MERMAID

Mermaid started life as a mullet boat (H14), built in 1914. At some stage she was converted to a launch & used for commercial fishing for many years.

She measures 28’ & is made of kauri carvel planked. Zoom zoom is via 1985 Ford Dover 80hp diesel.

With a little bit of work she would make a nice classic woody – winters coming up – a good project.

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe listing heads up.

Any of the woodys able to tell us more about her past, including the days under sail?

Harold Kidd Input – MERMAID was built by Alan Crossley for his father Capt. G P Crossley of Bayswater in 1914, a 28 footer, basically for cruising. She was ballasted with rocks. Her 1914-22 sail number was 120, her 1922 sail number was H14 (28 footers were lumped into the H Class for 26 footers); her registration as a fishing boat in the 1980s was AK1441. The only racing she did was the odd local race with Bayswater Boating Club during its brief existence. Crossley sold her to W. Oxley of Mercury Bay in 1936 where she had one side stove in when fishing. Later owners included Ron Bowman and Max Brown in the 1960s.