Cachalot

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CACHALOT

The name Cachalot has graced the stern of several whale chasers, this one if you believe the 4sale advertisement (back in 2021) was built c.1950’s by Jack Morgan. Sometime in the 1980’s her hull was refurbished (not my words) and then in 1998 the current cabin top was popped on. Being based down south, I suppose the design is best described as ‘fit for purpose’

Sadly several of these ex whale chasers with very efficient, speedy hulls, were ‘modified’ using the following items – a few sheets of plywood and a skill-saw.  Certainly no marine/naval designer was engaged. Then on the other hand we have wonderful examples like – Primadonna.

Cachalot is powered by a 210hp 8 cyl. Caterpillar 3160 engine that gives her a top speed of 12 knots. Probably quite down on her working days.

Ubique

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UBIQUE

The crew behind the Australian Wooden Boat Festival (Hobart) are very clever with their promotional support to promote the bi-annual festival. One of the tools / channels they use is a very cool video series (tagged Boat Folk) that showcases the festival and the people and boats connected to the area. I have posted some of their previous ones on WW.

Todays video showcases a beautiful local built vessel named – Ubique. Very few boats have the pedigree of Ubique both historically and which has spawned a thousand blue water cruising dreams. Famed yacht designer, Lyle C Hess, originally based the design for Ubique (pronounced U-bee-qway) on the legendary Bristol Pilot Cutter – the epitome of yacht design in the mid 1800s to early 1900s. 

Ubique is a sister ship to Taleisin, being commissioned by Brad Hampton via the Shipwrights Point School of Wooden Boat Building at Franklin, in Tasmania. Now, owned by David and Michelle Shering, the boat hosts many quiet family sailing voyages in the Channel. Click play and enjoy – I did 🙂

The dreaded covid was the kiss of death to the last festival so next years event – 10>13th February 2023 will be huge. Hope to be there myself.

Check out the 2019 festival below

Merita – 6 Years Older

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MERITA – 6 YEARS OLDER

The 1965, Jim (James) Dymock built 38’ launch – Merita, last appeared on WW in June 2016 when Murray Morrissey sent in a great collection of photos from her her launch day at Milford, Auckland. I understand that Brin Wilson had a hand in designing the cabin top. Link here to that story https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/06/06/merita-launch-day/

Prior to the above story, thanks to Pamela Cundy, Brian Worthington & Ken Ricketts we got to see more photos of the boat in the 2013>2015 period. Link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/08/24/merita/

Lots of photos & intel at those two links – read the comments as well.

Fast forward 6 years and Jason Prew spotted Merita berthed at Gulf Harbour, looking very smart. Somewhere along the way she has ‘lost’ her mast, but in my view looks better for it.

Nothing Changes Much in 110 Years

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Nothing Changes Much in 110 Years
Most significant transport vehicles in our lives e.g. automobiles, airplanes, trains have evolved significantly in the last 100 years – except for water-craft. Sure we have foiling catamarans contesting the America’s Cup but the above launch designed and built in 1910 still has the wow factor and would turn heads in any bay in 2022. The propulsion has advanced but in terms of drop dead looks – La Paloma is still a 10/10.

I was sent the photo by one of the overseas WW readers who commented that in the Frank Hellsten ‘colourised’ photo we see the boat building team posing at the launching of Josef Jonsson´s motor yacht – ‘La Paloma’ at the Engelbrektsson yard in Örebro in 1910. The owner is on the right with a rope. His sweater is marked with the name of the boat and the letter KAK (Kungliga Automobil Klubben – The Royal Automobile Club). At that time the KAK activities also included motor boats. The original b/w photo was taken by Samuel Lindskog´s and is on display in the Swedish Digital Museum.

Post launching the vessel must have be transported to a port as Örebro, which is conveniently located between Stockholm and Gothenburg, is land locked, (there is a lake). The city has always been a hub for transport and trade and attracted craftspeople and small business. Now days Orebro is Sweden’s sixth largest city.

Little is known of what became of La Paloma other than she in use at least until WW2.

We Lost A Woody Ex Workboat Yesterday

Dave Stanaway dropped me a note to advise that the ex Marine Department Fisheries and Radar launch – Tio was demolished at Pine Harbour yesterday. Dave’s cousin Hamish Stanaway took the photos below. She had been under water for a while. Dave commented that he did his advanced radar course on her in 1982 in Auckland. Neil Lineham was engineer on her. She made an appearance on WW back in Jan 2020.  https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/01/31/tio/
Always sad to see a back hoe anywhere near a wooden boat 😦