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.

Tasman / Little Tasman

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Tasman / Little Tasman (Mystery Launch 01/07)

Time for a little quiz – who can ID this launch.

The answer is Little Tasman

To quote Harold Kidd – it’s the first TASMAN, a 26 footer built by Colin Wild for Albert Spencer in December 1925.
She was later known as “Little Tasman” . In the photo she is honking along in 1927 with her Stearns bellowing.

An update on Little Tasman

CYA member Bruce Pullan (MV Ann Michelle) have sent me a later photo of Little Tasman, Bruce received this from the then owner when she was for sale a few years ago on trademe. She was at Kawau at time and not running. The owner advised that he was going to take it out of the water back at the mainland if it did not sell.
Bruce first came across Little Tasman on the Manukau during the 1970s (late he thinks) she was owned by Don Garner who was the Commodore of the Manukau Cruising Club at the time. The Manukau Cruising Club was still racing launches during the 1970s.

Here she is in Feb 2012 hauled out at Pt Wells. Photo by CYA member Mark Edmonds

Photo below from Ken Ricketts – Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island – Xmas 1948. Showing Little Tasman.

MANSION HOUS BAY CHRISTMAS CIRCA 1948

Romance II

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MAHURANGI 2006
R2 on the left
R2 on the right – March 1925
R2
R2 Rudder Cup Patio Bay Race 2010
R2 Rudder Cup / Passage Rock 2010

ROMANCE II

Romance II was built in 1919 by Bailey & Lowe. She is a rather quick old girl, always has been, as the older photos show. The colour photos were taken by Jason Prew at the 2006 Mahurangi Regatta, prior to her current owner Pauline Kidd purchasing her. Romance II had been on the Kidd’s bucket list for a very long time & has just been transported to Marco Scuderi’s yard (MSN Shipwrights) in Helensville for some extensive work that will see her returned to a style closely matching her ‘as launched’ configuration. It would be hard to find a project manager with a better eye & classic knowledge than Pauline’s husband Harold, so ww will be watching this project with great interest – rest assured there will be no fly bridge, solar panels etc 🙂

Rudder Cup photos (by Chris Miller) added

As always – you can enlarge any photo by clicking on it

28 Nov. 1929 photo added (ex Paperspast) below of Romance II being lowered into the water near Queens Wharf after being reconditioned (their words) at Mt Eden. Now you can see why she is so quick.

R2 relaunch Nov 1929 at Queens Wharf

Zoom Zoom
Walter Bailey designed her for 17 knots which she exceeded with her original 15/21hp (rated) Sterling. That was replaced with the biggest Stearns available, a 35hp (rated), in June 1923. Other, more pedestrian, engines followed including a 4 cylinder Ford diesel post-WW2 and, most recently, a 6 cylinder 150hp Hino marine diesel by Moon Engines, which is a truly superb installation. We can see just under 20 knots on the GPS at 3100 but she’s tricky to handle at that speed because she’s really riding on the prop and “sensitive”, shall I say. We’ve removed most modern junk including the gas bottle and stove and the sink bench but are jibbing at removing the toilet and the deep freeze. Simplicate and add lightness!
Dimensions:
Basically she’s Bailey & Lowe’s standard 35 footer but tweaked in the sections. Beam is 8ft , draught 2ft 6in, displacement 4.2 tons wet.

Update from HDK (24/08/2014) see comments section for previous posts

Progress is good. There have been interesting questions to resolve regarding the new dodger in our efforts to re-create her as she was launched in 1919. When you are dealing with three dimensional and aesthetic issues based on a handful of contemporary images it takes a lot of careful thinking and analysis (not to say compromise). Marco is highly sensitive to these issues, thank goodness, so our weekly brainstorming is fun and productive. We are now down to millimeter issues.
One correction however, the camber of the dodger top IS the same as the camber of the main cabin top. Anything else does look wrong and is not borne out by a careful examination of the early images nor by the fossil evidence in the boat. The shapes of the four forward facing windows gave an illusion of a higher camber, but it is an illusion.
Marco keeps his website up to date with images:
http://www.mcnshipwrights.com/romance-ii.html

 

Is This The Future?

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Is This The Future?

ESC. KEY

Esc.Key is a new solar electric riverboat recently launched by Denman Marine Australia.

The initial design brief was for a river launch that was similar in concept to the early 20th century Noosa River putt-putt boats which had a hard top to keep the harsh Queensland sun at bay.

The boat is constructed from strip plank western red cedar on celery top pine structural timbers. Fit out is Tasmanian blackwood and Huon pine. Decks and sole are laid teak. The hard top is 25mm core cell foam/western red cedar and celery top pine. She has a beautiful birds eye Huon pine table aft that lowers to form a day bed for those lazy afternoons.

She is powered by a Mastervolt Drive Master ultra 3.5kw 48V AC motor which pushes her along at a nice cruise speed of 4.5kts with max speed 6.5kts. She has a 450Ah 48V AGM battery bank which is fed by 1000 watts of thin film, high output Solbianflex solar panels on the hard top. At full charge, the boat is energy neutral at 4kts.

The engine was small enough to have it completely below the sole and the set allows you to cruise along with no noise/fumes or the smell of diesel, definitely the way of the future.

DESIGN SPECS

LOA (feet): 23′

0″
Beam (feet): 8′

4″
Type/Rig/Power: electric powered river launch
Home Port: Noosa, Queensland , Australia
Designer Name: David Payne/Imagineocean Yacht Design/Denman Marine
Builder Name: Denman Marine
Launching Date: February 18, 2014

 

An Impressive Line Up

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An Impressive Line Up

An Impressive Line Up

the sender of the photo will be disclosed later, might give the game away.

Left to right – who can ID the 4 launches, #4 will be a challenge but if you get the other 3 then the 4th should ‘follow’.
Location is Katherine Bay.

Harold – for you to win you will have to name the dinghy as well 🙂

Seagull

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SEAGULL – a classic 4 Sale

A lot of people say your mad owning a classic boat, if thats true, owning two must make you certifiable.
CYA member Paul Burton is bucking the market trend that normally goes like this – Yacht > Launch > Camper Van > Die. Paul is going from a classic launch back to a classic yacht, well to be 100% correct a motorsailer.
The upside of Paul’s flip/flop is his rather nice 1953 ex Navy Launch ‘Seagull’ is for sale.
As you would expect from a vessel that has been in service, she was very well presented & an ideal classic for someone looking for an affordable (<$50k), easily handed, low maintenance, economical classic for exploring the Hauraki Gulf.
Powered by a 52hp Volvo Seagull runs on the smell of an oily rag e.g. $3-5 an hour.

Now unless you are Tony Stevenson, no one wants to own 2 classic boats so it would be an understatement to say that Paul is a motivated vendor. If you are interested, contact Paul to discuss the many options as to how you could own Seagull.

Viewing is available at Bayswater Marina until July 5th, then on the hard at Devonport Yacht Club.

Paul Burton 021 876 496 E: paulburton@hotmail.co.nz

A twist – the CYA member selling the classic yacht Paul is buying, is buying a classic launch, so its all a merry-go-round. Maybe I should be a broker? in fact I am……. now who do I send the invoice to 🙂

Lady Pat

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LADY PAT

Lady Pat (30’9”  x 9’ x 2’9”) was built by the Lane Motor Boat Company for Mr P Walker of Papatoetoe. She is pictured above undergoing her sea trials, where she achieved a top speed of 11 knots.
Harold Kidd advises that Lady Pat owned for many years in the 1960s and 1970s by H E Goldsboro of Meadowbank  and was powered with a Chrysler Crown. In 1973 she was owned by R. Parr of Church St, Devonport , a member of DYC, the best little yacht club in the world 🙂

Update 30/06/2014 – The 2 photos below were sent to me by Chris Manning & show Lady Pat at Mana Marina  in 2014, in fact I think as of now. Check out the chat in the Comments section – her current owner, Philip Simpson has questioned if the b/w photo is in fact the Lady Pat below – your thoughts – I think it is.

Lady Pat Mana Marina 2014
Lady Pat Mana Marina 2014

 

Kotare

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KOTARE

Designed by Bill Couldrey and built by Frank Wilkins, launched in 1961, Kotare is a ,28′ kauri planked launch, currently based in Kerikeri.
A CYA member is looking for more information on her past & present.

Bonito

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Bonito

BONITO

photo & info sourced by Ken Ricketts

Built in 1960 by Carl Augustin  for Dr Lindsay Brown of Auckland.

She is 34 ft long with 10ft 6 beam & was originally fitted with an 86 hp 6 cyl Ford Diesel with direct drive to a 14 x 14 propeller & cruising at about 14 knots & a top speed of 17 knots. In 1961 she was fitted with a 2 to 1 reduction gear driving a 20 x 27 propeller which took her to an economical cruising speed of 17 knots at 2 to 3 gallons of fuel per hour & top speed of 22 knots. – just shows the differences a reduction gear can make.

Any updates on her history, photos & present whereabouts would be appreciated.

Bonito

Bonito

Harold Kidd Update

I last saw BONITO in Mangonui in 1999 when she was owned by Jimmy Osborne who had owned her for nearly 20 years. After Dr. Lindsay Brown, who kept her until at least 1967, she was owned by P. Noakes of St. Stephens Ave in 1973.

Mystery Launch 24/06

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Mystery Launch 24/06

Mystery Launch 24/06

The above photo, according to its tag on Pictures-past was taken in 1946 & the launch is nudged into the causeway between Rangitoto Island & Motutapu Island.

Its a big ask but is anyone prepared to have a go at ID’ing her?. The square windows may help.