Tag Archives: Tad Roberts

HALVORSEN 21 – Classic Australian Wooden Boating

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HALVORSEN 21 – Classic Australian Wooden Boating

On one of my many scrolls thru the classic wooden boating online world I came across a story by Tad Roberts, an American yacht (the generic USA term for all boats) designer. Tad was talking about the iconic Australian boating marquee – Halvorsen. 

Several of their craft have appeared on WW, but Tad’s focus was on the Halvorsen 21’, and he advised that the craft were built from the late 1940’s and were available with both a broken and straight steer. Tads preference was the broken sheer version, commenting that ‘it carries a bit more strength of character’.

Else where on the story we learned that the 21’ launch had a beam of 7’3” and was originally powered by petrol engines of around 50hp.

Back in Nov 2023 WW ran a story on the Halvorsen boating dynasty, which included a wonderful video by Tony Mackay.                 LINK to the WW story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/11/04/the-halvorsen-story/

These smart looking woodys were years ahead of the market, and sadly we never had anything similar in NZ. If had and they were still around today – the Wooden Boat Bureau would be able to sell them in a flash 🙂

The colour photos above feature the launch – GLENORIE. The black and white photo below is of the Halvorsen yard in Neutral Bay, Sydney c.1936

MAXIE

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MAXIE

Just when you think you know all the classic wooden boats out there (well at least all the pretty ones) up pops another.

Todays woody comes to us via the USA, boat designer Tad Roberts posted the story of MAXIE on fb.

Tad told us that MAXIE was designed and built by the Logan Brothers 1903. She was rebuilt with a larger deckhouse to the drawings of Bruce Askew in the early 1990’s.

She measures 36’ x 7’ and is built of double-planked kauri.

Power is a 65hp Ford diesel with a 2:1 reduction gear turning 13’x18’ prop, giving her a max speed of 10 knots. Comfortable cruising is 9 knots at 1750 rpm.

I did some sniffing around in the WW back library and discovered that back in Feb 2018 we had a wonderful insight into MAXIE’s past from Greg Noble – lots of details and photos at the WW link below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/02/12/mavis/

You’ll sell how todays photo didn’t jog my memory.

So woodys – where is MAXIE these days.

INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – Lake Taupo. MAXIE has been here for many years. She berths next to ROMANCE and gets a lot of attention from passers-by for all the wrong reasons. She has been neglected for a long time and is covered in lichem (moss) and the rest. Until yesterday. Her owner started a major cleaning job yesterday. She will clean up really well and then she may be for sale. Better days ahead for MAXIE. She deserves it.

INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – MAXIE was bought by a Wellington buyer and arrived from the Sounds in 1923. She was later put up for sale as Logan-built. Going back to 1903, H.H. Harris of Pelorus ordered a 30ft launch from Logan Bros which was shipped to Picton in October 1903. Harris called her LIGAR. In 1904 he ordered another launch from Logan Bros, a 36 footer which was “similar to MATAREKA”. I am certain he named her LIGAR as well and that she was/is MAXIE. I don’t know who christened her MAXIE, possibly the Kennys. PS MAXIE could have been named after the racehorse Marvin Maxie a leading thoroughbred around 1920. The Kennys were too late on the Picton waterfront scene to have been involved.

28′ Coastal Cruiser

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28’ Coastal Cruiser
Recently American boat designer, Tad Roberts, posted the above design sketch on fb, Tad commented that she was a coastal cruiser in classic British Colombia style. In my eyes, just about perfect – a Gardner 3lx tucked under the pilot house sole and I’d be disappearing over the horizon 🙂 I had better keep buying Lotto.


I shared the sketch with Dean Wright, who shares my passion for converted workboats and Dean sent me the photo below that he took of the launch – Georgia, that has been in the Bay of Islands approx 5 years ago. A pretty boat.