Enterprise
Vessel numberHV000801
Previous owner
Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd
(1924 -)
Builder
Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd
(1924 -)
Date1957
DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 10.97 m × 0.91 m (36 ft × 3 ft)
DescriptionENTERPRISE is a classic 36 ft Halvorsen cruiser. It was built by Lars Halvorsen and Sons for their burgeoning post war fleet and was launched on the 3rd of December 1957. It is one of the few Halvorsen boats to be fully splined. ENTERPRISE spent 46 years at the Halvorsen boatdshed in Bobbin Head and was bought in 2003 by Peter and Karen Hosier.
As a hireboat in Bobbin Head, ENTERPRISE travelled along Cowan Creek and into the Pittwater and Hawksbury River regions. The 36 footer was marketed by the Halvorsens to accomodate 9 people, with 7 single berths and a double - and an official license to carry twelve people. The vessels were available for short and long term periods, many hired out for weekend getaways as relatively easy craft 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'.
All cruisers like ENTERPRISE were carvel planked with robust construction in order to withstand their sometimes rough use by those with little or no boating experience. At the time of purchase by the Cosier's in 2003 ENTERPRISE - alongside TOORONGA and PETER GYNT - was one of the last 36 footers remaining at Bobbin Head. The vessel was in poor condition after many years of use in the hire fleet. Since 2003 a near complete restoration was carried out, inclusive of comprehensive repairs to the deck, hull, topsides and a new bowsprit. The teak cabin and Queensland maple interiors were restored by hand in 2005, and new chromework added to the external fittings. Boot topping was carried out on the underwater hull in 2016, with further repairs to the transom in 2018.
ENTERPRISE took part in the Halvorsen show at the Australian National Maritime Museum in 2006 and featured alongside other Halvorsen vessels at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in 2015.The vessel remains in excellent condition, and is a perfect example of a classic Halvorsen 36 footer still in operation.
SignificanceENTERPRISE is a motor launch built in NSW during the late 1950s as part of Lars Halvorsen and Sons post war fleet. It is a classic example of a hire boat from the period, having spent 46 years of its life at the Halvorsen boatshed in Bobbin Head. As one of the last 36 footers from the hire fleet, ENTERPRISE has undergone meticulous restoration in almost all design components including repairs to the deck and hull and a refurbishment of the teak and maple wooden interiors. It has further sat alongside prominent Halvorsen vessels at Australian boating events, such as the Halvorsen show at the Australian National Maritime Museum in 2006 and the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in 2015.
1912
