RESOLUTE

Today’s story on Resolute starts a few years ago at the Devonport Yacht Club – I had Raindance hauled out for the winter & was giving her a big dose of TLC. Nearby Nathan Herbert was working on the classic yacht Kiariki (for the Brookes) & in front of us was this rather big 1938, Dick Lang built, tram-top, straight stem launch, called Resolute. At the time she was getting very OTT paint job, I had never seen a classic receieve as many coats of undercoat & sanding. Her owner Graeme Cooper was a perfectionist . After re-launching, she motored to a berth at Bayswater & to the best of my knowledge has not moved off that berth since.
Now fast forward to the present day & Graeme contacted Nathan & advised he wants to find a good home for his boat. Nathan commented to me that she is quite light for her size & fast.
I have had a nosy around her recently at Bayswater & yes she requires a lot of TLC but as the architects say ‘she has good bones’ + all the big stuff has been done, just needs a good clean, some money tossed at a good wooden boat builder to complete her interior + a paint job & you would have a very smart, quick classic.
The asking price will be very fair & realistic – in my view a VERY good buy for someone wanting a project but not wanting to have to do a re-build. If any woodys are interested in Resolute, contact me initially at waitematawoodys@gmail.com & I we forward to the owner.

I have reprinted part of Graeme’s note to Nathan, that tells some of the history behind Resolute & why she is now for sale after 18 years on ownership.

“I thought I would send you a couple of photo’s of Resolute taken on launch day after her last major refit in 2008 and give you a bit of back ground information.
As I mentioned I am sad to part with her but owing to lack of time I am unable to put the time in to keep her up to scratch and I hate seeing her deteriorating. Its time for someone else to ensure she is preserved for the future.
Resolute is a 34’ by 10’6’’ beam cruising launch, built by Dick Lang and launched just before Christmas 1938. She is powered by a 130 hp S 6 Perkins built around 1952 and driven through a Paragon hydraulic gearbox. she will cruise happily at 9.5 knots and I have clocked her at 13 knots by GPS.

During the above mentioned refit myself and a shipwright friend ( John Mitchel ) replaced a section of keelson due to electrolysis. We built and fitted a new rudder ( the bronze one was cracked ) fitted 2 new 200 litre custom made plastic fuel tanks, 2 new 200 litre water tanks of the same construction. I built and fitted a rimu fridge cabinet which is cooled by a 12 volt fridge unit and rebuilt the main cabin bunks and a rimu chart table with 2 large drawers. The cockpit dodger was modified to improve visibility and fitted with safety glass. A local boat builder (Charlie Webley) fitted a walk through transom and new cockpit covers were made. My wife striped all internal paint from main cabin and bilges and these were everdured and repainted. The prop was also re-pitched and balanced.            

I also carried out a major refit in 1999/2000. The hull was completely stripped of paint, re-corked and the seams filled with Sika 296, the prop shaft was upgraded from 1.25 bronze to 1.5 inch 316 stainless . I  also modified the stern tube and fitted new bearings and upgraded the stern gland to a maintenance free type and installed hydraulic steering. All windows were removed and new ones fitted (not safety glass ) the boat was also completely rewired (some finishing to be done)

The boat will be sold complete with: 8 foot fibre glass clinker dingy and 2 hp Evinrude outboard (hardly used), 30 Lb. plough anchor and warp, smaller danfourth and warp, spare warp, life jackets, fenders, Lowrance 6000 c colour GPS/plotter, Lowrance sounder, Panasonic VHF, gas stove/oven, steadying sail, engine manual and Stanley Bay Devonport swing mooring. and a host of receipts from both me and the previous owner. There is undoubtedly stuff I have forgotten.

Although the boat currently looks sad, the reality is that it is the inside that needs to be completed, the main cabin is pretty much done, but from the bulkhead forward needs work. this includes galley, heads and for’d accommodation, the outside just needs a repaint. You can see that no expense has been spared on her maintenance, I would estimate I have spent in the region of $50,000 plus the original purchase price in the 18 odd years I have owned her. I am not looking to recover these costs but by the same token do not intend giving her away, I am very realistic about her current value and would entertain all offers. Most importantly for me and my wife, is that she goes to someone who is dedicated to her restoration and on going maintenance.

Having written this I am extremely sad at the prospect of selling this lovely old treasure, but I guess its time to move on and let someone else get some fun out of her.”

Harold Kidd Input

RESOLUTE was actually launched on 22nd December 1937 at St Mary’s Bay for Sam Chorley of Onslow Road. Somewhere there’s a photo of me sitting on my father’s shoulders at the launch although I don’t remember it. We lived at London Street and attended most of Dick Lang’s (and C&B’s) launches.
Peter Maxwell of Devonport owned her for many years after 1973 and kept her meticulously (as he did anything he owned). Graeme Cooper assumed the mantle after Peter. She had a Universal 6 petrol engine post war, replaced about 1990 by that Perkins diesel.