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.

Taufale

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Taufale @ Waiheke
Taufale 4sale ad
Taufale c1950
Taufale slipped at Geoff Bagnalls yard

TAUFALE

photos ex Harold Kidd (& trademe + Paper Past)

Recent chat here around a mystery launch moored in the Whau creek & the design / builds of Onehunga based, Les Coulthard has unearthed several of his 27′>30′ v-bottomed cruiser launches from the late 1930’s. CYA member Nathan Herbert is currently restoring Lucinda (search ww for a post on her) & her sister ship Taufale, that is currently for sale on trademe.
Interestingly Taufale has had 3 different cabin tops, the photos above show her as launched with a bridge deck type cabin, a single profile aft swooping version and the current single flat cabin top.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion when it comes to which of the three versions you prefer – but as is most often the case, the ‘as launched’ wins hands down & gets my tick.

Note: you can freeze the slide show above by clicking on a photo + the smaller images below can be enlarged also by clicking on them.

Taufale c1950
Taufale ex trademe
Taufale slipped at Geoff Bagnalls yard
Taufale @ Waiheke
Taufale 4sale ad
Taufale ex trademe
Taufale on launch day

New photo added ex Ken Ricketts camera in 1948, while in School House Bay.

Taufale 1948

Recent (2014) photos ex Nathan Herbert, hauled out at the Weiti Boating Club

ETHEL C (Ethel Clare)

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20140608_141616

ETHEL C (Ethel Clare)

Some days ww rocks – yesterday was one of those days, the planets lined up & everything fell into place.

Last weekend Nathan Herbert was out & about nosing around the Whau Creek with Jason Prew in one of the classic picnic boats when they came across the very neglected tram topper, Ethel Clare,  sitting on a pile mooring. Ethel Claire (as spelt on the name board) became the ww posting on Wednesday.

Next thing I get an email from CYA member Neil Chalmers, SY Gleam, telling me a RYC member, Colin Clare, has been trying to track down his father’s old launch – ‘’Ethel C’’. Neil had spoken to Colin and described the launch in photos that appeared on ww. In Neil’s words “I think you may have struck gold !.”

Next I contacted Harold Kidd who confirmed that ETHEL C was built by Leon Warne in late 1922 for Billy Clare. HDK thinks she was in fact started by Leon and finished off by Dick Lang as Leon went to Russell at that time and Dick took over his premises.
Ethel C was 30’x8′ and HDK supplied two b/w images which leave no doubt that Ethel Claire is in fact Ethel C. The close up shows a young Colin Clare sitting on the salon top.
HDK commented – “that she has a provenance a couple of yards long!!!”

Next I contacted James Mobberley at Moon Engines & Transmissions who is a member at the Te Atatu Boating Club on the Whau Creek & a classic nutter. James advises that the boat is known around the club as Ethel C & is owned by a Te Atatu Boat Club member who has owned her for between 10 >12 years. The current owner bought her off a gent by the name of Jimmy Sands who had her sitting on his front lawn in Avondale for 20 years.

Now I want this to have a happy ending – wouldn’t it be great to see her rescued & back in the hands of the family of the original owner 🙂

Make sure you check out the RECENT COMMENTS section to view ww follower feedback

Unknown Launch (15/09/2013) Almost Known

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c.1948-9
2014
1939 ex Paper Past
2014

Unknown Launch (15/09/2013) Almost Known

Last year (15/09/2013) Ken Ricketts asked about a launch that he had photographed c1948-9. He commented that at the time he took the photo she was seen regularly around the Kawau Island area.
We had no joy in ID-ing her but it now appears that the ‘powers’ of ww have worked.  At the weekend Nathan Herbert was out & about nosing around the Whau Creek when he spied the launch above, a little digging into the Papers Past archive reveals that this is most likely Kens mystery boat. A 28 foot, 1939 Coulthard built in Onehunga for a Mr E. G. Webb. As the Papers Past photo (excuse the quality) shows she was trucked across from Onehunga & launched at Auckland.

Still do not know her name but getting closer – anyone know the boats current owner or more details?

Photos below of Dawn as discussed in the RECENT COMMENTS section – click to enlarge

Ethel Claire

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ETHEL CLAIRE

photos from Nathan Herbert

Its not often you come across a launch in this condition that has escaped the hands of the wood butcher.
Ethel Claire is on a pile mooring in the Whau River & crying out for a cockpit cover thence she is sitting a little bow down.

Interested to know about her early days & how she got to be in this state. Would be a brave project but subject to whats been happening with all the rainwater, still do-able.

Sorry for the late post today – post the overnight storm, the Principality of Devonport awoke to no power 😦 The fire was lit & the old kerosene lamp fired up, all good with the males but the females not too happy with a cold shower 🙂 Still out at 12.45pm …….

Storm Warning For Auckland

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SEVERE GALE WARNING

MetService have issued a storm warning for Auckland for tonight (10 June) with severe gales from the north east . Might be an idea check your lines and ensure your old girl is secured properly.

It wont be as cold as below but they are predicting gusts of 130 km/h.

Vulcan – update

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Vulcan (again)

More photos have surfaced ex Harold Kidd.

Your Harbour Master Nazi’s would have a fieldday if they were around back then, on my count – 16 people & not a PFD insight.

The yacht in the background (H16) is the 26ft mullet boat KOTARE, built by A.K. Butterworth at Manurewa in 1920. She spent a season on the Manukau but was on the Waitemata from October 1921.

I would also like to draw Mr Deeble’s attention to the fact that Vulcan was partaking in the very natty craze of sporting a fender at the ready while underway – a custom still practiced today by the traditionalists amongst us 😉

Vulcan

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VULCAN

photos ex Eddie Vowles

Vulcan, built by Joe Slattery, was owned by Eddie’s grandfather, who had set line fished from her and explored all the tidal rivers in the Harbour and Gulf. Eddie recalls that the above photos of her haul out were just prior to her sale in c.1943.

If you were ever looking for guidance on what a tram-top / doghouse launch should look like -you need look no further than Vulcan 🙂

Harold Kidd Input
Vulcan was built by Joe Slattery at Judges Bay in late 1913 and had a Vulcan engine, which weren’t very common.
Her first owners were T G Parven and Rowe who owned her until c1922 when J W S Penalligen bought her. Eddie’s grandfather Rowland Vowles bought her about 1935 and owned her throughout the war. The pics in question were taken about 1943 when she was hauled up in Ngatataringa Bay at the foot of Bulwer St, off Abbotsford Tce, Devonport.

Any one able to ID the other launch hauled out alongside her?

And the obvious question – what happened to Vulcan?

As an aside I live 4 houses from where Eddies great grandfather, William Thomas Vowles, a fisherman, lived in Devonport – small world. The whole family, great grandfather, grandfather (Rowland), parents & Eddie all lived in Devonport.

Sailing Sunday

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Sailing Sundays

CYA member Baden Pascoe blew the dust off his I4 footer today at St Heliers. Baden’s father built her in the early 1980’s & Baden describes her as the Ferrari of light weight clinker sailing dinghys. Must have been a blast for his boys skinning along in a NNE breeze with Tony Blake on the helm.
The tow vehicle is a tad classic as well  🙂

Lady Eileen

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LADY EILEEN

I’m very pleased to be able to report that the Lady Eileen the 48′
Shipbuilders / SupaCraft launch, built in 1947 has been sold & her new owner, Hylton Edmonds, is a very passionate classic woody. In fact he already owns the historic game boat Zane Gray.
She has left Auckland & is now in a shed in Whangarei for the start of an extensive ‘rolling’ restoration. Ultimately her new home will be Tapu Point, Russell, BOI.

She is pictured above at purchase time, use the ww search box for more photos & details on Lady Eileen.

ps Hylton has assured me the restoration work on Zane Grey will continue in tandem with LE

Tainui

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TAINUI

photo & details ex Murray Willis

It is believed that Tainui started life as a Auckland Harbour Board work boat. Built in 1967 by according to her owner someone or thing called ‘BOSS’ ?
Her construction is 1×1/2” Kauri plank Carvel. She is round bilge and 38 ft long.

Tainui is moored next to Murray’s launch Marguerite in Whangaparapara at Great Barrier Island where she has spent the last 10 years. The current owner purchased her from a bloke in Plimmerton and sailed her up the east coast to the Great Barrier Island.
More details on her past would be appreciated.

Due to poor health she is for sale but not listed nor advertised any where, if you are interested, contact Murray at jan.murray@xtra.co.nz