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.
Back in Feb 2020 we ran a short story on the 33’ launch Pursuit – at the time we uncovered she was deigned by Max Carter. Link to that story belowWW Feb 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/02/18/pursuit/
In late 2023 Pursuit popped up on tme , thank you Ian McDonald, and thanks to that we get to have a gander below.
Pursuit was built c.1964 from double diagonal kauri , then in the 1990’s she was glassed.
Her forward motion is via a Lees Ford 100hp diesel engine that gives a comfortable cruising speed of 7 knots.
Hopefully she found a new owner and fingers and toes crossed that the ‘block of flats’ on top has a appointment booked at the barbers 🙂
REMEMBER – YARD SALE AT TE ATAU BOATING CLUB SATURDAY
Almost always when John Burland sends in photos from the Motueka marina the tide is out, not in todays photos from earlier in the month.
So woodys today we get to see the woodys afloat and its certainly a better look 🙂 Enjoy.
The ‘ditty’ was sent in by Dave Stanaway – Dave commented – ‘Below is a ditty I learned as a 12 year old. An old retired seaman thought good for me to learn as I spent all my school holidays on towboats. Funny thing was when studying for second mate I was told to forget such a ditty.’
Today I want to touch base on an newish trend in the classic boating world – fractional ownership. Sure there are lots of two owner eg 2 buddies or 2 linked family partnerships, but with the raising cost of marina berths more and more boats are having multiple owners. And thats a good thing, maintenance and berth-age costs are affordable, new owners are entering the classic community at a younger age and best of all – the boats are being used more.
One such partnership centres around the 36′ 1953 Billy Rogers built classic sedan launch – Margaret-Anne. There is a link below to a 2017 WW story on the launch. Some boats are lucky in their owners – Margaret Anne has had two very passionate classic friendly owners who have restored her to a better than new condition – then moved on to bigger craft.
Margaret Anne is now in the hands of 4 parters and one of the ’shares’ is now available to purchase, the buy in includes access to a Westhaven marina.
So woodys if you and your family are looking to get afloat in a stunning classic wooden boat – contact Sonia Garica for more details songarcia@yahoo.com
Faith is a well travelled old girl, originally built by Phil as his own boat for commercial fishing out of Whangaparoa, Auckland. She later went to Northland then to Dunedin, South Island (Port Chamlers & Carey Bay). Then up to the Marlborough Sounds. These days she resides in Picton.
Forward propulsion is via a 38hp Nanni diesel engine that gives her a cruise speed of 6.5 knots.
OPANUI – A Peek Down Below + Woody Lunch Cruise Details
Todays woody sedan launch – Opanui, was designed and built in 1964 by Phil Lang for Robert Chamberlain of Chamberlain Island (now Ponui } , Built to tow barges up to 70′ long around the Hauraki gulf she is an incredibly strong boat, made from 1 1/4 inch strip planked kauri.She is approx 38′ long with a 10’6″ beam & 3’6” draft. Her original 6 cylinder 130 HP Perkins diesel 6354 still powers her and cruises at a comfortable 6>7 knots. Thanks to Ian McDonald spotting a tme listing we get to have good look at Opanui. From the listing she appears to be well maintained and well fitted out for cruising.Current home is the Bay of Islands.
CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH CRUISE & CATCH UP AT RIVERHEAD HOTEL After the brilliant (but long over due) summer we have had so far this season it will be great to get together to a catch up and swap cruising tales. So its time for a lunch cruise to the Riverhead Tavern – Saturday 16th March. Details below –
RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com with boat name and approx. crew numbers. DATE: Saturday 16th March TIME: Meeting at Lucas Creek area at 11am. Arriving hotel at 11.30am TIDE: HW @ 1pm – 3.3m Looking forward to catching up 🙂
Recently Robert Ross sent in the colour photo above of the launch – Nor East. Robert commented that his father bought Nor East around 1960ish and that’s Robert on the bow in the photo. Robert doesn’t know much about her except she was 37’ in length and was bought from an estate associated with McAlpine Industries. Needless to say Nor East had a great fridge/freezer on board 🙂 In the 2nd b/w photo from a WW story from March 2018 ex Lew Redwood we see Nor East leaving the Milford Creek. The photo was reproduced on the cover of Sea Spray magazine.
In the WW story we learnt from Robin Elliott that according to a Sea Spray Aug 1959 issue, she had twin BMC commodores developing 52 bhp max each. Designed by Fred Wilkins of Tauranga and is the same hull design as his well known sword fishing launch Sou East. Built by Allen Williams of Milford for James S. McAlpine and launched ‘late last season’.
McAlpine was owner of McAlpine Refigeration, who assembled British Prestcold refrigerators and American designed supermarket chillers and display cabinets in Penrose. Much was made in the Sea Spray article of her refrigeration system – 3 of them, one for food, one for drinks and a third for frozen foods and freezing caught fish.
Back in February 2019 John Bullivant pulled together a great WW story on the Tamaki River and included was the photo below of Nor East moored in the river. Another example of how a woody can lose its mojo when the varnish disappears .
INPUT ex Ken Ricketts – Full Sea Spray article below + a number of photos of her in the Jim McAlpine era & 1 or 2 later ones. Makes a great sister ship for the lovely Nor West (by Lane Motor Boat Co), & Sou East both with Ford V8 petrol Vee drives in the stern, as original). SOU EAST was the first of the 3 of them, to be built.
The 33’ 1912 Bailey & Lowe launch recently popped up on tme so today thanks to Ian McDonald we get to have a gander down below.
Her story is that she was possibly built as a port service vessel for use in the South Island. Her current owner has had her for 24 years, and in that time crossed from Wellington (North Island) to the Sounds (South Island) numerous times.
Forward motion is via a 65hp Bedford 220 diesel (keel cooled) that gets her along nicely at 7 knots.
Every so often we get approach to find new custodians for woody craft, mostly it is a pile of firewood but sometimes its gold.
Woody Alistair McRae) owner of Lady Margaret (ex Lady Mary, ex Happy Wanderer) contacted me regarding a 23’ classic open day boat that has been stored under a cover in one of his sheds for a number of years.
Not a lot is known about her past but the exterior of the hull planking has been scraped and pretty much all paint has been removed. The interior and deck has been rebuilt to what appears to be a high standard. There is no motor, steering or wiring. Her beam is 6’9”. With a nice small Yanmar fitted she would be a perfect lake boat or Bay of Islands picnic boat.
All of the hard (and expensive) work has been done – I understand the owner is looking for a buy price of $5,500 – that woodys is a bargain. Buy her, pop in storage until winter, and relaunch in Spring.
I would be amazed if Cam from {the} Slipway Milford doesn’t snap her up, perfect wet day inside work for the team 🙂
Circle Saturday 24th Feb in the diary – the Te Atatu Boating Club are hosting a yard sale – full details in the poster below. Come along and grab a bargain to book a spot to sell your stuff.
As so often happens on WW the story was read by some one with a past connection to boat – I have reproduced Trish Kidson’s (from Nelson) note to me below
“Hi from Nelson – It was a thrill to see Kokiri featured on your post last week. I have so many happy childhood memories of trips around the Abel Tasman coastline with the owners of the time, Mr & Mrs Nalder.
I’ve put together a wee bit more information (below) and also added some photos ex the late John Evans collection (as seen above) as she was in the late 1950’s onwards while in the Nalder’s hands. Sorry, the photos are taken off my late father’s slides so not best quality but may be helpful to have in your database for future reference.
PS: “Escape” is Percy Vos design / build, launched in 1940 and bought by my parents in 1967 who brought to her to Nelson where she remained in the custody of our family for 46 years. Last we heard she was moored in Whitianga.”
KOKIRI (Newt & Nellie Nalder)
As previously mentioned by other WW viewers, Kokiri was built in Nelson by Allen Westrupp in late 1950s at his Tahuna workshop for well-known locals Newt and Nellie Nalder as a replacement for their previous boat, Kotare (built in 1951 by Nelson boatbuilders Curnow & Wilton). They had used the launch Kotare for taking passengers and friends along the Abel Tasman National Park coastline or for fishing trips.
Like her owners, Kokiri is remembered with much affection by many locals who frequented the Park as she was often seen pottering along the coast or on a mooring in Anchorage.
After the Nalder’s sold her, Kokiri remained in the Kaiteriteri/Riwaka area and was lengthen by the new owners. Her original length is unknown but as a comparison, yacht Escape is 28’6” (as seen in the photo of being towed up the Nelson Harbour on the day Escape was launched in Nelson, 1967).
Photos: (late John Evans Collection) Apologies for the quality – they are taken off Dad’s slides
At the recent Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat weekend I was asked about the woody that has been ‘parked’ in front of a property near Kaiwaka – as long as I can remember, well as long as I have been interested in woodys boats. She has sat in that same spot slowly decomposing, Im sure her owner would tell you its a work-in progress but…………….
The craft is visible from the main road, on the right hand side heading north.
Can anyone ID her for us
INPUT FROM PREVIOUS OWNER (Terry) – She is a Harley Black Marlin design, name was Aljo (spelling could be wrong) when I owned her back in the mid 70s.I think she has had a name change .She is battern carvel construction.I brought her in Tauranga but I believe she was from Whakatane after my ownership she moved to Clevedon river for many years, them moved north to the Bay,Last time I saw her in the water was in the Mangawhai river a long time ago.
I22-02-2023 NPUT ex BARBARA BUSET –
Well, would you believe it, I think I was the previous owner of this boat, before it was left there on the side of the road, must be coming up to 20 years now!!
It was known as Alijo when my ex-husband and I bought it in the 90’s. We re-named it Bartab and spent thousands doing it up. The first thing we did was have it parked on our front lawn at One Tree Point giving it a complete repaint. All the squabs and curtains were remade and she looked a picture. The shower/toilet was rebuilt and the engine had major work done on it, much to my ex’s disgust as it was a Ford and he was a Holden nut! She was moored on the blind channel at OTP, not far from the little dairy there. Over the years we had a new bow rail, new Bimini and new automatic winch. I loved going out on her for the weekends and we even took her up to the Bay of Islands a few times. With the divorce, she was sold and I don’t know what happened to her then until I suddenly noticed her there at the side of the road at Kaiwaka. She’s been there so long now that I don’t think she can ever go back in the water. I understand she’s a Kauri Carvel. It’s so sad to see her every time I go to Auckland, rotting there on the side of the road. When I used to go out on her I kept a log book which I still have! Unfortunately I’m away from home at the moment, but as soon as I get back home, I’m going to find it and then I might have some more info for you.
Couldn’t believe it when the Woody’s web page popped up tonight as I had only driven by earlier today and always talk about her whenever I see her.
I’ll be in touch again nearer the end of the month when I’m home and can find my log book.
YESTERDAYS QUIZ WINNER – Graeme Finch , he correctly picked – cooking – I started the process of making the ‘World Famous In Devonport Tomato Sauce’ 🙂
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