LITTLE TASMAN
shed photos & info ex Ken Ricketts. Pt Wells photo ex Mark Edmonds. details ex Harold Kidd. edited a lot by Alan H
Back in early March Ken Ricketts dropped in to see artisan boat builder Colin Brown at his Omaha yard. Colin & side kick, Josh, have been restoring the rather pretty 26′ Colin Wild launch Little Tasman. She was named Tasman when built in 1925 for Albert Spencer & changed her name to Little Tasman in 1927 when the bigger Tasman (photo included below) was launched by the same owner/builder. Its said she that LT was a prototype / test boat – Mr Spencer was not short of a few pennies 😉
It is such good news to see whats happening to Little Tasman as she sat on a front lawn at Pt. Wells for a number of years (photo below) & her future was at risk.
In Harold Kidd’s words Little Tasman is ‘pure class’ & whats happening in Colin’s shed is also pure class – the man is one of the best classic friendly tradies out there.
You will see in the above photos that she now has a brand new 4 cyl Nanni 38 hp diesel in place, which should give her a top speed of around 10 knots, with a cruising speed, with her 2 to 1 reduction gear, of around 7 knots. Will be interesting to see her performance as the Nanni is a lot lighter than the old 6 cyl Ford diesel it is replacing.
Her restoration has seen most of her ribs replaced, a full recaulk (no splining), work on the forepeak & bow, a new dodger, very faithfully copied from the original & a full interior refit & partial redesign of the interior layout, for greater space use, & practicality.
Steering will be from the front of the tram top, as it was before, where there will be a large hatch fitted, to the newly replaced, as original, T & G cabin top. Check out the stern photo, classic Colin Wild on show there 🙂
Launch date is fast approaching so we will update on the event.
Read more on her past here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/04/20/little-tasman/
Below is a photo of Tasman that I took a few years ago in Sullivans Bay. She is stunner & on a lot of woodys bucket list.
30-06-2016 – Another great photo update from Ken R of Little Tasman’s restoration at Colin Brown’s yard. Remember click on photos to enlarge 😉
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I have just added to the main story some great work-in-progress photos of Little Tasman’s restoration at the Colin Brown yard. Alan H
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Glad to see Little Tasman getting the treatment. I have admired her since the 60,s
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Ditto Jason’s comment.Can’t beat the tried and true.Also, ( in my opinion) looking down the line a bit,removing cotton and linseed putty in the future will be less damaging to the plank edges than the gelatinous and highly adhesive nature of the modern products when cured.
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Don’t be confused, as Jason says -old school is good.
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old school is best.
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Thanks Alan, I had been looking at his videos and he makes it look pretty easy, ha ha, but I have a whole bunch of people telling me you don’t need to caulk with cotton any more, that the Simson & Sitka products are suitable for filling the seams without cotton – are they right, or should I go old school, or both cotton & Simson? So confused!!
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Hello Mandy
I’m not saying that this is perfect or even good advice (just covering my ass) BUT a ship wright named Louis Sauzedde has 32 videos on youtube that are very informative. Google search ‘Tips from a shipwright’
The caulking one (link below) is good.
Cheers Alan H
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Can you tell me how you caulked the boat please. I am restoring an old wooden boat which has been stripped back to bare planks and am getting conflicting advice re cotton caulking vs chemical.
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Col Wild got really serious with his tumblehome on this one. I thought LM and Tasman had a lot of twist but that is outrageous, and very attractive! Great job on the restoration.
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Wow Colin will make a great job and the hull will be relieved without the weight of that old Henry.
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Looking great! I suppose the new dodger is to suit the owners needs? As she was as per the 1927 racing photograph when sitting at Pt Wells which is quite different to today’s photos (for’d windscreen excepted)
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