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.
Has been a few weeks of back to back woody boating activity, so today is a case of slowing down – So when the WW email inbox pinged with a note from Bay of Islands woody photographer – Dean Wright, my eyes lit up. As always Dean was sending in some great photos from mooching around the Bay of Islands aboard his magnificent woody – Arethusa .
Todays are from Deans weekend trip to Mimiwhangata and starting at the top we see one of my favourite workboat woodys – the Roger Carey designed (1954), built by Curnow & West Nelson Boatbuilders craft – Souvenir in Deep Water Cove.
Today I’ll doing something very un-boating related – but to me very chilling out – 1st one to guess what that is, its an inside project – wins a WW burgee – entries via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com . Closes off at 6pm.
Todays woody photo is slightly familiar but I could fine any previous reference to it on WW.
The photo comes to us from a Frank Hellsten post on the ‘Friends of Vintage,Classic & Traditional Boats’ fb page. Frank restored and colorized the photo, which was taken by a William Leonard Fletcher and resides in the Auckland maritime museum archives. No dates.
Frank commented about the gent wearing a tam o’ shanter hat (a Scottish bonnet worn by men)
I tagged a yacht but she’s really a launch 🙂
Any idea of the boats ID
UPDATE – Nathan Herbert ID her as Aenone, then Roy Jones advised she now named India and resides in Blenheim as a steamboat.
WW was recently contacted by Richard Heath regarding the whereabouts of his 1970 Woolley 35′ launch – Nereus.
The photo above was taken during Richards ownership period and they sold her c.2005.
Can anyone help with details.
Woody Aground
Dennis Macinaghie sent in the rather sad looking photo below of vessel that has been aground for several days now in Waiomu Bay on the Coromandel Coast, north of Thames. We don’t know the name or any circumstances but she keeps filling up each high tide. Looks as if its been ‘prepared’ for abandonment i.e. very bare looking.Could be wrong but I suspect there isn’t much real wood in her, has the plywood look.
During the week I was sent the above photos of the 49’ launch – Jocelyn by Robert Ross. The photos date back to c.early1970’s and are from when Jocelyn was owned by Sir Willian Stevenson.
Robert commented that he went fishing a number of times with Sir William out of Whitianga. Robert thought then the boat was ahead of its time and she always attracted a lot of attention.
Jocelyn was reputedly a Hacker USA design, built / launched in 1967/68 by the boatbuilder Brin Wilson. In the photos below – the ist three photos sees her at the 2016 Mahurangi Regatta. The last photo is more recent and was taken in August 2023 when she was hauled out at Half Moon Bay marina for some TLC. Link here to a 2017 WW story where Hamish Moore (great grandson of Sir William) provided a wonderful insight into the history of Jocelyn. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/01/28/the-history-of-mv-jocelyn/
Recently Bryce Strong sent in the above photos from Lyttelton Harbour.
The top woody is unknown to Bryce and WW, can anyone help ID her for us.
The other photos are of the spirit of tradition launch – Katherine, she has made several appearances on WW , link below, click on headline. She was sold early in 2023 and relocated south form Auckland. Now we know where exactly
The annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade always attracts a good turn out of the Albatross speed boats, but at last weekends parade we had the biggest turnout in one spot in the Southern Hemisphere. Read below for the local (Lake Rotoiti) on the craft – as told by Richard Stevens.
“Campbell Motors (Queen St Auckland) were the NZ agents. The Beamish-White family at Okataina Lodge had a fleet as “Drive U-Self” hire boats, including a 4-seater with Coventry Climax version of the engine and one of the two seaters had a factory alloy-framed full height 4-pane glass windscreen. They also had a set of hull jigs and did all their own maintenance on site including re- skinning. These boats took a hammering and were eventually replaced by outboard-powered craft. Les Warner ran a small hire fleet from his home at Hinehopu. (I recall as a kid seeing one as a crumpled mess after crashing into the jetty at speed.) There was also a hire fleet on the Rotorua lakefront. These were painted red. One allegedly sank and was never recovered. There was also a fleet at Queenstown. These may have been the remnants of the Rotorua hire fleet. The boat in these fleets may be double-ups. I do not know how many boats there actually were in total. In addition to the Stevensons and ours there were two more on the Lake during the ’60s. One was the Annabel family, the other the McDonalds. (I saw their boat in Auckland a few years ago, complete and painted black)
These boats are the MG Midget of the water. They don’t have excessive power in their standard format, but they are fast, nimble, well designed and beautifully built with excellent handling. They are simple, cheap to run, easy to maintain and, above all, great fun.
These boats have held classic status worldwide for many years now and are highly collectible. It is pleasing to see that they are acknowledged on Rotoiti as part of our boating history.
Addition: Alan Clark owned one here at Lake Rotoiti in the 1950’s.
Addition: Don Wykes and his brother purchased the Rotorua Lakefront business from Judd & Jean Davies in the 70’s. It had the launch Ngaroto (the Davies had this built in England) that took people out to Mokoia Island and had 3 Albatross hire boats: 2x 2 seaters and 1x 4 seater. They were painted Red.
He is able to confirm that one of the 2 seaters sank just short of Mokoia Island, when his worker was heading over to mow the grass. They put a buoy over the oil slick, but when they went back to retrieve it someone had moved the buoy. They sent down 2 divers but were never able to locate it, the water was too murky. He doesn’t recall who he sold the others to, but remembers one of their workers bought one and put a bigger motor in it, a 105 he thinks. “
Below is a gallery of the Albatross craft that participated in the parade – as always click on photos to enlarge. Also scroll down to view yesterdays WW story – 200+ classic and wooden boat photos from the 2024 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade.
Wow what a weekend , stunning weather, so many classic woody boats and as always at Lake Rotoiti – nice people.
Left Auckland at 5.30am to drive down – have to say the new Waikato expressway is so fast BUT so boring as a drive.
Arrived at my hosts Dave and Glenys Wilson lake front residence and collected the on-the-water transport for the day. Had a nice surprise in that the boat came with a skipper – local boatbuilder Alan Craig (Craig Marine) who over the last 10 years has rubbed up against most of the craft floating on the lake. This made my boat buddy – cabin boy, Grant Gibbs redundant but he accepted the demotion to #1 lackey.
After recent parade weekends have been effected by CV19 and weather bombs everyone was hanging out for a special day afloat and we got it in spades.
Todays photo gallery is loosely broken into 3 sections – Mooching About / Parade / Picnic.
Enjoy – if I missed your boat – sorry, next year. Tomorrow I will do a story on the Albatross runabouts that were a major part of the parade – I believe the biggest turnout in the Southern Hemisphere.
A couple of videos below.
REMEMBER – CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
09-02-2024 UPDATE – Video of the fleet at the Picnic
Back in August 2020 we featured the classic woody launch – Poco Lento on WW. We learnt then that she started out in life back in late 1970’s as your typical Roy Parris kauri planked launch, then in 1991>92 master boat builder Geoff Bagnall undertook a major refit to make her more liveable. When launched in the 1970’s her name was – Lady Janet.
When I first boarded Poco Lento I was amazed to learn she was sub 32’ and the internal space, helped by the underfloor Ford Lees 115hp engine. I was even more taken aback with the fit-out – auto pilot, power anchor winch, bow thruster, hydraulic steering, on-board shower, fridge, freezer, pressurised hot water, stand-alone galley, electric toilet, high-end engine sound proofing, holding tank and a lot more – she really has been a rolling restoration with her then owner undertaking a major project every year. The 295L fuel tank allows her to cover a lot of distance when cruising.
Master wooden boatbuilder – Colin Brown sent in the above photo of the recent Pahi Regatta. The video ex fb ex Krystal Waller gives us a peek at the on-the-water activity.
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