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.

Ballerina

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BALLERINA
photos ex James Groenhart – details ex owner & Harold Kidd.

Ballerina was built in 1951 by ‘Lidgard’ (Ngapipi Rd ? ) & is of kauri carvel construction. Her first owner was C.B.H. Miller of George St., Morrinsville. She is 28′ x 9′ x 2’6″ and had a 100hp Osco Ford V8 petrol engine (Mercury 239 cu in) when launched. Miller shifted to live at 6 Bongard St., Mission Bay about 1957 and sold her sometime after 1961. In 1973 she was owned by L.G. Armstrong of 12 Saltburn Road, Milford and kept at Milford. Ballerina is now powered by a 60hp Ford diesel.
James & his partner Laura purchased her in November 2014 & after some minor repairs at Lees Boat Builders & a new timber mast by Colin Brown, she is being regularly used & enjoyed.photos

As the photos above show, she is a very pretty classic.  As I said on Monday, its hard to get a sub 30′ boat to look proportionally ‘right’, Ballerina looks right 🙂

03-06-2015 Photo below at 2015 Mahurangi Regatta

Tug Boat Tuesday

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TUGBOAT TUESDAY

Now folks if you are in/around Auckland next Monday, you must check out the Tug Boat Race that is part of the Anniversary Day Regatta – some would say its the best part 🙂 its certainly the most spectacular & it all happens in the inner harbour (refer chart below). Just make your way to a vantage point (pack the binoculars) & I can guarantee you will be entertained.
The race starts at 10.00am. off Princes Wharf.

If you are a float, give them plenty of room – they are deceptively fast & rather large 🙂

Selena

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SELENA
photo & details ex Harold Kidd

Selena  was built in 1963 by Alan Williams at Milford for Stan Blundell of Fisher & Blundell. She was a Williams Banshee design but Stan wanted her no longer than 30ft oa so she finished up at 30’x27’x9’6”x2’9”.
She had a 4 cylinder 60hp Ford diesel. Stan’s son John thinks they probably fitted a Parsons marinisation and marine gearbox as they were the importers, to the annoyance of Lees Marine.
Stan didn’t keep her long, swapping her with F.J.H. Leighton for a bach at Maraetai around 1965.
So where is she now?

It is  very hard to design / build a  sub 30′ motor launch that proportionally looks ‘right’. Over the next week I’ll be posting on some smaller launches that tick all the right boxes.

Input from John Blundell ex Harold Kidd

Hi Harold,

The picture of Selena on the WW website today looked great.Re your comments on Lees Marine,they probably didn’t mean much to most viewers. The import restrictions in those days meant that you could not import marine engines unless you had a “special” license or overseas funds.
F&B managed to import a few on these terms but Ted Lees took it up with the Customs Dept and Ford Motor Co and got “protection”. However F&B continued to import gearboxes and other conversion parts from Parsons which were then sold on to local Ford dealers.
Keep up the good work!
John Blundell

Eric Price’s Motorsailer Awanui – Sailing Sunday

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  Awanui – Sailing Sunday

photo ex Ken Ricketts

Today’s boat lives at Gulf Harbour & could be Awanui. If it is then its owned by Eric Price. Eric is 90+ years & uses the boat regularly. The impressive thing is by use I mean extended cruises for weeks at a time. My wife knows Eric & some of the tales from the cruises would make great reading.

Anyone able to confirm the vessels & also supply any details on her past – she has a Lidgard look to her.

18/01/2015 – Input from Garth Broadhead

On first glancing at the photo and without reading the text, it struck me like she looked like Eric’s boat which I was aboard several times as a teenager – so I’m guessing she is! Delighted to know Eric’s still alive and well!! Someone should ask him to post his tale of having his apendix removed underneath a coconut tree in Fiji – it’s a doozy!

Mahurangi Weekend 2015

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If you are even remotely interested in classic wooden boats – Mahurangi is where you want to be this coming long weekend 23>26th Jan.

Details below.

 

Woodys In The Bay of Islands Xmas/NY 2014-15

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Woodys In The Bay of Islands Xmas/NY 2014-15

photos ex Dean Wright

Dean Wright – professional photographer & owner of the classic 1927 Bob Brown built launch ‘Arethusa’ had his camera out over the break & snapped a few of our fleet at rest in the BOI’s. Greg, like most of us, has a bit of a crush on Wirihana 🙂

Can anyone name for me the tram-topper?

To view more of Deans work & see/read about Arethusa – click the link below
http://www.deanwright.co.nz/

Click this link to view my all time favourite classic boating photo. Rings all my bells.
http://www.deanwright.co.nz/prints/marine-photography-dean-wright/product/54-kopikopiko.html

 

Wirihana
Wirihana
Shalom
?
Tamaroa
Thetis

The Rescue of Tiarri – Ken’s Big Road Trip – 4 SALE > RIP

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The Rescue of Tiarri – Ken’s Big Road Trip – 4 Sale

photos ex Ken Ricketts

There have been numerous stories on ww around the demise  – grounding, sinking, recovery, abandonment & discovery of Tiarri. The discovery via trademe of her on a farm in a very sorry state sparked an SOS shout out on ww for an angel to wave their wand & find a good bastard out there prepared to take the rebuild project on. Well it worked & Garth Broadhead stepped up to the mark – today’s post records the start of the journey. There will be more & you’ll see it here 🙂

 26/01/2015 – A water blasting cleans her up & uncovers a few ‘blemishes’

UPDATE 03-09-2016

ww has had advice that is 4sale ‘as-is-where-is’ – all offers will be seriously considered.
Enquiries should be directed to the Marina Manager   enquiries@mahurangimarinas.co.nz

11-05-2019 UPDATE – Sadly Tiarri’s final ‘voyage’ was as a fire brigade training drill and the black scorched earth is all that remains 🙂 (photo ex Russell Ward)

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13-05-2019 Input and photos* / video* from Ken Ricketts –  Sadly in the end no one stepped forward to save Tiarri so the hard stand owners gifted her to the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Service for use as a fire fighting exercise.
I would just like to say a  huge thank you to you Alan and all the other woodys, who have written of her, inspected her, & tried to help to save her, in the various ways we all have, & put her back together, albeit in vain in the end. 
We all tried, & we could do no more than that, but to you Alan, most of all, if you had not published her plight, we would never even have been able to try. Thank you very much, I will be forever grateful. Ken R
(*Images & video, courtesy of the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Service)

Own a Seabird 3.2m Dinghy?

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Own a Seabird 3.2m Dinghy & Want Some Pocket Money?

Screen Shot 2015-01-15 at 10.29.44 PM

WW have been approached on behalf of a film company that need one of the above for a film shot on Monday (venue = Auckland). They will be a rental fee. If you own one or know someone that does – email me direct at waitematawoodys@gmail.com

17/01/2015 – Building Seabirds at Whangateau Traditional Boatyard (photo ex Pam Cundy)

 

 

Iorana

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MYSTERY BOAT 21/01/15

photo ex Harold Kidd

OK trainspotters you have had a good break – its time to test your skills again. Clues are – she is a 1922, 38′ bridgedecker (built that way originally). When launched she had a 6 cylinder Alpha engine.

Suggestions?

See the comments section for lots of input – but the answer ex HDK is ……..

Leon Warne was the builder and she is IORANA (Tahitian for “Gidday”). He got a lot of work from Whangarei because he took ROSEMARY north every Christmas and raced her at Onerahi and Russell. Warne built IORANA for Selwyn Blake of Whangarei who had just sold WILD THYME. IORANA was originally painted glossy black but was repainted white in her second season. Blake came to live in St. Mary’s Bay in 1924 and brought IORANA with him. He sold her to C.D. Sellars who sold her to W. Joll of Ponsonby and then she went to Whangamata and, around 1950, to George Manktelow of Paeroa, where he kept her moored in the willows on the Ohinemuri River near the Puki Bridge alongside GLENIFFER. The above image was taken there.
Is she still around?

Photo below ex Papers Past from the NZ Heard 22nd Oct 1931, shows Iorana getting ready to float off with the incoming tide at St. Mary’s Bay

Lake Taupo Classic’s – Part 2

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Lake Taupo Classic’s – Part 2
photos ex Jason Prew
More photos below from Jason’s Lake Taupo travels on the picinic boat Otira.  Click photos to enlarge.

Fingers crossed Paul Drake drops in again & ID’s a few of them for us 😉