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.

IF I WON LOTTO – WHAT CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WOULD I OWN

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Deal Island 50

IF I WON LOTTO – WHAT CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WOULD I OWN

Well woodys the first thing I would do is jump on a plane and fly to Melbourne , Australia and go and see Tim Phillips at The WoodenBoat Shop in Sorrento. I met Tim in Feb 2023 aboard his 100 year old ’cruising smack’ – STORM BAY at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, Tasmania. Tim, family and cruising buddies had sailed over for the festival. Fresh crew attire was supplied via the waitematawoodys merch bag. (Photo below of Tim aboard STORM BAY)

At the time I just thought Tim was a genuine good bugger but unbeknown to me Tim is the powerhouse behind Australis’s leading wooden boat yard – The WoodenBoat Shop. And that woodys is who I would trust to build me my dream boat. Visit the website here to view / read more about them www.woodenboatshop.com.au

The TWBS team have just launched their latest creation – WINTER COVE, the Deal Island 50, on display this weekend at the Melbourne International Boat Show at Docklands Marina.

As well as building and restoring wooden boats, the WBS have their own custom range of bronze chandlery.

In the photo gallery above, most of the photos are of the WINTER COVE the Deal Island 50, but I have included a few workshop and other TWBS craft images to help set the scene.

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – PATINA (Le Reina) A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – PATINA (Le Reina) A Peek Down Below

The 39’ wooden launch PATINA, built in 1913 by Ernie Lane in Picton has made several appearances on WW but we have never had a decent gander down below. Today thanks to Ian McDonald and tme we do .

I have included a link below that will give you a summary of all the previous WW stories. 

Built from double skin kauri, when launch she was named LE REINE.

The forward motion is via a Yammer 54hp Diesel engine.

https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Patina&submit=Search

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MONTEREY Gets some TLC + Updated Labour Weekend Woody Activity At Kawau Island

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MONTEREY Gets some TLC + Updated Labour Weekend Woody Activity At Kawau Island

Last week I did the right thing and helped a wounded friend deliver his classic woody – MONTEREY to the Slipway Milford for some TLC, while there a quick inspection showed up some dodgy previous work that needed sorting out.  Worm damage to the stem/keelson that had been ‘bogged up’ and when the cabin sides were fibreglassed the f/g was taken over the beading, right up to the glass – perfect trap for moisture > rot.  Was impressed with the low level of growth on the hull after 2+ years in OBC. If that was Bayswater you would have needed a spade. 

Also out or waiting their turn was EILEEN PATRICIA, IONA II, and the Salthouse Southern Star 37 – CAPTAIN TOM.

UPDATE INFO ON THE LABOUR WEEKEND KAWAU SPRING SLASH REGATTA

What happened to the classic wooden yacht – MAHAKI

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What happened to the classic wooden yacht – MAHAKI

WW was recently contacted by Chris Leech who was reaching out to establish the whereabouts of the c.1894 built Logan designed 2 1/2 rater yacht – MAHAKI.

The primary reason for Chris’s interest is that the Devonport Yacht Club have been presented with the NZ Yachtsman Cup that was presented to MAHAKI in 1910.  At the time the yacht was owned by George Sim and the cup remained in the Sims family ownership ever since.

DYC will be adding the cup to its impressive collection of silverware. 

Chris suppled a collection of historical articles on the yacht, attached below as a PDF file for reference for those that want to go done a rabbit hole. The readers digest of (potentially accurate) known, recent intel is – bought by Eric Wing (McMullan &Wing) in the mid 1980’s. Partially restored by Wing and then on his passing in 1994 was purchased by Peter Blunder who finished the project in Clevedon. From there the current location and presentation of the yacht is unknown.

So woodys can we learn what became of MAHAKI

Photo below of the trophy presented to DYC by Gavin Sims.

Mahaki CupDownload

INPUT ex ANDREW LUSTY – Still owned by Peter Blundell and still in Clevedon

INPUT ex MARK NEWCOMB  The article on Mahaki refers to a previous owner, “Russell”. This will be Russell Going, an Auckland architect with a practice in a lovely old restored building on Newton Road. He was my wife’s uncle, and I occasionally sailed on Mahaki, possibly around 1983sh.                                                                                                                                       I had been raised on our family yacht, Tamatea A20, and had spent some years crewing on Ariki A3, and thought I knew all about wet sailboats. Mahaki was another level of wet, but a lovely craft and Russell loved her.

JACKPOT – WE FOUND HER – Andrew Lusty was spot on – on a shed in Clevedon

CLASSIC WOODY BOAT FESTIVAL AT THE WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – 48 Photos & Videos

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CLASSIC WOODY BOAT FESTIVAL AT THE WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – 48 Photos & Videos

The weekends weather in Auckland certainly wasn’t conducive to boating so on early Saturday morning I pointed the car north and headed to Whangarei for the 2024 Maritime Festival at the Town Basin.

Year two and a quick overview, – more tie-dyed tee shirt vendors and food trucks, a lot more general public – less launches, more large cruising yachts. Steam boat rides were the most popular offering – long queues of kids that probably walked away with a life time memory – well done to all the  steam boat skippers and crew.

Nice to see a couple of woodys from the Waitemata make the trip north – RAWHITI and JOHN DORY. 

As always when she makes an appearance anywhere Dick and Colleen Fisher’s ex pilot boat – AKARANA was the start of the show.

THE AUCKLAND WOODYS HAD AN INTERESTING TRIP HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON 🙂

RAWHITI
JOHN DORY

TUAHINE – 43′ CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER

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TUAHINE – CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER When a classic woody has had the same owner for over 50 years, not a lot of people have popped their …

TUAHINE – 43′ CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER

TUAHINE – 43′ CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER

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TUAHINE – CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER

When a classic woody has had the same owner for over 50 years, not a lot of people have popped their heads down below, today we get to do that.

The 43’ yacht Tuahine was designed and built in 1957 by the Dickson family, lead by Roy Dickson’s father (grandfather to Chris Dickson). Dickson senior along with Roy and twin brother had all sailed on Ranger with Lou Tercel and got many ideas from Ranger – longish with narrow beam (9’).

Stepping aboard Tuahine is like entering a time capsule being almost unaltered from new, always a sign that the designer / builder got it right first off. Tuahine even has the original Crown Lynn dinner set and on her bulkhead the pennant / decals recording her off-shore races (1977 and 1979 Auckland > Lautoka).

Home for most of the last 40 years has been the Bay of Islands, where she still resides, upstaging her plastic neighbours in the bay.

Her owners have followed a regular maintenance schedule that has included – recently removing the teak decks and plywood substrate laid and the deck relaid. The windows have also been removed and re-sealed. Other work has included the installation of a new Lombardini engine, new stove, new batteries and new main sail.

If the above sounds like an advertisement, it is – the Wooden Boat Bureau has been tasked with finding the next custodian of Tuahine. Her owners are motivated to sell so if you are looking for true blue classic with one of the best pedigrees in the fleet – contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com for more details on Tuahine, and then make an offer.

KIRI – CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH

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KIRI – Classic Wooden Launch 

Todays 30’ wooden launch has made a recent appearance on tme – at first glance you would have to assume that a previous owner has been an automotive glazier and had access to low cost windows. There is a lot of glass action going on. Forward motion is via a BMC Commander diesel engine.

The hull looks a tad modern so maybe I’m being too generous in the use of the ‘classic’ term. Home is Picton

WHANGAREI MARITIME HERITAGE FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND

Hopefully as you read this I’ll be pointing the German peoples car north and visiting the Whangarei Town Basin for the festival. Expect lots of photos on Monday.;-)

Full details here  https://www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz/boatshow

CLASSIC GAME FISHING BOAT – RELIANCE

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CLASSIC GAME FISHING BOAT – RELIANCE

The photo above of the classic game boat – RELIANCE comes to us from Lew Redwood fb’s and is dated May 1930.

The photo is captioned  – ‘A launch returning from the Bay of Islands grounds at Cape Brett, with a captured mako shark landed on rod and line by Mr.J.W. Harding of Waipukurau, after a fierce struggle. The weight of this fish was 615lb.

Would love to have seen how they got that fish onboard. Several years ago fishing at Great Barrier Island we hooked a mako and even though we thought it was dead, hours later on the wharf at Tryphena , it was inches away from taking a passing child’s leg off…… 

WILL YOU BE JOINING THE CLASSIC MUSTER THIS LABOUR WEEKEND AT KAWAU

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CLASSIC LAUNCH MOANAROA GETS A BIRTHDAY

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CLASSIC LAUNCH MOANAROA GETS A BIRTHDAY

During the week we were contacted by Rob Griffin regarding his classic wooden launch – MOANAROA. She previously appeared on WW back in Sept 2021, link below to that story. Rob advised they have just completed some maintenance work – I’ll hand over to Rob to tell the story –  
“Work included sand and repaint, a bit of re-caulking, Primocon and anti-foul, new engine mounts, servicing and retiming diesel injector pump and injectors, plus lots of other sundry items. Moanaroa was designed by Jack Taylor and built in Taupo by McLeod Brothers in 1949. She is carvel Totora planked construction, there has not been glassed. Powered by a 90hp Fordson Major diesel, 34.5ft long and these days calls Waiheke Island home.”

WW Sept 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/09/22/moanaroa/

INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – MOANAROA ( more correctly MOANA ROA) was launched at Lake Taupo at the end of December 1949, on the day the Lake Hotel was destroyed by fire. Her ribs are spotted gum and everything else is heart totora, milled at Oruanui (near Taupo). Her build took two years, at the Tamamutu Street home of Don McLeod. She operated commercially for many years, skippered by Don McLeod’s father – known locally as Braces McLeod because he always wore braces in lieu of a belt.

In 1978 the Pointon family got hold of MOANA ROA in a very run down condition. Over a period of a few years they built a new wheelhouse with door and raised a forward cabin, which vastly improved her use-ability. She is a very lucky boat, having had loving owners for a long time. It is very heartening to see that her newish owners are continuing to love her

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