Halvorsen Boats
Halvorsen Boats traces its roots to 1887 when Halvor Andersen a farmer launched his first wooden craft near Arendal in the south of Norway. His son Lars followed in his father's footsteps and became a boat builder. After Lars lost his fortune in the sinking of an uninsured sailing ship Nidelv on its maiden voyage, Lars moved from Norway to Cape Town, South Africa in 1922 to start over. Lars built a successful business repairing lifeboats damaged on the voyage to Cape Town, but with five sons, realized there would not be enough business there to support them all.
History
Lars and his eldest son Harold settled in Sydney in 1924, and the rest of the family arrived in 1925. From 1925 through 1980 the family enterprise built over 1500 craft "[making] the Halvorsen name an Australian byword for quality and style."
During World War II, the Halvorsens built more than 250 boats for the American, Netherlands, and Australian armed forces employing a staff of 350 tradesmen at a shipyard in Ryde, New South Wales.[2] During World War II, 178 air-sea rescue Halvorsen craft defended Sydney Harbour and Australia.[1] Halvorsen also built 11 110 foot "Fairmile B" cruisers for the war effort. These saw active service in the north of Australia and in New Guinea area. When Lars died in 1936, his eldest son Harold took over as managing director of the newly formed company, Lars Halvorsen Sons, Pty. Ltd. and continued as designer for most of the wartime vessels as well as commercial and pleasure boats. In recognition of his contribution to the war effort Harold was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2000,[3] while previously Carl Halvorsen had been made a Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald in 1991.[2]
After World War II the company acquired a lease at Bobbin Head located north of Sydney in the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. The family built a fleet of approximately two hundred hire boats. The hire boat operation was the world's largest privately owned fleet of its time.[3] In 2000, ninety of their classic boats held a regatta on the Hawkesbury River to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the family in Australia and Harold Halvorsen's ninetieth birthday.[1]
America's Cup
In 1962, Lars Halvorsen Sons, Pty. Ltd. built Gretel the first Australian challenger for the America's Cup. This was the beginning of an era which eventually resulted in the wrestling of the "Auld Mug" from the New York Yacht Club by Australia, after 132 years by Australia II.
Sydney to Hobart
In 1963, 1964, and 1965, Lars' sons Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen won three Sydney to Hobart races while sailing Freya designed by Trygve and built by Lars Halvorsen Sons, Pty. Ltd. They still hold the record for three consecutive Sydney to Hobart wins.
Global expansion
In the 1960s Harold's son Harvey Halvorsen became the company designer, and in 1975 he formed a joint venture between Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty. Ltd. and Joseph Kong, former General Manager of American Marine Company, in Hong Kong to design, build and market a new range of pleasure boats worldwide. The company was called Kong & Halvorsen Marine & Engineering Company, Ltd. and over the next two decades, hundreds of craft ranging from 30 to 134 ft (9.1 to 40.8 m) were built under the Kong & Halvorsen, Island Gypsy, and Halvorsen brand names. At present over 900 Halvorsen Boats have been built in China and exported worldwide. In 2000, Kong & Halvorsen Marine's 20 year contract with the Chinese government expired, and the factory was closed. However, Harvey and his son Mark Halvorsen continued to build boats by contracting to approved yards where they launched two additional new models, the Gourmet Cruiser and the Solo, a passage maker.
Present
In 2004-05, the Australian National Maritime Museum held an exhibition on Halvorsen Boats entitled Dream Boats and Work Boats - The Halvorsen Story.[4] Mark Halvorsen owns Halvorsen Boat Sales which has largely become a boat importing business and specialist in the restoration of vintage Halvorsen Boats.
Article from Afloat Magazine. May 2006
By Gregory Blaxell*
On 28 July 1930, the Halvorsens became Australian citizens. But it was also the time of the Great Depression and business was very slow. Each strand of the Halvorsens business operated but things were tight. One innovation was the building and operating of a sleek speedboat named Kangaroo that took joy riders for a high-speed spin around the harbour.
With Carl at the wheel, the speedboat did brisk business from Watsons Bay, then Balmoral Beach and on the opening of the Harbour Bridge, from Farm Cove. This tourist attraction tided them over during the worst of the Depression.
Business began to pick up in 1934 and by this time the name Halvorsen was synonymous with quality boat building. A new, extended boat shed was built in 1935 at Neutral Bay. Many famous boats were built there including a sleek yacht built in their spare time by Lars three sons, Bjarne, Magnus and Trygve. They called their racer Enterprise.
Lars became ill in 1936 and was diagnosed with osteomyelitis. He died on 5 October 1936 aged 49.
Two of the younger Halvorsen brothers, Magnus and Trygve left the firm in the 1960s to start their own boat building business. Bjarne had already left in the 1940s. Thus Harold and Carl, assisted in the design area by Harvey, carried on the business of Lars Halvorsen Sons at Ryde and Bobbin Head. By this time, Carl managed the Bobbin Head facility.The last of the great wooden boats, launched in 1976 at Ryde, was Emma, designed by Harvey Halvorsen. The shed at Ryde began winding down from that time and by 1979, work had ceased there. In 1980, the Ryde yard was sold to Royal Australian Navy and Harold and Harvey joined Carl at Bobbin Head.
In 1975, Lars Halvorsen Sons entered into a joint venture with a Hong Kong company. The new company, Kong & Halvorsen Marine & Engineering Company Limited was based in Hong Kong and between 1975-1990 built boats under the Island Gypsy name.
In 1980, with new partners, the company began building boats in Shekou, a port in mainland China. The company constructed boats to Halvorsen designs. The fi nished boats were sent to Hong Kong to be checked and then exported to buyers. Mark Halvoresn (Harveys son) managed the Hong Kong operation from the mid 1980s and still runs the overseas division.
Mention has been made of the sailing prowess of Magnus and Trygve Halvorsen, but Harold and Carl were also excellent sailors and both excelled in their chosen class. They concentrated more on harbour sailing rather than offshore sailing, but they designed and built the very successful Dragon and 5.5m class boats.
Carl was also instrumental in refurbishing Kathleen Gillett that became the Norwegian governments gift to Australian for the 1988 bicentenary celebrations. The restoration took three years and when she was finished she sailed to Sydney to her new home at the Australian Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour.
Carl was made a Knight, First Class, of the Royal Order of Merit, the highest honour that the King of Norway can bestow. This was not only for his restoration of Kathleen Gillett but also his work as a director of Lars Halvorsen Sons, his contribution to sailing in Norway and Australia and for his promoting of Norwegian-Australian relations.
Harold Halvorsen continued to work at Bobbin Head beyond his 90th birthday in April 2000 but died at home in November of that year.
The fleet of Halvorsen cruisers that operated so successfully from Bobbin Head was retired in 2003. However, there is a very active Halvorsen Club made up of owners of Halvorsenbuilt wooden boats. Words from its Commodore seem to sum up why these boats are so loved and sought after.
They got the lines right they looked good from every angle and it usually followed that they performed well too, he said.
The quality and integrity never varied. The standard of finish and fittings was unsurpassed glistening teak, maple and mahogany panelling, French-polished interiors, custom made metalwork were all a cut above the rest.
NB: Article from Afloat Magazine.
History
Lars and his eldest son Harold settled in Sydney in 1924, and the rest of the family arrived in 1925. From 1925 through 1980 the family enterprise built over 1500 craft "[making] the Halvorsen name an Australian byword for quality and style."
During World War II, the Halvorsens built more than 250 boats for the American, Netherlands, and Australian armed forces employing a staff of 350 tradesmen at a shipyard in Ryde, New South Wales.[2] During World War II, 178 air-sea rescue Halvorsen craft defended Sydney Harbour and Australia.[1] Halvorsen also built 11 110 foot "Fairmile B" cruisers for the war effort. These saw active service in the north of Australia and in New Guinea area. When Lars died in 1936, his eldest son Harold took over as managing director of the newly formed company, Lars Halvorsen Sons, Pty. Ltd. and continued as designer for most of the wartime vessels as well as commercial and pleasure boats. In recognition of his contribution to the war effort Harold was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2000,[3] while previously Carl Halvorsen had been made a Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald in 1991.[2]
After World War II the company acquired a lease at Bobbin Head located north of Sydney in the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. The family built a fleet of approximately two hundred hire boats. The hire boat operation was the world's largest privately owned fleet of its time.[3] In 2000, ninety of their classic boats held a regatta on the Hawkesbury River to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the family in Australia and Harold Halvorsen's ninetieth birthday.[1]
America's Cup
In 1962, Lars Halvorsen Sons, Pty. Ltd. built Gretel the first Australian challenger for the America's Cup. This was the beginning of an era which eventually resulted in the wrestling of the "Auld Mug" from the New York Yacht Club by Australia, after 132 years by Australia II.
Sydney to Hobart
In 1963, 1964, and 1965, Lars' sons Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen won three Sydney to Hobart races while sailing Freya designed by Trygve and built by Lars Halvorsen Sons, Pty. Ltd. They still hold the record for three consecutive Sydney to Hobart wins.
Global expansion
In the 1960s Harold's son Harvey Halvorsen became the company designer, and in 1975 he formed a joint venture between Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty. Ltd. and Joseph Kong, former General Manager of American Marine Company, in Hong Kong to design, build and market a new range of pleasure boats worldwide. The company was called Kong & Halvorsen Marine & Engineering Company, Ltd. and over the next two decades, hundreds of craft ranging from 30 to 134 ft (9.1 to 40.8 m) were built under the Kong & Halvorsen, Island Gypsy, and Halvorsen brand names. At present over 900 Halvorsen Boats have been built in China and exported worldwide. In 2000, Kong & Halvorsen Marine's 20 year contract with the Chinese government expired, and the factory was closed. However, Harvey and his son Mark Halvorsen continued to build boats by contracting to approved yards where they launched two additional new models, the Gourmet Cruiser and the Solo, a passage maker.
Present
In 2004-05, the Australian National Maritime Museum held an exhibition on Halvorsen Boats entitled Dream Boats and Work Boats - The Halvorsen Story.[4] Mark Halvorsen owns Halvorsen Boat Sales which has largely become a boat importing business and specialist in the restoration of vintage Halvorsen Boats.
Article from Afloat Magazine. May 2006
By Gregory Blaxell*
On 28 July 1930, the Halvorsens became Australian citizens. But it was also the time of the Great Depression and business was very slow. Each strand of the Halvorsens business operated but things were tight. One innovation was the building and operating of a sleek speedboat named Kangaroo that took joy riders for a high-speed spin around the harbour.
With Carl at the wheel, the speedboat did brisk business from Watsons Bay, then Balmoral Beach and on the opening of the Harbour Bridge, from Farm Cove. This tourist attraction tided them over during the worst of the Depression.
Business began to pick up in 1934 and by this time the name Halvorsen was synonymous with quality boat building. A new, extended boat shed was built in 1935 at Neutral Bay. Many famous boats were built there including a sleek yacht built in their spare time by Lars three sons, Bjarne, Magnus and Trygve. They called their racer Enterprise.
Lars became ill in 1936 and was diagnosed with osteomyelitis. He died on 5 October 1936 aged 49.
Two of the younger Halvorsen brothers, Magnus and Trygve left the firm in the 1960s to start their own boat building business. Bjarne had already left in the 1940s. Thus Harold and Carl, assisted in the design area by Harvey, carried on the business of Lars Halvorsen Sons at Ryde and Bobbin Head. By this time, Carl managed the Bobbin Head facility.The last of the great wooden boats, launched in 1976 at Ryde, was Emma, designed by Harvey Halvorsen. The shed at Ryde began winding down from that time and by 1979, work had ceased there. In 1980, the Ryde yard was sold to Royal Australian Navy and Harold and Harvey joined Carl at Bobbin Head.
In 1975, Lars Halvorsen Sons entered into a joint venture with a Hong Kong company. The new company, Kong & Halvorsen Marine & Engineering Company Limited was based in Hong Kong and between 1975-1990 built boats under the Island Gypsy name.
In 1980, with new partners, the company began building boats in Shekou, a port in mainland China. The company constructed boats to Halvorsen designs. The fi nished boats were sent to Hong Kong to be checked and then exported to buyers. Mark Halvoresn (Harveys son) managed the Hong Kong operation from the mid 1980s and still runs the overseas division.
Mention has been made of the sailing prowess of Magnus and Trygve Halvorsen, but Harold and Carl were also excellent sailors and both excelled in their chosen class. They concentrated more on harbour sailing rather than offshore sailing, but they designed and built the very successful Dragon and 5.5m class boats.
Carl was also instrumental in refurbishing Kathleen Gillett that became the Norwegian governments gift to Australian for the 1988 bicentenary celebrations. The restoration took three years and when she was finished she sailed to Sydney to her new home at the Australian Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour.
Carl was made a Knight, First Class, of the Royal Order of Merit, the highest honour that the King of Norway can bestow. This was not only for his restoration of Kathleen Gillett but also his work as a director of Lars Halvorsen Sons, his contribution to sailing in Norway and Australia and for his promoting of Norwegian-Australian relations.
Harold Halvorsen continued to work at Bobbin Head beyond his 90th birthday in April 2000 but died at home in November of that year.
The fleet of Halvorsen cruisers that operated so successfully from Bobbin Head was retired in 2003. However, there is a very active Halvorsen Club made up of owners of Halvorsenbuilt wooden boats. Words from its Commodore seem to sum up why these boats are so loved and sought after.
They got the lines right they looked good from every angle and it usually followed that they performed well too, he said.
The quality and integrity never varied. The standard of finish and fittings was unsurpassed glistening teak, maple and mahogany panelling, French-polished interiors, custom made metalwork were all a cut above the rest.
NB: Article from Afloat Magazine.
To read more see the 75year Anniversary Book.
| Halvorsen 75th Anniversary Book.pdf |