Windling World: April 2006

| “ah : Bloodhound Ghostly Scow Afun day . Lugger Pear! In the wee small hours of a December 328’ 1901 barque morn, the Sindia ran aground off the coast of New Jersey, the complete reasons never really known. WW reader lan Hunt below has been building model | have always loved this photograph of the by a good friend of mine, Clifford for many Hawkins now in the 93rd year of a and is seen here wonderful testing life. Once his for books and his love of ships and the and sea, some like the wandering Albatross took him everywhere. years both back. sailing barque the photography, his writing, his many a_ hull leaks balance years The su- perb ten foot six Into a spanking New Year we go another issue which | hope inch with now nearing completion as can be model is you will enjoy. seen in the more recent photo below and the work carried out is testimony Below is the “build it, then burn it’ to the skill and pa- mock up of the famous VICTORY – tience of this Syd- constructed for the sole purpose of ney, quick destruction by fire all in the model builder. Australia name of pomp and A real light-hearted pageantry somewhere England in event took place in last Auckland last vember, kindly sent me demonstrating — that the image, and ‘windling’ who eventful am | to question. the reasons behind it all 2. 1 shall not even try ! fun. There “Footy’ sense even can be as well at 5 as was in aimed No- year. A reader a every of the word, a_ crocodile. See pages 14 & 15. Mark Twain wrote of someone, “He had double chins all the way down Kajillion to his stomach !”. (Oops ! Well, III lady | know in Canada talks about be damned – | didn’t know he had ‘kajillions’ ever seen me naked ! – Editor) makes one a kajillionaire ? Talk. but A how many_ billion Often in clubs or ~groups’ there is one person without whose totally voluntary support, enthusiasm and general effort, that organisation (for want of a lovely Kaplan, young daughter lady of is the Erica Kaplan family, owners of the late Humphrey Bogart’s boat Santana (inset) the subject of an extensive story in the better word) never achieve December would success. This 2006 issue of this magazine. She is seen at the helm of In Switzerland’s Swiss Mini Sail that person is Franz Amonn, seen here with the Windling World award medallion presented to him at the 20th Sail Event held in Switzerland last September. There’s something also on Dennis Desprois of Arizona who builds RC three- — masted schooner models, other boats and makes high performance sails. Dennis baseball team(s) and was a famous American photographer. Football Within, | also comment on a book (/n praise of slow) by Carl Honore and suggest that windlers are already ‘believers’ in the slowing down message; some of us, anyway. Murray White writes about the his own model of the famous boat, in “display mode’ White home in Auckland. in the editor in making available for use all the material that will almost appear in that story. and dad, Paul the Thank you Erica, A possible non-Christmas issue ! An advance warning here ! The December issue this year may be very late. mate, It will come out but with my computer expert, Derek who does the photo scans likely to be away, it may just be very late indeed, even as late as March next year. We will see. William Fife built Bloodhound and now the boat and has been most helpful to A more accurate assessment in the August issue. A friend in England says you know you are broke when you think of a lottery ticket as an investment. (Continued overleaf) (Continued from previous page) Well, our elections in New Zealand are over and we are no worse off – we are no better off either come to think of it. We must have humour in our lives to survive, and this photograph Pretty g t OUR PUBLIC BAR IS PRESENTLY | NOT OPEN BECAUSE IT IS CLOSED. MANA R well all politicians are like identical peas in a pod, or spuds in a bag, virtually all the same insofar as their often never-to-be-kept preelection promises, their exposing of each other’s dirty linen, their ignoring of rising crime, their spouting of hot stale air, and their dedication towards making as much money as they can out of us. (above)) clearly gives the reason for one ‘business’ not being open. Now all you good people, you go out and enjoy your windling. Be happy and remember that the “air’ is still free ! Mark Steele Publisher/Editor From potatoes to a Sultana (above), the schoolship of the Chesapeake, a 1768 reproduction aboard which thousands of students gain a greater appreciation for the history and natural environment of the USA’s Chesapeake Bay. (Make a_ nice sailing model, methinks ! ) biasBaieage in the Atlantic — ASouth Dennis Desprois of Arizona, USA builds his own boats, including schooners and in particular a lovely looking three-master (right) based on the 63’ San California Francisco designed by of Al Mason about 1932. He sails that mainly with the Southern Schooner California Fleet (see August 05 WW). A close friend of WW reader, Lloyd Johnson, was Dennis Francisco RC sails photographer since 1990, and is Giants baseball team photographer, as well as team competitive high yachts and from until 1989 the San has also been producing quality (above) 1971 Dennis “Swede’ the San currently for Francisco Fortyniners producing ‘Swede’s’ ORCO series of 36/600 boats Football from to order, 1973 1986. several other boats of different classes, as well as sails for the Kyosho Fairwind, Seawind and NFL team A_ to bio obtained by the Thunder Tiger Victoria’s. rrto ‘T “somewhat deviously’ His replica schooners are custom Seems made using lines and_ sails to indicate that his of fullsize schooners, their hull construction plank on frame, with individual laid plank decks. They are built to conform with the Southern California fleet rules — of 50” on deck with displacement from 15 to 25 lbs. Sewage photos been featured magazines, in all and in over forty books. The schooner is above on the water. have major sporting shown it that read: ‘We regret to inform you that we have cancelled your email account due to inactivity !’ ce oe In a spot of bother here, | would venture to suggest, as | hardly think that it is a new form of rig called a “Far Left’. | can’t recall who sent the photograph (below) to me either, I’m afraid. To watch the sea, not be on a boat brings pain to me, On January 6th 1931, returning to Wellington, New Zealand from the Chatham Islands, the yawl Windward (below) departed Waitangi in the Chathams and was never seen or heard from again. “gets on the goat’ of this sailor man who has sailed the world, watched a great many sails as they unfurled, seen many a bow slice many seas, stood on many a deck faced many a breeze, now all | can do is swallow some grub, while downing ale after ale at the dockside pub. Anon A young man was sailing in the Pacific when a storm = sank_ his yacht, stranding him on a deserted island for months. One day a bottle floated in on the tide with a note in “All of us could take a lesson from the weather, which pays no attention to criticism.’ | am the first to own up and admit that | am a huge fan of the designs of William Fife I, and in 2005 I built Bloodhound, fullsize the boat of which was built to the Thames Club rule Yacht with a rating of 40 tonnes. The 68’ built long in boat 1874 William by Fife & Son at Then at the start of a Fairlie, race Ayrshire, Firth of Clyde was 3 years later purchased by the keen Castle who enjoyed a She was then sold and owned by various others who raced her with over several showing her age scrapped, the Marquess regained possession yacht. He of the had the Fife yard modernise her, the conversion including a more modern, higher aspect rig. He then campaigned the yacht in the 19081914 period with further success. great years, and to by a vessel called L’Esperance and was | sath Raised and repaired she went successful racing season with her. success stormy Bloodhound was hit yachtsman, The Marquess of Ailsa of Culzean in conditions, until be on to further distinguish herself winning 126 times out of 218 starts in the large handicap class with Ben Chaplin as her skipper. She was then laid up in Scotland at the Fife yard at the outbreak of World War ll and after the war moved to the White yard on the South Coast of England at Itchen Ferry, where sadly in 1922 a fire destroyed her. My model is 1250mm long, with a deck length of 900 mm and 180mm has a beam of and a draft of 135mm. (Continued overleaf) (Continued from previous page) Built on a kauri backbone and rosewood laminated frames, she is planked single skin of kauri clear Why that name ? These days people finished topsides, and kauri with a stained satin finish below’ give the waterline. The deck, cabin joinery and and the head sails RC a few sails and_= she has become a BAR, RUNNIN ON was followed by another one called BOAT BOAT II ). Then there was are GONWAKI after because friends always crazy and said goofy the he owners was ! nuts, Go display model. On the water she was very tender and was easily overpowered, but by removing the topsail and jib topsail, then the staysail in fresher winds she was a real challenge to sail. The deck cabin and hatches are the imagination of what might have been. to @ WINDLING WORLD 4 Thrice yearly, non-profit build. The keel specialist magazine available and frames can on subscription only be constructed as suggested then covered with 1/16” plywood instead of planking or you can choose to build the entire hull from plywood, the keel cut from 1/2” or of 1/4 “ ply. It is a model of several choices. The rig lan has chosen, is as he puts it, “typical of the small American day yachts’, a further advantage being the rigging (or rather the lack of it). Sturdy and well fitted masts mean that yard upon yard of support rigging is not required. Publisher / Editor: Mark Steele ‘Keepers of the spirit of windling’ Ken Impey, Tony Searle, Barry Gibson, Stuart Broome, Andrew Charters, Mark Steele. Editorial Address: 22 Vanderbilt Parade, Brookfield Park, Albany, Auckland. NEW ZEALAND Phone / Fax: 0064-9-414 4401 email: windlingworld @ xtra.co.nz ae The Classic J Class sloop Endeavour was built in 1934 by the Gosport, UK yard of Camper and Nicholson for T.O.M Sopwith. It is still consid- ered by many to be the most beautiful J Class boat ever. Rescued from an abandoned state by the American yachtswoman Elizabeth Meyer and rebuilt, the boat today (as seen below right) attracts attention wherever she goes. Dr Peter Bauhofer of Tyrol in Austria has built a wonderful 1:30 scale model of the yacht over a nine ! month Winter period. His model is a from our work of art and captures the flowing email ex- lines, and the beautiful deck detail changes magnificently. He built it in the classical plank over frame manner, the planks 9mm broad by 3mm thick of have been many) that his model will ramin tropic, hard and water resis- housed tant wood. The ribs, except two at home, shared ‘semee (and there ultimately be a prized display item behind glass sons in his family by wife Bianca and the bow and one at the stern were two removed and the hull finished with a rather Lukas layer of epoxy resin. of going to press, she was still not than and Maximilian sailed, and at the time fitted with sails. Then again he may give the model a couple of outings on the water ! Deck planking is of ramin and the cabin and deck furnishings are of beer wood that gives it an exquisite finish. The mast is made out of an aluminium, low weight cross coun- try skiing stick, winches and other deck gear also out of aluminium. (Continued on page 20) {3 It wasn’t a day for racing, just a river cruise up and down a river that isn’t a river, more a stream, at Onepoto on which the Auckland Ancient Mariners race their Footy yachts three times each year. From an idea by Windling World’s Publishing Editor, its aim was to bring a bit of fun, and get sailors to cast aside their inhibitions and loosen up a bit, have a laugh and poke fun at themselves and at each other, and compete in a fun way. A beautiful day, 29th November last year saw nine Footy sailors (and a sailor of one small to a turn-around point at the head of the stream, then a downwind all the way leg to the finish. It mattered not who won and nobody grumbled at “lift outs’ and run up the bank ‘plonk-back-ins’, nor the fact that Dennis Lake’s pretty Argus schooner with its greater hull length and sail area invariably won. Bob Walters who did much of the pre-event organisation, aided by his wife Pam who made a mouth watering selection of delectable sandwiches, rolls and other items, and pumped up yellow balloons to be speared by bowsprits in “the big prick’ event (at left) really made the day a successful one. schooner) assemble, and for a couple of hours several ~events’ were held in both directions, into a brisk wind for the upward legs During one of the events while sailing Murray White’s loaned Footy, the editor and the other boats in the fleet were suddenly confronted by a most realistic crocodile which appeared from out of the reeds on the opposite bank. The handiwork of Bob 14 made them winners of the Best Headgear and “Haute Couture’ Awards. Nobody saw the redhead again, but the Editor reported getting several calls from at least three of the guys who sailed that day, each asking for her telephone number ! Winner of “Most naturally good the croc (below left) was looking’ award was the smiling one of two specially created ess : models, the other crocodile, but the award went to Des Pittams left, the Footy- (seen below), because of his sailing prowess shaped almost- (and his modesty!). The croc had the best teeth though ! Footy-sized sailing craft, this one by Ron Rule seen on the facing page. For the towing event where boats had to tow either a dinghy or raft, Ron’s foot(y) towed …a big toe ! In the early stages, Dora Dingbat, a red-haired creature in need of an improvement in dentures made a A light hearted, relaxing event and very much the essence of windling in style and method of operation. | nearly forgot – each person had to tell a clean joke, the award for that going to Ron Rule who was the only One brief appearance and Ron Rule’s of the ten who could funny hat and the long stockings of remember a clean joke! Murray White, both seen above ) Zi An unusual image this one below taken by a mate of mine, Dave Heanly. Is stranded monster- size it seahorse, Maori man a a lying under a tree, a whole chunk of whale’s turd, or one of Peter Jackson’s weird creations for King Kong ? Methinks that since it is titled *Guardian of the Foreshore,’ Keith Murrow of Hull in the UK one day “lived dangerously’ a few years back (photo above). A prolific builder who has built some 30 sailing models, you can look forward to seeing several of them in the August (and other) issues. Now, to whet the appetite here is just one of them, the 4’ hulled Cutty Sark seen below. = It has got to be a Maori gentleman keeping an eye on things, because New Zealand Maori say they own the foreshore !) Headline finally in dies Year at age 2036, 112.” “Castro Cuban cigars can now be imported legally but US President, Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking ! At swanky BrRDHOUSE YACHT CLUB only young snobby, stroppy birds gather. (No Silly ! ‘Booby’ Not the birds – the smaller feathered ones!). We have all done it…skimming of usually flat stones thrown outwards over simply water. been We have enjoying plimpplamppeterre (ing) I’m told, (a Dutch word for skimming). Now | have to go and chuck (er beg pardon) plimmpplamppeterre a few nice flat stones!{ Care to join me ? Wish me luck anyway ! Bye ya 2 ave ” ; Here’s an interesting (and very different) radio controlled model in Beautiful pic below of two schooners, Lady Anne owned by Chris Loder, and Lady Sylvia owned by Alan Woodroffe. Taken at Leonardslee in West Sussex in the UK, both gentlemen are members the USA, photos at right and above right. Its owner and builder is Craig LaChance, the photos sent to me by Lloyd Swede Johnson of California. It is a 6’ long model dinghy ‘sailed’ by a realistic boy who steers it, and turns his head and waves to spectators. Clever and cute. Still in California and built and sailed by Swede, is ge Sea Fox yawl (at right and below) the model with a 44” length, the hull and. deck with planked gelutong, a wood similar of the Southwater Dabblers Model Boat Club to featured some years ago in WW. basswood. the ribs are of laminated white oak and the spars. built below of under trials spruce. The sailor at the tiller last late yea. is Photo ~Popeye’ who _ John Stubbs of Auckland has the mullet boat seen here by Richard steers Gross by way of a linkage arm. (Continued overleaf) 17 (Continued from previous page) WW “keeper Reader, Ron Fox of the Spirit’ of Buddina in Barry Gibson of Victoria, Queensland built this Australia built Brixham this tidy Clark smack#, 24 (at right) for Provident seen at left, the hull his friend, Alan planked up for him by Campbell. friend Ken Russell also of Australia. At left, the Editor’s granddaughter, the day Samantha ~windled’ Mark’s 1m Bantock Bikini Fiji Flyer round and around and around in never-ending circles ! Below is ‘Jake’ who is Rear Admi- ral and Webmaster of a Tippecanoe yacht owner, David Turner in JackAbove is a fine RC sailing model of the famous Creole wealthy Gucci owned by family). The model sailed by Auckland, the yacht Derek USA. “Hey, you don’t want to mess is built and Nicholson sonville with Jake, or make of any New Zealand who is public comment seen with it. It has 5kgs of lead shot in the hollow keel, is 1200 mm stem to stern plus a 170mm about model bowsprit. Beam is 260mm. any boat sailing like a dog”. Got that ? (You and | have been warned, Ed.) At left, Christchurch, New Zealand sailor, Mike, heads for home with Cindy. The photograph by the late Euan Sarginson book from the Victoria fine Water by himself and Hugh Hobden 18 Jason Pilgrim of Victoria, Australia was a very keen sailor of keel boats whose arthritis got so bad he had to give up sailing his 20 year old, New Zealand designed Jim Young sloop Eric and turn to boats. model sailing Jason’s mum had a stroke which meant that he had to remain at home caring for her full time, which provided him with time to spend fiddling in the shed. He started with a Pearl lugger that he built up on a_ fibreglass hull, basing the layout on photos found of on luggers the he internet. Jason is pictured above right with the model. The hull is 5’ long, the boat 57” overall with a beam of 14” and a draft of 6”. The deck is of 3mm plywood, masts, booms and bowsprit of dowel. It has a 540 geared motor and a 2” diameter 2-blade brass prop. The boat is fitted with an RMG sail winch. (Continued on page 20) 19 (Continued from previous page) (Continued from page 13) The Pearl lugger carries 5kgs of lead melted into the keel and the entire boat has an all-up weight Because of the large sail area at the scale Peter built the model, he had to fit a 25cm long keel for sailing, but this is removable for display at Whenever the model of about 11kgs. exhibitions. has been on display it has attracted The frames are made from pine of varying dimensions and bulkheads are made of plywood The cabin and wheelhouse are made from framework. balsa with great interest. Yachting is not that great a sport in the area where Peter lives and ship models are very rare. From his pine childhood (and has Of all the boats that Jason has built he is now 42) he fascinated by been ships. and/or owned, always he says Pearl is by far favourite. s lari his It is extremely well in light or heavy winds and motors very swiftly, though — the gearbox whines a bit. Peter He is thinking of changing it to a belt-drive gear sails are made of 3/4 His oz Model Boat Club motor yachts among several other models of various styles. much reference next project is the Reliance readers who sources for can suggest reference useful material this boat can email Peter at where they windle most Sundays. He has also built a Footy as well as two obtaining America’s cup yacht of 1903. Any spinnaker cloth from one of his old keelboats. Both Jason and his mother are members of Surrey Park experienced in material and given that situation he has produced a wonderful model. system. The has difficulty The thumbnail image of , Endeavour on page 13 was Dy, taken by Andrew Charters eX. on a visit to Newport, Rhode Island. 20 for It had been a long, hard, cold race. The yacht had gone well, the crew even better and the sound of the shotgun and the puff of white smoke as we crossed the line made all the effort worthwhile. By Paul Titchener At the yachties party in the clubhouse, and as the rum bottles were passed around, there was one old yachtie present, a man advancing in years but still fit and hard who didn’t say much but when he did everyone listened. “I bet you blokes have never seen the ghostly scow of Kawau island.” had seen and several said they Tell us more”, many laughed and knew about the old scow, that it howled, which he did. “Many years had nearly run them down several ago, before World War 2, | was times, and that it is only ever seen crewing in a mullet boat racing from around Canoe Rock. Auckland to Leigh and we were becalmed on a cold still night off Then on Boxing Day night in 1963, Canoe Rock when, out of a thick sea a dark cold night | was on board mist common to the Hauraki Gulf in Waione. We were competing in a late summer, a ketch-rigged scow Race from Auckland to Russell and with all sails set and drawing and no were just off Tiritiri Matangi island, sign of lights or crew on deck, drifting with the ebbing tide through passed so close across our bow that the night. Well after midnight some- we thought it would carry away our where off Canoe Rock, | was on the helm when suddenly Terry Patter- bowsprit. We bellowed out to keep a lookout, but the old grey scow just son up forward called out, “Paul kept on going with no-one on the Look Out ! There’s a scow dead wheel and disappeared into the dark ahead !” and gloom. Arriving at Leigh we told local fishermen in the pub what we (Continued on page 22) 21 (Continued from previous page) Peering into the gloom | saw it, a ketch-rigged scow, sails parched and worn but drawing as it sailed into the dark, never to be seen again. | have an open mind on the subject of ghost ships. | certainly saw something that night off Canoe Rock, something that other fishermen and yachties have also sighted. “Hell that was close”, said Patterson and | never did forget that night, the memory of that old scow was too Twelve hours after the stranding the crew were rescued by the steamer Tofua heading for Auckland from the Pacific islands. But what became of Herald ? Despite repeated searches through the entrance waters of New Zealand’s busiest port, no sign of the 73- ton scow was ever seen. Despite a reward offered, Herald had entered the “port of missing ships’. vivid. | was determined to research the history of the Auckland scows, to see if any recorded episode could explain the ghostly sightings. | was to discover that on the night ofJuly 14th 1928, the 83’ long scow Herald built in 1898, was beating down the coast in fresh southwesterly squalls from Whangarei to Auckland with a cargo of lime. At 3am, while tacking she was driven sideways by the squalls onto Canoe Rock, settling onto the rock without apparent damage. As she appeared to be held fast, the crew lowered themselves onto the rock, which at high water is only a metre above sea level, to seek shelter and await daylight to assess damage. However, after nearly an hour on the rock, the scow suddenly lurched and floated clear. The sails were still hoisted, its wheel still lashed to her barn door rudder, Herald sailed off into the darkness How could a sound 83’ scow just vanish ? Did she sink or just sail out over the eastern horizon into the vast waters of the South Pacific ocean bound on a ghostly voyage to South America ? Is she still sailing the waters of the Hauraki Gulf ? What did that old Yachtie see in the mullet boat over 55 years ago ? What did the Leigh fishermen see, and what did Patterson and I see from the deck of Waione in 1963 ? It might be that the old scow Herald is destined to sail the waters of the gulf for eternity, as she looks for her crew to bring her into port… that same crew perhaps that had stepped off her decks onto Canoe Rock on the night of July 14th 1928. Designed, built and_ owned still and sailed Anyone Electron) our readers fancy an imposing model (but and woodworm- supplier, tenanted | sailing Townson boat figurehead 2 It could be placed above. a fer instance), or true that you know you and Denarau 34’Talent seen in growing Fiji little fleet at where sailing them enjoying the Carlton-brewed (Fiji Bitter) seems to be the mighty magic mix ! “Dua Tale” (let’s have another “Fiji Baby’) as they say, beer are really skint (broke) when American Express calls you and says, his 2006 were up to 968, and there is a healthy and it is about the Electron model yachts, the numbers at January 25th even mounted on the roof of your car ! Dozens of uses in fact ! Make a wonderful “surprise’ gift ! Is Des Talking outside your front (as RC yacht b witeled e’r / old door by Townson among “Leave home without it ” ! and Whoosh – there it is ! It will settle arguments that You (not must meeting windlers stop like This ‘bible’ for this, you two, as people are. gentlemen and scholars of the wonder and talk ever argue). starting Sate windling world’, gives you all the of admiration for each other. Water Clinches are also a traffic hazard, you should know in 1894 remote in Ghobadi Bhaba where windling is said to have started ! Like the laid pre-boat-in-the-water about these “on the water’ displays rules established down to that ! chant, It “Hadja Sadjoo Branja Vleez, Bow in costs each the water, Sails for the breeze”. (A little codswallop is good for the soul ! Essential at times !) money time the Untanglement Offisa (at right) Oscar Wilde said: “I don’t recognize has to motor out to part them, then you – I’ve changed a serve an Infringement Public Morals lot” (Don’t we Notice number 389A3 in triplicate ! all ! First our memory goes-Ed) 23 A crewman climbs the ratlines of the 1900 pilot schooner model Flissingen built by Henk Buitenhuis of the Netherlands. (Photograph by Franz Amonn) 24 @ e The majority of this 0 praise would hazard a guess, of magazine’s readers are “getting old and but perhaps on’, | As he puts it, whatever you do, slower is often better ! not Many of us ‘prehistoric’, not have long realised these benefits and our windling model as agile as we “used to was’! Like it or not we are slowing down our activity pace and enjoying a non-racing more placid and leisurely style of model sailboating, yacht sailing style dovetails nicely as we enjoy sailing our boats leisurely across ponds, lakes or rivers in a norush and relaxing manner, taking time to talk to fellow sailors and passers-by, taking time to feed the also of benefit to our health. ducks while we take pride in saying that ‘we are big boys out playing An interesting website for those on the net is In praise of slow and is with our model sailing boats’ who challenging the cult of speed. Carl Honore, a nice enough chap who are well shod of the one-time stigma of having been seen doing so ! has written the book In praise of slow and with whom | have been quite regularly in touch, poses the questions, “Are you always in a Our sailing is a wonderful pastime and many of us because of our age are a dying breed, and “yes, we how a hurry 2?” worldwide movement know it’. But we have paid our dues and “Does life feel like a never-ending race against and are sure as hell going to windle our sailing models as we recapture some of our boyhood dreams before we are finally called upon to slip the clock 2” As he puts it, many of us live these days in fast-forward mode, in the process often paying anchor. a heavy price in both our relationships and in our health, hardly ever Maybe some will say it is “growing old too disgracefully, but many, | even having the time to enjoy anything, really enjoy it. believe, will think not, and consider it more a case of slow and graciously as we catch up on simple pleasures such as sailing model Carl (who lives in London) points out what many of us already realise, that we live in an age of rage and lack of tolerance where we are constantly urged to do everything faster so we can do more (make more money for others, perhaps for ourselves) but always at a cost. He explains why slowing down can pay dividends often in every walk of life. boats. | think you will enjoy Honore’s book and it might set you thinking. In praise of slow, yes – personally | am all for it and will continue to champion it ! (Editor) Mark as On the coastal waters in sunny climes… “| can’t hear a peep”, said the deaf man, to which his sighted friend mooring in the crystalclear waters of a Florida lagoon replied, “ | can see a peep “, as he dropped anchor as close as he could to a small micro-cruiser well inshore in the shallows. The boat’s ability to go almost onto the sand, as it draws just 9” with the board up, 3’ with it down was another plus factor. Described as the most versatile shallow-water sailboat, the Peep Hen while not maybe a prize winner in the ‘pretty boat stakes’, certainly turns heads and draws acclaim for its ability to sail well and withstand a bit of frisky weather in coastal cruising. It was designed by Reuben The Peep Hens (and the Mud Trane (at right) for Nimble Boats which was founded and owned Hens) are still around, and are still being enjoyed by existing by Jerry Koch who unfortunately owners where they still have a died suddenly. The rationale behind the 14’ two person Peep large following. Alas, they are no longer being built as | ! Hen was its simplicity, and the understand it. Pity that, working, more time spent sailing. Hens filled a need. objective of less time spent because | think the Peep 26 Dy a Two beautiful Bluenose schooners in tandem flat water (at both on made by Tom and the Pratt right) brothers, Dick of Morrow, According to Andrew Ohio. Charters of Now, here, South Carolina, they are well made and sail exceedingly well. The A Boom is sometimes the result of a Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, surprise jibe, and, wait for it… Dea- Nova Scotia and they built the boats a half inch to the foot drise is “getting up to check the an- scale chor at 0300 hours.’ which gave them a hull length of 71 and a half inches. At right This little sweetheart of a sailing boat (below) is called MOVE and nearest built the camera is the Beach Prof Hugh liamson being Stefan Yawl Tourmaline thanks to some of you right on talking “salty’. Pratt’s obtained the plans from the at (and again Olson’s Yachting Humor) | can put was Mini Sail’s Streit of Bern, Swil- by Swiss zerland, the land of the cur- of Wil- of sailed UK by his son Nathan. It is a very old and successful model sailboat. ers the America’s Cup ! (Oh, Oh ! | could be in trouble with some Kiwis for saying that – simply on account of the fact that to some, the by New Zealand still me ? It is Yacht cdited by Lucia Del Sol it is To good. Maybe in 2007, just maybe ! Knight and Daniel Bruce MacNaughton (scen above). Beautifully printed, !). NAH !!!! One cannot expect to always win ! Alinghi were just too a Giant of a book, The Encyclopedia of Designers Cup loss hurts a complete and highly illustrated reference book of yacht oe designers from the 1800’s to the present day. 528 pages, 800 photos af Then again maybe not ! Ph New Zealand’s non-profit ‘model yachting for fun, relaxation and friendship’ thrice-yearly magazine