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 woody is a wee bit of a mystery, while the Nautilus name has graced numerous classic launch sterns, this one appears to have disappeared off the radar.
In the photo above we see the 34’ Nautilus being transported on a lorry from Auckland to Onehunga for loading onto the coastal vessel Ronaki. The destination was Raglan, where her new owner lived. The photo is dated 24 July 1933.
So woodys can we learn more – designer / builder and what became of this Nautilus.
(Photo ex NZ Herald 25/07/1933 and comes to WW via K Ricketts, ex fb)
When Comes To Docking – There Is Always Someone Worse Than You
Photo below ex Bayswater Marina, Auckland………… remember woodys, it always pays to give way to plastic boat owners.
Earlier in the week I was out east and called into Leader Boats on the Panmure River. Dave Patterson and his team are currently breathing newline into a launch named – Fantasia, previously she was ‘berthed’ near-by.
Fantasia started life as a Crestacraft design and was built by Harry Biddle in a shed in Saleyard Rd, Otahuhu c.1968.
She has had several face lifts over the years and at time been a little un-loved. Now is getting what I’d describe as a sport fisher look, check out the new sheer line – close your eyes and think Oliver & Gilpin. The boat was re-engined in 1978, with what I’m not sure – much to K Ricketts disgust, I’m never that interested in the engines.
Her owner commented to me that he only came in for a new duckboard and paint job 🙂 I said to Dave that he could always get a job at McDonalds i.e. he’s the champion of companion selling – “do you want fries with that” 🙂
Still very much a work in process but you can see from the photos what she will look like.
HAROLD KIDD INPUT – According to the contemporary APYMBA records FANTASIA was built in 1963 By B. Everett of 51 Kiwi Esplanade Mangere. No mention of a designer. Make of that what you will. Did Everett simply pay for her to be built? That’s not the normal way APYMBA recorded information. Did he finish off a hull perhaps?
Todays woody has one of the best back stories we have had on WW – the giff-rigged auxiliary yawl yacht – Caplin was built in Penarth, Wales (UK)I in 1937-38 at the Anderson & Sons shipyard for Commander Robert D. Graham (R.N. ret.).
Graham set off in late 1938 on a circumnavigation of the world, whilst cruising the Pacific he was alerted to the out break of WWII, he headed to New Zealand first stopping in Nelson then Wellington. In Wellington he placed Caplin on the market and returned to the UK to reenlist.
Caplin was purchased by an Oamaru family* who kept her in Oamaru Harbour for nearly 60 years.She then moved to Queen Charlotte Sound , then Akaroa, where her current owners bought her in 2015 and moved her to Golden Bay. Culpan now calls Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour home. Her current owner is the granddaughter of the GT Gillies* (George Thomas Gillies), who purchased Caplin from Cr Graham in Wellington in April 1940.
Caplin is built in pitch-pine planks over oak frames with mahogany and teak trim – specs > 35’ length overall, 9’6” beam and draws 5’4”. Power is via a Yammer 3GM30F diesel.
While her owners have invested significant time and funds to ensure that Caplin retains her original aura, character and pedigree, they have also carefully integrated modern systems and technology to provide peace of mind and comfort – for example – new galley, new toilet , completely rewired + panels and fittings, new bronze winch, diesel heater to name just a few.
Her light and airy saloon makes for a spacious and comfortable vessel both on route, at anchor or in the marina. Caplin attracts admirers anywhere.
12-11-2024 UPDATE – Below decks has been feeling the love, new owner Geoff Fiebig is a man of style and good taste.
Todays woody is a wee bit of a mystery and comes to us from the William Tension collection > Auckland Library Heritage Collection > Lew Redwood fb.The photo is captained ‘motorboat and rowing dinghy moored in a creek. The motorboat is flying a pennant with the name Orlando’ The date listed.states 1920>1929. Harold Kidd has commented that there was an Orlando in Dunedin c.1912/13 Are we able to learn more about Orlando and what became of her.
ORAKEI HARDSTAND UPDATE
I received advice yesterday on feedback from the recent ‘public’ consultation process that the Orakei Local Board called for. These findings will be discussed / reviewed at the boards next meeting – this Thursday -16th Nov. address details below. The topic is #1 on the agenda and its a public meeting, so I encourage all interested people to attend – being the first item, you can depart after topic #1, I could not think of anything more boring than listening Scott Milne and his cronies for too long.
Interesting that Auckland Council’s marine biosecurity staff have recommended that the local board consider maintaining a limited area of facilities at the Landing for short stay cleaning and antifoul application. Staff from the Parks and Community Facilities Department also note the biosecurity benefits of a hardstand.
Clear public support for a hardstand at The Landing
Results of the Ōrākei Local Board public consultation on retention of the hardstand at Okahu Bay shows a clear majority (64%) support retention of a short stay haul out and hardstand facility for boat cleaning and/or anti-foul application.
So woodys will The Ōrākei Local Board give due regard to the public input they sought? Will they protect the Hardstand’s designation in the Marine Precinct specified in Auckland’s Unitary Plan?
The Orakei Local Board needs to receive the feedback generated by their public consultation on The Landing and revise their draft refresh plan to incorporate a hardstand facility.
MEETING LOCATION: St Chads Church and community centre, 38 St Johns Rd Remuera, 3pm Thursday 16th Nov. 2023
Todays woody is rather a large craft , built in 2005 for coastal and off-shore cruising – the log book includes Alaska, Marianas and Port Ross (NZ Sub-Antartic). Built via cold moulded timber and f/glassed and kitted out with all the gear for extended cruising.
Power is from a 240hp Volvo Penta 70 series diesel that sips 8L an hour, combine that with a 5,000L fuel take thats an impressive range.
Unfortunately we do not have a name – her tme (thanks Ian McDonald) didn’t mention that 😦 Its named Maia and she was built in Tauranga by Aquatic Solutions
Todays photo gallery (bomb) is less than 24 hrs old, as mentioned earlier in the week Jason Prew is criss crossing the South Island scouting off-road tracks to justify to himself the cost of owning a Remuera Tractor 🙂
Yesterday Jason sent in the above gallery and tells me it was just a fluke he was in Akaroa on the right day – yeah right 😉
Enjoy the photos, as always click on photos to enlarge.
SCOTTY Todays woody is the launch – Scotty, seen here on Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is.). The photo is dated 12 July 1981 and comes to us via a Linda Munro fb post. Linda commented that Jack Munro bought Scotty to the lake in the 1920’s after an early life doing the cream run in the Coromandel area. In the photo she is on her last lake trip before going to the Paeroa Maritime Park to be used as a tourist boat. This sadly didn’t last and she was pulled out of the water and dismantled.
Recently Linda visited the park and was pleased to see the boat back in a shed with her cabin and dodger with plans to repair her.
On the boat we see the late Reg Munro (son of Jack) at the helm and son of Reg, Ross Munro. As an aside Ross still has Scotty’s original motor, a Ford 10 engine
Todays 51’ woody – Smoke & Mirrors, made a cameo appearance on WW back in Oct 2017 (link below) – then she was named – Christopher Grey and both Nathan Herbert and Russell Ward supplied photos. Thanks to a tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a peek below decks.
Designed and built by Millar & Tunnage in 1964 she started life as a commercial fishing boat based in the bottom half of NZ and after 20 odd years as a trawler and crawfishing workboat was converted to pleasure use. In her ’new’ configuration she went north and was available for charter out of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. She then returned south to her home town of Port Chalmers.
A 175hp Gardner engine provides her forward propulsion.
A very salty woody that make a very comfortable live-aboard, particularly with that large galley stove 🙂
WW cub reporter Jason Prew is mooching around the South Island on a 4×4 adventure (not really roughing it- refer photo below), in his travels he pointed the ute in the direction of Post Motueka. WW have done numerous stories on the area but normally in summer i.e. the boats are in the water. Thanks to Jason’s spring visit we get to see some of the woodys hauled out.
Would be nice if one of the southern woodys can put some names to the craft.
Several woodys have drawn my attention to this 24’6” launch thats recently popped up on tme. The listing states that it was designed / built by L G Coulthard in Onehunga. The build year says 1965 but Nathan Herbert has commented that Coulthard’s last boat was in 1959, this one resembles a build year c1930s. Nathan also as pictured above she will have had a new cabin since launching.
There is some uncertainty around the launches name – when her current owner bought her in 2006 in Auckland, her name was – Talofa and it was claimed she was originally built for the Mayor of Thames. Her name was subsequently changed to Kotare.
What we know – 24’6” in length, 8’ beam and draws 2’3” – powered by a 28hp 3 cyl. Vetus marine diesel engine giving her a top speed of 7.5 knots.
Current home is Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds, South Island.
J .(Jimmy) Mc McLaren Boatbuilders Onehunga
Recently contacted by a James H McLaren regarding his grandfathers boat yard, the yard was probably side-by-side with the L G Coulthard yard in Onehunga.The photo below shows the McLaren builders plate. James is looking for a surviving dinghy made by his granddad – Jimmy McLaren, James commented that they were his stock in trade.Can anyone help out eg have one for sale – any condition.
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 15+ million views 