Halvorsen Centenary
Related topics
Loading...
This summer marks one hundred years since Lars Halvorsen and his family of boatbuilders and sailors immigrated from Norway to Australia, initiating the love of a boating holiday to non-boating Australians.
Our Halvorsen Centenary Flotilla will celebrate this significant milestone with a remarkable display of Halvorsen vessels on our newly restored Heritage Pontoon, highlighting the beauty and exceptional craftsmanship of the Halvorsen family through a myriad of varied vessels. Please note that boarding these vessels is not permitted.
Building our collection
In 2002, the museum received a generous donation of plans, photographs and tools from the Halvorsen boatbuilding family, allowing us to preserve and share this important peice of our history now and into the future.
Australian Register of Historic Vessels
Many Halvorsen designs feature in the Australian Register of Historic Vessels, the definitive online repository for vessels with significance to Australia’s maritime history.
Lars Halvorsen Sons staff at the Ryde shipyard, 1954.
Photographer unidentified, ANMM Collection 00038334 Gift from Jean Cordiner
The Halvorsen-built yacht Peer Gynt and 47-foot motor cruiser Kalinda loaded on the Kanangoora for the American west coast,1950.
Photographer unidentified, ANMM Collection ANMS 1174 [003]–60 Gift from Trygve Halvorsen
The centenary flotilla
Crafting a legacy on water
This gathering of historic craft celebrates 100 years since Norwegian boatbuilder Lars Halvorsen, his wife Bergithe and their family immigrated to Australia in the summer of 1924–25.
Lars and Bergithe, Harold (Harald), Carl, Elnor, Bjarne, Magnus, Trygve and Margit either worked as shipwrights or supported the business. With seafaring in their blood, the family also assisted visiting Norwegian seafarers at the Scandinavian Seamen’s Mission.
The family’s legacy is legendary. Between 1925 and 1980 Lars Halvorsen Sons built 1300 vessels, with many more built independently by Bjarne, Magnus and Trygve. After World War II the family built and operated the famous fleet of hire boats from Bobbin Head, introducing boating to many people who lacked easy access to waters. Halvorsen’s boatyard became famous for their sports and bridge deck cruisers, racing yachts, defence vessels and mission craft.
The beauty, exceptional craftsmanship, design and durability of Halvorsen family craft are seen here, with collectors or custodians nationwide preserving and celebrating these iconic vessels.
Silver Cloud
Silver Cloud, built in 1938, was the largest bridge deck cruiser built by Halvorsen. Often referred to as the jewel of Sydney Harbour, it was a lead vessel of the ‘Hollywood Fleet‘ and was favourably mentioned in despatches when protecting Sydney Harbour from the Japanese during World War II.
In 2006 the vessel underwent an extensive four-year renovation, described as a restoration to the highest international concourse standard. It then resumed its place among the ‘grandes dames’ of classic timber boats.
Kalinda
Kalinda is a bridge deck cruiser designed as job number 977, built in 1950 by Lars Halvorsen Sons in Sydney. It was one of four 47-footers built by Halvorsens in that period as a speculative venture for export to the US market. In May 1950 it was taken to north America aboard the cargo ship Kanangoora by Carl Halvorsen and within one week of its arrival was sold on the west coast to a Mr Cormier, who named it Reimroc V (Cormier backwards). It remained in the USA until 2007 with a colourful history of ownership, with many owners living aboard with their families and pets. Early in 2008 its new owners renamed it Kalinda, an Aboriginal woman’s name meaning ‘the sea’ or ‘a lookout’, in keeping with its sister ship Ku-ring-gai. Kalinda is an example of the firm’s high-quality construction and fitout for their luxury craft, which have become their hallmarks. It has now been restored in Australia and is in excellent condition.
Anitra V
Anitra V is a Trygve Halvorsen design, built by Lars Halvorsen Sons at Ryde in Sydney for brothers Trygve and Magnus in 1956. The yacht has an overall length of 11.73 metres, beam of 2.9 metres and draft of 1.83 metres, and is rigged as a masthead sloop. Anitra V was the overall winner of the Sydney to Hobart race in 1957, placing second in 1956, 1958 and 1959.
Since 1995, the current owner has raced Anitra V regularly in classic regattas and with the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club fleet. In recent years he has taken the boat offshore to Lord Howe Island and to the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart.
Solveig
Solveig is one of the early ocean racing designs by Trygve Halvorsen and was built at Lars Halvorsen Sons in 1950. Solveig completed five Sydney to Hobart races – winning one on line honours and another on handicap – two Trans-Tasman races and two Transpacs, from California to Hawaii. It was then sold in Hawaii in 1955. Bob Allan, past Commodore of the Halvorsen Club, purchased the yacht in Hawaii in 2016 and had shipped it back to Australia for restoration.
Subsequently acquired by Annie Lawrence and John Whitfeld, experienced ocean sailors, Solveig entered and completed the 2021 Sydney to Hobart race, noting there were 38 more modern yachts that retired from the race.
Crest
Crest was Carl Halvorsen’s first 5.5 Metre class racing yacht, launched in 1967. It was later lent to Crown Prince Harald of Norway for the World Championships in Australia in 1970.
Carl’s role at Lars Halvorsen Sons was heavily oriented towards promotion and sales. His passion for inshore racing led him to commission the international 5.5 Metre class racing yacht in 1966, designed by the highly regarded American naval architect Bill Luders. Carl raced one season on Sydney Harbour with the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and then moved to the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club on Pittwater. In 1969 Carl took Crest to Scandinavia to compete in the 5.5 Metre world championships. Also on board the ship was Gordon Ingate’s 5.5 Metre Pam. Ingate won the Scandinavian Gold Cup in that campaign.
Carl brought Crest home to Pittwater and kept racing it until he replaced it with Skagerak in 1973. Today Crest continues to race on Sydney Harbour with the Vaucluse Yacht Club.
Skagerak
The International 5.5 Metre class was created in 1949 to be a premier racing keelboat class. Skagerak was built by Lars Halvorsen Sons in 1972 and launched in 1973. It was designed by Alfred (Bill) Luders and featured a distinctive delta keel.
Skagerak, helmed by Carl, won the Australian 5.5 Metre championships in 1981 and 1991. Since Carl sold the yacht in 2009, it has notched up a further six Australian championships with subsequent owners. Skagerak has two sister boats racing today – Robbie on Sydney Harbour, and Rhapsody, the current Australian champion, on Pittwater.
In 2012, Steve Brajkovich and Bob Stoddard spent seven months doing major restoration on the boat. At Skagerak’s re-launching in early 2013, Carl, then aged 99, gave Skagerak his renewed blessing with a generous splash of champagne. It has since been raced regularly at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.
Marlaine
Marlaine, a 26-foot Halvorsen cruiser, is a classic example of Halvorsen timber craftsmanship. The cruiser was originally commissioned in 1961 by Mr Salmon, owner of Salmon Brothers Electrical Wholesalers in Sydney. Built with a carvel-planked hull for strength and elegance, Marlaine features a spacious beam of 9 feet 9 inches, ensuring stability, and a 3-foot draught ideal for navigating shallow waterways. Accommodating up to five people, the cruiser also includes a hot and cold-water shower and head (toilet), offering comfort and convenience for extended excursions.
Known for their smooth handling and roomy interiors, Halvorsen 26 models were favourites on Australian waterways following their introduction in 1954. Marlaine briefly joined the Halvorsen hire fleet at Bobbin Head as Xarifa before returning to private ownership. Beginning around 1998, it underwent meticulous restoration and reclaimed its original name. The vessel’s petrol engine was later upgraded to a reliable and efficient Yanmar diesel, a common choice among Halvorsens. Marlaine is currently moored in Sydney Harbour.
Kristina
A 35-foot timber flybridge cruiser, Kristina is rare in the Halvorsen fleet for its design as a day cruiser for Sydney Harbour, and is believed to have been built in 1957 under the name Hawthorne. The cruiser has an unusually large saloon cabin and a large separate galley down from the main cabin, both of which support entertaining large groups. Kristina’s large open rear seating area and the upper flybridge (added later) provide additional spaces for people to take in the view or jump into the harbour for a swim! Kristina can be immediately identified as a Halvorsen motor cruiser thanks to its familial bow and stern profiles and white-painted hull with natural timber cabin walls.
"We love that she connects us with the harbour, with Sydney’s maritime history, and with our family and friends who all love to join us on her! She is a bit like an aging aunt or uncle who has just come into our lives, a little bit glamorous, a little bit frayed, yet full of stories which entice and tantalise, whether they be true or not."
Current caretakers of Kristina
Enterprise
Enterprise is a classic carvel-planked 36-foot Halvorsen cruiser. It was built by Lars Halvorsen Sons for their burgeoning postwar fleet and was launched in December 1957. It is one of the few Halvorsen boats to be fully splined. The cruiser spent 46 years at the family boatshed in Bobbin Head until sold privately in 2003.
As a hire boat at Bobbin Head, Enterprise travelled along Cowan Creek and into the Pittwater and Hawkesbury River regions. The 36-footer was marketed by the Halvorsens to accommodate nine people, with seven single berths and a double, and was licensed to carry 12 people. The vessels were available for short and long terms, many being hired for weekend getaways as they were relatively easy to operate with few restrictions. An early Halvorsen pamphlet details the flexibility of the hireboat experience: ‘Escape to unspoilt bays and foreshores. Every day will bring new adventures. It’s all yours in any amount on your Halvorsen Holiday.’
Enterprise has undergone meticulous restoration in almost all design components, including deck, hull and its teak and maple wooden interiors.
Nabila
Nabila was job No 1234, designed by Harvey Halvorsen as a sports version with one plank fewer in the topsides adding to the sport sheerline. It was built in the Halvorsen sheds at Ryde and launched in December 1965. As the bigger sister to the Viking 32-footer, the 40-footers are V-bottom, double diagonal oregon planked and screwed to achieve strength and light weight. Nabila was the first diesel-powered 40 and is fitted with twin 300 horsepower Cummins diesel engines that enable speeds exceeding 25 knots. Nabila has cruised the east coast of Australia from Lizard Island to Hobart, crossing Bass Strait in difficult conditions without a worry. Nabila continues to grace both Pittwater and Sydney Harbour, remaining an actively enjoyed classic.
Nemesis III
Amid the turmoil World War II, Nemesis III was built by Lars Halvorsen Sons as AM 2432, number 42 of the 45 vessels of this type of 38-foot air–sea rescue boats built for the defence forces during the war. Delivered to the military in 1945, the resilient air–sea crash boat was dedicated to the service of the US Army SOS division.
It was based in Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, NSW, and after the war was transformed into a rescue and patrol vessel for the NSW Water Police (1949–65), renamed Nemesis III (a code word from the NSW Water Police).
The vessel has a storied history worth exploring. With its swift 185-horsepower engines and cutting-edge technology, Nemesis III soared through the waters at 27 knots (50 km/h). The vessel and its crew were responsible for saving many lives as well as towing many thousands of pounds worth of shipping to safety and rounding up law. But the story doesn’t end there.
Under new owners since 2019, the extensive five-year restoration program has involved renovation and reinforcement of the teak hull, replacement of the transom and new cabinetry. Moored at the Royal Motor Yacht Club in Newport, the vessel is fully restored.
George
George was built by Bjarne Halvorsen in Berrys Bay, Sydney, in 1958, based on the AT-45 (Army Tug 45-foot) design.
Built as a tug with 13 foot 4 inch spotted gum planks and 11 foot 4 inch oregon decks, weighing 40 tonnes loaded, it was originally named MacPete.
Owned and operated by Mackenzie and Petersen Towage, MacPete towed barges to Homebush and around Port Jackson for Harbour Towage & Lighterage.
In early 1960s, MacPete was purchased by Weyerhaeuser, an American timber and forestry company, and renamed George H Weyerhaeuser, a after a pioneer in sustainable forestry practices and later CEO of the company. The name George H Weyerhaeuser became quite a mouthful on the radio and after some time was shortened to George.
In the 1970s, George continued operating as a commercial tug towing barges out of White Bay, Port Jackson. In the 1980s, it was doing the same in Brisbane, QLD. After time as a commercial vessel, George was sold privately and in 1997 was owned and restored by Mick Doohan, the famous Australian motorcycle rider who converted it to a comfortable cruiser, refitting the superstructure and internal fit out using teak and silver ash.
The vessel then passed through several hands privately and spent some time in Sandringham, VIC, where George crossed Bass Strait to Hobart several times to attend the Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
In 2018, the vessel was purchased by a young commercial Master working in the maritime industry, who spent five years restoring George to meet commercial survey with AMSA.
George is available for charter on the Hawkesbury River from current owner Gumnut Tugboat Charters, who direct revenue back to George to maintain the heritage of the craft.
Tarrawonga
Tarrawonga is a Halvorsen 38 Gourmet Cruiser which was designed by Harvey Halvorsen as Hull Number 1 and built in Nowra in 2003. The boat is unique among the production series in having a full cockpit hardtop. The cruiser is equipped with a Yanmar 6LY2A-STP 440hp turbo-powered engine capable of delivering a top speed of 23 knots and comfortable long range cruising at 12 knots. With a large forward double berth, separate bunk cabin, extensive refrigeration and open cockpit, Tarrawonga is ideal for day boating or extending cruising. The vessel underwent a substantial refurbishment in 2022 and spends time cruising in company on Sydney Harbour and Pittwater/Hawkesbury.
Rosemary
Built in 1963 as Glendabray, job number 1190, for a Mr Fitzgerald, the boat was launched in September of that year. Fitzgerald was a tall man, and the layout was customised with larger windows and more headroom than the conventional 26-footers.
Purchased from Cottage Point as Karani in 2000 by its current owners, it was named Rosemary after their youngest daughter. Today it is moored on Sydney Harbour and used there and on Pittwater as a family boat.
Amicus
The 1985 36-foot twin engine Island Gypsy cruiser was the eleventh of this design built by Kong and Halvorsen, a joint venture company established in Hong Kong in association with Lars Halvorsen Sons and Joseph Kong. Capable of up to 12 knots, it comfortably cruises at 7–8 knots.
Miramar
When the Bobbin Head rental cruising fleet was retired in 2003 Miramar was sold privately, with its new owner embarking on a major restoration project. The cruiser is now moored at Cottage Point and glows with the efforts of knowledgeable and energetic custodians.
