Haines Hunter V19c MITCHELL OLDMEADOW

John Haines used to say, “It’s not our job to produce boats to take people out to sea, but to design boats that will bring them back, again and again.” Over more than 50 years the old “family style” Haines Hunter V19C has transformed from a family cruiser to an offshore capable classic. In this article Bear looks at what Mitch went through to bring his classic back from the dead.

Throughout over thirty years of boating and fishing journalism, I have written more words about the famous “Old School” Haines Hunters than any other brand, both Australian or internationally. There are certainly some personal favourites in the range including the 445, 600, 17, 565, 213, 233, 773 and obviously the 580SL which I currently own. Yet every time I try to pinpoint the crème de la crème, I always get a roasting from the V19C owners who have a genuine case as one of the best ever built.

Truer words were never spoken as per the original brochure: “The V19C is equally at home in bay, river or offshore conditions. Excellent handling and manoeuvrability. Unsurpassed for soft riding, performance and safety. The way she absorbs the buffeting of the sea and transforms it into a smooth dry ride has to be experienced to be believed.”

John (Snr) and Garry Haines began making boats in a backyard workshop as far back as 1959. The Haines Hunter Company is said to have officially formed in 1966 from the former Fibreglass Constructions Pty Ltd and their first real factory was in Goodna. The great Brisbane floods of 1974 saw their Goodna factory 10m under water, and precious fibreglass moulds recovered from treetops over 10 kilometres away, forcing a move to the new factory in Wacol in 1975.

There’s no doubt that they are absolutely ripper boats that evolved from the USA V18 Bertram split moulded reverse chine hulls that were originally brought to Australia by the Queensland Pastoral Supply (QPS) in the early 1960s. Members of QPS Cam Craigie and Peter Hubers, gained the rights to produce new 12’, 14’ and 18’ models from Canadian firm Toronto Yacht and Boat Centre, and imported the first of these in 1960/61 to be followed by the 16’. The Haines boys manufactured these for Craigie and Huber’s company “Bertram

The original 12, 14 and 18’ moulds featured the patented “Hunt Hydrolift” hull, with the 12’ and 14’ also having a patented tunnel hull or flooding bilge construction similar to that being used by Barcrusher and Surtees today. The early boats also featured a reverse chine design with the big flared bow requiring a split mould construction. Their deep V bottoms and broad beam were larger in volume to any of the narrow gutted, flatbottomed boats in their class, so they were renamed by measuring the length around the gunwale instead of centre line length.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Haines brothers maintained an exhaustive offshore and ski racing program, including the Cairns-Gold Coast Pacific 1000. Garry Haines describes their greatest win to be the 1965 Sydney/Newcastle Race in a V19R, but also fondly remembers wins in the Sydney to Newcastle, Bridge to Bridge Ski-Races on the Hawkesbury River and Port Phillip Bay ocean and ski boat races.

By 1966/67, QPS had lost interest in boats and a dispute over the Bertram name was successfully settled with Archie Spooner (International Marine) taking the total rights to the name Bertram in Australia. John and Garry had to select a new brand. The recognisable name from their racing successes was Haines, and the original designer Hunt. From this evolved Haines Hunter.

Thus, the V19s have a DNA dating right back to 1950s American offshore racing entrepreneurs like Dick Bertram and his close association with Naval Draftsman C. Raymond Hunt. Dick and Ray’s famous “Lucky Moppie” and “Surfrider” hulls were a part of the “Deep V” revolution that competed with parallel inspirations from the infamous Don Aronow and the developing Thunderbird, Donzi, Scarab, USA Sports, Cigarette, Apache and Formula powerboat companies.

These original split moulded V19’s were in production right throughout the late 1960s and 1970s only to be replaced by an MK11 hull in the early 1980s. The later hull reduced the flair and chines to make a more production friendly package that is most easily identifiable by the slight step in the hull approx. 200mm under the gunwale as per Glanville’s V19 with the Bass Strait deck also featured in this issue.

Deadrise follower Mitch Oldmeadow always had a passion for the old Haines boats and was wrapped when he found his workmates Goodna plated 1971 reverse chine V19C. She was in pretty terrible condition and hence he and his brother-in-law performed some “backyard Facebook guided” fibreglass work so she would float. He fitted a second hand 135hp Mercury Optimax and the love affair began.

Living close to Brisbane’s Manly Marina and launching ramp, sees Moreton Bay as home waters for Mitch with his friends and new young family. He just loves fishing and diving but generally just being on the water and exploring Moreton Bay and its magnificent waters, including the beautiful Tangalooma. But Moreton Bay has some nasty sides for boating as well. It’s a large yet generally shallow body of water that forms a horrid washing machine chop, especially with wind against tide conditions. It’s literally enough to smash the spines of lesser boats. The soft riding characteristics of a solid deep-V are certainly the nautical weapon of choice.

Mitch said, “It wasn’t until I was coming home from Moreton Island one trip and had soft wet timber running into my bilge that I though we better fix this boat properly... that’s when I had to go to the minister of war and finance for approval to get it rebuilt and finance a new engine. Once the tick of approval was given, I booked it in with Alan Milner for a solid going over.”

Alan is a most experienced and highly professional fibreglasser located in Woolloongabba and has a very solid reputation built on a lifetime of boat building dating back to companies like AJM Marine Fastlane/Scarab, Powercat and Riviera. Adam only runs a very small crew and hence waiting periods are currently very extended, however it’s always worth waiting for a quality product at a reasonable price.

Alan carried out a full internal rebuild with a new 25-inch thermolite transom, thermolite stringers and floor.

Alan carried out a full internal rebuild with a new 25-inch thermolite transom, thermolite stringers and floor. All underfloor buoyancy cavities were foam filled and a new 285ltr epoxy coated fuel tank was fitted not only for exceptional range but also to increase the displacement in the keel of the boat, greatly adding to both ride and stability.

Alan also fashioned a set of custom made seat boxes that are glassed into the hull, providing greater rigidity and storage, as well as all new flow coat throughout, custom made rear boarding steps and fitted a 2nd hand hard top.

The cavities were all foam filled for maximum strength, safety and acoustic deadening.

A new 285ltr epoxy coated fuel tank was fitted not only for exceptional range

We asked Mitch about the build and options and he replied, “Hardest part is figuring out the layout and how you want the boat to be finished, things you want to change or keep. There is so much info, inspiration & photos out there sometimes it is an overload! We have kept it pretty simple and clutter free. It’s still an ongoing project.” I replied–They always are!!!

The package has been superbly repowered with a 2021 Mercury 175hp V6 four stroke that Mitch claims is giving an enormous 48 knot Wide Open Throttle (WOT). He cruises at a speedy 32-34 knots @ 4200-4300 rpm gaining 1.8-2.0km/litre. He has fitted a Simrad G07 with Airmar SS175 thru hull transducer and Simrad G05 for engine data; Simrad VHF, Fusion stereo with 4 speakers and a custom made stainless switch panel. It has had a full internal rewire by Trymax Marine Electronics with custom made switch panel and Hydrive hydraulic steering.

She’s got a clean, uncluttered but quite simple layout and deck

Seat boxes and side pocket storage.

Finished internal floor and seat boxes waiting for seats, and hopefully some EVA flooring in the future.

“We have kept it pretty simple and clutter free. It’s still an ongoing project and needs to be sent to the trimmers (have the Stacer logos removed from my 2nd hand seats) and have new cabin cushions made. We are hoping to give it a full install of Seadek and that should finish inside. Then it’ll be onto giving it a full birthday outside with new paintwork, gelcoat and a full suite of stainless… but I’m still awaiting approval for that stage though! Until then, it gets us out there and back reliably, safely and comfortably,” said Mitch.