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.

QRLANDO + ORAKEI HARDSTAND UPDATE

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QRLANDO + ORAKEI HARDSTAND UPDATE

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

Maia – 59’ Bruce Askew Cruiser

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Maia – 59’ Bruce Askew Cruiser

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 

Akaroa Classic Boat Show 2023 – Photo Bomb

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Akaroa Classic Boat Show 2023 – Photo Bomb

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

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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

WW story on the Paroa Maritime Park https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/04/22/paeroa-historical-maritime-park-museum/


REMEMBER WOODYS RIVERHEAD PUB LUNCH CRUISE NEXT SUNDAY – RSVP TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

SMOKE & MIRRORS – A Peek Down Below

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SMOKE & MIRRORS – A Peek Down Below

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.

Christopher Grey

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 🙂

Port Motueka Mooching

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Port Motueka Mooching

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.

(photo ex Daniel Prew fb)

Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch

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Older Photo

Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch

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.

Summer Wine Gets Some TLC

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Summer Wine Gets Some TLC

Visitors to {the} Slipway Milford yard last month would have seen the launch – Summer Wine hauled out getting a serious refresh in & out.

Summer Wine was designed and built be Noel May, Buckland Beach, launched in 1993 so slips into the spirit of tradition category .

The weather last Friday when she slipped back into the Milford creek as not very pleasant but she still looked very smart. Launch day photos via cadet WW photographer Jason Prew 😉

In the on the hard photos we also see the 1953 A Couldrey designed, Brin Wilson built launch – Endeavour , hauled out for some cardiac surgery – the engine is being reconditioned.

Read / view more about Summer Wine at 2013 WW sorry – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/24/summer-wine/

Chamberlains Bay – April 2022

RSVP TO1 waitematawoodys@gmail.com

AWARIKI – On The Market

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27-02-2024 UPDATE – Owner has just installed new exhaust hose to transom, new S/S through stern fitting turning. 90deg outside to a flapper finishing inside the belting starboard side.

AWARIKI – On The Market

Two years ago I helped sell the classic launch Lady Adelaide for her owner of 20+ years, my first question was – what’s next – well he was way ahead of me, having identified a very smart 32’ Owen Woolley designed and built launch named – Awariki. It was one of those relationships always meant to happen because back in 1967 Kerry was serving his apprenticeship under Owen Woolley and helped build Awariki. So the DNA was strong. 

When I inspected Awariki she was a little tired, but the bones were there and Kerry was the man to give her a serious dose of TLC. Over the last two years Awariki has had a refit to her interior and most of the systems  enhanced / upgraded – including a solar system and auto windlass – there’s even a custom built in wine frig 🙂

Some specs – 32’ x 10’5’ beam and 3’ draft. Built from Kauri planks. A 6cyl. Perkins 97hp engine (recon 1987) gives Awariki a top speed of 10 knots.

Another rarity in a 32′ classic is her 2m headroom.

Its not often that a 32’ launch with a flybridge looks good to the eye – Awariki carries hers well, everything is in proportion. Check out the last photo with everyone ‘up top’ – as I mentioned – she just looks right to the eye.

So woodys after reading all this its obvious that Awariki is reluctantly on the market – she is in turn-key condition – a wonderful classic cruising launch ideal for family summer cruising in absolute comfort

Interested parties to initially contact {the} Wooden Boat Bureau at waitematawoodys@gmail.com

The Launching of Wynona

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c.1950’s

The Launching of Wynona

Todays story is on the launch – Wynona, in the top photo above ex fb via K Ricketts we see Wynona being launched at Ohinemutu on the shores of Lake Rotorua in the North Island of NZ.

From previous WW stories we have learnt (thanks Harold Kidd) that Wynona was built in 1948 by Sam Ford for the Rotorua Lake Service Ltd., who used her for tourist trips to Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. The colour photo of her c.1950’s is from the front cover of a brochure promoting the trips.

A comment was recently made on WW that Wynona was being restored at Tarakohe marina, in Golden Bay – would love details / photos, so if this is a happening thing and someone knows the owner – I’ll reward a report with a WW burgee.

And remember to RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com for the Riverhead waterfront Tavern lunch cruise  – 0n Sunday November 19th