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.

Lady Rae

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LADY RAE

Designed & built by Chas Bailey Jnr. in 1950, Lady Rae is a 12m,  kauri planked , carvel bridge decker, powered by a 120hp Ford.

Given her very distinctive style , I would be keen to learn more on her past & design influences .

Harold Kidd Update

She was built for Ken Simpson of Ventnor Road, Remuera. He owned her for many years, at least as late as 1967. She seems to have been a sister ship to GALA LASS built for A.H. Hurt of St Heliers about the same time. As for design, the styling cues were in every issue of “Rudder” and “Motor-Boat and Yachting” magazines of the time and ultimately derived from mid-1930’s American automotive design. If you half shut your eyes, LADY RAE looks quite like, say, a 1936 Dodge sedan, flat windscreen and all.

Lucinda

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LUCINDA

Lucinda sat unused off Devonport Yacht Club for a number of years & being a DYC  member I have had more calls about her than any other boat. Normal stuff – “who owns her”, “is she for sale”, “has she been abandoned” etc. This was all because she is a very pretty little ship & would be a perfect restoration project. Its rare to find a sub 30’ launch that looks ‘right’ i.e. in proportion.

Well people – nows your chance, a CYA friend has tracked the owner down (overseas), purchased the boat, hauled her out, scrapped a few wheel barrow loads of weed & mussels off her & now circumstances have changed & she is on the market,  ready for someone to take on the project. At $4,500 ono they do not come better priced than this.

Some Info:

1930 hard chine Coulthard bridgedeck launch –  28ft.

The hull is sound and the boat does not appear to have rot in it, but needs a full re-paint & engine overhaul.

Engine is a 1987, Perkins 50hp which was apparently rebuilt before the boat was left on mooring, and now does not turn over so will want taking apart again.

She has new navy blue upholstery, various electrical spares, spare bronze nails, GPS chart plotter, fish finder, VHF

Has engine compressor driven refrigeration but unkown if it works still.

Stove/ oven in good visual condition but have not tried to start as there are other priorities with such a vessel.

View here http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=705353146&ed=true

Tuatea

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TUATEA

photos ex trademe, details ex Ken Ricketts.

39 ft 6 inches built by the Lane Motor Boat Co. in Riverview Rd Panmure in 1954. She has spent much of her life game fishing out of Tauranga, initially, then Whitianga & to the B.O.I., & back to the Whitianga region, as at now.

Present owner Colin Orr has owned her for 11 > 12 years & previous owners include Ron Elliott in 1950s & 60s who sold her to Morris Mitchell who initially kept her at Whitianga, in the later 1960s or early 70s, & he owned her until the mid 1980s. During this time he relocated to the B.O.I. where he sold her.

She presently has a 6 cyl. 135hp Ford diesel. She is of the era & stable, of Sou East, Nor West & Tangaroa, with her distinctive coamings styling, especially in the mid section.

Some classic boats end up with a block of flats on top, this old girl has an apartment building 🙂  Ken & I agree that her cabin top / open flybridge, as shown in the early B & W photo, suits her perfectly.

Liberty

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Stephen 46′  – USA Classic                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Liberty was built in the USA & imported into  NZ from California last year (2013).

She is for sale on trademe for $275k & in my eyes is great value for money – to build her would cost 3x that price & then some.

Other than the motors – she has been extensively refurbished:-

New fridge and freezer, New hot water cylinder, New electrics, New switchboard, New LED Lighting , New engine room insulation , New anchor winch motor, anchor and chain, New batteries 700 amph, New inverter – shore power, New stove and hob, New upholstery and carpet’ New toilet’ New Large Raymarine chart plotter – fish finder. 

For more info on the Stephens yard – click below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephens_Bros._Boat_Builders

 

Sailing Sunday – K Class Rally

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Sailing Sunday – K Class Rally

This weekend just gone, Peter Mence herded a collection of the CYA K-Class fleet together for a wee gathering. The weekend started off with drinks aboard the yachts that came into the Viaduct for the dinner later in the evening. Saturday saw a race to Kawau Island, with a BBQ ashore at John Pryor’s

The photos above are from Friday at the Viaduct.

HDML Tarapunga Sinks

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HDML Tarapunga Sinks

details & photos ex Heather Reeve

I have some sad news in regard to a piece of NZ’s Maritime history – ‘Tarapunga’, one of the 16 Harbour Defence Motor Launch’s (HDML) that the Navy purchased in 1943 & were later used for Survey work charting the NZ coastline (painted white) & also undertook Fisheries Protection work (painted black) caught fire & sunk off Nelson early this week.

The photo of her berthed at the wharf was taken by Keith Ingram (Skipper magazine) in Picton only a few months ago.

One of Tarapunga’s sister ships ‘Paea’, owned by Keith Nicholson & Heather Reeve (photo below) is in the CYA fleet.

 

 

 

C’est La Vie

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C’EST LA VIE

details & photos from Ken Ricketts & Mason Clipper facebook page

In 1964 Tony Mason designed and built C’est La Vie, a 33 ft Clipper, for Tony Betts, from Masterton, to be based on Lake Taupo, the second of only two 33′ Clippers. In 1966 she was moved back to Auckland so the Betts family could cruise the Hauraki Gulf.

Powered by twin Interceptor 427 BBL Ford petrol V8s, at 300hp each, through Borg Warner velvet-drive gear boxes, to Henleys 19×18 props., on SS Shafts, she had an impressive top speed of 35 mph. Fuel capacity was 600 litres. She needed those tanks 🙂

 

Update – this may possibly be the above boat – ????

http://www.tradeaboat.co.nz/detail/marine/boats/mason/clipper-10.5m/73578

Achernar

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Achernar

ACHERNAR

Todays post is another boat from the 2014 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, Achernar is rather special, being the only launch designed by R L (Bob) Stewart & built by Collings & Bell for Bob’s father. You can read more about her past by entering her name in the ww search box.

I post her for another reason, her owner Don Atkinson is a star in my world, when he purchased Achernar in 2008 he removed the flybridge – give that man a cigar 🙂

Achinar after makeover by Lanes

Suzie

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SUZIE

NZ built (kauri)  in approx. 1935-40, Suzie is 16′ & based on a Chris Craft design. She has been in the same family since 1955 & underwent an extensive restoration in 2011.

Pictured here at the 2014 Lake Rotoiti Classic Wooden Boat Parade.

Wakatoa

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WAKATOA

photos ex Heather & Keith (Paea)

Heather & Keith spotted Wakatoa while on a road trip to Thames. Anyone able to supply some more on her background?

ps  – you have to love the berth 🙂

02-05-2016 photo ex Phillip Forsyth added.

Wakatoa