For almost 70 years, the jet boat has been a symbol of Kiwi ingenuity and invention on the global stage, revolutionising the world of conventional boating.
In the 1950s Sir William Hamilton set out to try to build a boat that could navigate the shallow fast flowing rivers where he lived.
Rolleston man Jim Lapsley has spent three years building an exact replica of the first Hamilton jet boat, all from photographs.
He has a life-long interest in jet boats, getting his first boat at the age of 16, three years before he got a car.
"When they finally got this boat going, that changed the game completely. So you can you can trace, basically all modern water jet propulsion back to this boat."
Lapsley hopes to get the Saucy Jane on the water by the middle of next year.
- By Geoff Sloan
- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
