RCM Shipwrights Hobart

12/10/2026

Just for something different we repaired and painted a solid celery top mast and clear coat the boom that lives in converted cray vessel Thalassa.
Paint used on mast was Altex epoxy system which was top coated with 3-2-1 two pack brush on polyurethane, boom was clear coated with Altex Timbercote by brush.
Altex Yacht & Boat Paint

07/09/2026

We have just had Fishing vessel Sharanda come in wth severe delignification of the bronze rudder shaft tube, we had to clean and remove all deteriorated timber and replace and strengthen with new timber, line bore new timber to match bottom dead wood pintle and glue a fibreglass tube in place to hold new bearings. Install new bearings, install rudder, the bottom pintle had to be removed from rudder and reinstalled due to being 7mm out of align with rudder shaft

14/08/2026

Here is another converted prawn trawler Lady Lucinda we had the pleasure of working on, 1 plank replacement and remove old antifoul on bow section, bit of recaulking, prime and antifoul

30/07/2026

We have just been up to Triabunna to do some caulking on another converted fishing vessel Nitewatch, we had the pleasure of helping to convert this vessel , Malcolm Ferguson and Red car marine finished the construction of the wheelhouse. Then Red Car Marine (AKA) Rcm shipwrights fitted it out with Birdseye Huon Pine and some very dark blackwood,
All stainless work was done by Spencer Marine Triabunna
Orginally built in Bundaberg then went to South Australia then to Tas

14/07/2026

Hello All
We have the pleasure of welcoming an old friend back to Tasmania and having pleasure of maintaining, repairing and repainting Thallassa, built by Drakes in Triabunna in the early eighties, this vessel was converted from a cray vessel to a pleasure vessel by the late Graham Freeman in 2012 in Triabunna

09/05/2026

Here at RCM Shipwrights we have been restoring and repowering a Huon pine river launch Avalon

31/03/2026

VALE Ron Heddle

We want to acknowledge the sad passing of our mate and dear friend Ron Heddle, known widely throughout the boat building industry in Tasmania and a local of Kettering. Our sincere condolences to his partner Patty, and all of Ron's children. Ron has been a part of James' life since 1987 and became a good friend to us both over the years. We will miss your visits to the yard Wag.

31/03/2026

As Easter approaches we’re taking a moment to remember our dear friend Ron Heddle — a respected member of Tasmania’s boat-building community and a longtime mate of the yard. Our sincere condolences to Patty and Ron’s family. We’ll miss your visits, Wag.
Read on for latest projects: https://wix.to/fzyZesG

Hello to everyoneVALE Ron HeddleWe want to acknowledge the sad passing of our mate and dear friend Ron Heddle, known widely throughout the boat building industry in Tasmania and a local of Kettering. Our sincere condolences to his partner Patty, and all of Ron's children. Ron has been a part of Jame...

22/02/2026

Hi all, thanks to everyone who have shown an interest in our new blog. We will continue to roll out these updates on a regular basis.

Since our last post we've continued to work on the aluminium boat fitting out the fo'c's'le and fitting watertight door fabricated by Tas marine and Metal fabrication,

https://www.facebook.com/p/Tas-Marine-Metal-Fabrication-100083358550473/

We also just completed the installation of a new stove on Helen Louise (see previous blog).

We've also been doing annual proactive maintenance repairs on Lady Lucinda, an ex-McLaren trawler converted into a pleasure boat. This year involved repairing leaking seams, refastening ribs and removing and plugging keel cooling.

We also had an urgent call out to Kettering over one weekend to a boat taking on water at an alarming rate. On arrival, some outstanding individual had turned the valves off and stopped the water getting into the boat, and unhooked the batteries. We were called to make sure the engine had not taken in any water and if so, to flush it. We turned the engine over by hand to make sure water hadn't entered the cylinders and hydraulically locked. We then proceeded to check the dipstick, the air inlet and the rocker cover for water. no water was found so we started it, all went well except water had shorted out the stop solenoid
The problem turned out to be a fractured cockpit drain hose. The takeaway, use quality hoses and check regularly, say at least every 3-4 months.

21/02/2026

New blog post: What we've been up to — quick updates from the yard! From aluminium boat fit-outs and watertight door installation to a new stove on Helen Louise and annual maintenance on Lady Lucinda, we’ve been busy. Read the short update and see progress photos. https://wix.to/pklqAoz

Hi all, thanks to everyone who have shown an interest in our new blog. We will continue to roll out these updates on a regular (when we get round to it) basis.Since our last post we've continued to work on the aluminium boat fit out.We completed the installation of a new stove on Helen Louise.We've....