Lady Jade

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LADY JADE
photos & details ex John Sankey & John Pryor

A ‘new’ classic was launched last weekend at Hamilton’s Landing on the Mahurangi River.

Lady Jade at 39′ is a Dave Jackson design and there are a further 3 sister ships currently under construction locally.
Her hull was started by local boating identity Col Bell and purchased by Andrew Hamilton when Col struck health problems.
She was worked on by both Andrew and his son Grant over the last year or so. The Hamilton Family have been boat builders and farmers on the Mahurangi for at least 5 generations, starting as scow builders and there are currently 3 generations still living on the property. They have been launching boats at this very un-marina launch site for 150+ years.

The mast on Lady Jade came from the wrecked (rescued & restored) Logan yacht Gypsy. Her bow roller is from the ex Logan lifeboat Tuna. She is powered by a 6lxb. Gardener, an ex show engine from Gardner UK. Supposedly, the last Gardener ever built.

7 thoughts on “Lady Jade”

  1. I am not being picky but I have never seen any reference to scows built by that family but maybe they were employed by Darroch’s or Mieklejohn’s when building scows up there at Mahurangi. And was that Gardner a “show” engine or a “Showmans” engine driving carnival generator or suchlike ??

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  2. That engine actually has a very interesting provenance after it left the factory, which Andrew related to me, which it may be worth following up on, when I was looking over her in his shed one day about 18 months ago. She is indeed a beautiful piece of “history reincarnated” as it were, & as has already been said Andrew is one of the present members of the dynasty of artisans & craftsman boatbuilders, that he has it would seem in turn passed on again to the next generation. His late Father, Ray Hamilton, did a fabulous job of his boat, the beautiful VALRAY, the subject of an earlier woodys post, for those who are interested to have a look, & which I was also privileged to see under construction on the same farm many years ago. –KEN RICKETTS

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  6. Love that look! and her name Lady Jade. I don’t see her being restricted to the Mahurangi though, perhaps another circumnavigation…
    Andrew seen to be his usual cool self ( just another boat built / finished and launched)
    and son Grant must have ticked a heap of units off, if not finished his apprenticeship on that one.?
    Andrew served his apprenticeship under the Greenwoods at the Whangateau boat Yard. And yes we do still have the out house you had to build Andrew and the zip- so the yard could comply to you doing your apprenticeship there.

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