A World Girdling, MAORI LASS (from Tasmania)
It's not often that you come across a seventy year old, 30ft yacht that’s been around the world. The story of MAORI LASS has some great history but it also has some large blank chapters waiting to be filled by a yachting sleuth with the time and inclination to fill in the gaps.
She was built over a two year period by Ron Andrewartha and his two sons, Tom and Bob at 83A Letitia Street, North Hobart and was launched at Franklin Wharf by the old steam crane in September 1950.
The name of Andrewartha has, for almost 100 years been associated with boating in Hobart. In 1925 James Andrewartha and his son Ronald built the Huon Pine Motor launch ADELA at James's backyard in North Hobart.
The launch of MAORI LASS was proudly reported in the Hobart Mercury.
The selection of timbers used in her construction is a tribute to the Tasmanian forestry. Her Keel and ribs are Tasmanian Blue Gum, her planking is Celery Top Pine and below decks are fitted out in Celery Top and Fiddleback Myrtle.
Her designer was a Mr H. E. Cox, a New Zealand naval architect. I can’t find out much about him except that he was a post-World War II, English migrant to Christchurch, New Zealand, and there are apparently several of his designs still sailing in the area. (Such as HINEMOA) His boats featured regularly in Seaspray Magazines of the late sixties and early seventies.
After the launch of MAORI LASS she became a successful club racer on the Derwent for about 20 years under the ownership of Ron Andrewartha initially and then William Read.
In 1970 she was sold to a New South Welshman and relocated to Port Hacking. At some stage in the early 70’s she embarked on a voyage to the Great Barrier Reef and between November 1976 until November 1982, she sailed from Darwin and circumnavigated the globe via the Panama and Suez canals. There seems to be little record of this 6-year trip in the public domain, apart from this wonderful little article from the Australian Women’s Weekly, August 2, 1979.
When she was found on Pittwater in 1993 by the Barnett’s (the current owners) she was in poor condition and so began a long, incremental but extensive restoration. While continually being improved, she was used regularly by the Barnett’s young family and participated in weekend and twilight racing.
In 2003 the Barnett’s relocated to Hobart and after a 34-year absence MAORI LASS returned to her home port in 2004. She spent eight months at the rear of the Wooden Boat Centre in Franklin where a thorough makeover took place prior to attending the 2005 Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
In September 2017 (67 years after her launch) MAORI LASS entered Wilsons Boat yard in Cygnet for another period of eight months for what turned out to be an extensive refit. This was carried out by Master Shipwright Terry Lean and assisted by current owner, Ross Barnett. Numerous frames and floors were replaced along with top-side splining, new hatches, and a complete paint job. A new aluminium mast with stainless-steel rigging were also added. A new diesel auxiliary (21hp Nanni) has recently been added. By late 2021 the restoration was almost (there is always something!) complete, some 28 years after starting.
As the Barnetts are moving on to a boat more suited to their current lifestyles, MAORI LASS is now for sale in Hobart for $48,000. Not bad for a piece of Australian sailing history that has been around the world!