MYSTERY 20’ SOUTHERN CLINKER WOODEN BOAT

Last week WW was contacted by a Christchurch based gent named Mat Pascoe regarding a 20’ clinker craft he had just acquired.

Mat was hoping that the WW readers could help either confirm what he has been told about the craft and / or learn more.

Mat advised he purchased the old girl for $1, with the intention of getting her floating again. The lady Mat brought it off had no confirmed history, her dad was storing it possibly for someone and he passed away leaving the property it was at to her in his will and she wanted it gone asap.

At the time of purchase it was based in Kaiapoi. The river there was a working port up till the 1970’s  so Mat thinks maybe it worked out of there. The seller also seemed to think it came from Sumner, it could have been tied up in Moncks Bay but she said she was just guessing at something her dad told her years ago. 

As far as can be observed the hull is all native timber and it is all copper rove and rivets. The cabin may have been made later as it is possibly pine and plywood. Mat questioned if she may have been a fishing boat at some time. It’s fitted out with a single cylinder diesel. Possibly Dolphin brand but Mat can’t find any info on them making diesels. (Mat is by trade a diesel mechanic)
Mat has had a good dig around and scraped a bit of paint off in the places where you would expect a name would be and has not found anything. 

Mat is 100% she was originally open topped with maybe a small deck at the bow and stern. He can see a change in the wood work in these areas where the cabin has been fitted. Probably explains why it is so narrow in the beam. Mat commented that a lot of the center line is made up of short lengths of timber scraped together as we. It’s like it was just built from what was around.

So Southern woodys – anyone know more about the boat or recognise her.