Windling World: April 1999

APRIL 1999 At the helm Voyaging on the Sea of Time. A bit young to be an editor (1 hear you say) but for no other reason than to prove to friends that | was once young and good looking, the photo heads April’s ~At the helm’. It was of course taken before the ravages of time took their toll, but Ah – what fun the young lad was to enjoy on his ‘passages’ o’er the many oceans of learning, growth and experience that then lay ahead ! The “sea of time’ on which he eventually travelled has brought him many memories of the happy kind. “| wanna be a write-man’ (perhaps when asked he said) “so some might say | liked what he writ when | grow old, GET DEAD 1 The many _ beautiful nautical Christmas cards that | received from readers this year, again brought delight, serving to remind me of both fullsize sailing boats and those in model format, that light the fires of enthusiasm in the souls of many of us. Included in this issue is a story on model yacht racing in the far-flung Shetland Isles, where in addition to The “Ancient Mariners’ special sailing day last November went off well, and a story will appear in the next issue. Among the boats seen was Malcolm Wilkinson’s new coastal schooner Dolphin, with this beautifully carved and most relaxed helmsman ever one of Mal’s wife’s quite wonderful creations. 1 suppose you could call her a ‘special’ since Island Spice was the prototype to the Spencer Fun Fellows featured in this issue. The second FF to be built, she has at my hands just had a major refit that included a planked = deck and cabins. There is an old adage ‘one inch of steel, makes sixteen inches of rust’. Oh dear ! Am | just a rust bucket ? | have no doubt in my mind, that the concept of windling is becoming more and more appealing, and | believe that the ‘among good friendly blokes messing about with their model boats’ aspect is a driving one. A belated “Happy 1999 “to all of you. | hope you enjoy this issue. ITIS THE the stern-ruddered boats, live over 250,000 puffins. It is still beyond the understanding of media, the absolutely amazing growth of interest in model sailing boats, here, there and almost everywhere. Auckland WINDLING not the winning, a THAT IS ! T N A T R O P M P | — or ti er sh Publ Solo was to carry on to greater heights of success – the first yacht to circumnavigate — Australia since Matthew Flinders did so aboard Tom Thumb, three circumnavigations of the world – mainly with all-women crews which Meyer was a fan of, a win on corrected time in the “56 Sydney to Hobart ocean classic, second on line the following year and My obsession with a certain Australian boat began when I was a young boy of twelve, listening to radio reports of Sydney to Hobart, Brisbane to Gladstone and other big line honours as well as victory on corrected time in “58 and “59, second on line in both “60 and *61, line honours again in 1962. Impressive stuff that ! After two previous attempts to build models of her – the first of laminated cedar in 1963, the second in balsa, a personal obsession drove me to a third attempt. yacht races, in particular, following the progress of a yacht called Solo. : by Rick Mayes With an unusual ‘“cowcatcher’ bow, Solo was owned at the time by one of the most colourful and successful ocean racing yachtsmen of the fifties and sixties. Swiss born Vic Meyer was a graduate from skiing and ice skating, and his 57 foot in length, steel hulled Solo designed by the late Alan Payne was launched 15th June 1955 and then proceeded to win five out of eight races before Christmas, despite the fact that her owner had no yacht racing experience prior to owning her. The completed boat built from 1.5mm plank on Ha construction is seen above left. The real Solo (below) (continued on page 4) Having served in the navy, | have also built several models of Australian naval vessels. The editor wants me to do a story on another sailing vessel of mine, Lady Annette that I built some years back. Meanwhile | am now back at work on Sea Cloud – a fourmasted barque seven feet in length a massive project indeed. | twice sailed aboard, and | must not overlook her many successes in the Brisbane to Gladstone races, various other races around the Sydney area, and five line honours and on corrected time victories in the 350 mile Montagu Island race, as well as twice having won the Blue Water Pointscore. In 1978, Solo also took part in an Antarctic exploration voyage. Now owned by David Farley, she is on day charter out of Manly, Brisbane. My own now yawl-rigged remembered cutter). She cutter-rig as photo below. (Rick Mayes lives in Munruben, Queensland, AUSTRALIA – Ed) completed 4°6 model is which is how | the real boat (now a is easily converted to shown with me in the | have added a motor Take one little Oyster dredger… The performance of Bob Walters’ little planked, oyster RC boat model, with its orange-coloured sails, the boat barely 21” in length, seen sailing beautifully among a fleet of larger models in Auckland recently, convinces me that “small can be beautiful’. The “Tom Thumb fleet’ story in August , is one that I think you will enjoy. CO the cover ‘The old and big, and the young and the small’ Euan Sarginson’s 1951 4’6 and four channel radio is used, one for rudder, one for main, mizzen and inner jib, one for outer jib and the fourth for motor power, and ‘m_ happy in that the model seems to sail well enough after 2 years of construction. 4 Christchurch based Truro and inset – a handsome young aspiring skipper, with one of Jacqui Wellington’s little free-sail models. Even model sailboats sink, but this one was saved… The sinking of the Poole barge SERENIE From Windling World’s “Keeper of the Spirit’ Tony Searle, came the news and this sequence of photos, of the July 1998 sinking of his old Thames sailing barge Serenie. The boat had sprung a leak on a blustery day VESSEL on the lake at Poole, Dorset, and as thee photos show, it was a case of GOING, SINKS ! |CREWMAN PERISHES ! GOING, GOING, and then…ALMOST GONE, with only the masts and a bit of sail showing. Tony could do nothing but watch and hope, but he kept himself occupied by capturing the drama on film. Who says that sinkings of model yachts don’t happen, and who says that they are not caught on film …and published in Windling World 2 Serenie was retrieved after being brought into the shallows by the tide, and has now been refitted and is back sailing. The radio receiver and a crewman were destroyed and _ lost respectively. The sailing hazards of a plastic seaman ! Tony has had the barge for many years – a Celia Jane design, but over the last few years has concentrated on the building and sailing of Nelson period Man O War sailing vessels. On winds the water 32 pounds. The model is built three quarter inch to a foot and built to take an external over Jim’s boat is called Blixten. An addition after this photograph of keel. Original ballast of the real boat was ten thousand pounds. boat and owner was taken, was the customary mongrel dog and additional crew. Britain. Jim Cooke of in Tavistock Devon has built this really lovely little model of a Louis Heloise. Built from Traplet Plans Service drawings by the Andre late Moreau , it is one of two English boats shown The original Blixten was built by a Jacob pa Stansnas at Orust in Sweden in 1868, and was 36’ LOA with a sail area of 96.6 square metres. in this issue. The hull is 4mm yellow pine (ex Victorian venetian blind) coated with fibreglass resin on the inside, and needed two and a half times the suggested ballast to get her down to her marks. Jim stresses that the rest of the boat is very ~scratch-built’ with all material recycled. The sails are curtain lining material, the ropework liberated from a French market, and deemed the best souvenir from any holiday he’s had. The hull overall is 42” plus bowsprit, maximum beam 11”, the weight on \ ‘Jim’s model is of course Capable of being de-rigged 5 iN Fa for transport, but an hour-long re- rig at the pond is daunting. The ‘. Louis Heloise is a popular modelling subject in Britain, and thanks to Jim Cooke, should anyone be keen to build one, the editor holds photocopied drawings. Jim as well as Barry McCready (see page 14) are both keen windlers in every sense of the word. Operating Spinnaker AMERICAONE sixty-five inch marvel ! Close your eyes and imagine a sleek six foot long model yacht rounding to run with the wind, and the appearance out of her bow of a multi-coloured 1200 square inch spinnaker. No dream for this is microSail’s AMERICAONE . Seen at right, this strictly one design by Doug Lord, has received a great deal of interest, not only because of its unique and patented spinnaker — system, but because the boat appears to capture the ‘look’ of the full size AC class boats design. Indeed it is the official model of the America One syndicate in San Francisco. The model is exciting and comes out of Orlando, Florida, USA from a company of which Doug Lord is President – a company that produces sailing models of several other sailboats, the International STAR class and the Melges 24 among others. The AMERICAONE boat weighs 29|bs ready to sail, has a removable keel that is removed by loosening one nut, and takes up very little more space for transportation than an EC-12. But back to the spinnaker which can be carried from a beam reach and set and doused at will in less than five seconds. It can also be set with the boat head to wind, in order to back up and rid the keel of any weed. Another feature is the “WingTip Main’ (continued on page 8) wo Light _Lutf’s Spinnaker run with the B rig. “Who threw Granny’s rocking chair in the river then ?” which allows the top of the sail to have all the advantages of a “square top’ main, with the facility of adjusting camber at the top of the sail, similiar to adjusting the foot of a normal main with the outhall. This system was designed by Doug in the “70’s, and pre-dates the so called “square top’ rigs by over 20 years. The winches and servos (except for the spin-trim winch) are fitted in an easily accessible module. A 12v gel cel battery with a regulator is used. Details on the boat from Doug Lord microSAIL 734 N.Irma Ave. Orlando, Florida 32803 Phone (407 ) 423-2427 Fax (407) 894-2431 the hull of the boat ! Now get out !” In 1994 when the respected New Yachting Federation, later to become Zealand yacht designer, John Spencer Yachting New Zealand, would see the decided to proceed with his idea of wisdom of establishing fleets of these creating an easy to rig model boats for training — of yacht, | had my own ideas with The editor youngsters in the skills of regard to the image that the sailing. Secondly, John saw it looks proposed type of boat could as a model yacht for fun ‘project’ in the minds of sailing. prospective customers. at an NZ -grown Long associated with the islands una of the Caribbean where | had lived and travelled over a period of sixteen years, more recently a similiar period of association with the Fiji Islands, | saw the boats conveying a mood of ‘colour, carefree island abandon, simplicity, frivolity and fun’, realising of course, that much of the character of each boat, would largely depend on the artistic aspirations of rig boat, creation. Firstly it was hoped that the yachting body at that time – the New Zealand that some (including the writer) would from time to time “fun race’ his under a light-hearted, few rules and “gentlemanly, good sportsmanship owners. Thus the Fun Fellow was born – a catrigged, unstayed masted boat two inches in excess of a metre in length, and with a two-fold purpose of The Fun Fellow was never designed with intent to be used for serious racing, but it was to prove such a nimble yet tough little *umbrella’. Heading photo: Steve Walters with YNZ boats. The first of these ideals has certainly been achieved, largely due to the sterling efforts of the late Ken Black who spent much time’ selling’ the boat to the Federation, with 20 in use in (continued page 10) New Zealand for training. On the private front they have achieved relatively little success – only nine in addition to the prototype built for the editor and a sister boat Fun which the designer built at the same time for himself, plus two that went to Australia. My Island Spice has been sailed and enjoyed for over four years, and over a 2 years period was “fun raced’ each week with Ken Black’s Oddfellow(s) 1 & Il. T’is said that “there are boats you endure, boats you respect and boats that you love’, and Island Spice falls into that third category. She breathes of the happiness of the islands, as well as goes like a rocket in the right airs particularly with the larger of the two rigs, and has proved her toughness and _ been forgiving to the point that | have often ended up feeling bad having attempted sailings in conditions she was never designed for. The boat owes me nothing, and as an ‘all thumbs’ owner, | pay tribute to “Mr Fun Fellow ’Steve Walters – builder and supplier of the boats, and friend, who kindly carries out routine maintenance whenever needed. The supply of sails for all boats has been handled by Alan Hayes who has been involved with the project from the outset. At left is the second of two Oddfellow’s owned by Ken Black. 10 Spencer died in March 1996, and although it is often wrong to ‘assume’, | feel that he would be well satisfied in the progress to date in the area of training. Interest in the owner operator area could still well happen given time, and a bit of a marketing nudge could well do wonders for what is is quite a delightful boat to sail.With its shallow keel it is ideal for ‘weedy water windling’. Left: Fun Fellow’s on the water at Onepoto, Auckland. Commenting purely on my prototype (and since | don’t care for the stubby storm sail rig and don’t have one) | believe that a slightly deeper keel and additional bulb weight would provide less flattening in conditions where the wind is really a bit too gusty. A personal opinion, purely. The boat has been altered and improved overall from the prototype the hull of which was identical to the original one metre Half Cut so successfully raced by Aucklander Geoff Davies of the NSRYS, in fact finished 3rd in the “92 1M Nationals. The hulls and decks of new Fun Fellows are fibreglassed and beautifully finished, and there are several colour options. The cost of a new Fun Fellow with two rigs and all radio gear is NZ$850.00. Steve Walters address is: 153A Manuka Rd. Glenfield, Auckland 1310. Tel O9 444 4405 fi ckane The Huia, Central Wharf, Auckland 1935 – C W Hawkins The Huia was a 35.05 metre (115.1’) topsail schooner launched in the north of New Zealand in throughout the Pacific between 1894 and her voyage of demise, that in 1894, history, the Huia can justifiably be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Cutty Sark and Thermopylae. New Zealand and Pacific maritime Those who have read the excellent and profusely illustrated book The Log of the Huia_ As a subject for a sailing model, it is surprising that so few have seized upon the opportunity to build by Clifford W Hawkins will know, that having sailed as a cargo carrier throughout the Pacific, and having survived strandings on shoals, and many a replicas and sail them, as drawings of her hull, sail plans, diagrams of rigging severe gale, she ended her days on Hawkins the Komekame reef in New Caledonia in 1951. To merely say that the Huia – named after a long known in the Pacific, would be an understatement. Built of the best scales, from the one many _ eighth model seen with him here, to both one- kauri and puriri, she established a number of record passages that brought her fame. A_ graceful schooner with immense sail area, she so books. varying New Zealand timbers, her hull out of in are made four models of the schooner to extinct New Zealand bird was well appeared etc fourteenth and three-sixteenth ports I] available He in himself Cliff has in various New Zealand. versions museums in | am aware of two RC models of the Huia, one in Christchurch, the other in Auckland. The smaller of the two seen at right is by H u gih Hobden – a S ‘crhvo-orl teacher and Hugh’s Huia seen left and above on home waters. active member _ of Christchurch Model This article is intended more as a brief look at a grand Pacific trading vessel, rather than as a review of Cliff Hawkins book, but suffice to say, that | have gleaned so much information from “Log of the Huia’ – and enjoyed reading my copy so much, the article may appear to some, to be more of the latter. Yacht Club. It sails well, and my photographs hardly do it justice. With a hull length of 38” (LOA 47”) the model was based on Cliff Hawkins’ drawings and text taken from “The Log of the Huia’. She carries a long false keel and RC is two function using the standard servos – one has a lever arm to operate the modest sail area. Total ballast is 2.75kgs. Robert Melse In Auckland, Robert Melse ‘s 2.1m model which he built over 4 seen at right rigging the model at Onepoto. years entirely in balsa (seen on this page) has 2 channel radio and has an all up weight How places change with the passing of including time. Aratapu, where the Huia was built, ballast of 25 kilos. Beautifully made_ it has taken two and a half thousand hours to date.Robert is re- was in 1894 perhaps the most lively of NZ milling townships (continued page 13) making the sails. 12 a a Huia in a hurry by C W Hawkins edition, situated on the bank of the Northern Wairoa River (which for overseas has considerable knowledge and feeling for readers is in New Zealand’s North Island). Entry is via the Kaipara Heads. Today all such activity has long ceased, and what appears from the vessel. | am_ confident that the name of Clifford W Hawkins (seen at right as he worked on the new a photograph in the book as having been quite a reasonable sized, and picture-postcard township, with shops, houses and pavements along the main street, is no more. James Barbour’s yard where the Huia was built is now covered with grass, no manuscript) trace remaining even of the area where her 107 foot long keel was cut to form the basis of the vessel. Time is often very good at erasing everything but history and memories. will through his exhaustive research and writing, be forever closely linked in a great many ways with the Huia. | won’t say much more, but for those We have been friends for a few years, and | am indeed indebted to him for the use of his excellent drawing of the vessel above, his willingness to oversee this article, in New Zealand able to get a second hand copy of any of the three now “scarce as hen’s teeth’ editions of the books printed, | guarantee you will enjoy it. Its author, who was on board when Huia met her end – and who (armed with new material) has completed a re-write for a fourth and for his loan of the photograph taken of the Huia alongside Central Wharf, Auckland in 1935. Mark Steele/Editor. I3 On a pond in Kent, sails Sea Witch… BRarry’s Tea Clipper Barry McCreadys stunning model of a tea clipper, is between thirty and forty years old. He and his wife live in Herne Bay in Kent, U.K and the boat was purchased by him from Tony Lench who has often particularly in a stiff breeze. Fitted is two channel radio on rudder and sails, with jibs free. Barry is a great fan of this type of vessel – and of that era when the great tea clippers — both raced written on = and graced many oceans. The fine photo was taken by Barry who for WW. Sea Witch seen at right is 52” LOA and was started by someone _ but continues to enjoy sailing the model whenever he possibly can. never finished, One of White’s then completed by Tony who sold it to Barry – a regular sailing companion of another reader of WW, Peter White. The original Sea Witch launched at Blackwall in 1848 for the China tea trade was rigged as a barque, as is Barry’s model. She was originally intended as an Opium clipper, and lasted until 1883. red privileged he stresses feels how to own a sail lugger seen at left is 35” long. The hull — of the very logically named (Red Sails) model is glass The model is plank on frame, has a beam of six inches, and height to the top of the mainsail of 34”. who boats (a Topsail schooner built by Barry) appeared in a previous issue, his other one, Barry, Peter fibre, the sails terylene. There is a detachable keel four and a half pounds in very the weight. model, says that it sails beautifully 14 A Canadian reader’ Alden Malabar Il building one off yachts or power vessels. Retriever’s decks are finished with teak planks one sixteenth of an inch by a quarter inch over one sixteenth of an inch ply sub deck, with black paper used between the planks to indicate tar caulking, and tapered teak plugs make a nice finish. The spars were made from lightweight spruce with all fittings handmade. For sails Ken used Ken Lockley three quarter ounce Spinnaker of cloth, with his wife providing the machining duties. A four channel RC — system — is incorporated, and the boat which now makes its home in Victoria, British Columbia, knew immediately he saw Wooden Boats Issue 120 that he would have to build an Alden ‘Malabar WW’ RC Vermont, U.S.A exceedingly well. (Plans are available from model – a vessel 3C4 CANADA) at C$33 incl postage: traditional sailing vessels. al WINDLING WORLD His model Retriever (seen above) he built in a very straightforward manner, the ballast poured and with a_ little ready to bolt onto Thrice Yearly A Non-Profit specialist magazine available on subscription only. the PUBLISHER/EDITOR Mark Steele keelson, along with stem and horn timber to make up the backbone of the model. ‘ : “Ke The nine frames were cut from one-eighth inch mahogany ply, and hull form was then of the spirit of windling’ ils Gil ah Ken Impey, Tony Searle, Basswood Stuart Broome, Mark Steele, stringers run full length from stem to transom one and a quarter inches apart. The Ken Lockley, 4114 Cedar Hill Rd, Victoria BC V8N dear to the hearts of all who love machining, sails Editorial Address: Basswood 42 Trinidad Road, Forest Hill, planked in two layers. Auckland, NEW ZEALAND. Phone/Fax 64/09 410 4402 This type of cold moulding is popular in the Pacific Northwest when yards are ace saci i 15 A life centered around boats forty years in a Pharmacy, thirty with his own business in the east Auckland suburb of Howick, and the aptly named Alchemist (seen left below) was to provide them with 17 years great family cruising. He describes her as a “kindly boat which Syd (and the yachts of) Beresford Ernestine and | could easily handle after the family had left home’. A keen member of the Scale Marine Aucklander, Syd Beresford’s life has been an interesting one, and the scale models he has built and which he sails today, are but a part of a life associated with the sea and sailing. He was always keen on yachts, as a youth building a model of an Alden ketch, another of a full-rigged ship, which he sailed in the sea or wherever there was a suitable pond. Modellers, Syd’s boats including the Thames Barge seen above (scratch built, solid base and sides, bread & butter ends) and the Stewart 34 seen with Syd (below) are two of his fleet. Then from being asked to crew aboard an 18’, in 1941 he bought a Frostbite sailing dinghy which sailed for 13 years. = he An ARROW centreboard The latter’s name is __ interesting. Called followed which he raced with the Howick — Sailing Club where’ he was Commodore in the — sixties. Seven years after Lot, she was built on a plug from an old hull which a club member had found abandoned in a city carpark. experiencing some ocean Parking There is also the smaller racing aboard the John Spencer designed Sirius (including crossing the Tasman sea for a Sydney to Hobart race, and two ocean races to Noumea) Syd and his wife Ernestine had boatbuilder John Gladden build a stretched 37’ Spencer for them. He had worked for Nova (seen on Page 17) based on an Alan Wright designed bilge keel 28.5 footer, and his latest – a thirty seven and a half inch model of the schooner Argus has now been launched. 16 lan Sharpe inthe Uk, seen at left raging Steelaway, his model of a modern steel built yacht, lan ts well known asa designer and builder of a range of models, b Pic by David Blinkhorn Thought you might like to know: A 90% renewal by readers whose subs were due end December, indicates a loss of 19 readers. Thanks however io all who have renewed – and to the generosity of several of you, WW will be able to survive for another {it’s fourth) year. Some of those defaulting may still renew before mailout, but in the future { can’t send out additional printed reminders, as itall costs money. — Syd says he did not start serious modelling until nearly seventy, “As a chemist { could still count tablets with the best in the business, but my ability with tools leaves a fot to be desired”. (You would not believe it looking at his models – Ed) Windling — ranks with one of the very few simple pleasures left in I adore the . simple pleasures – life. Remember they are the ‘wild Oscar’s’ statement. This will appeal to my friend Roy Lake) who was a Champion racing cyclist back in time in Britain: “In a bicycle Vs yacht race from Portsmouth to Newcastle, the cyclist won handsomely, as the yacht, detained at Folkestone, was unable to proceed any further due to a headwind ‘Yachting World 28 May1896, A circuitous route taken. Via my Australian friend last refuge of the complex’ Oscar Wilde and reader Barry Gibson (who keeps me fed with interesting model yacht stuff off the internet) and largely due to another friend, Earl Boebert of the U.S Vintage Model Yacht Group in Albuquerque, New Mexico, | have observed my classic ketch Marigold – ‘in living colour’ as t’is said, on the internet. The USVMYG is doing wonderful things for model yachting. The first = ever DUCK CAM- truly a superb shot of a V2 one metre taken by a duck who failed to ‘duck’ and had to be carried to the vet for “camera removal’ surgery ! If you believe that then you will also believe in Santa Claus. The pic was taken by NZ’s Alan Hayes (pet duck) ! You can check them out hitp://www.swcp.com/usvmg 17 on An active club for one hundred years… Sin Praneizco Model Vackt Cho, a Robert Eger Jnr’s J boat Shamrock V- Right: A Class freesail Formed in 1898, the SFMYC has been continuously active ever events at local, National and International levels, and enjoys since. With sailing water at Spreckles = considerable prestige. The organised Lake in Golden Gate Park, the activities on the lake club has exercised responsible |4 W/W peep provide a great source of custodial stewardship of the 1 recreation for the lake to the benefit of citizens and visitors of the city and county of San Francisco. pr ofile ata Centennial j In order to promote the sport of celebrating model boating, the club also has a power boat membership. As it provides a recreational facility, a request was made by the club in 1902 for construction of the lake which was completed in 1903, the clubhouse, near the West Shore, constructed for use of the club as a WPA project in 1937. The SFMYC arranges and conducts model sailing and power boating U.S.A club community, as well as enhancing the — tourist industry, during course of the the year drawing thousands of spectators for events. On weekends such events, between the club also regulates the many activities of members, as well as other boaters and spectators, to conform to its safety and noise control rules and city ordinances. oo : en anta one design. Barbara Your editor being what he is, and known to be behaviour, a stickler for Ron & Jill – the latter sailing a boat she and had at the time called Beats Housework sportsmanship, | was interested in the also sailed in that regatta, and again the following camaraderie good — excerpt from the following year in Napier, when Ron SFMYC’s 1902 Constitution provided won the C fleet series to by Commodore Tony Marshall: presented by yours truly. shall be: to foster and encourage While his parents live in the north of model yachting; to advance, promote the north island at Kerikeri where Ron and improve the mechanical arts and is an orchardist and Jill a librarian, sciences as applied to drafting of for and building the ‘Dastardly Rastus Grandfasterly’ trophy “The purposes for this association plans take of Alan (an Osmosis specialist) works model wherever he is needed but yachts and power boats, and to advance in the science and art of lives at Whangaparoa. handling and sailing them. Also to provide a healthy outdoor recreation and to promote sociability and a high standard of sportsmanship.’ For a good spell, Alan once produced and edited the NSRYS’s publication “Radio Waves’, and has now taken over the job of producing the National Radio Yachting body’s Radio Yachting News. He currently Windling World salutes and pays tribute to the San Francisco Model Yacht Club. sails a fast 1M the name of Hayes is Australian — skiff |HAYES TIMES THREE | bigcn well known , Ron . in New Zealand model yachting -in this case better Goosebumps, referred to as “radio boat broke, a_ similar called while Jill’s 1M_ is called Twisted sister. Alan also yachting ‘. has a new Andy McCulloch Ghost Train tri, and up north, Ron & Jill have Father Ron, mother Jill and son Alan all enjoy their sailing, and are regular competitors at both National and club events with 1M boats. a 28’ Spencer called Spunyarn for cruising. Alan is a top level sailor who in 1994 in Christchurch won the One Metre National title sailing a Draper ~Haka’ boat called Short Circuit, but only after a close sail-off duel with Andrea Chisholm. SECRECY ! What a lovely name for a yacht ! There is no JN COMING ISSUES news in this issue other than those mentioned, I am keeping it a secret you could say ! (Ed) 19 With gannets and puffins and fulmars for company In the Shetland Islands Jan and Alec Arthur making few adjustments Over one hundred islands and is their annual ‘inter-club’ regatta sometimes held at HOUL LOCH, Whalsay isle. The boats have a maximum overall length of 65”, and usually carry sets of 7-9 sails to suit different wind strengths. Masts are often ten feet high, down to 4’ in the skerries make up the archipelago of Shetland, which is north of Scotland and in size represents an on area 15Okms from north to south, 75kms east to west. They are a hardy lot the 24,000 Shetlanders, and Alex John Polson who by trade is a fisherman, is a model and builder yacht sailor with a passion for battling — both competitors and the elements on the waters of island the off Whalsay. Some years ago he built Incentive seen here, now owned by Alastair case of storm rigs. Most of their sailing is done in the Winter months of October to April as many of the guys are fishermen and away at sea for long periods at a time. oF s Left: Hoodwink nearest Pearson. camera is another Polson design. One of the highlights of the scene 20 Two Cup Races are held at Christmas, a further two on New Year’s The Shetland Islands, despite the very northern location, enjoys the benefit of the Gulfstream, and has a Eve, with a Points Cup for the best boat overall. One of the top sailors is A.J Polson’s brother-in-law Alister Irvine seen at right with Monsoon built for him by Alex John. The — boats (which appear to be free-sailed) have a lot deeper keels of late – with less lead, and the Shetland style rules call for a stern rudder, the hulls being double-ended. temperate, oceanic climate. At the end of June, the sun can shine for 19 hours, and you can sail at midnight ! Set at the great “sea crossroads’ of Scotland and Scandinavia, the islands share something of the character of both, while guarding a rich local identity that is uniquely their own. Rockland, Maine, shows both the workmanship of the model, and the lovely lines of the original boat. The model is built half inch to the Robert H Eddy & Associates of Camden in Maine build — truly magnificent yacht models, usually on commission for owners of the fullsize boats. The Frers design Turmoil shown here in the excellent photograph by William Thuss — of foot and was built in 1993, | am most grateful to Robert & William for their co-operation. 21 Just a plain old working girl ! Essay by Mark Steele A hazy early Summer’s day, lake water still asleep and a small eel visible just below the surface near the side, oblivious to the only movement on the surface, the old flat bottomed sailing barge. interest to one such as I, determined to capture the very essence and olde worldecharm of a working barge under sail. Save for a few models of Thames Zealand and finely cut sails are sought by model sailboaters, where nimble sloops and fine looking ketches and schooners are the preferred subjects for not rig that was decidedly ‘yawlish’ ! Seen below, she was the sort of boat that mum and dad used in the harbour as a means of ago fast, by and one with a dependence on scows for trade, the sight of the old barge Ruby evokes little interest. She’s owned New She was shorter then, more a pleasure — craft upon a time not long mostly in was (in 1995) to what she is today. many, where few reflect for long on New Zealand’s once too – Barges Englishmen still with fond memories of the motherland, there’s hardly a model scow…but there is Ruby the barge that grew from what she once In an age when speed and sleekness of style, Sailing she’s escape long, fromthe kids for a few hours. she’s “busy’ on her decks, a_ bit *weathered’ and showing age, her crew in sweat-stained shipboard clothes, a mongrel dog on board – Then, Roy Lake who built her undertook a refit – a bit of chopping, a bit of adding and a new old girl emerged. Now she’s just Ruby, a good old fashioned working girl that grew to cope with this second life ! just another voyage up the coast, delivery of kumaras, beer, and inside her hold, machinery loaded in Auckland … all for Doubtless Bay. It could be the 1920s but it’s not, it is 1998, and Ruby is of sufficient 22 WINDLER PICTURE-TAKER shot six lines further down (Gotta be precise, I’m told ! ) of Geoff Impey (son of Ken) who believes in getting the “low down’ as “close-up’ as possible. Swing low sweet…! The words Fijl and FUN are linked to each other, for at the former one enjoys the latter ! | don’t mess about, | simply tell it like it is, and my new boat (above) reminds me of WW’s great supporter. Topside in my ‘navigatorium’, midships between the two masts that are my ears, resides the inner me constantly in contemplative And who says boats have to be only a foot or two in length to windle ? You will have to await the thought mode as to what the kapok and August issue to read about Wayne Tedder’s sail aboard beaut pirate straw matter can possibly generate boats like the Barbara Ann seen below – all 15 feet of her ! ARRGH that. EYE-DENTURE-FLY YER VESSEL CAPTAIN vou denis ris acy ! CROAKIN PARROTS ! IS THAT A LADY PIRATE 1 SEES ON TH what photos | can show you that you havent seen ? So how about this ketch – a recent build from Norm Gabbott in Dannevirke in our North Island ? Nice eh ? POOP? ARRRGH ! Okay ! Betcha few of you know that the impressive 9’ wingspan carved eagle that decorated the stern of the yacht America in 1851, was removed when the yacht was repaired in 1858 near London, and discovered years later adorning the entrance Mi to a pub on the Was that a slight Isle ‘nick’ of How about a poo un to titel | 1 love yur ead eee aie ear the deck detail makes me i the lines (SOU | SOM I are bloody great but GET THE MAST OUT OF MY EYE No CLASSIC WINDLER pic this issue (I am told by the Editor to say !) but hel | lead you towards this CLASSIC A 23 Modern travel makes it easy to escape the stressful pressures of both city and suburban living and the often cold and miserable Winter conditions. The escaping is easy, and here in the Pacific, right on the very doorstep of New Zealand lies the place of escape, where sea, sand and sun, palm trees, crystal-clear lagoons and quiet anchorages, an utterly lazy and laidback lifestyle, and the friendliest people on earth, make up… THE FIJI ISLANDS. We rest our case!