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N A V YN A V YM A C K A Y ’ S

One of the great difficulties in life is finding a pastime which brings joy, pleasure and lasting satisfaction. Artistic and cultural pursuits,

gardening, fishing, sports of every description and the thousands of other hobbies account for how we fill in our leisure time, keeping us mobile, mentally stimulated and connected with others of like mind. Finding the right one is the key to life. My particular passion is the restoration of a wooden boat, more specifically, a Halvorsen.

The reason for this choice was the satisfaction of several criteria. A floating hobby shed, with marvelous engineering goodies, all sorts of fascinating electrical bits, varnished timber and chrome fittings, stylish lines and the ability to connect people with the pleasures of food and drinks while swishing over the sparkling waters to serene anchorages. Plus eating in the shade, an afternoon nap spot and a loo with complete privacy. Hard to achieve? Not at all, but the refinement of the process has taken many years and some very interesting adventures.

IN THE BEGINNINGThe Halvorsen story is a very familiar one. A Norwegian migrant family who achieved worldwide fame and the kudos of constructing Australia’s most magnificent cruisers and race-winning yachts which have formed the basis of the great Australian dream. My attraction seems to be one of karmic proportions, having admired these fabulous boats since childhood. With a memory like an ex-wife, I knew them all and could spot them miles away, admiring their timeless lines, beautiful varnished cabins and magnificent fittings. So stop dreaming and get to work.

My first foray into wooden boat land was a 25ft Halvorsen V-bottom sportsfisherman which had half sunk and was a rather pathetic sight. The owner had heart problems, which were further exacerbated by my rather modest offer of $3000, and not a single penny more! A cheque, some paperwork and there I was, all alone on a filthy floating rot box, rusted engine, peeling varnish, ghastly interior and a very limited skill base. Bette Davis would have famously announced: “What a dump!” At any rate, I was off and running…ish.

She was gutted, re-sprayed, new electrics, a new Chrysler 300hp V8 from the USA, new decks and every other conceivable detail imaginable including the addition of a

There is no more hallowed boat

in Australia’s recreational maritime

history than a Halvorsen. TONY

MACKAY has owned nine of

the gorgeous boats and, in an

unguarded moment, explains his

ongoing love affair

PH OTOS : EL L E N D E WA R

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RestorationHalvorsen

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plumbing and timber repairs can be fascinating. Just get involved, turn off your ego and listen to experts who can advise you on the best course of action. With every step forward you learn more, gain confidence and arrive at better and more satisfying results. The removal of fear is greatly enhanced by the support of others and in my case the Halvorsen Club afforded me the privilege of studying in detail, a large selection of boats.

Formed in 1991 by Dr Derek Freeman, who at the time owned Silver Cloud, a 65ft bridgedeck cruiser with a legendary status, the Halvorsen Club has more than 100 members’ boats and has contributed to the preservation and restoration of these wonderful cruisers.

Over the years, the standard has been dramatically raised and some of the boats are literally showstoppers on any level. I am proud to say that many of these have been mine including the 44ft Nooroo II, the 48ft Palmyra and the 65ft Silver Cloud II. In each of these cases, significant restorations totally revitalised these boats and gave confidence to others who may have wavered in the face of the renovation blues. Having a good sense of humour helps and in this regard I have been blessed, being able to laugh in the face of adversity, my own stupidity and at the misfortunes of others. I am amused 24 hours a day!

SUPERYACHT EMMAKnowing all the Halvorsen boats in detail, there are two that I have been particularly drawn to. One is the magnificent 90ft motoryacht Emma which was Australia’s first superyacht. The other is my current boat, the 57ft sportsfisherman Sinana which captured my attention in 1972, and which I

flying bridge which was styled by the shipwright drawing lines on the ply while I stood back to see if it looked right. Typed quickly it sounds remarkably easy. There were lots of mistakes and plenty of regrets. She looked very snappy though.

It was at this point that I learned one of life’s most important lessons with any restoration. One does not have to be clever or original; you simply have to spot what looks tasteful, proportional and generally conforming to the designer’s concept and all the details, properly restored to new condition, all fall into place. Voila! A new old boat.

Sadly, there is no magic wand, other than patience, constant work properly conceived and completed, and the stiff application of the cheque book.

THE HALVORSEN BUGThat was 20-something years ago, and many Halvorsen’s ago (nine in fact) and what seems a lifetime of sanding, scraping, varnishing and chrome plating. Not to mention time and money, and the requisite drinking when the ‘fertiliser hits the aspirator’. Yet there are few tragedies that cannot be repaired and the whole process is very much like snakes and ladders, with perseverance being the underlying theme. It also helps to consider every situation in the pragmatic light of an experience rather than a punishment or disaster. Usually we find our strength through adversity, so the problems and pitfalls make us stronger and hopefully more knowledgeable.

Whenever I hear the term maintenance-

free I usually get out a shovel. Other than some inert items and possibly a quality battery, there are very few maintenance-free things in life. They are usually also totally boring and the whole exercise here is to alleviate boredom and find a satisfying purpose.

I have been completely stimulated by the understanding of engines and mechanical items, even if I cannot fix them. Don’t ask me to do shipwright work either as the results will be quite alarming. My varnishing and painting is to a very superior standard, and modesty prevents me from saying more!

CLUBBINGThe solving of problems as simple as covers or upholstery, electrical concepts,

Clockwise from above opposite: Saloon’s teak table has a mirror finish; There aren’t too many sportsfishers of Sinana’s size that boast a teak cabin; Lounges flank the skipper’s seat in the fairweather flybridge; Brightwork shines in the sun; Sinana is no slouch with 1000hp on tap; Twin bunk cabin is generous.

“…THE HALVORSEN CLUB HAS MORE THAN 100 MEMBERS’ BOATS AND HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF

THESE WONDERFUL CRUISERS”

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other than a few Christmas functions and spent her life under cover in Sydney’s Middle Harbour. Sir Fred only went aboard one more time, in 2001, and passed control to his son who used her for gamefishing.

MY SINANA PROJECTMy custody arrived in November 2007 and we both celebrated our luck. After all my previous renovations and the countless other Halvorsen owners who I had assisted with their work, the Sinana was about to be the beneficiary of my accumulated experience.

Everything was really in good order and

have spent hours daydreaming about since. Today she is in my care, and I can probably say we are both lucky. My heart is full and she is being lavished with attention that a boat of her unique calibre deserves.

Sinana was launched in 1972 for Sir Frederick Sutton, who was the undisputed king of the Australian motor industry with an empire of car and truck dealerships and real estate holdings all over the country. She was the fourth Halvorsen for the

family and at the time represented the absolute ultimate in design, construction and engineering.

“Give me the very best” were the instructions and this set Sinana apart from her peers. Specially ordered Detroit V12 engines, inch-thick teak decks, solid teak doors and paneling, air-conditioning, and a vast array of details take her to another level of the craftsman’s art, hence my long-standing admiration and desire.

From new, a fulltime crew attended

to maintenance and she returned to Halvorsen’s at Ryde to spend winter in the shed with various maintenance matters stringently attended to. Sir Fred was the most meticulous of owners and a man not to be trifled with. Very few guests were ever allowed aboard and she always had an aura of mystery and intrigue, with Sir Fred being something of a recluse.

Tragically, Lady Sutton (Mk II) died from a spider bite in 1989 and his use of Sinana went with her. She was rarely used

she had never been let go, but with me being on the wrong side of fussy, I love to have a good whoosh through and update everything. The only really stupid thing I always do is replace the carpets first, an act of total lunacy which I cannot explain, and then spend the next nine months trying to protect them from damage. This time it is mocha brown Alpaca wool velour pile from South America, laid over inch-thick wool underlay, and if you think that sounds good, come aboard with (clean) bare feet!

Teak decks are my passion and a Halvorsen without laid teak decks is like a Rolls-Royce with vinyl upholstery. Absolutely not on! This time I went slightly mad and removed all the old decks, replacing the underlying ply with

two layers of lightweight hardwood ply, epoxy glued together and to the deck beams, and covered with double bias fibreglass cloth.

Sinana has a false deck head inside and the cavity is filled with thermal insulation to make her supremely cool on the hottest of days. The new teak boards were specially imported by Sydney Wood Industries and they know how fussy I am. The planks are 9.5cm wide and 15mm thick and most are between 6.5 and seven metres long, epoxy glued with no joins or plugs. It is a world-class finish, thanks to John Newport at Castlecrag Marine and my good self as slave. (He should take most of the credit). The decks will easily outlast the hull or any other part of the

“TEAK DECKS ARE MY PASSION AND A HALVORSEN WITHOUT LAID TEAK DECKS IS LIKE A ROLLS-ROYCE WITH VINYL UPHOLSTERY. ABSOLUTELY NOT ON!”

Clockwise from above: Sinana has been meticulously maintained since her launch in 1972 and plies the water like only an Halvorsen can; Plonk a wooden gamefishing chair sans table in the cockpit and fish like Ernest Hemingway; Galley is modernised with Euro stainless steel applicances and custom-made eutectic fridge; New-age electronics, gauges and controls top the helm’s high-gloss cabinetry; Pimms anyone? Beautifully crafted drinks cabinet resides in the saloon’s aft port corner.

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10 HINTS FOR RESTORING A TIMBER BOATFRESHWATER: Freshwater is your enemy being the main cause of dry rot. Have a professional show you where and how it can get in and how to stop it.

FIX THE MOTOR FIRST: Boats must float, run and return you and your guests with safety and confidence. There is no point sitting on designer cushions if the motor stops or the hull leaks.

DON’T BE TOO AMBITIOUS: Too big a boat or too much work, particularly if you are time poor or cash strapped, will lead to tragedy and tears.

COVER THE BOAT: To protect varnish and timber from sun and rain. This will save thousands and reduce maintenance.

GET HELP AND ADVICE: Clubs, associations and working with shipwrights and painters will help you learn new skills to do it yourself. Have others review your work with candid honesty so that you always improve. Turn off the ego.

THE COMMITMENT: Make a firm commitment to the project and do not stop until it’s finished. Half completed dream projects quickly turn to nightmares when you run out of time.

WEIGHING IT UP: If you are not using it, get rid of it, before it turns to junk and is worth nothing.

DO IT ONCE AND DO IT PROPERLY: Cheap Charlies rue the day they installed a dodgy clip or bit of garden hose when the southerly blows in and the motor stops.

BRIGHTWORK: With brightwork, do it in bite-sized chunks. Strip and seal with a few coats before moving on. Do not do the whole job at once. Nine coats if you want it to last.

NUMBER 10: Never stand up in a canoe.

— TONY MACKAY

household capacity fitted to accompany the huge freezer and the 24V bar fridge.

Electronic Morse throttle controls with a handheld remote for fore or aft deck use make handling a dream, combined with the side door access to the foredeck. MTU/Detroit gave the engines a birthday and after only 1700 hours the piston

liners looked like new. The engines have a marvelous and rather sinister snarl and frankly, the whole package looks and sounds like a sexual Disneyland! I may be sued for false advertising.

Marble bathrooms, ironed pure cotton sheets and fluffy towels are in the cabins, with china, silver, linen napkins and long-

stemmed glasses in the saloon. The solid teak dining table has 10 coats of clear two-pack to a mirror finish. A plump sofa of goose feathers covered in linen and silk begs to be napped on, the occupant sinking into an almost

comatose sleep. If you are going to all this trouble you may as well make it luxurious. One friend said as he clutched his champagne flute: “I have always hated boats… but not this one!”

The topsides were re-sprayed with Sterling two-pack and the underwater sections, which had previously been

stripped and epoxy coated, are at racing-yacht finish.

The props are done with the Propspeed antifouling system which seems to be an excellent product. I have personally attended to the varnish, which has been stripped and redone with 10 coats, to a very high standard, even if I do say so myself. Patience is the key and I just love it. I have not seen any other sportsfishing boat of this size in the world which has a teak cabin and such a high standard of construction. Harvey Halvorsen’s lines are both timeless and purposeful, and I always

boat. New teak gunwales, margin boards and king planks were fitted including a new solid teak bowsprit and a polished stainless steel Ultra Anchor, which was the icing on the cake.

The fabulous Detroit V12s were specially ordered for Sir Fred, white with chrome rocker covers and huge stainless steel exhaust risers. Massive steel beams secure them and a further specification of spare propellers and shaft are carried on board. Thirty-six batteries were required to provide 32, 24 and 12V systems, and I removed all this old electrical muck for modernisation. New Lifeline AGM traction batteries give house power of 24V and 240V supplied by the inverter or the 12kVa Onan generator. Creme pure wool carpets are in the walkthrough engineroom, which has a full workshop.

I replaced all the galley equipment with European stainless steel appliances and had a custom-made eutectic fridge with

“... THESE VERY SPECIAL WORKS OF ART SHOULD BE PRESERVED AND TREASURED...”

love a trip in the dinghy to admire the beauty in his design.

At 30 tons and with a deep-vee hull, she slices through chop and swell with consummate ease. The V12s are so willing to please and with the throttles so light it is all just a flick away. With more 1000hp Sinana is no slouch, but please don’t mention the fuel consumption as I may cry. Actually, I am not in a hurry so we swish along at about nine knots most of the time. Happiness is not about the destination, it is about the journey.

For me, the whole process is an absolute joy. I have pride in my achievements, a floating luxury apartment in which to entertain and keep friends connected, a recession-proof jewel and a tangible way of communicating to others that these very special works of art should be preserved and treasured not only for the boat, but for the passion involved in their design, construction and ownership.

I truly believe that we energise these things through our passionate ownership and this has been reflected in the warmth and feeling registered by all those who come aboard. It has been an extremely

Clockwise from top: Lower helm is ahead of the saloon’s plump sofa of goose feathers covered in linen and silk; Staircase has a solid wood balustrade; Teak decks were replaced for a world-class finish; Bathrooms have marble topped vanities and shower stalls; Teak paneling surround this cabin’s plush bed; Icing on the cake. A stainless steel Ultra Anchor adorns the new teak bowsprit.