Please help id this steel cruiser

As you can see from the tittle i am having trouble finding information on maker and history on the boat i have just purchased which is proving difficult to get insurance because of this.
28ft steel
Engine is ford 170cu petrol engine with borgwarner velvet drive
Last owner believed the boat was built in Hobart in the 70s but I have no proof of this.
Thanks

 

Have you looked over some of the locally popular plans of the era, like Boden's, or Build-a-Boat ?

 

You should only need a marine survey to get insurance.

 

Ok well i will go down that road and fingers crossed that works for me.
Any recommendations on insurance company's? I have tried club marine and a couple others with no luck

 

You should go first with whoever does your car/house insurance. It is usually easier to add an item than start with zero.

 

I have been in touch with my insurer and they will not insure the boat without a name of builder even if it is a home built boat they need the name of the person who built it so has me stumped on how to go about it

 

The value would be minimal. what is the need to insure it ?

 

I am about to spend a considerable amount of money on the boat so insurance is important once i have spent the money
Plans include full cabin extension repower blast and paint the boat inside and out and refit interior into a live aboard bay cruiser

 

I suggest you get it thoroughly surveyed, if intent on spending a lot of money, a steel boat that age, could reasonably be expected to be coming to the end of its days, unless meticulously maintained. Judging by the rust streaks, it appears there has been a lapse in that. The risk is that the shell has thinned in some areas at least, from the ravages of rust, once that happens, it may or may not be salvageable, depending on what a survey reveals. You may find the design of the boat, if it was in someone's catalogue of plans, but the person that built it, I would think would be hidden from your view, the Privacy Act prevents the registering authority from revealing the ownership history.

 

Forgive me for asking, I am not familiar with bureaucracy in your part of the world, but here it is customary that the boats official papers mention builder and model or design name. What do your papers say?

 

Being that old, and likely not a build by a "name" builder, quite likely nothing listed, except the type of boat, for example, "steel cabin cruiser". You cannot access past owners names, under privacy laws.

 

In our registration system it is just listed as steel cabin cruiser no hin and it has been issued a id plate by the registration authority at some point but no information on make or modle attached to and papers with the boat

 

Your best insurance would be a sound boat, that doesn't get into trouble through defective hull or machinery, just make sure you have adequate provision to combat any fires on board, and beware of gas leaks in confined spaces. The good reports about boat insurance firms are scant.

 

If you are planning extensive modifications anyway is it maybe possible to make it a "new" homebuildt boat? I am not suggesting fraud, ask the registration authority if they can do that given an extensive rebuild. Otherwise I see no options, and you must live with third party liability only.

 

You could register as a rebuilt from scrap and/or parts.