Yum Yum, John Waymouth Sr’s last design, built by son John and launched just after John Sr’s death. Yum Yum was built to rival Gloriana (Logan Brothers) and Rogue (Charles Bailey Jr), but she was never as competitive as expected, despite her radical rig.

Photograph by Henry Winkelmann, reproduced courtesy of Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira, Henry Winkelmann Collection (VM331/Y94) / Profiles: Photographer unknown, reproduced courtesy of Harold Kidd

Seagull was built by John Waymouth Jr as a fishing vessel for J. Knox in 1883. The Waymouths bought her back in 1888, renamed her Mapu, and rerigged her to compete with Robert Logan Sr’s Jessie Logan. However, Mapu failed to match the Logan yacht.

Photographer unknown, reproduced courtesy of Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira (VM331/M354)

JOHN AND JOHN WAYMOUTH

John Sr (1821–1892)
John Jr (1845–1916)

Successful amateur designer John Waymouth Sr was a founder of the sport of yachting in New Zealand. His son John became an established boatbuilder on his own account.

Auckland accountant

John Waymouth emigrated from England to Auckland in 1859. He brought with him his young family, including 13-year-old John Jr.

John Sr worked as an accountant in Auckland, soon becoming highly respected in settler society. During the New Zealand Wars, the government made him Under-Secretary of Defence.

Sailor and amateur yacht designer

A keen sailor, John Sr was secretary of the Auckland Regatta Committee. He was honoured with the position of Commodore of the Auckland Yacht Club (now the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron) from 1888 to 1890.

He studied naval architecture and designed various racing yachts in his spare time. They began with Glitter (1863) and ended with Yum Yum (1892), launched just after his death.

Image 1_Portrait of John Waymouth SNR.jpg

John Waymouth Sr.

Photographer unknown, reproduced courtesy of Harold Kidd

JOHN AND JOHN WAYMOUTH

Boatbuilding sons

John Waymouth Jr built most of John Sr’s designs. John Jr started a boatbuilding apprenticeship with Henry Niccol in 1861. When Niccol moved his yard to the North Shore, John Jr decided not to continue with him.

John Jr was subsequently charged with absconding his apprenticeship – a charge that was later dismissed. Around that time, in 1865, he opened his own boatyard. One of the first vessels he built was a 4.5-ton yacht that he named Absconder!

His brother Bernard joined the business and designed several yachts in the mid 1890s, but tragically drowned at the age of 26. His youngest brother, Oliver (‘Noll’), was a fine amateur designer and yachtsman too.

Taking on the Logans and Baileys

The Waymouths’ smaller yachts competed against the famous Bailey boats in the 1880s. Their larger yachts of the 1890s rivalled both Logan and Bailey designs.

However, the Waymouths were generally less known than these big names in yachting, much like their contemporaries the Le Huquets.

Image 2_Portrait of John Waymouth JNR.jpg

John Waymouth Jr.

Photographer unknown, reproduced courtesy of Harold Kidd

ON DISPLAY

See the half-model of a schooner designed by John Waymouth Sr in Rise of a Yachting Nation.