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.

Johnny Wray – Ngataki – South Sea Vagabonds Book Competition / Invite

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WIN A COPY OF THE 75TH COMMEMORATIVE EDITION OF JOHNNY WRAY’S SOUTH SEA VAGABONDS

1. Waitematawoodys in association with the Tino Rawa Trust & Harper Collins Publishing are offering you the chance to win one of two copies of the book.
2. Entry is simple -just answer the question below. The first correct answer, either posted on the ww site (in the comments section) or emailed to ww (email detail below) wins a copy. PLUS – all entries correct or not will go into the draw for another copy. Thats 2 chance to win a copy.
Entries close at midnight (nz time) 26/07/2014. As always the judges decision is final & winners will by posted on ww on 28/07/2014.

3. While your doing your entry, grab a pen & circle the 9th & 10th of August in the diary – you are invited by Tino Rawa Trust & Harper Collins Publishing to come & view Johnny Wray’s restored yacht Ngataki. Her re-launch coincides with the release of Johnny’s book. The work done on Ngataki will blow you away & the book is a must have for all waitematawodys. See invite below for full details.

4. THE QUESTION – Name Ngataki’s ships cat – as shown in the photo below.

click any photo to enlarge

Ramic’s Family

 

Whats Happening @ Fosters?

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I do not post much about people on ww, it is after all – all about the boats –  but I opened my emails this morning & got a shock. One of the rocks of the classic wooden boating movement – Craig Pippen from Fosters is leaving, in fact today is his last day. Now the email (see below) leaves a lot to the imagination, I hope Craig has a course entered into the gps & is not rudder less.

“Hello all, today is my last at Foster/Harken, so with sadness in my heart & a tear in my eye I bid you all farewell. Thanks & best wishes to everyone.”

On behalf of us classic wooden boat nuts I would like to thank Craig for his service & sage advice over the years, we can be a little OTT when it comes to your boats. Craig has always made the Foster visit way more enjoyable & eased the pain of paying for that left -handed bronze thing-a-me-jig, that based on the price must have been the only one in the world 🙂

In this game good people are everywhere, great people are had to find, Craig will be missed.

I Have Bought A Yacht

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I Have Bought A Yacht

Now I know that headline will have had a few of you chocking on your weetbix, but relax, its just a continuation of my fixation with pond yachts.
I have had the sloop (below) for approx. 20 years & own several KZ-7 replica’s that at last count are probably worth more than Raindance’s kauri clinker dinghy 🙂

Last week I acquired off an old friend the gaff rigged ketch below – sans the bow sprit its approx. 900cm long & rather nice.

Now that’s not the real purpose of today’s post – tomorrow morning (Saturday) waitematawoodys in association with the Tino Rawa Trust & Harper Collins Publishing will be offering up two copies of the 75th Commemorative Edition of Johnny Wray’s book, ‘South Sea Vagabonds’. This updated edition is a cracker & will be a must have in your collection.

If you have, like so many, been unable to track down an original copy now’s your chance to own this kiwi classic. I have read the book five times, the closest any other comes to that is twice.
If you are one of the lucky ones to own an original edition – buy the 75th edition because in additional to ‘new’ content & photo’s, you will now have a copy that you can loan out 🙂

Entry will be simple – just answer the question from the book that I post at 8.00am (NZ time) on Saturday morning. The first correct answer, either posted on the ww site or emailed to ww, wins a copy, PLUS – all entries correct or not will go into the draw for another copy. Entries close at midnight (nz time) 26/07/2014. As always the judges decision is final, so Jason Prew, wearing your TRT hat, the judge rules you out 🙂

So dig out your original copy or find a friend that has one & have them on stand-by on Saturday morning 😉

Romany II

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ROMANY II

photos & details ex trademe & Ken Ricketts

Romany II, a double skin kauri bridgedecker, designed by Roy Steadman &  built in 1964 by Shipbuilders.  A distinguishing feature of Steadman’s designs was the half circle foredeck, which resulted in a very pronounced flare (refer birds-eye photo below). Steadman’s own bridgedecker, the 28′ Nauty Girl (thats nauty as in nautical) , that he built for himself in the early1950s also had this feature & may well have been the first of this concept. Does anyone have any photos of Nauty Girl?

Romany II is 44’x14’6″x3′ & powered by twin Ford 150hp engines.

A WEE TIP
Keep an eye out on Saturday, I have a promotion with a very cool prize. Details on Friday 😉
ps anyone can enter but if you are a ww ‘Follower’, entry will be faster & for this promo – the first correct answer wins 🙂 so sign up now.
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Maibe (Regina)

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Regina
Maibe (Regina) @ Nelson 2014
Cowes Bay Jan 1934

MAIBE (Regina)

photos & details from Harold Kidd & Papers Past

Maibe started life as Regina and was launched by T M Lane & Sons on 14th December  1912 for Maguire & Pountney. The photo above without the ‘2nd story’ is as original from her Regina days.

The photo with the 6 crew topsides was taken in Cowes Bay, Waiheke Island on Jan 4th 1934 during her summer cruise.
The photo with one crew member lying down is unknown but looks to be off Devonport Navy Base ??
The colour photo was taken last week in the marina at Nelson by Harold Kidd.
To the ‘untrained’ eye  you would struggle to recognize them but the bones are there & as Harold would say it’s a good example on how to bugger up nice original boat, but it’s a process that started the instant they hit the water.

Anyone able to add to the history of Regina / Maibe?

Sad News

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Whakari Sinks

Heard a rumour in the weekend that was confirmed last night that the stunning 1925 Sam Ford launch ‘Whakari’ has sunk on her moorings in the Weiti River. Do not know anymore at this stage.
Horrible news, our thoughts go out to CYA member Gordon Cashmore & I’m sure all classic wooden boat owners will be hoping Gordon & family bring the old girl back to life – if they need any inspiration they need look no further than the Nereides post below.

This is the 2nd oops she has had according to Papers Past , 69 years ago (Aug/Sept 1945) she broke away from her Hobson Bay mooring & went ashore on the Orakei reclamation embankment.

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Update from Gordon Cashmore (via Stephan Harris) 23/07/2014

Whakari is now safe and secure at the old Cashmore mill site in Silverdale. She is being repaired by Philip (blue) Holmes. The cause of the dilemma was a broken mooring line in one of the big blows a few weeks back that caused her to swing from the jetty and bang the keel on the papa bank springing the garboard and sinking. The 6.354 has been flushed and run up while at Gulf Harbour. This will be removed for access to the keel bolts etc so repairs/upgrades can be done.
Gordon wants her fixed for her 100th birthday. Stephen Harris, Gordons neighbour in Still Water.

Nereides Repaired & Relaunched

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New helm /dash
Old helm

Nereides Repaired & Relaunched

Received some great news from Mark Lever the owner of Nereides on Friday, she went back in the water last week looking all shiny and sharp. When I first saw the photos of her 1/2 submerged (below) my heart sank, could this be the end of such a glorious ship……….. but having meet her owner I had faith that we would see Nereides returned to her finest again – well folks I’m stunned, she is genuinely better than before.

Aside from fixing the ‘hole’ – Mark took the opportunity to strip all old varnish off the wheel house and replace it with Awlwood MA. She also has been treated to a hull repaint.
Given the H2o she took on board, the engine was pulled out and rebuilt and the interior rewired. Mark also took the opportunity re worked the helm station to a more traditional appearance & to also create more room.
A new addition is a second skylight (modeled on the existing but non opening) which allows more light into the saloon.

Nereides is a special boat to me, she was one of the objects of desire that got me into this wooden boating gig – & is on my bucket list.

Owners like Mark & Sue Lever deserve a medal – the CYA needs more owners as committed as they are 🙂

Nereides Oops 1

Jan 2021 Updated Photo – Spotted at Moturoa Island by Dennis Rule aboard Summer Wine

Mason Marlin

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MASON MARLIN
photos ex Sven Baker

Following along from the recent Mason Clipper posting we had, todays boat is a Mason Marlin that Sven restored in 2013.

Any more of these classics hiding out there? Photos & details please.

ps Sven previously owned the rather nice Ranui – a 1947 Lidgard. Enter Ranui in the ww search box to view.

click photos to enlarge

Kawau Island

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KAWAU ISLAND

Aside from school trips to see the wallabies, I like a lot of us, had my first Kawau Island boating experience via RNZYS race weekends. I can still picture Ken Lusty’s very large dinghy on the beach on Saturday night, filled to the gunnels with ice cold cans of beer & being invited for whiskey & milk for Sunday breakfast on the commodores boat………….. how we all survived god only knows 🙂

I was recently lent by Barbara Cooke a copy of the book ‘Memories of Mansion House – Kawau Island, NZ’ by Nora Creina Wilson. This insight into life on the island would have to be compulsory reading for anyone interested in the gulf & classic wooden boats. Needless to say, I very quickly snatched a copy of my own off trademe for the princely sum of $8.00. It now sits on Raindance alongside Johnny Wray’s ‘South Sea Vagabonds’.

Buy a copy or borrow one from the library, you have to read it, the photos alone are worth viewing – the island will not be the same post reading.

ps – speaking of Johnny Wray’s master piece – I’ll be posting details soon about the re-print (#5 ) of this very special book, which will co-incde with the re-launch of the restored Ngataki, the yacht that Johnny built & undertook his adventures in. Only yesterday I lent my (old) copy to an young 8 year old Opti sailor, who I hope will be wow’ed by the book. I took the photo below to remind me who currently has the book – its my latest trick, sick of people that do not return books. A few years ago I was offered a book to read & when I opened the dust cover, there was my stamp…………… & they still swore black & blue it was theirs 😦

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The Dawn

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THE DAWN

photo & details from Riwia Fox

Have had a request from Riwia Fox on behalf of her aunt who is looking for any details on her fathers kauri launch – The Dawn. Excuse the very low res photo, hopefully a better one will be found. The war time ‘345’ number should help jog some memories. Riwia’s aunt believes it was built by Dick Lang in 1935.

Updated details (25/07/2014) from Riwia Fox – her Aunt has advised her fathers name was Bill Hogan, a member of the Ponsonby Cruising Club & The Dawn was built in 1935.