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.

PELORUS JACK – What became of her + Help A Fishing Mad Kids Day

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PELORUS JACK – What became of her

Last week I was contacted by Lewis Horrell looking for intel on a woody that his grandfather – Clifford Horrell rebuilt / restored. Lewis commented that it was probably a long shot but thats what we deal in at WW. I’ll let Lewis tell the story – 

“This is a long shot but I’m hoping you may have acces to a photo that may shed some light on the finished product of a project my grandad finished and sold. He bought the damaged Pelorus Jack race boat after it was in a shed fire. He extended the top deck and made it into a very unique cabin cruiser. This is where my hopes of a finished moored picture comes in as its very distinctive. Pelorus Jack was a very successful stepped hydroplane and it retained the stepped hull once converted. The above pictures of the boat show her in her racing days and what it looked like after grandad converted it. It had a V8 in it to my knowledge. It was sold to a man in Methven who then moored it in Picton until it got rot and was burnt.”

So woodys can we help Lewis out.

GOTTA FISH – A Shout Out To All Woody Fisherman (& woman)

A friend of a friend (named Tulsi -13 years old) has a YouTube fishing profile under the tag – Gotta Fish. Fishing and his YouTube postings are the #1 thing in his life. I have included a links below to the YouTube URL and also one of Tulsi and his mate landing a good sized snapper from his very dodgy looking dinghy.

Why am I telling you all this? To ask a favour and help make a 13 year old’s day. Sp how about visiting the page and if you like the fishing videos, click subscribe (its free). And if your are feeling really nice – forward the link to your friends.- Tulsi has approx. 350 followers at the moment and it would be so cool if we could bump that number up. Many Thanks 🙂

Gotta Fish YouTube Page – https://www.youtube.com/@gottafish9276

Massive Snapper

Gotta Fish

KORORA SOS

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KORORA SOS

Over the weekend I was alerted to an old woody – Korora that is about to have a date with a chainsaw. Tim Merkens advised that he believes the boat was launched in 1938 and built by Lanes at Totara North. Hull is 1 1/4” kauri planking. Harold Kidd has commented that she was built in Russell or Opua for a J.B. Williams in Dec 1927. Either way she is an old girl that deserves to be saved.

The clock is ticking – currently located at Harbourside Boat Works, Whangarei and the chainsaw date results from approx. 6 years unpaid storage fees.

Anyone looking for a project or even parts / timber – contact the yard on 09 438 9907 SOON.

CLASSIC WOODY CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD TAVERN 

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CLASSIC WOODY CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD TAVERN 

Saturdays cruise up the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour to the historic Riverhead Tavern was a day of two halves  – the journey there and back was a tad annoying with strong SW’s coming across from the western suburbs (check out below the video below that Ant Smit sent me from aboard – Waikaro) but once into the creek it was a very enjoyable day. Lots of new faces and lots of support for WW, with the number WW shirts and burgess on display.

A couple of serious efforts by woodys to make the trip – John Lord (MV Tangaroa) came up from Wellington and was my quest on Raindance and Peter Jones and Diana (MV Kaikoura) who cruised down from Whangarei. And also a great turnout from the boat less that came by road.

Special thanks to the ferry skippers for being very accomodating re wharf berthing.

The thinking caps have been put on re another gathering before winter sets in – initial thoughts are a Clevedon River Cruise and / or a Gulf Island Raid that finishes with a beach bbq – back soon.

I finished the weekend with a WW coffee from the Devonport Deli, thank you Sunil (barista) 🙂

PIPI BAY – Bay of Islands – Woody Utopia

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PIPI BAY, Bay of Islands – Woody Utopia

On Friday, Bay of Islands woody Dean Wright sent in the two photos above that he had taken in Pipi Bay on Thusday early evening. The top photo is the the 39’ bridge-decker Pathfinder, previously named Eunice K. Pathfinder was possibly built c.1948 and her design is a tad dubious so I won’t speculate. Lots of photos and details in the two previous WW stories – links below and remember to read the comments section. In early 2023 Pathfinder was for sale on tme, looks like she has found new owners and the pose of the individual in the cockpit tells me they have found their happy place 🙂

WW March 2023 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/03/30/pathfinder-eunice-k/

WW Oct 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/17/eunice-k/

The second photo is of the schooner Rat Bag, an unknown to WW so keen to learn more. Again the two geezers onboard appear to be very content with life. I wonder how many seagulls have been caught in that web of lines 🙂

UPDATE ex JASON PREW – photos below of Rat Bag

Input ex K Ricketts – The EUNICE K > PATHFINDER was also called & known as the LADY VI when used by Pam American Airways at Mechanics Bay in the later 1930s or 1940s – photo below of her showing an identical bridgedeck & porthole layout along with an identical mast (edited)

Input ex Nathan Herbert – very early photo (date unknown) at Mechanics Bay, Auckland. Thats her center front. Middle boat is Rautangi.

YVALDA – MSA103085

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YVALDA – MSA103085

Prolific model boat builder John Bullivant sent in the above photo of the motorsailer – Yvalda, seen here last week on her mooring at Lake Wakatipu, South Island. The photo was sent to John by a modelling friend who was visiting NZ for a wedding.

Wonderful to see Yvalda in such magnificent condition.    She was built in 1936 in Scotland by Mc Gruers – click the link below to read full details on how she got to NZ and Lake Wakatipu, don’t forget to read the comments section , lots of chat there.

WW Sept 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/09/26/yva-ii-win-boat-show-tickets/

15-08-2024 UPDATE ex MAURICE J – photo below of her engines + a photo of her unloading at Lake Wakatipu

Classic Woodys Cruise To The Riverhead Tavern Today – fingers crossed for good weather. And check out WW on Monday for a full report.

The White Boat Show

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The White Boat Show

I dropped down to the Viaduct yesterday to check out the Auckland Boat Show – a very impressive line up of big white boats  and bits that make them go fast and stay a float. 

But that is to be expected. The craft on offer just seem to get bigger each year and spec’ed with more gear. You have to question if it is all needed and how many owners actually know how to work the tech.

I struggled to find much to point the camera at but if you are looking for advice on painting / anti-fouling your boat, a bow thruster, an electric outboard for your tender or the latest in solar charging / batteries its worth a visit – not sure about the $26 entry fee – its really a trade exhibition that the public are allowed into. There appeared to be few of the marine industry ’traders’ from previous years that sold boating ’stuff’. Show runs until late Sunday afternoon.

I did spot a wooden boat, it was encapsulated in f/glass on the MAST (Marine and Specialised Technologies ) Academy stand + the sport boat that I assume is a new Riva is rather swish. 

Another boat that took my eye purely for the paint scheme was the Innovision Boats 656 Explorer – love the colour – we tend to very boring , so a big ups to the owner of – ’Ship Happens’ 🙂

A BIG THUMBS DOWN TO AT (ATEED) FOR POOR TIMING – THE SWING PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE CONNECTING DOWNTOWN WITH THE NORTH HARBOR AREA (site of the show) WAS STUCK UP ALL DAY FOR REPAIRS……………. THIS APPROX ADDED AN HOUR TO THE RETURN TRIP. 

A SIGN OR SOMEONE TELLING PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN A NICE TOUCH – SO MANY PEOPLE MADE THE WALK TOWARDS THE SHOW TO FIND THE BRIDGE NOT FUNCTIONING……………

FINGERS CROSSED IT IS REPAIRED BY THE WEEKEND………

ps take your sunglasses, its very bright walking the docks 😉

VENTURE – A Peek Down Below

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Russell Wharf – B.O.I.

VENTURE – A Peek Down Below

I last saw the launch – Venture, back in June 2021 when she was berthed at Hobsonville marina. Link below to that story + a Aug 2017 story that has some wonderful photos from her days big game fishing in the Bay of Islands.

Venture was built by Morrie Palmer in c.1964 and while several people have made reference to being designed by Colin Wilde, at best, probably safe to say ‘influenced by’ 😉

36 in length, 12’1” beam and draft of 3’7”. Forward motion is via 6cyl Ford 90hp Diesel engine.

Today thanks to a recent tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a gender down below.

WW Aug 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/08/26/venture-2/ WW June 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/23/can-we-id-this-launch-2/

STEWART ISLAND WOODYS

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STEWART ISLAND WOODYS

One of the original gang of 8 that 10+ years ago helped breath life back into the CYA launch fleet (when there was one 🙂 ) – Colin Pawson (past owner of Waimiga) has recently been mooching around the bottom of the South Island and hopped over to Stewart Island for a few days. In between night spotting Kiwis in the wild and consuming “the best fish (blue cod) & chips that has ever past his lips, Colin snapped a few woodys that were at anchor / moored.

The rather grand one in the first photo looks familiar , can we put a name to her and the others.

UPDATE EX PAUL N – the top boat is Wairangi

UPDATE EX ANT SMIT – Ant reports he also recently visited Stewart Island. Ant chartered the fishing boat Tequila for a 1/2 day and caught an impressive haul of Blue Nose. Ant commented that despite her salty looks she was built in 1996 with carvel kauri construction and is powered by a straight 6 Volvo diesel. More photos below. 

The third boat above (green) is Rawene , another photo below

FINAL CALL FOR THE CLASSIC WOODY RIVERHEAD TAVERN LUNCH CRUISE. THIS SATURDAY RSVP TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

RSVP > waitematawoodys@gmail.com

ANNA ROSA

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ANNA ROSA

Todays woody has got southern boat written all over her, this backed up by her birth place – the Morgan Boatyard in Picton.

The 41’ Anna Rosa has a build date of 1974 so she fits into the ’spirit of tradition’ category. Lots of zoom zoom with a 320hp CAT 3208 engine below decks. With the rego number on her, she is or must have been in survey.

Any of the mainland woodys able to shed some more light on Anna Rosa for us.

Photo and details sent in by John Dawson

RSVP > waitematawoodys@gmail.com

MANUWAI – A Peek Down Below

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MANUWAI – A Peek Down Below

Back in April 2015 the 31’ launch – Manuwai made an appearance on WW, (link below to that story). 

WW April 2015 https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/04/23/manuwai/

At the time her then owner Paul Kerr-Hislop was looking to confirm some of the intel he had been told about the boat i.e. that Manuwai was built in Porirua in 1960 by a Paul Bradey for the Mexted family of Tawa to a Shipbuilders design. We learnt that she was LOA 30’8” with a beam 10’6”. She has a 1 1/4” kauri planked hull which has a hard chine and flat bottom towards the stern presumably to enable semi-planing. A 140hp 135T Perkins diesel engine gave a cruising speed of 9>10 knots and a top speed of around 13 knots.

Now thanks to Ian McDonald pointing out a recent tme listing we get to have a better gander down below.