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.
The 26′ Roy Paris c.1960 clinker built launch – Stormbird recently popped up on tme , thanks Ian McDonald, and to a brave buyer could be a great gulf cruiser. By brave I mean having the courage to get out the tungsten tipped chainsaw and dropping the cockpit top down some, if you want full headroom and good looks , there is only one solution – buy bigger 🙂
Stormbird is powered by a 60hp Isuzu desel engine that gets her along at 5 knots.
Home is the inner estuary at Sandspit and she comes with a swing mooring, which probably justifies the buy price of $12k alone.
Anyone know more about her past.
NEXT SATURDAYS BOAT BOOT SALE AT THE SLIPWAY MILFORD – so we can ensure there are enough bangers on the BBQ, if you are intending coming – seller or buyer – can you give us a heads up email waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Todays woody photo via Lew Redwood’s fb and its thought that its anchored in either One Tree Point or Marsden Bay, with Mt Manaia, Whangarei Heads in the background. If you look carefully there is actually two craft in the photo, the second is just visible over the cabin top of the ‘hero’ launch.
Others commented that it was actually Urquhart’s Bay with Calliope Island in the mid background. Also a suggestion that the boat was named Moerangi, an ex Mail Boat owned by Leonard Harnetts.
Would be nice to confirm her ID.
UPDATE 20-08-2024 ex HAROLD KIDD – The launch in front is KIA KOA, built by Bailey & Lowe in 1906 for A.R. Pickmere. Still thinking about the tuck stern launch behind.
Having just found a new owner for the John Gladden built motor-salier – Taranui (heading south), I uncovered another yacht of the same name deep in the WW files.
The Taranui featured above was photographed in Oct 2022 by Dean Wright at the Havelock marina.
At the time we learned that this Taranui was owned by Evan Walker and she this year is about to celebrate her 97th birthday.
Built in Pigeon Bay Banks Peninsula by Edwin Bailey. Has had only 4 family owners since 1926. Robin Kidd did a piece on her in Boating NZ in November 2000 not long after we took her over from my father.
09-0902023 UPDATE EX OWNER EVAN WALKER – Her exact launch date is not recorded, but the log of her building in Pigeon Bay kept by the first owner Campbell Hay, has Edwin Bailey and Joe Wheeler leaving in December 1926. So we assume that she was launched about then. Surprising really as the log is meticulous and lists all the work as it was done, the hours worked, and includes a full list of materials.
Weather permitting I’m boating today – aboard a grand old Lady, if it happens, photos to follow 😉
For several years I have been ‘following’ on-line a YouTube weblog named ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. The Chanel is hosted by a gent named Peter Knowles and Peter has been recording the restoration of 3 classic wooden cruisers, plus we get to go/see his annual cruises in and around the Vancouver, British Columba, Canada area. Amazing location.
Earlier in the week Mark McLaughlin posted on WW a link to Peter’s latest story that includes a visit to the 2023 Victoria Classic Boat Festival – see above. Well worth checking out, lots of boat porn to view + I would encourage you to check out the past episodes of – ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. Link to more details on the site here https://www.youtube.com/@TravelsWithGeordie/about Warning it can get slightly addictive 🙂
In Wellington there is a wonderful group of classic wooden boat enthusiasts that ‘reside’ under the umbrella of the ‘Wellington Classic Yacht Trust’ – they excel at everything and outshine the Auckland based Classic Yacht Association on so many fronts, particularly the 3 F’s – fun, friendship and fraternity. Recently the WCYT publicised on their website http://www.wcyt.org.nz/ a photo essay of classic craft from the Dow Collection. The photo above is one of the featured photos and is of Ngakuta Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound. The collection viewable in the link below is a selection from two albums owned by Doug Gow. It appears the person who took the photos was a crewman (name unknown) on the D Class cruisers HMS Diomede and HMS Dunedin and when off duty a crewed on various boats. The photos date to between 1928 and 1931.
Woody John Wicks was recently visiting Wellington and tooth opportunity to do a spot of marina mooching at Chafers Marina.
One woody leapt out to the eye, hard not to when painted ‘Rescue Yellow’ 🙂 John was unable to sight a name, but dockside chat is that she may have come down from Auckland.
Given the colour – hopefully we can ID her and learn more about her.
Nathan Herbert Input – That’s the Rehutai, ex Arawa, Nomad, Irihapeti. Converted to this guise by Allan Williams in Milford
FREE TO THE RIGHT HOME– Have been recently contacted by a gent that has a pair of wooden game poles (5m high x .800m wide) that he will donate to someone that will use them – so no profiteers need apply 🙂
THE REBIRTH OF CENTAURUS I often remark on WW that some boats get lucky in terms of owners and some sadly do not – Centaurus the 1969, 42’ Bailey & Sons bridge-decker is one of the lucky ones. A succession of owners have cared for her over the years, but even the best practices and intentions aren’t enough to ensure a 50+ year old wooden craft is 100% fit for purpose.
When Angus Rogers purchased Centaurus in late 2019, he had already compiled a ’To-Do’ list. Work started immediately on the projects that would make her more live able and comfortable for extended cruising. Fast forward to September 2020 and she was hauled out for an upgrade on systems and the installation of a bow and stern water thruster unit.
Fast forward to June 2021 and Centaurus was out again for a below the water-line back to bare wood refurbish.If you know Angus you will know that in-between all this there were dozens of other enhancements going on.
Fast forward to 2023 and the decision was made to undertake a refit that would see Centaurus live on for another 50 years. Initially most of the work was based around the decision to re-power with a new John Deere 175hp engine, this replaced the original Cummins V6 215hp that was the size and weight a small elephant. As anyone that has done a transplant knows, the to-do list just keeps growing…….
Below is a list of some of the work undertaken, I’m sure a few things got forgotten along the way, but its a tad scary. Well done Angus. WW has recorded a lot of the work over the last3 years, use the WW Search Box to view. Centaurus re-launched last week and looks stunning, ever the perfectionist Angus has another to-do list to finish her off, but he is under the pump to have her at the upcoming Woodys cruise to Clevedon on Sept 30th > .
Overview of recent work One new water tank, two new fuel tanks, all new plumbing and valves and fuel filter, fuel and water sight tubes and valves, new fuel breathers, new28x23 inch propellor, new and re-positioned motor water intake and toilet water intake and valves all Truedesign nylon and piping, new toilet outflow valve, new 175hp John Deere with ccv and a second alternator (Balmar 175 amp) engineered onto continuous belt, new 2.5:1 ZF gearbox, new fibreglass exhaust system, replaced exhaust on Webasto diesel heater with genuine Webasto parts, installed SaltAttack injection system for flushing motor, built dorade tubes for the 4 half funnels on the sides of the wheelhouse, created a soft closure hatch in the cabin top for the future when needed, new insulation for engine room hatches and around fuel tanks. Cleaned up all bilges under motor and painted white. Able to use existing shaft, dry seal and jack shaft which were all replaced two years ago. Anti-fouled hull and Propspeed to new prop.
HELP SAVE ORAKEI HARDSTAND + Happy Fathers Day Orakei Hardstand – We Need Your Support
The Auckland Council are seeking feedback on the changes at what was the Orakei Hardstand area. You will recall that the elected members on the Orakei Local Board controversially voted to scrap the hardstand and in their speak – adopt a transformation concept that would see the traditional hauling out of vessels for repairs and maintenance banned and the area converted to other use eg multi sport paddling centre , a park and other uses – BUT no haul out area.
So if you are worried about the demise of areas in Auckland to affordably haul out pleasure craft – please to do the following: 1. Click this link to open the on-line survey – note: there are only a few fields / questions (marked with an asterisk *) that require an answer. Also at the end they ask for a name – just make one up 🙂 and you do not have to enter our email address. SURVEY LINK https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/thelanding2023?tool=survey_tool&tool_id=feedback-form#tool_tab 2. On the form – first question – tick ‘Do Not Support’ 3. On the second page of the form, under the question – ‘Do you support retention of a short stay haul out and hardstand facility for boat cleaning and/or anti-foul application?’ – please tick – ‘Strongly Support’
Many thanks for taking the time to help complete the form – hopefully we will get enough support for the Auckland Council to review / revise the situation. And what ever the outcome – come the next local election – vote out the dullards who voted to scrap the bailout facility, particularly the chairperson who ‘drove thru’ the outcome for no hardstand.
Here are – those that voted to close the haul out – Remember at election time
Scott Milne • Sarah Powrie • Margaret Joyce • Angus McPhee • Penny Tucker
Todays woody photo has a launch leaving the Waikato River at Taupo for an excursion on the lake. The photo appeared in The NZ Herald on the 9th January 1937.
And woodys that is all we know, so keen to ID the launch and also the sedan cruiser in the background.
I suspect my inbox will ping me an alert from one of the Drake brothers with the answers 🙂
INPUT ex Nigel Drake – In my view the boat leaving the harbour is Waihora and the sedan launch on the beach is probably Destiny. Will leave someone else to hopefully confirm and provide more detail.
INPUT ex Paul Drake – Yes the above is a great photo of WAIHORA, run commercially by a Mr Tabernacle (Tabby) who was an A grade mechanic and the only person in New Zealand qualified to work on Rolls Royce engines. WAIHORA had a Chrysler Ace or possibly a Chrysler Crown. Last seen at Lake Rotoiti in the early 1980’s with the usual ugly plywood cabin but not seen for many years.
I don’t think the other boat is DESTINY.
Photo below of WAIHORA at Lake Rotoiti dated Feb 8th 1983.
03-09-2023 INPUT ex Michael Drake – I agree that the launch in the foreground is Waihora, going far too fast in the river and with two fenders still down. But I doubt if the sedan launch in the background is Destiny, as the launch in the photo is too highly wooded at the stern, and the Destiny’ s cabin sides were visually lower than shown in the photo.
The launch – Jo Marli made an appearance on WW back in Feb 2019, thanks to some photos taken by Nathan Herbert, of Jo Marli moored at/in Mahurangi, during the 2019 regatta. Link here to that story.https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/02/05/jo-marli-robert-brooke-mnzm/ She was looking a little un-loved at the time. Harold Kidd told us at that time, that the launch first appears in his records back in 1962 owned by R.R. Miller of 346 Dominion Road and he continues as owner for many years after that. She’s been on the Mahurangi for 10 years or so (in 2019).
Fast forward to mid week and I was at OBC and spotted Jo Marli on a marina berth looking very smart, maybe a change of owner? Snapped a photo thru the glass of her interior – equally smart. Well done to her current custodians. Do we know anymore about her?
17-05-2025 UPDATE – Spotted hauled out at the Milford Cruising Club yard, mid May. Photo ex Jason Prew.
Earlier in the week I was watching Centaurus slide back into the water at Te Atatu Boating Club after her extensive refit and owner Angus Rogers mentioned he was on the hunt for a small winch for the dinghy davit. I dropped into The Slipway Milford* shed the next day and jackpot – hiding in a pile of sawdust were a few ‘old’ boat bits – thanks to the guys generosity I left with the winch below in my bag. A quick clean with WD40 and some steel wool and it was perfect. Mr Rogers was very happy. Beer can below for size comparison 🙂
*Now if any of you are wondering why I dropped into The Slipway Milford……….. I was driving down the northern motorway at 11.55am and the nostrils picked up a whiff of BBQ bacon, a quick exit at Northcote off ramp and bingo – Mr Prew was preparing his lunch – in the interests of healthy eating, I had to help out and lighten the load 🙂
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