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.

Valdora – E Class – E19 – Sailing Sunday

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Valdora – E Class – E19

photo ex Roger Guthrie ex Sue Robertson

Roger spoted this photo while visiting Sue & Iain Robertson. The owner of E19 at the time the photo was taken was Eric Paton, father of Sue. Like most of the yachties from the older days Eric was a bit of an adventurer – he took flying lessons from the Walsh Bros.

Anyone able to shed some light on E19 & what happening to her.

ps -sorry about the photo it was taken of a framed print (thru glass)

Update from Robin Elliott

That’s the much-travelled Valdora, owned by Eric Paton 1922 through to 1924.

Built by Charlie Gouk in 1904 as a centre boarder, probably a Rudder design, for Charles Palmer. She often raced in the open centreboard ‘patiki-type’ divisions because she was excluded  from racing against keelers and could not conform to the new mullet boat restrictions that were being formulated around the same time.

She took E-19 when the new numbering system was introduced in 1921. Billy Rogers bought her in 1925 and a season later, sold her to the Manukau.  

She returned from the Manukau in 1930, purchased by R. Curry who had Joe Slattery convert her to a keel yacht – a very big deadwood. Her E-19 sail number had been re-issued and she took number E-29 (in those days a boat lost its sail number if it left the Waitemata – tedious long story, too long for sunday) .

She went through a number of owners, probably more than I have recorded and disappears after 1950. Probably just cruising, but may have surfaced in Wellington in the 1960’s. There was a Valdora registered with Port Nick in 1964, and later with Mana Cruising club in 1973. Possible but seems unlikely though.

Offered for sale in Traditional boat Magazine in May 1989 in Auckland.
She was still sailing and I saw her in 1991 on the hard at Okahu Bay having repaint. During the 1990’s she was a regular on the Okahu Bay slipway. She does not appear to have ever been registered with NZYF/YNZ.

I last saw her 5/1/2009, Tied up alongside Fullers workshop at Opua in a fairly messy, un-loved state and later on a mooring across the other side. She wasn’t there last time I went in to Opua.

Photos below from Jason Prew (c.2003)

Lake Taupo Boating – A Look Back In Time

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Lake Taupo Boating – A Look Back In Time

Now this is a really interesting website (very basic) that records the history around boats tjat have been based at Lake Taupo. There is also some great stories on the boats & the history of the Lake. The site is very basic in terms of its layout but have a poke around & you will be pleasantly surprized. We have no idea who is behind the site, Nathan discovered it in a random boat  search.
Enjoy.

Links below

Boat Photos   http://www.promotionalart.com/History_Taupo_Boats/Boat%20Main%20%20Page.htm

Stories    http://www.promotionalart.com/History_Taupo_Boats/Stories_.htm

Mystery Launch – Waihora ?

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Mystery Launch

I think I can make out the name as Waihora. She was anchored in Oneroa on 26/10/2014.

What say you all on her pedigree?

Update 15-04-2019 – See below input from Jonathan Hope – its a great read.  Also check out the comments section – lots of intel there 🙂

“To all of you that have responded to the history of the WAIHORA,I would like to relay to you all some of my happy memories spent aboard her.Logan and Joyce were my uncle and aunt and I spent many weekends and Christmases cruising the Hauraki Gulf,Bay Of Islands and The Barrier as “cabin boy” on her after their son,Rudyard was unavailable because of family commitments.
Logan always addressed me as Little Charlie or Jack Jack.I knew him as Big Charlie .Charlie would phone me on a Thursday and say that we are off for the weekend.All good,he picked me up after his work at the Mill at 5pm on a Friday, and we went to the boat moored next to the Naval Base in Devonport.My first job after rowing the supplies to the boat was to get into the dinghy with auntie Joyce to remove the oil stains off the WAIHORA with Jiff.Charlie would relax while auntie Joyce and I motored to a suitable evening mooring.The next morning we would pull the piper net for bait using bran as burley.After that ,Charlie would drop me off on some rocky outcrop. The rules were that I had to chop up ground bait for half an hour,then start fishing with two handlines.After I had caught two thirds of a sugar sack of snapper,Charlie would pick me up.It was also my job to gut the fish on the trip home that he would give away to friends on Sunday pm.
Also,I those days,we would see a commercial crayfish pot say at the Barrier.The “rules” were that if you pulled a commercial pot and took a crayfish,you left a bottle of beer.A pretty good deal!After half of a 3 lb crayfish for lunch,I didn’t eat much dinner.
I could write a book of my memories on the WAIHORA, spearing kingfish and flounder at Te Couma Harbour,spearing big stingrays with a flounder spear attached to a rope and being towed in the dinghy for 10 minutes before the 4 pronged spear came out at The BOI,illegally laying flounder nets,diving for scallops from the cabin of the WAIHORA with only a mask that you had to hold on to,catching hapuka at the Barrier,going to my first dance at Triphena,having and my first dance with a girl! Charlie also gave me my first bottle of beer,It went straight to my head and I forgot about about my first girl friend .Needless to say,I didn’t row back to the boat.

Incidentally,Charlie’s first launch was the SEQUOYA,a bridge decker. When Brin Wilson was commissioned to build the WAIHORA I went with Charlie on the SEQUOYA to Rangitoto.He had plywood templates for the ribs of the WAIHORA which we matched against the branches of the pohutakawa trees!
So many fond memories!
I Devote my current and past fond memories to my Uncle, William John Logan Nicks.”
Dr Jonathan Hope

 

Launches at Waipu Landing 1953

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Waipu Boats

photo & details ex Colin McKenzie ex New Zealand Herald Jan 1953.

A flotilla of launches & the scow Rahiri seen here at the Waipu Landing at the start of the celebrations to mark the arrival of the Nova Scotian settlers there 100 years previously.
From the left:
#1 Bridge decker on left (was owned by Mac Kelly, Beachlands) Colin has forgotten the name of the launch.

#2 Highland Lass (Jim Somner, Waipu)

#3 Bluebird, (John Munroe, Papakura)

#4 Spindrift, (Gordon McKenzie, Clevedon – Gordon was Colin’s father & Commodore of the Clevedon Cruising Club)

#5 Rahiri (Jock McKinnon, skipper). The remains of Rahiri are now to be seen in the sands/beach at Blackpool, Waiheke Island.

Sentosa

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SENTOSA

photos & ‘details’ from Pam Cundy

The photos above are of the 28′ double-ender Sentosa, that was recently hauled out at the Whangateau slip getting some DIY repairs & a lick of paint. Her owner, Bill Freeth would love to find out more about her background. Bill has had her for approx. 6 years & understands that she was kept at Panmure for 10-12 years. Bill bought her from Waitakaruru (Thames) way. Talking to an old Kaipara Harbour Master he thinks she may have been one of two built on the Kaipara.

She has just been re-powered with a Sole 44hp (a Spanish marinised Mitsubishi motor), previously she had a huge American landing craft motor in her. There is some speculation her original name was Golden …….. something – Golden Spray ??

Any of the woodys out there able to shed some more light on Sentosa’s past?

 

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #13 – Kiariki Xmas 1961/62

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #13 – Kiariki Xmas  1961/62

Another  Jack Brooke drawing, published on ww thanks to son Robert making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the 13th featured.

The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during the Xmas 1961/62 cruise to Kawau Island, Kerikeri (Bay of Islands), Great Barrier all points in-between. Sounds like the weather gods did not smile for the trip north. If Robert or Judith are reading they might like to enlighten readers on the ‘birds & wasps’ reference.

Crew: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Judith Brooke, Howard Wallace, Monty Wallace & Richard Purchase.

Moerangi

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MOERANGI

Moerangi is a 1901 Logan Bros 55’ 9” trawler style classic launch that spent most of her life as a fishing boat and ferry before undergoing 2 separate restorations the last in Whangarei costing I understand over $300,000.

Being royalty i.e. a genuine Logan, she has a wonderfully documented pedigree of ownership and escapades detailing her life over the last 113 years, which makes my life very easy when doing a ww post. Click the (blue) links below to view/read. Built in the Logan style triple skin heart kauri she has been restored by the expert shipwrights of The Wood Shed in Whangarei who obtained suitable heart kauri and replaced in the traditional manner all that was required, its interesting reading & you can see where the $300k went.

Powered by a 1950 Gardner 5L3 reconditioned in 1986 she has traveled approx 500 hours since and cruises 7-8kts at 750 rpm using approx 8 liters per hour. Accommodation is in 2 double staterooms forward with ensuite and aft plus 2 single berths. The wheelhouse has a large saloon and dining area, aft galley with 2 burner stove grill & oven, 3 way electric fridge, pressure H&C water, 1 heads and a separate full size shower. Electronics VHF, autopilot, GPS radar, depth-sounder & TV/DVD.

Moerangi is for sale (sales brochure below) & this really is one of those situations where someone can ‘profit’ at the expense of someone else e.g. all the money has been spent & the work done to sympathetically modernize this unique classic motor launch while retaining her graceful lines. Her next owner gets to enjoy the vessel without all the hard work & I’m sure at a discount to what was actually invested in her restoration.
Older photos

Akaroa Mail article 15/1/1988 click to enlarge

October 2014 ‘The Wood Shed’ shipwright work summary / report link Shipwright report October 2014 (2 pages)

Boating NZ Oct 2007 feature link Boating NZ Oct 2007 Article (5 pages)

Ownership history link Some Ownership history

Ethel – Sailing Sunday

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ETHEL
I took the above photos of Keith Munro’s 1896 yacht Ethel at the CYA Patio Bay Weekend. The close ups where when she was rafted up to Dave Gidden’s Allergy.
Hopefully Harold will chip in with details on Ethel.

Harold Kidd Update

ETHEL was built by Logan Bros for Herbert Dawson who owned Mercury Island. He used her for carrying supplies to the island and wool and stock to the coast, usually Whangapoua. She was therefore more generous in beam than most yachts of her time which proved useful when she was later used for racing on the Waitemata by W.J. Quelch and W.R. Ingram after Dawson sold her in 1912.

My Girl

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MY GIRL
photo & details from Jason Prew, Harold Kidd & Ian Gavin

At ww we love restoration projects, anyone that commits to saving one of your old girls is a good friend of waitematawoodys.

Todays classic launch is My Girl, built by Dick Lang in late 1925 for C.B. “Tui” Waldron of the Wade who commuted with her. The square-bilge design was based on one by W.H. Hand. She was fitted with a 6 cylinder 100hp Scripps that pushed her along at over 18 knots. Waldron later took her to Whangarei and she was in NAPS as Z32 out of Whangarei in WW2. She survived at Te Atatu owned by Trevor Davies.

The photos above show her in days gone by & being transported from Te Atatu Boating Club to her new home where her new owner Jason Prew , who recently purchased her from the Davies family, will commence her restoration. Jason has both done himself & supervised some of the best restoration projects in the CYA fleet so we will follow My Girl with great interest. I think I might need to re-power Raindance to keep up with Jason (My Girl) & Nathan Herbert (Lucinda).
You can follow the project here http://www.my-girl.co.nz

Interesting statistic – there are 9 CYA members on the CYA General Committee, myself being one of them, of those 9, 6 of them are now launch owners.  Owning a classic wooden launch is the hot new boating trend 🙂