Category Archives: Boat Sheds

RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – CLYDE GS 28

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RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – CLYDE GS 28

WW has been contacted by Mark McLaughlin regarding the 25’ Roger Carey built (1949) ex workboat – CLYDE GS28. Mark’s notes below – 

“I have been following the Facebook page of Doug Johnson who is a traditional boatbuilder in Picton documenting his restoration of the lovely little Roger Carey 25ft fishing boat “Clyde”. Originally built in 1949, Doug has rescued Clyde and spent the last three and a half years on a thorough restoration which is nearing completion with launching planned for Labour Weekend. Clyde features in the book “By Boats We Live” by Roger’s daughter, Joan Clark, which recorded all of her father’s designs & builds and designs built by others. The watercolour image is by Joan from her book and shows Clyde’s original working boat configuration” 

Mark also sent in the selection of photos above from Doug’s Facebook page, and commented that there are many more photos and videos of the restoration there, link below  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084924609149  Mark tracked down a copy of the story on CLYDE in the “By Boats We Live” book from his mother down in Marlborough. Photos below.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – REHUTAI 428

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – REHUTAI 428

Last week WW was contacted by Mitchell Hutchings regarding the classic 43’ Sam Ford built (1926) wooden launch – REHUTAI, his note is reproduced below. Mitchell also supplied the photos we see above of REHUTAI under construction and on a cruise.  Sam Ford built REHUTAI for C C Ross of Wellington and when launched she was powered by a 50/75 hp Stearns engine.

“The photos were taken by my Uncle, Peter Parsonson, a Milford resident and past Commodore of the Devonport Yacht Club. His wife, Eva, is shown in some of the onboard photos. Also Bob and Bertie Davidson are named, probably the owners? They look like a happy crew. “

In Sept 2023 REHUTAI was in Wellington (painted yellow) and we learnt from Nathan Herbert that she had has several name changes over the years eg ARAWA, NOMAD, IRIHAPETI. Converted to her current configuration by Allan Williams in Milford, Auckland. Link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/09/05/mystery-wellington-launch-2/

Nathan Herbert pointed WW in the direction of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand (Photograph Collection) where there are two stunning WWII photos on file (last two above) of REHUTAI W428, during her time with the Air Force Marine Section, based at RNZAF Station Hobsonville. At the time she was ‘on-loan’ from Stan Parker.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – AVALON RESTORATION UPDATE # 3

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – AVALON RESTORATION UPDATE # 3

Todays photo gallery of AVALON the 24’ 1954 Sam Ford built woody was sent in by John Dawson and is a follow up to our last update in November 2025 – WW link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/11/17/classic-wooden-launch-avalon-restoration-update-2/

Owner Tobias Forsyth has been making good progress and I love his approach to semi finishing areas while the overall project continues – I’m sure it helps with the motivation.

AVALON is a member of a very small classic wooden boating club – one family owner since new.

Lots of background on AVALON in this 2021 WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/29/resurrection-of-avalon/

Photo below from pre launch day.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH KERERU ARRIVES IN AUCKLAND

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April 2026 @ HMB Marina

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH KERERU ARRIVES IN AUCKLAND

Back in October 2025, Ian McDonald tipped us off that KERERU — a 35’ woody built in 1911 by Chas Bailey Jnr. — was on the market down in Picton.

At the time, we uncovered a rich slice of her history (link below), but by December there was still no sign of a sale. She was then powered by a Ford 80hp diesel and, by all accounts, was a tidy example of a Bailey built launch. https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/10/20/1911-classic-wooden-launch-kereru-a-peek-down-below/

Fast forward to this week, and Ian — never far from the action — spotted KERERU hauled out at Half Moon Bay Marina. A bit of quiet dockside sleuthing revealed she had made the journey north by road from Wellington.

A close look at the latest photo suggests she’s in need of a little TLC — nothing unusual for a 115 year old classic wooden launch.

The big question now is: what’s brought KERERU to the Waitemata. That’s a long trip for a simple spruce-up, so with a bit of luck we may be seeing another salty looking canoe-stern woody joining the local fleet. Can we learn more.

A ROAD TRIP TO WARKWORTH + CEMENT WORKS BOAT YARD

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A ROAD TRIP TO WARKWORTH + CEMENT WORKS BOAT YARD

I had a good reason last week to head north and so took the chance to mooch around the woodys berthed or hauled out in the upper reaches of the Mahurangi / Warkworth River.

The excuse for the trip was to delivery a model of the coastal cruiser VANESSA to the vessel before she heads south to her new Wellinton owner. 

VANESSA was out for a serious service before the delivery crew headed away down south.

Sad to see such a salty looking woody leaving our area but we tend to win more than we lose eg more coming north ✔️

In varying stages of repair were  – NEPTUNE, LADY JANE AND WAIONE. The yard was very busy but I started to itch as I got close to most of the other craft hauled out.

I also popped down to the river and spotted – RIPPLE,JANE GIFFORD, ANAM CARA (L33), and NOW .

CLASSIC YACHT – MAWHITI

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CLASSIC YACHT – MAWHITI

Today’s woody is the yacht MAWHITI, she was designed by E. Mantell Silk and built by William Moore, M. Beck and Arthur Penty in a shed across the road from the Clyde Quay Marina, Wellington. The photo and details comes to us via the Wellington classic yacht trust fb. 

Launched November 1898 she was built as a 2.5 rater and LOA = 35’ and a 8’6” beam.             She wouldn’t fit through the door of the hired shed in which she was built. The landlord refused to remove the doors, so an overnight raid with saws and plenty of tackle saw the wall cut away, the vessel put on the street, and the wall put back before anyone was the wiser. In the photo you can see the vertical cut adjacent to the window in the building behind.

MAWHITI was beautifully finished down to an interior of “red pine” (rimu?) panelling, with areas painted pale green and white with gold trim. Her cabin roof was lined in lincrusta and the skylight was glazed with muranese (also known as Florentine) glass.

She was described by an Evening Post columnist as “the finest specimen of amateur boatbuilding that has come under our notice”

She was sold in 1906 and taken to Sydney, Australia by her new owner – Berkeley Clark. Last heard of in the 1970’s.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH REHIA GETS SOME UNPLANNED TLC

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH REHIA GETS SOME UNPLANNED TLC

Post an oops (non skipper related) at the recent Auckland wooden boat festival, REHIA needed an appointment at the Jason Prew beauty salon at the Slipway Milford yard. 

This 1938 woody is a showpiece of Colin Wild’s design and build team and a big nod to her owners who present her in magnificent condition. 

photo ex Angus Rogers – Rakino Is.

20-04-2026 UPDATE – 3ed and final coat ✔️

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

150 YEARS OF NZ SHIPBUILDING – Reference Guilde

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150 YEARS OF NZ SHIPBUILDING – Reference Guide

Released in 2012 as a compact disc (CD), by Miles Hughes and covering the period 1795 > 1945, this booklet is of epic proportions – topping out at 837 pages.  For easy of reading in todays digital world the ‘book’ is below in PDF format.

The publication contains more than 1,200 NZ shipbuilders, shipwrights and boatbuilders and includes their biographies and the names, specs and first owners of over 5,600 craft.

150 Years of New Zealand Shipbuilding_260414_080355Download


HEADS UP: WW can not vouch for the accuracy of the content and when reviewing the list of contributors , several stood out as ‘being fond of interviewing their typewriter’ i.e. they make up what they either do not know or are unsure of. So woodys best treat it as a guide 😉

WW would be interested in feed back on this guide – maybe chose a designer/builder well known to you and review the content. 

As an example below is the listing on my boat RAINDANCE, some of the content is correct and some unknown or speculation that I have been told over the last 18 years of ownership, but it is very close her provenance.

So the question of the day – is this an amazing reference tool or to use that old school english saying ‘A Load Of Pants’ ?

UPDATE – Still available in print version at Boat Books in Westhaven, Auckland.

CLASSIC WOODEN CARVEL LAUNCH – SEA CREST

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CLASSIC WOODEN CARVEL LAUNCH – SEA CREST

Todays woody comes to us from ’Kev’s Wanganui Riverboat History Page fb via Maurice Sharp.

The photo is dated 1968 and shows the 22’ travel built launch – SEA CREST, being re-launched following a 17 month restoration at the hands of Neville Fitch and Barry Sangster.  The vessel was possibly previously named LAZY EHTEL.

The venue of the event is the Wanganui River.

Can we learn what became of SEA CREST and where she might be today.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

AN UPDATE ON THE SINKING OF CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SILENS 

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AN UPDATE ON THE SINKING OF CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SILENS 

Firstly apologise for the short story today – I was boating yesterday and the day just slipped by.
On the 29 March we reported on the sinking earlier in the week of the 1912 Harvey & Lang built, 38′ classic wooden launch SILENS while moored in Algies Bay, Mahurangi Peninsula.

We received the below note (edited) from her owners –“I’m the owner of Silens and we read the WW article about her very unfortunate sinking last Thursday during the cyclone at Algies Bay. 

Good news is that she was salvaged on Saturday and on a dry dock, we have been working tirelessly since to strip her interior and clean her up, an her engine has been preserved thanks to the amazing team at Marine Services Auckland Ltd for salvaging her, Greg at Lees Marine Sandspit, Wayne at Mahurangi Marine and Dan at Northern Marine Electrical for assisting so far.  We had arranged for her bilges to be serviced on Monday, 3 days prior to her sinking, everything was in working order and can confirm water ingress was the cause of her going down. 

Talking to many locals in Algies Bay since, including boat owners, they advised the have not seen so much rain fall in such a short period of time that hit the area.

We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken, and will do and are doing our best to restore Silens back to her former glory. “
Yesterday I had reason to be at Sandspit Marina and called into Greg Lees yard to view SILENS. I can report that she is structurally in great shape and that the motor has been flushed and running, underway is a complete interior deep clean and thoughts on how to address the electrical areas. I briefly meet her owner and things are still very raw but SILENS couldn’t be in a better place at present. 

I’m sure there are things that were damaged or lost in the process so if we can help supplying any items – I will let you know.