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.

Mahurangi Regatta 2014 – Auckland Anniversary Weekend

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Mahurangi Regatta 2014 – Auckland Anniversary Weekend  

When the cover of the Mahurangi Year Book has the kicker ‘Encouraging the ownership, use & restoration of classic wooden boats’ its a no brainer that I’ll be plugging it on waitematawoodys.

The book/magazine is always a monty & has some very talent people doing the design & production so its a collectable.

You can pick up a copy at Boat Books or Sailors Corner (both in Westhaven). For the out of town’ers its available by emailing Steve Horsley  srhorsley@gmail.com   or phoning Helen Johnson 09 422 3332 . Payment via ASB on-line  12-3095-0126805-00

Price is $15 or $10 if you enter for the regatta

More details on the event here

http:www.mahurangi.org.nz/Regatta2014/General-format.php

Ever Wondered Whats Inside Those Sheds?

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A Peek Inside The Clyde Quay Boat Sheds

In my real life, I have one outside of ww 🙂  ,  I get to work with some very talented people, in 2013 one of my clients partnered with New Zealand’s award winning consumer lifestyle magazine – ‘NZ Life & Leisure’ on a marketing initiative. Just before xmas I was in their offices & they said “hey we have an article in our upcoming Jan/Feb issue that would interest you & your ww readers. So folks here it is a pictorial insight into the Wellington’s Clyde Quay boat sheds, where several CYA members (Phillipa Durkin & Gavin Pascoe) hang out. The passion & enthusiasm that the Gavin & Phillipa, along with the other Wellington Classic Yacht Trust members have is amazing & we should all take a lead from them.

The mag goes on sale today so grab a copy at your local, you can also see more at their never cool website http://nzlifeandleisure.co.nz

You can find out more about the WCYT  here http://www.wcyt.org.nz

Lady Gay – before & after

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LADY GAY – BEFORE & AFTER

‘old’ photos ex Keith Munro, new ex Alan H

The older photos above of Lady Gay show her when Tommy Allan first bought her. I post as inspiration to anyone considering undertaking a restoration, all it takes is money 🙂 (I joke). The combined efforts of a lot of very talented people have gone into bringing LG back to her finest. But she deserves it, she is after all one of the 3 big & beautiful Colin Wild sisters (Lady Gay, Wirihana & Linda) .

Deodar

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DEODAR

photos ex Keith Munro

Ex Auck Police launch. 52ft x 15ft, Millar & Tunnage, 1960, kauri, twin 210hp Cat dsl s (9 – 16 knts). The older photos show her being restored in 1996 by John Wright & Dave Brown.  The ‘older’ photo of her post re-launch in the water has the launch Alwyn alongside.

Deodar has recently had an extensive refit is back to her former glory & now for sale & quote the trademe listing ‘owners will trade & priced reduced to sell.

There have been books written on Deodar’s life in the ‘force’

18/06/2104 A selection of ‘random’ photos added from ex Deodar crew member – John Elingham’s collection. Posted to ensure they are recorded / stored for the future.

click images to enlarge

Also below – a few from John of the ill-fated Wellington police boat – Lady Elizabeth

Corona Christmas Cruise 1938/9 (#1 in series of 4)

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Corona Christmas Cruise 1938/9 (#1 in series of 4)

CORONA CHRISTMAS CRUISE 1938/8

photo collection ex Peter Nunn- note: there will be 4 posts in this series, dedicated to Simon Smith, who aside for being a nice guy – in his words “enjoys photos dredged up from cruises past”.

What a cruise these guys must have had & unknown to them at the time, in less than 9 months the world would be at war (again) & no doubt a fair % of them would have been called up to fight for King & country. I wonder how many made it back 😦

ps If you can not read the captions, drop me an email & I’m send you a high res copy. mailto:waitematawoodys@gmail.com

pps Corona was fully restored in 2011 at the NZ Traditional Boatbuilding School & is currently for sale. If you want to own a piece of NZ classic yachting history, contact Steve Cranch mailto:steve@naturalcraft.co.nz but do it fast, as after a year of no bites, I’m told a sale might be imminent.

Why Aucklanders Should Be Nice To Boaties

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http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/back-in-day-vision-auckland-s-waterfront-video-5785600

Why Aucklanders Should Be Nice To Boaties

Link sent to ww by John Burland

TVNZ recently released this ‘Back In The Day’ video from their archives, the year was 1982 & it shows architect Stephen Smythe’s ‘Vision for Auckland’s waterfront’. Nothing startling here, all one had to do at the time was visit any waterfront city in the world & see what they had done / were doing. The scary thing is it took us 30 years to make it happen & even then was only kicked of by hosting the defence of the America’s Cup. The city has a lot to thank the yachties for 🙂

Worth a look to see the waterfront of old.

Ho Ho Ho

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Ho Ho Ho

HO HO HO

I hope the old boy in the dinghy above found his way to your boat or bach last night & you are enjoying Christmas Day with friends & family.

We will be heading away shortly to find a quiet (yeah right) bay somewhere to catch up on some quality time & attack the stack of old boating books I have been acquiring over the last 12 mths.

There will be postings on ww over the break but I may be limited by laptop battery life & internet signal. Bare with me 🙂

The last 10 months since I launched waitematawoodys has been a blast, I have meet & communicated with a wonderful cross-section of people both in NZ & abroad who share a passion for classic wooden boats. As of today the site has over 176,000 views which is simply amazing & I can not let this opportunaittiy pass without thanking the wonderful group of people that shared their photos & stories with us all. One 83 year old ww follower sent me a brief note last month that to me sums it up:

“The value of waitematawoodys to me is the sense of communion with the boats and the former owners, and in that, it’s priceless.”

If you are lucky enough to be out on the water – be careful out there & remember to check that knot on the dinghy painter, I hold the record in the CYA for AWOL dinghies 🙂

Merry Christmas & safe boating.

Alan Houghton

Kate

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Kate

KATE

photo ex classicboatnz

Built in 1884 by Thompson Bros. in Dargaville. Photo looks to be taken at Waiheke Island (tbc)

Harold Kidd Update

According to the Register of British Ships she was built in 1894 by C. Thompson at Aratapu, not in 1884. She was also called KAIPARA KATE in 1932 when owned by A G Curel of Helensville, but seems to have reverted to just KATE. The earliest reference I have to her is her entry in the Pahi Regatta of 1899 as a sailing vessel.

Graham Guthrie Update

Kate is indeed on the Causeway on Waiheke Island. She has been aquired by Bernard Rhodes, a sailor who has built his own vessel and sailed her around the world. A Waiheke resident, Bernard is seeking to restore Kate to her former glory as funding permits, and then use her as a sail training ship for the youth of Waiheke and Auckland. As a boatbuilder of considerable talent Bernard has taken under his wing 2 lads who he is teaching  various skills as they assist in the restoration.He has produced an interesting brochure on the history of Kate and how she should look when restored. I will retreive this from Kailua and see if it can be uploaded onto the ww website.

Now members have successfully completed the restoration of Gypsy, if they have any surplus funds, Kate would be worthy of consideration.

Lady Eileen

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LADY EILEEN

Looking to get into the classic wooden boating scene ? Lady Eileen  is now offered for sale & offers outstanding value for money for a vessel of her size ( L=48.9′ / B=13.4′ / D=3.9′ / 18 tons) &  fit-out. refer trademe listing link below for full details.

A fine example of a Shipbuilders / SupaCraft triple skinned kauri launch. Lady Eileen was launched in 1947 & is a sister ship to Rakanoa, Mahara & Rosemary II.

Given her size & fit-out ‘live-aboard’ is an option.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=676584140