Is This Cutie A Seacraft?
(click on the photos above to enlarge)
The crew at the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard would like some help ID’ing one of their boats. But before I go on, I have to say that this little motorboat has got my name all over it – perfect for Riverhead cruises, gunk-holing around Mahurangi & trailering to Lake Rotoiti.
The question for you all is :
Is the recent WTB purchase, a 12′ 6″ dinghy, a genuine Seacraft and if so, what year would she likely have been built? (there is no plaque on her).
She has a 3hp Normon marine engine, air cooled, which is believed to be her original motor.
Keith, the previous owner restored her and the motor & has her running superbly. He also has a couple more of the Normon motors running. He said she was painted green and cream and that he had striped the paint and carried out the varnishing.
Pam & George feel she has perhaps a little more sheer in her and perhaps not as broad and as flat a stern as the Seacraft boats they are familiar with & wondered if there was some variation in shape through the years?
Pam told me they had some lovely sea trials in her over the weekend & the boat is so user friendly she could manage her by herself.
They envision some tiki touring, sliping in the odd regatta along the way and shan’t be too deturbed if the pretty little thing is not a genuine Seacraft.
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Hi Brian, we think the little dinghy could be one of Percy Vos’s designs. I’m not sure a plan could be found. If you are keen we could take the lines or make some patterns for you or build you one. We know an ex Vos boat builder friend that we could work with.
Well, have fun hunting a plan out anyhow.
Pam
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Hi all,
I’m looking for plans for a dinghy just like this. Found your blog while doing a google search (great read!) Please let me know if you find out what it is and who did it. She would be a cutie gracing a Texas lake or a Massachusetts seaside town.
Thanks much,
Brian Clark
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Not a Parris said Dave.
Might stick her on the mantelpiece for another sixty odd years. Well for a little while anyhow, whilst we get some work done.
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Col Dennes is a God!
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She does have a Parris type stern, although the bow is not as full as he liked.
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Join the queue Nathan – at $1750 (including trailer) is was the buy of the year 😉
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Kicking myself for not seeing this and buying it myself, what a steal!
My friend Col Dennes had a lot to do with Jack Logan, Couldrey and so on so may well remember a thing or two about these dinghys, I’ll have an ask.
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Thanks for the help Alan.
We are just waiting for Dave Jackson to come and cast an eye over her as word is some of the Roy Parris craft had Normans in them.
Shall let you know.
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Thanks to CYA member Angus Rogers, I have had confirmation from Lionel Sands at Sea Craft that she is not a SC boat.
But still a very salty wee thing 🙂
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(Mumble) years ago there was a small fleet of motor dinghies like this operating out of Picton. They were run by a company (Picton Rentals??) from a waterfront building between the launch wharves and Roger Carey’s boatbuiding shed.. Tourists etc could hire them for a day’s outing on the water.
I don’t think this boat is one of them – the transom doesn’t seem familiar. From memory the rental dinghies had more V to their transoms. But you never know …………………
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Jack Logan used to build little clinker boats like this with Norman engines but so did just about every boat builder in Auckland, from Bert Woollacott to Bill Couldrey. Many were retailed by firms such as Wisemans without builders’ plates. In fact, most builders were happy that they were anonymous as they were not always the finest of craftsmanship but churned out as fill-in jobs at so much a foot. There were Norman light motorcycles too, scorned by us Norton, Ariel and Triumph riders.
For the reasons Murray mentions, I agree that this is not likely to be a Seacraft, but a lovely little dinghy nonetheless.
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oops. fixed & not by ww’s resident tooth man, Mr Ward 🙂
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Very pleased that there is no plague in her, likewise I have not seen a Seacraft motor dinghy with that much rocker and they usually had quite flat floors.
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