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.
Todays photos another from the McLeod Collection at the Auckland Library Heritage Collection and comes to us thanks to Nathan Herbert.
The photo is just tagged Bayswater and has a 1900>1909 time period on it. It does look vaguely familiar but I couldn’t find any reference to the photo in the WW archives.
Can anyone help put a her to her.
What’s The New Must Have In Classic Wooden Boating
Answer bow thrusters – the Slipway Milford is doing a roaring trade in retro fitting – hauled out for work that included a bow thruster – IONA II, SEA FEVER , PACIFIC
Todays thanks to the owner of the launch – IONA II we get another peak at the wooden boating scene on the other side of the world. The family are currently cruising the Canal du Midi in the South of France for a week and sent in some photos of the local work boats earning their keep. Most of the boats are old converted steel bulk barges (with wooden wheelhouse and interior) or the modern plastic rental boats. The photos of the rarer wooden boat on the canal is rather smart
.
CAN YOU HELP LOCATE THIS WOODEN BOAT
Last week WW was contacted by John Chambers the owner of the launch – NGARUNUI, asking for help locating a boat from his past – I’ll hand over to John to tell the story –
“In my earyl years, aged 10 to12 years i.e.1957 -58, I lived at Okura River (Long Bay / Wade River) after school, weekends, holidays – the river was my playground. I was the only kid on the river full time, there were only 11 locals living there at the time plus 2 farms. The 1st was Warmans just up from the houses, 2nd was Jacksons about 1mile up the road down a long drive. Mr Jackson built a big boat in the shed which I used to check out every few days. Launch day – boat was 60’ long, a double end ketch, heavily built in kauri and teak. The boat was towed across the paddocks by bulldozer to the river where a ramp had been bulldozed and a wire cable across to big tree on the other side then back to the dozer. Boat in water high tide, my job lead the way down the river to deep water, job done. Next hurdle a big ketch that had broken the mizen mast on the new harbour bridge. The point of this – what was her name and were did she go? I think the plan was to sail back to England.I think the boats name was Tyrant or Truant “.
LADY FAYE – CAN WE SAVE THIS CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH
WW has been contacted by interests of the Waipuna Boating Club asking for help in regard to the 32’ classic wooden launch – LADY FAYE
LADY FAYE is a Donovan design and built by 20th Century Boats, Takapuna in 1948. The company was owned by Andy Donovan and Fred Steel (the boats 1st owner)
The launch last made an appearance on WW back in April 2013 – photo below from that story. Since then she has several owners, all with the best intentionsof restoring her. These days home has been a pile mooring off the WBC and she is looking very neglected, these things happen so its time to move forward and either find a new home for her or a new owner. The club appreciate her provenance and would like to see her go to a deserving home. WW understands she is powered by a 4cyl. Ford D-series dieselbut requires work to her systems and probably re-caulking. The interior is partially bare.
WW understands the top photo (on pile mooring) is recent.The hauled out photos above are c.Jan 2021. Any woodys looking for a project or know someone that is – initially contact Mark via email waipunaboatingclub@gmail.com Make life easy of him and put Lady Faye in the subject line 🙂
WW was contacted over the weekend by Mark Wakefield regarding his grandfathers launch – KOALA, previously named AMARYLLIS.
Mark sent in the above photos, the photo of the baby is in fact Mark in a high chair on the freezer of KOALA in about 1978. Mark commented that one thing he remembers is the freezer had a Hauraki Gulf navigational map on the top with epoxy over it. In a previous WW KOALA story in April 2015 we had a photo of a launch that Mark is confident was wrongly labelled as being KOALA, Mark pointed out that the featured boats roof line was different and KOALA also never had a davit attached. ( I have made a note on the previous story)
In another WW story in Oct 2021 a comment was made about the fenders being out while underway – Mark said that was probably because his dad and his mates were on board – all rough dairy farmers from the Waikato at the time. The grandfather, the skipper, would have had his hands full dealing with them.
KOALA cruised at around 6kts, and was terrible in a following sea. Mark’s dad reckons he saw the speedo dial max out once at over 20kts, stuck riding a wave and was fearful for his life as it was not overly controllable.
Mark is keen to learn if anyone might know what happened to KOALA.
Arab (L) and Arizona at Haruru Falls, Waitangi, 1914
CLASSIC LAUNCH ARIZONA
The classic launch – ARIZONA as made a couple of brief appearances on WW – back in Dec 2022 we were trying to track her down – link below to that story and then in May 2023 we learnt that there was a rolling restoration underway on her- that story also linked below.
Fast forward to last week and ARIZONA popped up in a link ex Nathan Herbert to the McLeod collection at the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection – there we saw her on what appears to be a 1914 (ish) Northland Cruise. Given she was launched c.1914 could have been a shake down cruise.
In the photos above according to the captions we see her with the launch – ARAB, not 100% sure the captions are correct at times, I have tagged the photos so the woodys brains trust can review and comment.
The 1938 launch – MOVARIE II has in recent years made as many appearances on tme as it has on WW. We know that the bridge decker was built by W&G Lowe, is 40’ in length, with a 11’ beam and draws 5’. Powered by twin Ford 80hp diesel engines. The launch started life as a game fishing.
Once owned by Russell Ward so must have been a goody back them. These days there are a few issues, reflected in the current tme listing having $5k start price.
Todays woody is the very salty looking Woollacott yacht – MAIA II. Built in 1949 she is one of the ‘Ghost’ designs and is 28’ x 8’ + a draft of 4’6”.Her owner asked for a plug on WW re her being for sale, and of course I said yes – the boats very smart and Devonport based so couldn’t say no.When required forward motion is via a 13hp Shibaura engine and the sale includes a spare engine.Again dont normally talk $$ on WW but at $12k ono it has to be a bargain for someone wanting to join the classic wooden boating movement.A very strong and active Woollcott owners association is a bonus. Initial interest via email – sazoriginals@hotmail.com
Sea Scouts Need Some Help
Recently WW was contacted by Keith Christensen from the Kotuku Sea Scout Group in Levin asking for help finding a new home for one of their boats – I’ll let Keith tell the story –
“This is a 17′ kauri clinker standard Sea Scout cutter, #112 Moutere, built in 1967. She has spent most of her life in a shed and on Lake Horowhenua with occasional trips to Wellington. Her greatest stress has been trailering across town from our boat shed to the lake. Her major challenges are a split strake, a few cracked ribs and a very interesting repair in the front. I have started renovation by stripping 95% of the paint. She comes with a trailer different than she is on in the photos which will need work as it has no mudguards. We have the rudder and some stretchers and can rummage up a mast (Oregon). Any money donated to our group will be used for our youth programs as well as repairs to our other 3 Cutters. It’s sad to let her go but she has spent 13 years untouched so we need to focus on our other boats. Because this is standard boat you will be able to find other people who have done refits. I think it’s common to put an inboard in them. The transom on our other one got a bit beaten up with a Seagull so I wouldn’t recommend it.” Contact Keith Christensen at drkchristensen@hotmail.com
CLASSIC LAUNCHRENA – Humble Pie On The Menu Today ………
Maybe only a small serving of pie, but let me explain – yesterday I was sent by Marty Gunman the above photo of a very smart looking classic launch named RENA.
Surprise surprise it’s a Vindex, which weakens my view that Vindex are an uncomfortable fit in the big woody boat house. Maybe the boats 29’ length made for a more classic look than her bigger sisters …………. (holding my breath for the president of the Vindex fan club – Murray Deeble to comment 😉 )
The launch was built c.1964 by Jim McKay in his shed in Sunnybrae road, Takapuna (Archers Rd. end). The photo is dated 1967 and RENA was owned at the time by Tom McCauley.
On the bow, no PC rules in those days, the young lads are Tom Birdsall (son of Bo Birdsall and grandson of the owner) + Marty’s brother Kirk.
The question today is – what became of RENA. Chances are a 2nd layer has been added to her, hopefully not 😄
CLASSIC LAUNCH – LADY CAROLE RESTORATION – UPDATE #4
Today co-owner Patrick Crawshaw walks us thru the latest work, different layout today, might make it easier to follow.
The last couple of weeks have been focussed on getting the sanding finished for first coat and the wood work finished. The forward hatch, which had been blocked up was re-instated. Tthe forward cabin, where the mast once was had been opened up to make way for a hatch. Two of the ribs had been cut into and this was compromising the strength. So, ribs were replace and the hatch filled in so that the mast can go back to its original location.
The main cabin hatch (shown below) which is above the helm had to be moved inward to allow for the railings to match the other side – from front to back. At some stage, it had been cut too close to the port side and so the railings had to start back behind the hatch which looked awful. This is about the lines – again.
The windows have been a complex and long process. Firstly, we had to find the old curved line which ran along the side connecting the forward cabin to the aft curve.
We had to completely fill the existing windows in so that we could draw that line. Once that was drawn, we could then find out where the windows (from the photograph above) once were. The filled in ply was then taken out and cut to the new window lines. Then they had to be rebated for the glass to then be glued in. Next week is the glass templates and once the glass is in, we will have to cut the trims to go around the windows… The windows have been the most complex part of the job with so many elements and stages to the process. It’s so important we get this right, as they are crucial to the lines of the boat, and we can only work off this photo and a few other tell tale signs.
Rod holders…such fun getting the angle right so they are flush on to the transom.
CLASSIC LAUNCH RAIRA – BEFORE THE WOOD BUTCHERS GOT HOLD OF HER
The top photo is the 1915 launch – RAIRA, moored in the Waihou River, Te Aroha. RAIRA was built by the McLeod brothers, Ted and Ray + J. Verran at Bayswater, Auckland. – to a Collings & Bell design.
The photo comes to us from the Auckland Library Heritage Collection – McLeod collection via a Nathan Herbert link.
The 2nd photo is from late 2015. Location is Woolshed Bay, Coromandel.
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