White Wooden Launch - Noosa River, Queensland

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I went with for a sunset cruise on the Noosa River a couple of weeks ago with Leeann, my darling wife. During the cruise a white wooden launch motored stately past us. There was the obvious sound of a single cylinder motor luffing over as the gin and tonic set enjoyed their sunset cruise.

From its style the launch would have looked equally as comfortable with a steam engine and a single funnel instead of the single cylinder petrol motor

Do any locals know about this period piece and what sort of motor is installed? How old is the launch?

Kind Regards
Lionel

[bobk]

Lionel,
I can remember them back around 1950's and some were powered by a single cylinder Clae engine!!
Cheers

[JDNSW]

There were a variety of engines that fit the description - possibly the most common being the Chapman Pup, also made in Sydney by Blaxland-Rae as the Blaxland Pup. These were a single cylinder two stroke of (from memory) 3HP. Blaxland also made a twin cylinder that was two end to end, with the crankshafts butt welded together. Reverse was by cutting throttle back to an idle, and a lever enabled the magneto to be rotated 90 degrees, causing it to run backwards at the next compression. They used raw sea water cooling with a small plunger pump with the cooling water exiting into the cast iron muffler.

There were many similar engines used in small motor boats from the 1890s into the 1960s at least. A few were four strokes - had one in my yacht made by Tasman, a 6HP using a Model A piston and rod.

John

[Pedro_The_Swift]

anything like this Lionel?
cute name :)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/01/115.jpg

[Lionelgee]

anything like this Lionel?
cute name :)

Hello Pedro,

The launch in your photograph is pretty close hull wise. The superstructure is different though to the one I saw. One of those times when a camera would have come in very handy!

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I sent an email to one of the Noosa River Cruise companies and I have be given the location where the launch is often moored. I will be visiting Noosaville again at the end of next month and I should be able to take some photographs of the launch and learn more about it. :)

Kind Regards
Lionel