The Motor Yacht (MY) Winbah was a 62-foot pleasure cruiser built by Halvorsen & Sons at Neutral Bay in 1936 for Harold Percival (Percy) Christmas, one of the founders of Woolworths and, during the Second World War, controller of the New South Wales division of the Australian Defence Canteen Service. It was the last boat to be built by Lars Halvorsen.  

Winbah was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 22 September 1941 and commissioned as a tender to HMAS Penguin on 23 December under the command of Commissioned Officer from Warrant Rank Eric Macpherson RANR(S). The boat was purchased outright in July 1942.

Winbah was the last vessel built by famed boatbuilder Lars Halvorsen.Winbah was the last vessel built by famed boatbuilder Lars Halvorsen.

It was used in regular patrol and general harbour duties between Sydney and Newcastle. Winbah was in Sydney Harbour on the night of the Japanese miniature submarine attack on 31 May 1942. Its exact whereabouts cannot be established, though it does appear that at one stage it was used by the Flag Officer in Charge, Sydney, Rear Admiral Gerard Muirhead-Gould DSC RN, to transit about the harbour.

It was removed from the Navy List after April 1944 and entered deep refit later that year. Both its engines were removed in August for reconditioning but re-installation was delayed when the private company contracted to carry out the work reported in March 1945 that the pistons had been spoilt during machining. The engines were re-installed that July and Winbah spent a brief period carrying stores on Sydney Harbour in August before decommissioning on 1 September 1945.

Winbah was offered back for sale to Percy Christmas in September 1945. However, Christmas declined the offer, and the vessel was instead sold at auction. It was purchased on 27 October 1945 by Mr Fred Harris, the former owner of HMAS Steady Hour.  

Specifications

Type
Motor Launch
Pennant
16
Builder
Lars Halvorsen & Son, Sydney NSW
Commissioned
23 December 1941
Decommissioned
6 August 1945
Dimensions & Displacement
Length 62 feet
Beam 15 feet
Draught 5 feet
Armament
Guns 2 x .303 inch Vickers machine gun
Other Armament 4 x Mk VII depth charge, 2 x PAC projector