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[The Wizard]

Hi There,
I am looking for plans for a Thursday Island (northern Australia) pearling lugger. Any help along this line would be appreciated.


Peter

[tigertiger]

I did a quick Google image search for 'pearling lugger plans' and some line drawings did come up among the photos.

[The Wizard]

thanks for that. I have searched there and the plans are for a Broome lugger which were different to the Thursday Island ones.
The majority of the T.I. luggers were built without the aid of plans so I am hoping that someone somewhere did a measure and drew up a set.

[BrianB6]

Hi
Have you tried contacting Australian Register of Historic Vessels

arhv.anmm.gov.au/en/collections/details/34285/pearling-luggers

[roycv]

You are going to have to put me out of my misery, What is a Thursday Island pearling lugger, sounds like there may only have been one of them anyway!  Model Boat / Sarik plans have a nice model of a Pearling lugger by L.R. Armstrong, simple and pretty to look at.  I think about 24 inches loa.
regards Roy

[BrianB6]

All explained on the above website

[roycv]

Thanks Brian for putting me straight.  First look at that design of boat and I felt only a mother could love that.  Tough life and not much reward for the divers with all those boats competing with each other.  Life was pretty hard in Oz back then. 
My daughter in law is a consultant doctor in a hospital in a mining area in NSW and they have lots of broken bones and the like.  So life is still tough for some.
I think the Pearling lugger I mentioned was from the South sea Islands and 'more traditional'.
I see Model Boats magazine has a feature on 'Krait' this month.
regards Roy

[The Wizard]

Thanks for those replies.
There were hundreds of T.I. luggers built, one builder alone built over fifty. They weren't pretty boats and were built to be a platform for the pearl divers, who did have a hard life, one in ten died from shark attack, the bends or accident.
The reason for the build is that a friend whose family was involved in the pearling industry wants to have a go at building one.
The Model Boat/Sarik plans are for the sail plan only, unless I've not got to the right plan.
I have contacted the Australian Register Of Historic Vessels and am awaiting a reply.
The Queensland Maritime museum has one of the T.I. boats , I don't know if they have plans for it .They are usually very helpful there . I got plans for my tug Forceful from them years ago. I'm awaiting a reply from them.


Regards Peter