Salamander
Vessel numberHV000389
Vessel Registration NumberHALV62N
Builder
Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd
(1924 -)
Designer
Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd
(1924 -)
Previous owner
Halvorsen Boats
Date1962
DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 11.43 m x 10.67 m x 3.73 m, 16.26 tonnes (37.5 ft x 35 ft x 12.25 ft, 16 tons)
DescriptionSALAMANDER was job number 1175, completed by Halvorsens for its owner Mr Ross on the 17th of August 1962. It is planked in Oregon on hardwood frames with a planked cabin side. Mr. Ross asked for bow lights set into the topsides near the stem, a spot light, twin Chrysler engines, 100mm (4 in) extra headroom and a double layered roof. The roof was one of the first examples of roofing fibreglass being used by Halvorsens. 1950s construction of the cambered top panel had featured plywood, canvas and the legendary multi-purpose paint, silverfrost. For SALAMANDER's roof, the basis of the structure was two layers of plywood separated by 20 mm thick battens, with the exterior of the sandwich panel fibreglassed.
SALAMANDER was shipped to Eildon Weir in Victoria where it cruised the lake and dam for 10 years. In 1972 it was bought back by Halvorsens who intended to add it to their hire fleet on the Hawkesbury River and Cowan Creek north of Sydney. However before it joined the fleet it was sold to Mr. Anderson who took the cruiser to Gosford and Brisbane Waters. In 1974 Ian Drew bought the boat for use on nearby Pittwater, and during his 20 year ownership he replaced the engines with Chrysler Nissan diesels. David Booth bought SALAMANDER in 1994 and won four Halvorsen Club events. John Lockwood from the Royal Motor Yacht Club became the owner in 2004.
Bruce and Di Woodward purchased SALAMANDER in 2006 and she was moved to KMYC Cottage Point. Following the sale to its current owner in 2013 the engines were replaced with twin Yanmars, teak decks replaced and a hull repaint took place.
In 2016, Salamander remained in excellent condition cruising the Halvorsen home grounds from her base at Cottage Point.
SignificanceSALAMANDER is a Halvorsen 37 Special built by Lars Halvorsen Sons at Ryde NSW in 1962. It was one of only two modified versions of their Standard 36 foot design (11.27 m) and demonstrates the craftsmanship typical of Halvorsen craft of all sizes. While most Halvorsen craft were used on coastal waterways, SALAMANDER was initially used on freshwater Lake Eildon in Victoria.
