Tag Archives: Omicron

IF YOU THOUGHT CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCHES WERE LOW PRICED – Check out OMICRON

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IF YOU THOUGHT CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCHES WERE LOW PRICED – Check out OMICRON

The 20’ classic sloop OMICRON was built in 1945 to a Harrison Butler design at the Percy Vos yard in Auckland. She made a cameo appearance on WW back in November 2019. 

Full length 1” kauri planking, kauri deck and teak cabin and cockpit coamings + all the proper metals in the bolts and rivets.

As testament to her build and easy of sailing this 20’ has even been offshore.

And the added bonus is a purpose built road trailer.

Her tme listing mentions she needs some TLC so its safe to assume todays photos are not recent.

OMICRON is one of those classics that look perfect from any angle.

At sub $30k someone needs to buy this woody, its so much boat and drop did gorgeous 🙂

Whangarei Town Basin 1943

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Screen Shot 2019-11-23 at 5.04.09 AM

Whangarei Town Basin 1943


Todays photo, ex the Navy Museum, is captioned  ‘ Outer Patrol Launches Whangarei c.1943’. We have an interesting mix of vessels tied up.
The two on the right should be easy to ID – being Q Class patrol vessels i.e. motor launches built in the 1930s and used by the NZ Navy during WW2. John Clarke has supplied ex this site, a listing – Amakura Q04, Lady Gay Q00, Lady Margaret Q08, Lady Shirley Q11 later Q12, Maristella Q02, Movarie Q05 , Rawea Q06, Shenandoah Q03, Te Rauparaha Q07, Wirihana Q01. All navy inner and outer patrol vessels. John commented that if the WW list is correct, the vessels moored at the head of the line in the photo would be Maristella (Q02) and Lady Shirley (Q12). Maristella was a 40 footer, built by Sam Ford in December 1936 for Mr R.W. Wills of Epsom and fitted with a 50hp Ailsa Craig diesel. During WW2 RNZN patrol service she was fitted with a Gray for spares rationalization purposes. Lady Shirley was a 36 footer, built for Mr C Sinel of Auckland by C Bailey & Son in 1938. Both are still afloat and well-loved launches, search their names in the WW search panel for more photos / info.
 
Are we able to ID the launches astern of the Q Class boats?
 
I was contacted last week by Whangarei boatbuilder, Mike Hughes with a heads up that the little Harrison Butler ‘Omicron’ (below) was back in Mike’s workshop for a little regular maintenance.

She is a rather pretty looking yacht – but she should be given she was built by Percy Voss in 1945.
Omicron is kept at Parua Bay, Whangarei.
 
annual maintenance