Images(10)

LYNDENNE in 2012 off Pittwater and Broken Bay

Lyndenne

Vessel numberHV000309

Previous NumberT22

Date1947

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 14 m x 12 m x 3.6 m x 1.8 m, 20 tonnes (45.93 ft x 39.37 ft x 11.81 ft x 5.91 ft, 20.32 tons)

DescriptionLYNDENNE was built at Bernie Berkshire's yard in Prince of Wales Bay, Hobart, Tasmania and launched in 1947. The owner Rupert Denne named it after his eldest daughter Lyn Denne, who christened the boat when it was launched on 22 February 1947.

The 14 metre long Huon pine carvel planked hull had a wet well fitted and was rigged with a Bermudan ketch rig including a bowsprit. It was also fitted with a small two cylinder Lister diesel as an auxiliary motor. Denne fished from it for almost 40 years. It worked under sail over an area of Tasmanian coastline from Recherche Bay up to Low Rocky Point as a cray boat. Later LYNDENNE was used for abalone diving.

LYNDENNE was well known to fishing people in Tasmania, however Ray Singer recalled it as a wet boat saying it was called 'over one and under nine' referring to how it handled waves out at sea. Shipwright Gary Smedley worked on LYNDENNE while it had the Lister engine and considers LYNDENNE to be one of the last cray boats built to work under sail. He also noted LYNDENNE still holds an unusual record, the longest time spent trapped in Port Davey by bad weather. LYNDENNE was stuck for 43 days.

Many of LYNDENNE's original details were modified during its long working life. The wet well was removed after it developed serious leaks due to wear and tear. When it was retired from commercial work it was converted to a motor sailer and an extended cabin was built in place of the forward cabin which was suffering from dry rot. The current owner plans further changes to the layout to suit use as a recreational vessel, which will see LYNDENNE further adapted to the role of a motor sailer. The rig no longer features the bowsprit, and it has its second Gardner engine installed. It is possible that it's original Huon Pine dinghy has been located, and may be reunited with LYNDENNE.

Update June 2023: LYNDENNE attended the 2023 Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart. Since February 2009, she has logged 15,500 NM.
SignificanceLYNDENNE is a wooden Tasmanian cray fishing vessel built in 1946/47, which worked under sail, for one owner, for almost 40 years. The sturdy craft was built to a typical post World War II arrangement with high bulwarks, a wheel house aft over the motor, and a sailing rig. Cray fishing craft were common, hard working vessels around the Tasmanian coast for many decades.