THISTLE
Todays post is a little left field in that it relates to a boat in Australia, with kiwi link. I was contacted by Greg Cash who has recently purchased the boat & is trying to find out more about her design & whether others similar were built & still exist today.Alan H

Some history – Cyril Griffiths was born in Devonport (Tasmania) in 1888. His Mother died when was 11 years old. He went to New Zealand to live with an Aunt and Uncle, Sir Thomas and Elsie Mackenzie nee Griffiths. Thomas Mackenzie was Prime Minister of New Zealand.
While he was in New Zealand he was an apprentice carpenter – boat builder.
He went from New Zealand to the 1914 -18 war.

After the war he returned to Tasmania and married Mary Frances Black.
He worked at Waratah as a carpenter in the mine for 10 years. He had 3 daughters.
He built 2 boats at Waratah, including the Thistle (c.1928) using a design he’d brought back from New Zealand -19’8″ in length, 6’9″ beam, huon pine with and inboard motor and sails.
Greg has been told it is a hard chined carvel hull, but knows nothing more than that and anything waitematawoody readers can add would be greatly appreciated.

The Thistle was used as one of the first tourist/fishing hire businesses on the Western side of Tasmania. It later became part of a ferry service across the Arthur River in North-west Tasmania for 20 years (see b/w ferry photo with boat attached), and was the Arthur River town boat until the 1980’s when it was retired to a farm dam and paddock. It was restored in 2011, and Greg bought it in 2014.

I have grouped the photos in two sections – old & as found + today.

As always with ww you can enlarge all the photos for viewing just by double clicking on one.