He can’t recognize any of the structure to determine whether its a yacht or launch but notes the quite heavy planking. He did a wee bit of on-line searching & found these press clippings on the wreck of Teddy from the Sydney Morning Herald, March 10 1932 (refer below)

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Could the Wilson’s have taken some photos, while away on Wirihana (1) for their NZ Herald and The Weekly News? That may explain why the photos are in box.

Chris felt he had seen one of the wreck photos some where else & looked in his copy of “Little Ships” by Ronald Carter.  There are two photos of the Teddy, she was a Norwegian Pilot cutter. The big heavy sawn frames clear in the wreck photo are not typical of a New Zealand built vessel.  She had a big heavy mast and that ties in with that in the other wreck photo.

So the question of the day is – has Chris answered his own question?

As an aside Teddy was featured in Johnny Wray’s book South Seas Vagabond.

Update – Photo below from Chris Leech – he read with interest the article on the Teddy. And located a photo taken at the DYC (age unknown) showing her on the slip. Noting the article extract above it may have been about the same time – 1931?

Lest We Forget

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 Lest We Forget

The Gallipoli campaign was failure, 1 in 5 of the NZ force were killed, 1 in 3 were wounded. 100 years later its easy for the historians to look back & say that the campaign show cased the Kiwi attitude & attributes & helped define us as a nation but the truth is 130,842 young men from both sides lost their lives in vain. When you read the personal stories from our troops it was just a total balls up. Imagine this, the casualties we so high & the stench from the dead so bad, both sides agreed to a cease fire so they could attempt to bury their dead. Sometimes I think we overlook that the ‘enemy’ almost lost twice the number of men ‘we’ did.
When you look at the numbers – maybe, just maybe, today’s ‘smart’ wars are not all bad.

If your on the water today, raise your glass to the 14,000 Kiwis that climbed into those little boats & rowed ashore. And for the 2,779 that had a one way ticket, raise your glass again 😉

Devonport, Auckland. Photo Libby Houghton

A Cruise on Matanui – as told by Jack Brooke

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A Cruise on Matanui – as told by Jack Brooke

WW thanks Robert Brooke for supplying this article that his father wrote ( one of  many) about cruising in Matanui.
When Joe Kissin had Matanui, Robert used to do a lot of work on Matanui. Joe was a very close friend of the Brooke family and was also very involved with the Wakatere Boating Club and served time as Commodore. He also served on the RNZYS committee. Matanui was a regular “Finishing Boat “ for the squadron cruising races.

You can view / read more about Matanui by using the ww search box 😉

A trip to Watchman Is, Cuvier Is and Great Barrier Island –  12,13,14 July 1952
I quote Jack Brooke – “My only excuse for typing out these stories is the thrill and pleasure they give me in re-living them the second time around, some twenty or thirty years later.
Joe’s launch,Matanui, was a single skin, round bilge vessel of theold type. Her dimensions were – Length: 42 feet, Beam: 11ft 6 ins, Draught: 4ft 6ins, Displacement: 18 tons.
Matanui had several engines from 45 to 70 horsepower, giving her a speed of 8 to 9 knots”

Saturday

4 p.m. Left moorings to fuel up at Westhaven.

5.30 p.m. Alongside Devonport Wharf to load stores.

6.00 p.m. Tossed out of Masonic Hotel!

7.05 p.m.Got Jerry from home and put to sea.

9.30 p.m. Abeam outer Noises, wind still light south.

11.00 p.m. Turned in, Watchman light on bow – moon just up beautiful night. Wind out here a light to moderate southwesterly.

12.45 a.m. Woken up by rattle of anchor chain – Joe has decided to have a fish on the NE side of Watchman, just three lengths off! It is still a fine night, with a light southwesterly wind setting up a slight roll around the Dog. Caught the first fish – a grandfather hapuku, 6 inches long, but Joe still shouted! The others caught a few good cod and a four foot shark. Turned in.

6.30 a.m. I was woken to the beat of the old Kelvin diesel with which the Matanui was then equipped. It was about as old as its owner and even more stubborn! It started on petrol, and then ran on almost anything, from hair oil to boiler crude! The ship was under way, heading out east for Cuvier. The wind was now a light southeasterly and dawn was just breaking. It was a cold winter morning and we were doing 7 to 8 knots in a moderate sea. The crew had caught a few large snapper, but no hapuku off the Watchman and Joe decided to try fishing a pinnacle some miles outside Cuvier – if he could find it! So we were on our way.

9.00 a.m. The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day – the Mercuries are showing up away to the south and Cape Barrier is abeam to the northwest. Cuvier is lifting up out of the water ahead. A whale is blowing at regular intervals on our port bow and is crossing our course. It passed two lengths away, leaving a distinct oil slick on our bows.

10.15 a.m. Cuvier abeam, we are running down a quartering sea past the southeast bay – there doesn’t appear to be a wharf, only a crane and landing steps on a long rock. We ran round to the northwest side and anchored close in, the depth being about 9 fathoms. We had breakfast, caught some whopping blue cod and a snapper or two.

11.30 a.m. Brought the anchor and set out to the northeast to find Joe’s 30 fathom shoal. We steamed for about 40 minutes on 010. The average depth hereabouts was 60 fathoms and Joe had brought a wire fathometer, which we were expected to use to find his patch. It proved to be far too heavy, taking at least a quarter of an hour to reel in. So we decided to drift fish in 60 fathoms. Good snapper fishing but no hapuku. We fished for about an hour, then decided to return to Cuvier and visit the lighthouse keeper. We landed at 2.30, the wind had now dropped right away. We were a long way out to sea, so we left Jerry on board as an anchor watch and left the old Kelvin idling. Jerry also cleaned the fish! We went ashore and made our way up to the lighthouse and signed the visitors book. Three families were there then (1952) looking after the light and everything was in first class order. The western bay has a striking steeple like rock locally known as the ‘Monument’. A rock, awash at low water is in the centre of the bay, where good shelter can be found in winds from the south and east.

4.00 p.m. Left Cuvier for Great Barrier

4.30 p.m. Sunset. Barrier purple and black, also Cape Colville, far to the south. It is still almost flat calm with little swell and almost no wind. A beautiful night, but dark! The steward has been busy, and the wheelhouse is warm, what could be better! I am giving the Barrier coast about three-quarters of a mile clearance to avoid a rock between Cape Barrier and Tryphena. In the fading light profiles are important, Anvil Island and the Pig Islands are standing up like teeth on the western horizon. I recognised Tryphena by the profile of its southwest point and we altered course to enter the quiet harbour.

6.30 p.m. We tied up alongside Tryphena wharf on the eastern side of the bay. It was a calm clear night, with hundreds of fish jumping in the bay. And so to bed.

Monday 5.30 a.m. Up and away! The Kelvin was a bit sluggish in the chill of the morning, but finally got the message and rumbled away contentedly as we headed for the Watchman in a light but cold southeasterly. We arrived off the south side of the Watchman, but NO HAPUKU. So we left the Watchman at 8.30 a.m. and set off for home. As we got clear of the Cape and into the Gulf, a fresh southwesterly sprang up and in no time at all we were bashing into a short steep sea right on the nose! Making 7 knots at 900 rpm.

10.30 a.m. Waiheke just in sight – appears to be a fog bank over the mainland – heavy haze over the lower end of Waiheke.

11.00 a.m. Dropped anchor in 8 fathoms between Gannet Rock and Thumb Point. No good – soft juicy mud!

12 noon – left for D’Urville Rock Ooe’s spot!) – Even worse! Left for home.

1.30 p.m. Lunch in Crusoe Passage. Fog over Auckland – even light fog here! Little wind now but plenty of tide – no fish! Left for home again, bucking a strong ebb tide arrived at 5.00 p.m.. Emptied out of Masonic Hotel 6.00 p.m. Home at last 6.15 p.m.!