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.

Whitianga New Years Day Regatta #2 c.1950/51

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Whitianga New Years Day Regatta #2 c.1950/51

Whitianga New Years Day Regatta #2 c.1950/51

Launches along side of Wharf: Fore to back: Marlin (Roley Smith), Eta B (Ted Bronlund), then little launch with rounded cabin top: Peggy, owned by the Morcombs & built by Bill Nobel at Whitianga in the 1920’s, then behind her: Renown (A White), then Spray (W Heald). Boat with skipper on wheel house: Scripps (Albert Bowman), the boat with the man at bow: Te Kuti (Jim Wilkins) and the boat behind her no name but owned by Trevor Brown.

Caption & photo supplied by Baden Pascoe. Photo taken by Simon Bronlund’s aunt Joyce.

Motorboat ‘v’ Yacht

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MOTORBOAT ‘v’ YACHT
A tale from Russell Ward that you might have missed on the Ruamano posting

The launch Ruamano was the cause of some rot setting in in the Ward family. We had been staunch sailers until just before one Christmas, Andrew Johns (then owner of Ruamano) invited us out for the day. Flat calm, no sailing and no family keen. Finally Caroline (Ward minor) volunteered. We set off with the GM growling and a wake that spread out to the sides of the harbour; eventually dropping the hook in Calypso Bay after 40 minutes.
I conjectured that, if we were in “Gloaming”, we would still be slatting round off Devonport with a mutiny on hand in the flat calm. I would be steadfastly refusing to fire up the iron staysail, and we would be rocked round for the day by the likes of Ruamano roaring past. The crew would be grumpy.

You see, I used to preach that we sailers enjoyed the sail and what on earth did the fizzboaters do when they arrived hours ahead of us.
I’ll tell you what we did that day. We swam, talked, laughed, ate, drank and no yachts drifted in that day!
So I bought the good ship Movarie and we became fizzboaters.
Andrew became a farmer in Blenheim – even smarter!

Whitianga New Years Day Regatta #1 c. 1950/51

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Whitianga New Years Day Regatta #1 c. 1950/51

Whitianga New Years Day Regatta #1 c. 1950/51

Boats steaming

(L > R) – Eta B (Ted Bronlund), Waihaka (Alf Lee), Scripps (Albert Bowman), Ronomor (Bert Chaney) and the little runabout, name unknown but was owned by Harry Hancock. Last launch unknown.

Caption & photo supplied by Baden Pascoe. Photo taken by Simon Bronlund’s aunt Joyce

Pretty boats

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Pretty boats

Pretty Boats Luana

People often ask me why photos of the same boats keep appearing across all the media. The answer is simple, the more attractive to the eye a boat is, the more photos have been taken. This is particularly true in the days before digital cameras when developing & printing a photo was relatively expensive – so people only took photos of pretty boat or boats in trouble (on the rocks).

If your boat was drop dead gorgeous, people even painted it.
I was sent a photo of the painting above of Luana by Brian Worthington who in his words ‘was going thru a cupboard at the fishing club and found this broken glass print of Luana It used to be on the wall in the bar at Mayor island when the fishing club was based out there’.

Neptune

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NEPTUNE
The Nelson based CYA member that owns Neptune is offering her up for sale to allow him to move onto a classic vessel better suiting his lifestyle. The good news is, it will be a launch & a rather nice one. He has a strong desire for Neptune to go to someone who appreciates classic boats.
You will see from the photos that Neptune is presented in immaculate condition, you do not see many classic’s in this condition & just as importantly so tastefully done.
Her owner can help with delivering Neptune to Mana where she could be trucked up north from.
All reasonable offers considered 
Contact owner on lioncruises@hotmail.com or phone 03 5465030
 
Details
Neptune was built by Fred Lidgard on Kawau Island of full length N.Z. Kauri and launched in 1956.
Length 30ft x 10ft 6″ x 4ft 6″ draft.
Re powered in 1994 with a 90hp Ford 2722E diesel engine and Newage hydraulic gearbox (1990 hrs) plus new stainless steel shaft and new keel bolts.
2.5li/hr @ 1250 rpm @ 5.5 to 6 kts.
A number of items of equipment are new or near new.
Raymarine auto pilot linked to a chartplotter.
Full repaint October 2012 

 

Interested Woodyboaters….

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A message from the owner of MV Luana
Interested Woodyboaters….
 
Time to step back and think about what we have here. We have developed here a fantastic new site [Thanks Alan], that unfortunately is full of the usual errors we all are aware of. 
What is our common sense of purpose?
 
That is to foster interest and knowledge based around the fabulous resource of classic boats we have inherited in New Zealand. We must encourage more entries but we must seek accuracy. Unfortunately when we seek and receive knowledge from fading memories we gain heresay and conjecture.
Please let us encourage more input and once gained let us separate fact from fiction.

Huia

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Huia Kaipara Hbr May 2005
Relaunch day 1963 Dargaville
New stem fitting at Helensville
Huia Log towing 1926 Kohukohu Hokianga Hbr. The ship is barquentine Louis Therant
Huia Launch day 1918
Tangowahine river upstream from Dargaville on Nthrn Wairoa
Huia 2012

HUIA

story & photos ex Robin & Lesley Smith

37ft x 9ft 6 x 3ft 6

Named after Harry Kings youngest daughter

Ordered 1918 launched 1919 built by Demmings boatyard at Opua for Harry & George King Bros for use as a tow launch towing logs to their timber mill in BOI

The mill was shifted to Kohukohu on the Hokianga harbour c1920s and Huia was used to tow logs to Kings Mill for making butter boxes for the local dairy company The mill along with Huia were loaded on to the scow Zingara and when they arrived at Hokianga heads Huia was dropped over to help tow the scow over the bar

When the mill was sold c1927 to the Solomon Islands the mill came back to Russell/Opua on Zingara to load on the Burns Phillip steamer Makambo. Huia was sailed  back to BOI in company with Zingara for use as a fishing launch for the King family

Huia was taken over by the NZ air force for WW2 and stationed at Army Bay BOI with the mine coastal defence group BOI

After the war she was returned to Harry King who sold her to an Auckland owner and Huia went south to the Waitemata

After a time in Auckland she was sold to a Mr JJ Enwright, a fishmonger in Whangarei who employed various crews to commercially fish Huia from Whangarei north on the east coast

Ben Bradly found her in a neglected state in Whangarei c 1960 and took her to Dargaville where he refitted her, lifted her foredeck 2 planks and fitted new decks and the cabin tops. She was re engined with a new 60HP lees ford and relaunched 1963. Huia, based at Northern Wairoa Boating Club Dargaville wandered all over the Kaipara with Ben and Wyn Bradly, and up many now un navigable parts of the Kaipara. During one of the Helensville regattas Huia “tee boned” Eric Williams fathers launch  Moa, stoving in her bow. Ben ran her for a mud flat where she sat for a week filling with Kaipara mud until she was put on the Helensville cradle and a telegraph pole fitted in as a new stem

Robin & Lesley Smith bought Huia 2004, ran her for a year on the Kaipara then moved her to the BOI and in 2010 took her out for 1 year for a refit and altered the aft deck cabin area.

Huia lives on a pole mooring at Waitangi BOI

Her engines were: when built 2 cyl 20 HP Union petrol

1924 a 3 cyl 30HP Twigg petrol

WW2 a 2 cyl 22 HP Kelvin diesel fitted by airforce

Later when fishing a 6 cyl Morris commodore petrol

1963 a 4cyl 60HP Lees Ford diesel (6500 hours to date)

Classic Yacht On-line Magazine – May/June

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Classic Yacht On-line Magazine - May/June

Classic Yacht On-line Magazine – May/June 2013 Issue

Check out this free on-line USA magazine, always a good read. There is a good article on the 1924 Charles Nicholson designed (Australian built) 72′ gaff ketch ‘Hurrica-V’ on page 68>75.

click the link below to view

http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/ClassicYacht/classicyachtmayjune2013/2013050201/#0