Tag Archives: SeaCraft

SAVING A CLASSIC SEACRAFT RUNABOUT 

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SAVING A CLASSIC SEACRAFT RUNABOUT 

If todays woody was a car the all most blue blood link would double its value. Read below the story sent in by Philip Wilson. 

Philip is keen to talk to anyone with additional info about this boats history.

“Back in the 1962 this boat was commissioned as a new build by the Govt Internal Affairs Dept as one of 4-5 Seacraft boats to be used for a visit by the Queen Mother and her party to Lake Taupo. She was to have arrived by Sunderland flying boat and taken ashore in one of these boats and later taken out trout fishing. This visit was unfortunately cancelled I understand due to a health problem

The boat however was a new build, delivered to Taupo and was under the charge of the Head Ranger, Don Maine.

The boat was unique as it was the first hull built to a new modified design with a double skin bottom, a diagonal inner and a fore and aft outer skin rather than the original clinker bottom of the previous boats. This was to give the bottom additional strength to take the power of twin Ford Consul inboard engines.  This info has been confirmed in an email communication to me from Lionel Sands CEO of Seacraft.

How long the boat was in the care of the Ranger, I don’t know or its history until I acquired it.

I acquired this boat via Trade Me after a couple of year’s research to find it in 2005.

The actual structural restoration took 7 years of part time work with a lot of periods of nothing.

The original cabin and deck were too far gone to be reused but the parts made excellent pattens for the new cabin in Sappele Mahogany.    

Seacraft interiors were very spartan in the day so I adopted a configuration from my days at Fleetcraft Marine in Palmerston North.

The Ford Consul’s no longer existed so I decided to go out on a limb and after extensive research I opted for Toyota Starlet 1300 cc Fuel injected/computer controlled engines of 1996 vintage. These engines are coupled to Hurth 150 V drive boxes. 

Many hours were taken to marinize the engines and custom make all the necessary components to get this installation together.

However the end result is a craft that looks good, retains its original classic lines and is functional and has reliable engineering. The engines have been professionally tuned and adapted for marine use.

Late Nov 2025 I completed to final sea trial with the engines running very quietly and achieving 27 kns at 4500 rpm which is the planned max cruising speed.”

UPDATE ex ALAN CRAIG (Craig Marine) Alan has the other two boats referred to above. 

AFRICAN QUEEN – CLASSIC 1941 CLINKER RUN-ABOUT

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2015

AFRICAN QUEEN – CLASSIC 1941 CLINKER RUN-ABOUT

The 1941 built Seacraft clinker run-about AFRICAN QUUEN has made several cameo appearances on WW.

Starting back in March 2015 and then again at the 2017 waterfront clinker exhibition, link here to that event. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/09/classic-yacht-launch-exhibition-2017-the-nz-clinker-boat-50-photos/

Recently she popped up on a fb page and her owner – Jeremy Longman commented she is built from Honduras mahogany and other hardwoods. 

Forward motion is via a 3 cyl. Sola (Spanish) diesel engine.

These days home is in Tauranga – the top two photos are of her over the 2024/25 summer.

Seacraft Clinker Dinghy For Christmas

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Seacraft Clinker Dinghy For Christmas

After yesterdays mammoth story on the Patio Bay weekend, today we come down to earth with a woody at the other end of the scale.I have been contacted by Jill & Laurie White looking for the next owner of their 10’6” Seacraft clinker dinghy. The White’s used to own the launch – Siesta, but have moved on and would now like to pair the dinghy up with a woody classic or maybe a lake based woody looking for a cool trout fishing boat. Laurie mentioned it tows and rows beautifully.

The build date is probably c.1960’s and a previous owner told the Whites it was built from Sumatran mahogany. Back in 2014 the dinghy was paired up with the road trailer seen in the photos, also available is a Yamaha 4hp. 


So woodys – looking for a fun boat for the xmas holidays? Use it this summer and then pop it in the shed for a make-over next winter. 
Interested buyers – contact initially via email – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

WIN A LAKE ROTOITI CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT 2021 CALENDAR


All correct answers go into the draw for a copy of the LRCWB calendar. Drawn 8pm 08-12-20. Enter via email only – waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Q – Which classic yacht won line honours in last weekends CYA race to Patio Bay?
Hint – you might have to read yesterdays story to find the answer 😉

Mem Sahib – Seacraft Runabout

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MEM SAHIB

Mem Sahib is a 1965 16’ Seacraft Runabout that thanks to owner Dan Kamphuis has been restored to better than new condition, so good in fact that she was an exhibition at the 2011 Auckland Boat Show. The restoration started in 2009 and took 16 months, post the work – Lionel Sands from ‘Seacraft-Hanes Hunter’ viewed the boat and said it is one of the best restorations he has seen in a long time.

In addition to the physical (wood) side of the project, she received new electrics and bilge pump. The zoom, zoom comes from a Mercury 2006 60hp motor that must really push the 16’ hull along.

Dan knows a little about her past and was able to track down the owners before him and these people (EJ & KV Ralph) restored the boat in 1988. They said that they purchased the boat from a Canadian chap in Takapuna and the boat had been sunk on the ramp at Takapuna beach as they had left the bungs out. The wife was holding the rope to the boat while her husband was getting the car and did not realise the boat was sinking! It sat at their place for 18 months before Keith Ralph and his dad bought it. They restored it and sold it to their uncle Frank Mudrovich who left it standing covered outside for years. It was given to his nephew Ivan and Dan in 2008 and put under cover for a restoration project. However Ivan left it to Dan due to other commitments and Dan started the restoration in 2009 and as mentioned above, put it into the Auckland Boat show in 2011.

Talking to Dan, he is a one of those people that always has a project on the go and has the skills to undertake restoration projects like Mem Sahib. I fact post completing the project she has been used very little, but regularly serviced & run.

Now Dan has a problem, the next project is about to arrive & he needs shed space so Mem Sahib must go. So if any woodys out there are looking for a small classic that due to its size & presentation (small amount of varnish) is very easily maintained, Mem Sahib is a great buy at $20k ono. Comes with a trailer that is all registered and WOF and the motor was serviced recently by a Mercury dealer.

Would be a very smart, practical lake boat………….

I don’t normally publish owner details but I like this boat & she deserves a woody owner so if your interested or know someone who might be, contact Dan at mkamphuis@vodafone.co.nz

 

Home Wanted – Seacraft Run-about

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Home Needed – Seacraft Run-about

While out & about Mori Flapan came across the interesting small clinker runabout above, in a café at Rawene in Northland.

It is 12.4′ long and has a steering wheel marked ‘Seacraft Ltd, Auckland’. The history of the Sea Craft Ltd company can be found at http://www.mmsc.co.nz/history Makes for some interesting reading, particularly Yeoman Lionel Sands’ story, and the introduction of fibreglass.

The boat originally was an inboard, but the engine has been removed and transom cut to mount an outboard. However, a rudder with the boat looks like it might have been original.

The café owner told Mori that she is looking to dispose of the boat in the near future. She has had plenty of offers from locals to take the boat and use it as a garden ornament filled with soil and plants, but she hopes that the boat might have a better fate.

If there is anyone interested in the boat, contact Mori at mflapan@gmail.com & he will pass details on to the cafe.

Kayla Rose – RIP

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KAYLA ROSE – RIP

Kayla Rose, a SeaCraft,  is one of those boats that we look at & think – ‘ bugger these launches, I could handle the maintenance on one of those, no marina fees etc’. Truth is I’m sure the upkeep is similar.

I spotted KR at the recent Whangateau regatta & like several others there were instantly smitten.

Keen to learn more about her – possibly Pam at the WTB can enlighten us.

Update from John Sankey
Thank you for putting up the pics on your wonderful website!
A big thanks also to Pam and George for the fantastic weekend Regatta! The weather, wind and company was perfect!
This was the first time back in the tide for Kayla Rose after 2 years hibernating and getting some ‘beauty sleep’. As you can see, the bilge pump was working hard waiting for those planks to start to ‘take up’. She is 16′ and is circa 1962 in Kauri planked clinker with a double diagonal bottom. The engine is the original Ford Consul 4 cylinder by S.A.M. Marine, with a forward and reverse box. I bought her 3 years ago off a friend in Beach Haven who will know more of her history….