KEY POINTS:
When Owen Woolley established his boatbuilding business on the Tamaki River, he was just a mile or so upriver from the famous Lanes Motor Boat Company. Panmure and Pakuranga were sparsely populated areas, in the process of being linked by a bridge. Paddocks stretched out on both sides of the river.
Today, the Pakuranga Highway is one of the busiest arterial routes in the country. Yet in the shade of this ribbon of concrete and cars, an iconic boatbuilding yard still exists. And, for only the second time in its life, it is up for sale.
The yard that Woolley established is owned by Leader Boatbuilders' David Patterson, who bought it when Woolley retired in 1993. On offer are the boatyard and nine-boat marina and its adjacent three-bedroom house in Pakuranga, along with the lease from the Auckland Regional Council for use of the water in front.
It is almost certainly the only boatbuilding facility with water lapping around its piles reasonably close to the centre of Auckland.
The 6m high shed has the length to allow craft of up to 15.5m to be built or worked on. Two or three vessels, depending on size, can be accommodated at any one time. Deliveries come via the lane running past the house. A powered chain block suspended from an overhead rail takes care of easing heavy loads inside. The mezzanine floor above the workshop provides an office and amenities. At the eastern end of the shed, another couple of slips are also available for hire.
As well as its position and facilities, the yard has an impressive history.
For example, when Woolley designed and built the 12m twin-diesel motor yacht Adonis 43 years ago, it would have been right at the top end of the range for family boating.
It joined a line of displacement launches instantly recognisable as Woolley's because of their elegant lines, beautifully flared bows and wonderful sea-holding capability. Among his better known: the slightly larger Aries and the somewhat smaller Avalon.
Woolley also built many cruising and racing yachts in his shed on the bank above the Tamaki River. These were built mere feet above the water then slipped straight into the river either to be tied up alongside for the launch party or to begin the trip down past Half Moon Bay and out into the Gulf.
Woolley went on producing yachts and launches here until the early 1990s when the 15.25m Semillon left the slip and he retired.
Patterson, while not a Woolley apprentice, has continued to turn out boats of similar quality. Among his best-known is Alcaro, renowned for its exceptional workmanship; and a canal barge commissioned by a Waikato couple for cruising on the waterways of Europe.
Patterson also built a strong reputation for repairing damaged craft and the shed, its slips and the marina are constantly occupied by boaties doing a traditional bit of DIY on their vessels. It is a win-win situation for both parties: when a job gets too big for a handyman or needs trade skills and specialised equipment, it gets booked into Leader Boatbuilders.
After owning the riverside business for 18 years, Patterson is "going farming" and offering the business and land for sale. He believes it will appeal to boaties wanting their own pull-out and repair facility or owners of larger craft wanting the certainty of space for repairs and maintenance. He also thinks an informal co-operative of boaties could show interest.
Both he and the romantics among us will be hoping it is bought by someone who wishes to carry on the tradition of building fine pleasure craft on the banks of the river.
