Author Archives: Alan Houghton - waitematawoodys.com founder

Unknown's avatar

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.

Adelaide

Posted on by
4
ADELAIDE

An interesting example of how quickly the classics were ‘modernized’. The photo on the left above was taken in 1914 & the second in 1916. In two years she gained a low tram top & the broom stick mast is now a proper mast.
Harold Kidd Update
Well, not so, actually. There were 5 Adelaides built by Collings & Bell for Charles Palmer between 1912 and 1924. The 26 footer ADELAIDE I was launched on 22 February 1913 and fitted with a 6hp Bridgport two-stroke marine engine. Palmer soon grew out of her and sold her to A Rogers in June 1913 and replaced her with the 26ft ADELAIDE II in September 1913, this time with a Doman engine, for which Collings & Bell were the agents. It is ADELAIDE II in the January 1914 image where the launch carries the number 8 and has foliate engraving at the bow. She was sold to H B Washington in Whangarei and renamed ISABEL ANDREA. 
ADELAIDE III was launched in August 1915 and was a 36 footer. Palmer was heavily involved in the NZPBA and the Motor Boat Patrol so the much bigger launch was built for serious work. This is the launch in the 1916 image, bearing her wartime number 1, (numero uno because Charlie Palmer was Numero Uno in just about everything to do with motorboating in Auckland) without foliate engraving and with a clerestory (tramtop). She had a 30hp (rated) Doman. When Palmer had Collings & Bell build him the 32ft ADELAIDE IV in 1922, he sold ADELAIDE III and she became GEISHA (II)…confused?
ADELAIDE III was clearly a development of ADELAIDE II, lengthened and with a clerestory, much along the lines of Collings’ RONAKI for the Harbour Board, so the two images DO actually show the changing face of Auckland launches in the two years between 1913 and 1915.

Not quite the Waitemata – but very cool wooden boats

Video

1

Not quite the Waitemata but this video of the Classic Yacht Association USA /Pacific Northwest Fleet’s traditional kick-off to the boating season is a great parade of gorgeous motoryachts. Of particular interest to me is the new PNW Fleet Commodore, Jessica Freeman, seen onbard aboard her Flagship, PEACEFUL, leading the fleet.

I have followed the ‘rolling renovation’ of PEACEFUL for several years (seasons) on the WoodenBoat forum. Link below
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?110427-Restoration-of-a-1939-Richardson&highlight=Peaceful

Millie II

Posted on by
Reply

MILLIE II

story & photo ex Russell Ward
Photo taken in 1960. Our first trip to Kawau in the old man’s 17′ boat Millie II (in foreground).
She was built in 1959 by Joe Wheeler at Bayswater and had an 8 hp Stuart.
The ship behind is Makura and behind her I think it is one of the Shipbuilders ’50s launches.
When we dropped the hook –Schoolhouse Bay- the guy on Makura, towering over us, asked if we had a nice trip across (from Sandspit). To which the old man said, “No we came up from Okahu Bay.”
“What?” said Makura. “You didn’t come up here in that?”
I had been a lively trip up, I must admit. But from then on, we always used to chant out whenever a big boat came into a bay “What? You didn’t come up here in that?”
It was an equally lively trip back and the navy Fairmile Kahu came slowly past us –she was taking a real hammering and rearing up out of the head sea and slamming down on it. We just bobbed from wave to wave in Millie. We could do 5 kn and I don’t think Kahu was doing much more than 7 or 8. It was a blowy day but we were comfortable enough.
I think Millie went over to the Manukau when the old man sold her to a chemist by the name of Furniss in ’62 when he bought Ngakiwa. She was one of three boats built about the same time, the other two were 18′. I think the last one is up at Kawau and is moored a bit west of the K Y C wharf.
Harold Kidd Update
I went to Takapuna Grammar with Joe’s daughter Cherie who was a great cricket and hockey player and now lives up north. Her mother was a Braund, a younger sister of Mavis Braund after whom their father named the launch MAVIS B. Unfortunately Cherie has very little in the way of photographs of Joe but I’m keeping in touch as I know her aunt, Rive Grant, now in a home, had copious Braund and Wheeler images. Another Braund sister married R W Grant who had the launch THETIS (I) (24hp Ailsa Craig) in the 1940s and 1950s. Grant bought THETIS in 1943 and sold her in 1957. He changed her name to THETIS when he bought her and it was changed when he sold her. Does anyone know what she was built as and what became of her?

Jeunesse

Image

1

Jeunesse

JEUNESSE

‘Probably’ built in 1927 by Dick Lang, the owner is looking for anymore details on her past. Previous owners include a Dr. McFarlane?? & TG Shaw from the cartage contracting firm.

Photo taken by AlanH on July 7 2013 as she was heading up the upper harbour. She is rather quick, from memory having had the same zoom zoom transplant as Falcon i.e. a big Hino (turbo?)

Harold Kidd Update

The 37 footer JEUNESSE was built for W J Harper and launched in March 1919 as RAMBLER. Harper changed his mind and renamed her JEUNESSE by the start of the summer of 1919-20. None of the magazines or newspapers say who built her but Dick Lang seems a fair bet as she was built in St. Mary’s Bay. Reportage on such things was pretty scant at that time because of the Spanish ‘Flu outbreak. She was fitted with a 40hp Reutenberg 4 cylinder engine. Harper sold the launch KOTIRO when JEUNESSE was built. He kept her until 1923 when he sold her to H Hewson. N C McLean & R Kirkwood owned her in 1926. She spent a lot of time in Whangarei after that. In 1951 she was owned by S H R Smith of Onehunga, Richard Leary in 1990, John Wright in 2003; that’s all I have.

The Collings and Bell bridgedeckers

Posted on by
6
MAKURA, KAWHITI, TAMAROA
 
story & photos from Russell Ward + details & photos from Harold Kidd
 
In the early ’50s –1951 or so, Collings and Bell built Makura, Kawhiti & Tamaroa. They were nicely lined and all the angles were right (for a change).
 
MAKURA
She was built in 1949 for W D C  & C H Leighton and fitted with a 6 cylinder Chrysler Crown. They sold her to Phil Seabrook of Seabrook & Fowlds in 1957. He fitted the Nordberg a year or so later. Phil Seabrook had Billy Rogers design and build LADY DIANA for him in 1950 and fitted her with the Austin Skipper from new, replacing it with a 155hp Nordberg sleeve-valve engine in 1956 shortly before he sold LADY DIANA to Monte Winter and bought MAKURA.
 
 
Later owners were V F Adams (1966) and W G Boughtwood (1973). She’s now in Picton.
The photo of Makura I took in ’61. Fine looking ship. Note the four scuttles to stb unlike the recent pix posted of Kawhiti. Ahead of her you can see one of what I think is the Shipbuilders boats that were produced when Roy Steadman was OC. Also shown is a photo of Makura as built from the July 1951 edition of Sea Spray. Very like Tamaroa.
 
KAWHITI was built in 1952 for D A Wilkie, later owners J M Simpson of Beach Road, Howick (1958). Terry McAvinue owned her from 1968 to 1997 when Harold Kidd took the above colour image of her in Matiatia.
Kawhiti seems to be for sale just now and has a Ford diesel. She has a screen fitted and a flying bridge. The studious will note that the fwd screen is a three piece. The pic of Kawhiti shows her to be a straight front. Also, if I use my imagination, I can read her name.
 
TAMAROA was built in 1953 for A E Fisher of Whangarei with a 100hp Austin. I guess that was the 4 litre truck engine that was so refined in the Austin Sheerline.  She was sold to Dell of Whangarei and came back to Auckland in the late 90s when Harold Kidd took the above colour image in Woody Bay. Eric Stevens bought her in the late 1990’s  and the picture of her in Squadron Bay (?) c.1996 is before he did a major makeover.
 
Makura & Kawhiti differed in the line of the cabin tops:  Kawhiti’s had rather more camber and was sharply brought down to the coaming sides.Kawhiti had a slightly shorter raised deck fwd and has one fewer scuttle than her two sister. It was a bit clumsier than Makura’s IMOH. The picture of Makura behind the 17′ Millie II shows how this scuttle opens into the deck space behind the break in the gunwale and was thus put in purely for style to make them good looking. The guy that designed those three ships (not Alex Collings) had a good aesthetic sense. They were cool!
 
It was an old trick to put that extra scuttle in to give better looks –Lady Karita has the same effect. Her aft scuttle is also sham –it opens into the deck space beside the wheelhouse.
 
In my youth, Kawhiti was painted cream on the tops, Makura blue. Both had bright finished coamings.
 
Harold Kidd Update

It’s sadly true that Alex Collings had little skill in designing superstructures and did not appear to have much of a sense of humour or a sense of aesthetics (nor did his father IMHO). Are these launches too early for Peter Peel? Dave Jackson will know.

HK Update 2:

Dave Jackson was unimpressed with my slur on Alex Collings’ sense of aesthetics. Dave worked on TAMAROA and was familiar with all three of these Collings & Bell bridgedeckers. He categorically states that they are 100% Alex Collings’ designs. Peter Peel may have done some drafting work but had no hand in their design. Dave also worked on the 1957 43ft flushdecker MATIRA for N S Hopwood, again 100% Alex Collings.

 

 
 
 

Old style family sailing

Image

1

Old style family sailing

2

An early 1980’s montage of how cruising used to be. CYA member Graham & Roger Guthrie aboard Michelle II, a 38′ Chris Robertson sloop during a 5 days Easter 1981 cruise around Waiheke. Looks like everyone had a great time.

Comments from Roger Guthrie

THE YACHT IS CALLED MICHELLE 2.BUILT BY CHRIS ROBERTSON.PURCHASED BY ROGER GUTHRIE 1981.BUILT FOR A CHAP SURNAME OF ROBSON.WAS MAKING MARINE WINCHES ETC IN AUCKLAND. HE HARDLY USED IT BUT LOVED THE WORK HE DID ON IT.IT HAS A KAURI HULL AND LOTS OF VARNISHED TEAK IN THE COCPIT AND CABIN SIDES.ENOUGH TO DRIVE ANY OWNER TO MOVE ON. I SOLD IT TO A CHAP CALLED FOWLER IN AUCKLAND WHO LIKE ME WAS GOING TO KEEP IT FOREVER BUT LIKE ME FOREVER IS NOT LONG WITH THAT AMOUNT OF WORK.SHE WAS A VERY PRETTY BOAT AND WAS ONE OF ABOUT 10 36 FOOT TO 38 FOOTERS BUILT AT ABOUT THAT TIME.I UNDERSTAND IT WAS SOLD TO AN AMERICAN WHO GOT IT TO THE U.S. AND SPENT A YEAR GETTING IT CLEARED FOR IMPORT BECAUSE IT WAS MADE FRON AN INDIGINOUS TIMBER OF N.Z…HE ENTERED IT IN A COMPETITION AT SAN DIEGO MARINA AND WON “PRETIEST BOAT OF THE SHOW’ SO I WAS LATER TOLD

30-01-2025 INPUT ex Rob Rowdon – Built by Chris Robertson finished by Robert Rowdon for himself. Rob went on to build Townson yachts Sonnet and Caper. 
We owned the Michelle II for three years and was well used

Avante / Avanti

Posted on by
4

Matiatia 1949/50

AVANTE/AVANTI
A message from the new owners.AH
We have recently purchased Avante – a motorsailer from 1946.
We are trying to find more history on her – if any of your members can help.  We found her Registered # carved in as 178442 and Nett Tonnage to be 2.02 tonne
What I have found out from Maritime NZ is:
Her registered name is Avante even though her plaque say Avanti
She was registered in NZ in 1949 and her registration closed in 2003 under Section 91 of Ship Registration Act
Her year of build was 1946 by Bruce Eady in Auckland.  She was designed by Brian Donovan,with a cutter rig and is double diagonal Kauri with carvel plank.
Construction started in 1939 by Brian and his boatbuilder brother Des but nothing was done during the war until 1945 when Brian sold her to Bruce Eady and Bruce put on the third skin and completed the job.
She was launched at Mission Bay in 1946 with a 4 cylinder Gray auxiliary.
Eady sold her to N R Sanson in 1954.
She was in the Sanson family for many years, at least until 1990.
She was stolen in 1973 for a while.
She has a registered length of 8.58 meters.
I have attached some photos of her as we found her in Tauranga – at present she is on our front lawn and work has started on her refurbishment.
Any info anyone may have would be great. Email Ann at
tobinhnz@xtra.co.nz
Note: Thanks to Harold Kid for input re known history
SIDEBAR 1(AH)
B/W photos,  just before launching, supplied by Don Currie , those dad worked with Bruce Eady on Avanti. Avanti was completed on an emptly section on Cogrington Crescent, Mission Bay, his father and Bruce worked on the boat in a partnership.  Don’s parents met through Avanti (one of his Mum’s aunts lived a couple of houses up the road in Codrington Cr), they are still together, and I understand they were right chuffed to hear that the boat is about to get a bit of a birthday.
SIDEBAR 2 (Ken Ricketts)
Photo added of Avante taken in 1949/50 in Matiatia when he was 12 years old
SIDEBAR 3 (by Bruce Eddy ex Ken Ricketts)
I and Graeme Currie worked on her together during the war.  Materials were scarce we had no electricity so everything was done with hand tools.  I remember carving out the original mast by hand what a job.
The correct name or the name i christened her is Avanti.
The two crew mentioned in the photo at Matiatia are John Kernahan and Vern DeGroot.  Graeme and I spent hours riveting and with his design brilliance, we installed a gray marine in the cockpit, reverse position driving a 2 to 1 chain reduction.  Petrol shortage made us build a heat exchanger to switch to kerosene.  The lead keel we moulded on site with firewood from scrape suffering many personal lead burns.  Originally I installed a small wood burner stove and we made our own style toilet.  The rig was my own design and given a good wind on a reach we would keep up with many yachts.
SIDEBAR 4 (by Ann Tobin, current owner, ex Ken Ricketts)
Currently she is sitting on our front lawn in Kaikohe – the photos on waitematawoodys are the day we hauled her out and had her trucked up in May this year.  She hadn’t been out of the water (or off her marina berth at Bridge Marina Tauranga) for 9 years.
We have found an amount of rot in her (mainly just the planks) and she is slowly drying out.  At present the interior is gutted – she had been leaking through the cabin top and the inside was completely ruined.
Avante is now powered with a Sole Diesel – which we have out and intend to have blasted and painted (at present sitting on our garage floor on a pellet) – The engine would not run – a starter motor issue we believe.  Steve (my husbands) father has worked on these engines so looking forward to getting it going.
I believe that the previous owner used her as a batch basically in Tauranga as he lived in Huntly.
I have attached some photos of her at home for you (added to the montage above AH) – you can see where we have started stripping paint and some of the areas of rot we have found.  There is also a couple of the cabin top which is now sealed and Steve has started to fiberglass.  It had a type of cloth over it which has split – never been repaired – and therefore was leaking like the proverbial sieve!
Sometimes I think we are mad – but others cant wait to see her back in the water.  Wooden boats are in my blood – Mum and Dad did a similar thing with “Isa Lei” back in the 90’s – we see she has just been resold by a guy in Whitianga.

Royal Saxon

Posted on by
14

ROYAL SAXTON

photos & story ex Harold Kidd

ROYAL SAXON was built by Colin Wild for Whangarei surveyor Harold Frederick Saxon Charlesworth and launched in October 1930.

She was 33ft loa, 9ft 6in beam and drew just under 4ft. Her original engine was a 35hp Kermath.

In late 1936 Charlesworth sold her to Mrs. G Kendall of Hamilton who kept her on the Waitemata. The Sanders brothers bought both ROYAL SAXON and MOVARIE in 1940. They kept MOVARIE until they bought LADY CROSSLEY in 1956 but sold ROYAL SAXON in 1943 to Gordon Hunter. ROYAL SAXON was a patrol vessel with NAPS from around 1942-1943, under skipper J G Brook as Z21.

Gordon Hunter sold her to R & J F Phillips-Turner in 1945, they sold her to W G Gottwaltz of Thames in 1947; he sold her to J G Browne of Katikati in 1948; he sold her and she was owned in 1973 by Dr. W R Trotter of Epsom. She was owned in Motueka  when I saw her and photographed her about 11 years ago nosing her way into the Sandfly (Falls) River on the Tasman Bay coast, still in lovely condition.

The photo of her on the slip at Whakatakataka Bay is probably during the latter stages of the war when she had reverted to civilian control. She’s wearing her wartime reporting number on her bows without which she could have been sunk by the batteries on North Head.

Update from Rick McCay (current owner of Luana)

We owned Royal Saxon from 1989 to 1994. She was a superb first classic launch for us. We bought her from Don Watson who lived on Waiheke Island and to his credit she was in perfect condition. We restored the bridge varnish as she was all white when we got her. In 1994 we sold her as we had fallen under the spell of Luana, and as we all know while owning one old boat is a catastrophe, two is an absolute disaster. We sold her to a lovely man Captain Tom Rowling [brother of PM Bill Rowling] who was skipper of the Golden Bay cement ship. We had a great afternoon on board his ship one time it was in Auckland. He trucked Royal Saxon to Mana and motored her across Cook Strait to her future home, Motueka. Dr Trotter was a keen amateur cabinet maker and Saxon had a lovely interior courtesy of his expertise.

SIDEBAR (ex AH)

Now a woody who shall remain nameless passed this story onto me 🙂
“When Doc Trotter owned “Royal Saxon”, he had an elegant daughter who was draped on the bikini deck  –the part between the houses on a bridgedecker –quite sheltered for sunbathing.. Anyway, I did my hair and rowed slowly past and tried to chat her up. She didn’t want any of it! Shame-  she could have had me too if she had tried.
 Life is paved with rebuffs from Dio and St Cuths chicks…..”
17-02-2016 photo of Royal Saxon at Kaiteriteri ex John Burland
Royal Saxon @ Kaiteriteri

Want to be a waitematawoody?

Posted on by
1

Easy – buy Rotomahana, the 1923 Bailey & Lowe launch. Harold Kidd referred to her as a ‘baby Romanace II’, owned long-term by Humphrey Duder of Devonport.
33ft, kauri hull, 45hp dsl, 4 berths, toilet with holding tank, gas cooker, fridge, gps chartplotter, depth sounder, 2 x batteries, shorepower, electric capstan, aft boarding platform. A well presented classic. Call Gavin in Picton on 0272 757 716 Reduced to $32,500
 
 More photos & details here