Classic Australian Wooden Power Boat Association

Greetings all,
I have changed the topic name from the one below ''trying to identify skiff''.
I haven't been able to find out its original name or history, so it will be now know as the mystery skiff.
I have turned the hull over and have started to make preparations to replace the top two planks on the port and starboard sides.
I will post more pictures when I make some progress.
Cheers Nathan

As an aside Nathan, what did the A3-36 come off? Mirage, 505, Wacket, Rapide?

Just curious.

Hi Greg,
It is from a Mirage, when I was based at Tindal I re skinned the rear fuselage before it went back to Darwin Aviation Museum.
Someone tried to cut it off when it crashed in Darwin and didn't have a drill to finish the job, so I ended up with it.
The pilot John Quaife who ejected from it is not far from Chief of Airforce now.

Is that a repair / plug of a shatf hole in front of current log
If so may have been a v drive at some time.

yes it has a shaft hole plugged up, there's no evidence of it on the underside.
may have had the engine further forward and different shaft angle perhaps, I can't see any evidence of an engine being rear mounted the bearers are still standard skiff configuration.
I suppose someone could have run a V drive on the mid mount engine if they couldn't find a z drive.
I have often wondered about the plugged up hole

I removed the port top plank and I found some of the ribs look like they have been damaged in a collision at some point.
was it common for boats to run into each other racing?.
If they didn't run into each other that often it may help to narrow down a name for the boat.

V drive skiff wood be in small numbers due to the cost of the set up
May narrow down the search

I've heard those second ribs placed alongside a broken rib, referred to as a "sister rib". I'm inclined to think there was much more damage done to hulls by racing on rough water than by smashing into the side of another boat.

Bob

have shaped top plank roughly to its correct shape, it is clamped and hopefully if I leave it a few days it will keep the shape a little before I glue the plywood on it and clamp it back in place. Once the glue dries it should hold its shape and I can do the final shaping.

The Port top plank is now faired off with the inner gunwale, I have back drilled through original holes in the next plank down through the new top plank to 3/32 so they can be drilled to size later once the new ribs are in. The plywood is now glued on the outside so I can move on to removing the next plank down and shaping a replacement for it.