SOS Kalua
Contributed by Malcolm Lambe
Another Classic needs saving
KALUA 38 ft ketch built over five years at Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania during the Second World War and launched in 1944. Owner/builder Don McAllister - the brother-in-law of Jock Muir. Originally intended as a fishing boat based on a Norwegian double-ended design. Hull planking was Huon Pine.
Competed in the Second Sydney-Hobart in 1946 - with 90 year old navigator Tom Spalding. She was forced to retire due to a faulty compass. (There were 19 starters in that race - including the 8M DEFIANCE - eight vessels retired.)
Sailed to Sydney in 1948 and sold to John Tennant. Sold again the following year and sailed to Auckland, New Zealand in 1950. Later sailed to Hawaii and then was based in French Polynesia with current owner Juha Sironen.
He writes - “I have owned Kalua since 2007. I sailed her extensively around the Hawaiian Islands for many years and finally to Tahiti in 2012. More sailing was done around the Society Islands.
In 2019 I decided to sail her to Finland to rebuild her at the Kotka wooden boat Center and sail her the rest of my years around areas of my beloved childhood waters.
My problems started when crossing from Port Moresby to Thursday Island in 2020. The plan was to have just a stopover on Thursday Island and continue to Indonesia. Unfortunately one corner of the engine got loose from the engine bed resulting in the whole engine vibrating more then usual with the prop shaft moving and eventually breaking the cutlass bearing. Kalua started to take on water and as weird as it sounds there were no facilities of any kind to get her lifted up in Thursday Island. So she was towed to Cairns (AU$10.000).
In Cairns Bio-Security came on board and discovered old termite trails and the boat was immediately quarantined. I want to state that KALUA had no termites onboard. They declared KALUA a bio-security risk and stated that there was a termite infestation even without finding any termite nest, sawdust, living termites or even dead termites.
After 3 years of negotiations to save KALUA from being destroyed by the authorities we came to an agreement and KALUA was fumigated just a couple of weeks ago and then released by Bio-Security. That cost another AU$10.000.
My original plans are not feasible anymore and I am tired. I have brought KALUA home and there she will stay. I will auction her as soon as I get import approval. I am currently waiting on response from a local Marine Surveyor in Cairns who will do a Valuation Survey for Australian Customs and then we will continue from there. I have hired an agent to do all necessary paperwork.
KALUA had a total refit in Hawaii between 2002 - 2007. Over 90% of her ribs were replaced with laminated oak ribs. All this is documented. Maybe around 60% percent of her planking is still original Huon Pine.
For an overall idea of her current condition. I was still awhile ago thinking that I will come to Cairns for 2 months and fix her up and put her back in the water. I calculated that I need one good helper with good overall shipwright skills to assist me in that 2 month period. She has suffered for standing on the hard almost 3 years. And now must be auctioned unless someone wants to make me an offer. “
