Windling World: August 2003

– page 19 humorous comment after Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup loss _ is shown without any malice intended towards anyone. Indeed, we must learn to laugh at ourselves, just as heartily as we do at others. The Difydo/Difydon’t war. | am now on the internet, feeling my way somewhat ‘gingerly’ you could say. | have not yet had the time to engage in: any serious ‘surfing’, but the occasional forays did put me in touch with a very talented model yacht builder in Maine, U.S.A. Timothy M Sullivan’s fine skills are evident in the photos within this My late Dad every now and again used to remind me, “You cannot please all of the people, all of the time”. The decision, by no more than a trio of nations in the West, to invade Iraq in March, brought about mixed feelings and differing opinions on George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard. Putting politics aside, all three will possibly be remembered in history, as having been the victims of a ‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ issue, Personal regrets here, that the Townson Electron regatta, run for several years in Fiji off Toberua Island is no war. more. the That war started after another ‘war’, one on the water in what | once photographed on the beach in the photo below (plucked from my thought was a_ sport. This is covered albeit briefly, perhaps a mite flippantly, elsewhere in this issue.Anyway, it’s time to put all that aside, for WW is about our more placid and peaceful pursuit of the gentle art of sailing model sailboats for relaxation and pleasure. Windling, a form of escapism from the all too often serious events of the world, with all its many horrors bombarded at us by the media. archives OUCH retain that We also show a sailing model of the 1902 New Zealand scow Alma, we our fondness for a chuckle here and !). Aucklander Murray White’s honey of It is important also It was great fun, entire’ fleet there, and (Continued on page 3) the 2 with photographs of the real scow in her days both past and present. undertaking such a big project, one that is taking him years. When completed and on the water, Dottycom.dis.dat details! | can now say that | am on email which may make it easier for readers to contact me. Since my new equipment has been a source of endless problems, if you can’t get through or don’t always get a reply from me, use snail mail please. | would also, for the time being anyway, prefer that you send material, especially photos by that system. Any reader not already aware of it, my email contact is m.n.steele@xtra.co.nz If you know what you’re doing and have the skills to match your enthusiasm, the world is your oyster and this little boat built by Ron Rule of Auckland shows that being 13” long does not rule out a squarerigger. The name is apt too. Square Foot, and it is surprising many in the way it sails. He plans to build a bigger version. You can read about ~=Ron’s pilot cutter Brendawyn in this issue. WW will reveal all. Simplicity being the key. Even people like me, with lethargic brains and ten thumbs could build them, and this little ketch by Simplicity Boats is worth a mention. Remember when we were young and created and free-sailed real ~roughies’ with “borrowed and _ never-to-be returned’ handkerchiefs from Grandma ? Well, if you go online to www.duckworksmagazine.com _ this little six inch ketch boat kit (above) at around US$13, one of David Beade’s “Penny Puddle Pals’, may catch your eye. For the very young in age, and the older but young at heart who can still remember. Among the August offerings, there is also an exciting new boat from Aucklander, Alex Bartlett, this one being nak a latish 1800’s USA defender of “that , cup’. From thirteen inches, upwards to an absolutely foot summat long gigantic seven model of a ketch being built South of Auckland, by reader Tony Ireland. Its | hope that you find something of interest in this issue. size requires a bow and stern, two man lift that will seem to some as a daunting prospect. Having said that, | commend the builder for his bravery and tremendous patience in id Mark Steele Publisher/Editor Andrew Boyd, a 240mm, child mast of the Clyde, migrated to Geelong, Australia from Scotland around 1948, and got into the world of RC in the midsixties, slope soaring The hull and deck are still available from the son of the original supplier at A$75 each or A$15O for the pair and_ those __interested can write to After seeing a_radiocontrol magazine article, his Arija materialised and was launched in the State of 1969. in December Several versions followed ipctogin a ketch, and this led to n r a in height, and an overall weight of around 4.5kgs. leading him into yachts. Victoria with 138O0mm e. W Andrew Boyd, 5 Jaybree Court, Grovedale, Victoria 3216, Aus- tralia. , supplying hulls and a plan set, then full k its If you are at all interested | believe that Andrew can also supply copies of the ak. original drawings. (some 200 of ¥ them) for several years. Arija, by the way, is a Swedish girl’s name. The ketch, Sandra ‘T’ (above), he assures the editor, sails very well in strong wind conditions, equally well in lighter airs. Andrew has never been interested in the competitive racing scene, and instead, favours the more relaxing, cruising or windling type of sailing. The basic specifications of the Arija hull are as follows: Length 106Omm, beam 210mm, draught 4 ike Ci the Covers Front Cover Murray White of Auckland, with his model of the New Zealand trading scow, Alma see page 13 Back Cover Wim Moonen of the Nederlands’ model of a Dutch sailing barge see page 18 Okay then, this is a confession, where’s the padre ? Your editor is not the greatest of fans of the America’s Cup, the event that in New Zealand, went on and on and on, while the super-wealthy (including the local syndicate) spent millions upon. millions cumulatively, pursuing what | consider to be, perhaps the most grotesque piece of silverware on Planet Earth ! It is all history now, that well-earned whitewash victory by the Alinghi boat of Switzerland, a land-locked nation that to many watching Team New Zealand’s demise, “had the absolute audacity’ to hire several Kiwis as key members of its crew. and then to take away from Auckland soil this Holy Grail of yachting that Kiwis had nourished a hope would live in this country, preferably forever ! A sport it was not, in fact the America’s Cup is now a _ business and an event used as a means of making money and fostering trade, hardly a sport in the true sense of the word any longer. True, the black boat lost two of its five races through breakdowns, and even before that, the tide was turning slowly. The wave of blinding enthusiasm promoted by a group calling itself Black Heart, and carried to nasty extremes by a moron fringe amid the hype of a loyal campaign aimed at upsetting Alinghi’s skipper Coutts and tactician Butterworth (two New Zealander’s mind you !) turned many supporters off and in hindsight, certainly did this nation, and its syndicate, no favours. Later, and after the much flaunted boat New Zealand failed to be what it was predicted to be, LOYAL was labeled by someone as “Look, Our Yachts A Lemon !” It certainly was not, but it was just not good enough ! After tongue-lashing and media comment against Coutts and Butterworth, and after all the mind games (Continued overleaf) (Continued trom page 5) on and off the water and the endless days of racing abandonment due to either too much or too little wind, the event is now confined to the history books. It is interesting that one well known yachting commentator said that he believed the aggro against Coutts and Butterworth, and the work of Black Heart served to make those sailors even more determined to succeed. | believe that myself and it certainly turned me almost full circle with as much disgust. Sportsmanship ? BAH ! The America’s Cup is now in Switzerland and the quiet search for “Who is to blame’ and who is going to fund the next “Get the cup back’ challenge (if indeed there will be one) goes on. The New Zealand Labour Government has already jumped on the politicking bandwagon and suddenly “found’ millions of dollars. Never mind the inadequate wages of teachers, doctors and nurses. “We will find the money—this is crucial to both trade and business ”. Surprise, Surprise ! Did | not say all along, it is not a sport ! Mark Steele “WIND SHIFT ! RAISE THE BRANCHES” A David Pearsall of the UK rang me a few months ago, told me of a wonderful day cruise off Cornwall he had just made aboard a schooner called Carrie of Camaret. He wanted to subscribe to WW (that is always sweet music to my ears !) Anyway he then sent me a photoprint of the boat in question which | show above, as she may well “enthuse’ someone to replicate her. (How about that subscription, David 2?) She is a 90’ gaff-rigged schooner built in France in 1947, and traded as a crayfish carrier between France and Mauretania for some years. The boat has a film career too—The films ~“Crusoe’ and in ‘Voyage of the dawn trader’. Rodger Barton sold a_ restaurant business to acquire the vessel, so that he could enjoy a permanent life at sea, and now operates Carrie of Camaret on charters. www.carriecruising.co.uk Ron Rule Auckland Ancient of — the based — Mariners windling = group, works essentially to “Ron’s rules’ whereby in the model boat sailing world keenness to build and then sail knows no bounds, and nothing must those objectives. interfere with He has built a great many display and RC boats, even within the short time | have known him, but the subject of this story is his model of the largest of the Bristol pilot cutters (Mascotte) built up on a bare fiberglass hull he imported from UK last December. some of the roughest water in the world, caused by the funnelling of the tides and the weather up a tapering channel for some 150 miles. They had to be both fast and able to deal with the conditions encountered. The boats averaged between 45 and 50 feet in length, and were sailed by a pilot and one crewman. They carried a punt on deck which was used to row the pilot across to the incoming ship which often would tow the pilot cutter back into port. Brendawyn was ready for launching after some 500 hours of construction over a period of six weeks, but Ron being Ron, with a keen eye , has added a great deal of additional detail. The plan called internal ballast, | have told the pilot cutter story in previous issues, of those hardy boats with hardy crew who worked in the Bristol Channel from the River Severn out into the Irish sea, in the process having to contend with for 2Olbs but the builder was to find the model a bit ‘corky’ on the water, and _ after removing most of the internal lead, Ron added a drop keel with 8lbs of (Continued overleaf) (Continued from page 7) lead which he found steadied the boat as he wanted it to be an allweather model. It is a good hat, (a Tilley) it just has to be. Any hat that can be eaten by an elephant (three times mind you !) and on each occasion like the passing of time, be ‘passed’ through the elephants digestive system and out its ~exhaust’, there to be retrieved by the owner, who would simply wash it and earry on wearing it, gets my vote as ‘the The builder and the boat The sailcloth used was heavier than the builder or the plan had called for, but Ron wanted that colour cloth for authenticity sake. All fittings other than the four turnbuckles were handcrafted, the decks are jarrah strips laid over ply, and for ease of transportation the bowsprit and topmast can be retracted simply by removing two brass pins. He thanks good friend, Bob Walters, who with great skill and an old circular saw, turned out most extraordinary and stylish super digestive hat of the century !’ | don’t have a heffelump, but | gotta get a Tilley |! Make a fine sailing hat. Millions practice yoga and millions practice Tai Chi, then there’s a certain sailor who (it is said) goes through the rituals of transmitting’ pondside in New Zealand. That’s fine, but WITHOUT A TRANSMITTER ? fine 2mm X 2mm strips Then again, well | suppose that you of kauri for the topsides plus varying other strips that were required. have to get the stance, and the angle of *body lean’ just right…also the facial expression. | suppose ! The modelyachts Sullt People’s love of particular objects, be it cars, aircraft, musical instruments or boats, often lead those with unusual dedication, an abundance of patience, and most of all, exceptional creative skills, towards the creation of absolutely mindboggling models of museum and his enthusiasm and lead to the creation of many more models. As he did so, awareness of his skills spread, leading to his making model yachts for others. Tim’s a custom model specialty as standard. New to. the internet, | had nonetheless heard of Timothy M Sullivan, from someone who had met him in Rockport, Maine, that beautiful part of the US noted for its nautical heritage and its boatbuilding, so it did not take me long to find his website and make contact. Tim did not, as he explained, start sailing until college, but from his very first encounter with boats and the ocean, he was hooked and just knew that he wanted to build a model. His model of Columbia was to catapult both his creative urges yacht builder is larger scale, classic sailing yachts, every one of his a with handcrafted models minimum of machinery involved. (Continued overleaf) (Continued from page 9) Hulls, accurate to the designers lines are checked by template along the entire build of each model Tim builds. On models ordered, his guarantee is somewhat mindboggling, but speaks highly of both his integrity and reputation and the need to protect both.”/f the model fails to meet the owners own expectations, it will be made to do so, or it will be replaced.” Just a few photos from the website show some of the wide range of models Tim has built. When approached, his time was premium was at Tim has _ built models of catboats, fishing and schooners small sailboats, of 1937 of Ranger motor of and built all yachts, from scratch using the lift method. a as he trying to stop the war against Iraq. He suggested | put the story off until later this year, but being really in need of story material and being keen to The level of detail on the models he builds ranges from detail minimal pond yachts to fully detailed quality, museum and the sizes of his models have ranged from 28” in run a story in WW, | asked him (and he willingly agreed) for me to put length to over six feet. He also accepts commissions for owners of something together. Top right is his model of Whirlwind (1930), centre of this page, a deck shot of America custom yachts. This is really but a thumbnail insight of 1851. Building a adventure’, many times right up to into his work, but | sense that there is so much more to tell about this man from Maine and the models “an model is to Tim one that he has taken modelling 12’ dinghies the 130’ Columbia of that he fashions, that |… secretly hope that another /7j. ¥\ story will follow. a 1899 vintage. 10 Heard on the Wireless Not to put too | heard on the wireless recently that a certain windle-minded editor’s request for readers input with photos and information has to date yielded very little. Give it a go you chaps in the northern hemisphere. Model sailors are always interested in the boats of others, so why not get out your camera and go on a shooting rampage. fine a point on it An island on a barge ! Spotted in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf during the (and we would have done the same, had our been defence successful !) but : here is the Swiss America’s Cup, a go-anywhere (courtesy of a tug) ‘island’ complete with sand and palm isla commemorative postage stamp a their America’s Cup victory. trees, A cup of a different kind now, and thatched hut (no no postage stamp (Why ever not Ed). The trophy presented Auckland’s Ancient Mariners by Great Model Schooner Society Maryland, ? to the in USA for annual award, has been won for his second time by doubt complete quite novel a_ bar). This promotion was by a New Zealand with company Malcolm Wilkinson for his Herreshoff ketch, Seahawk of Auckland, featured in the August 2002 issue of WW. am = suggesting you for selected cup-viewing clients. Pic above by Derek Despy, who also took the photo (left) of the Italian training Wheelie windling : Not that | a and Navy’s ship Amerigo Vespucci get that spent several in months involved with model land yachts, (below right) though Auckland. | suspect given the largest possible area of flat concrete you could classify it as a windle of sorts, but | see from Marine Modelling International, that they Ah…ah…ah AH CHOO! ( It must be the sea air – and all over the computer keyboard ! | are gaining some ground in “Oh Britain. in popularity Wodney ! You were weally windling that time!” Honest !’ just absolutely hate that when happens). 11 it Mark Tindall who lives on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent in Britain, is a man with a host of talents aside from his being a keen windler. Some readers of WW will recall his award of an Abel for his somewhat awe-inspiring sailing model of HMS Invincible. rently with ‘sails at other venues when7, ever he is able to do so. Mark is cur- well advanced another period, His talents also extend to the world of fine art and in particular watercolours, one of his works shown below. With watercolours, unfortunately they do not reproduce at their best in black and white. Readers however, will get the general idea | am sure. Mark Tindall is a very skilled boat modeller with great pa- square-rigged battleship, the HMS Bellona which when completed and rigged will be 79” long . (STRUTH RUTH ! If that is not hernia – inducing stuff, what is ? (Ed). He also sails a Dolphin six metre yacht (named after his wife) Maggie Ann, seen in both of the above photographs. His model sailing is mainly enjoyed at a local lake, though tience. He is hoping to organize ai rally solely for .&,, > — square rigged models. he 12 ZiA¥\ “Sgereea sie My very brief story on the New Zealand trading scow Zingara in the December issue, in which | personally lamented that comparatively few people in New Zealand modelled and_ sailed scows, resulted in several letters of agreement. What was even more important, was that it brought about, thanks to Murray White here in Auckland, the arrival at our lake on the last Thurs- day of November, his most beauti- ful and well-constructed RC scale sailing model of another scow, the Alma, which this article is all about. crm Built by Geo Niccol in Auckland in 1902, the real 79.6’ schoonerrigged Alma, to my friend, historian and author Clifford Hawkins and others, was considered as one of the prettiest scows ever built, and by those who sailed her, as a good dry scow to be aboard. For several years, the Alma was part of a fleet of scows engaged in freighting coal to Auckland for a coal Murray White’s sailing model of Alma photographed by the editor had ever built scow models that sailed, to which | should add that a great many accurate display scale models of scows were also built and reside in museums in New Zealand. Working scows were an important part in the building of Auckland city. Norman Gabbott of Dannevirke in our a previous issue, company. At this point, let me also put the record straight. | was not suggesting that nobody in New Zealand North — Is- land, some may remember from built a lovely sailing model of another scow, Owhiti seen here. 13 By Murray White My interest in the deck scows of New Zealand possibly comes from living as a youth in Kohimarama, a seaside suburb on the Southern shores of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. Also living in the area was Captain Hugh Kasper and his son Karl who with his brother Ron, ran the scow Jane Gifford. | remember well, that our school flagpole in Mission Bay, from which we flew the New Zealand Ensign, was a scow’s mast, In 1949 when | started work, | was very close to the Nelson Street wharf where scows came to unload sand and shingle. This led me to build a model scow for my young brother in 1957, and in 2001 he asked me if | would refurbish it, as the old japara silk sails were by now rotten and the rigging in need of overhaul. | then decided to build an RC model, and having the Ted late Ashby’s Do .0 k Phantom Fleet as a guide and preferring a schooner rather than a ketch, | decided on the Alma as she had a nice sheer. From the dimensions in Ashby’s book, | drew a plan to a scale of 10mm to the foot, the overall length of the model (rudder to bowsprit) coming out at 1,06Omm with a beam of 26Omm. As | planned to use 3 servos this size was the smallest | could build. | was given a 6O degree servo and decided to use this for steering, using. chain drive, and in addition the model is fitted with two Hitec servos, one with a drum winch for the overlapping jibs and jibtop sail, the other for the mainsail and foresail. The staysail is self-tacking. The hull is planked in kauri, the deck, teak ply with sawn grooves filled with black acrylic sealant. The centre case, cabin and gunwale belting are teak, spars are Oregon, boom and gaff jaws, as well as bulwarks and cap rail are jarrah. The sails are spinnaker cloth stained. To assist sailing she has a lead bulb and fin keel, and an extension to the rudder. The model took me about four months to build and it has been a real pleasure to see her on the water and to sail her. While talking to a friend | told him about the model, and to my surprise he told me that the Alma, built in 1902, was still around in the Hokianga area of the North Island. Over the years she had carried a wide variety of cargo, sand, shingle, bricks and God knows what else, and had many owners. Since 1986, Alma has been owned by Graham Darroch , a grandson of a well known builder of scows, who keeps her in the Waima river, (left) just six miles from a place called Rawene, where she is used tor cruising and fishing hire, her shallow draft enabling her to really explore the upper Late in reaches of the Hokianga river. December last year, my Alma (the real) above, Alma (the model) below wife and | drove up to see the boat. We also took the model with us to show Graham. Her owner has spent many hours restoring the hull plankings and it is just possible that one day he might find the time to spar her and rig her as she was in her yesteryears. Her original wheel (above) still steers her. via steering chains as in her days of sail. He seemed z ay | BS impressed that | had used a steering chain also in the model. 15 by z Finditt. | £ ‘ia v 74 it 4Pt fKC a gD @ isia MOLEL saITINE MBCA iehe = Soe s My _ primary see the greater emphasis on competition in the form of rules and protests as counter to my own interest in what | see as a relaxing hobby. | also think it is hard on the boats, and unlikely to attract more people to the sport. keeping the boats and_ traditions alive. | see free sailing as a very different and more peaceful alternative to RC sailing. In the “good old days’ | am sure that free sailing was as competitive as any modern racing. However, participants were also designing RC vs FREE SAIL and building their own boats and Talk about where it was purchased/ new boats were being added to the Talk about how it was restored fleet at regular intervals. Epoxy/Varnish Plastic/Wood We are in a different time now, and free sailing has a very different feeling, aesthetic at is least for captured skillfully, but | do cee interest in free sailing is me. in Batteries/Bowsies Radios/Bamboo poles This Tactics/Meditation the Yelling/Silence comparison (at right), which | will confess contains my own idealised Elbows/Exercise Curses/Handshakes Egos/Admiration impressions rather than strict truth. | am aware of nice fiberglass free Hard feelings/Congratulations Jerky sailing/Graceful sailing Rules meetings/Champagne sailing yachts and friendly RC sailors. Personally, | experience too much competition, and too much Celebrations Sea Lawyers/Historians Technology/Tradition Stress/Relaxation high tec engineering at Stanford, and the absence of these qualities is one of the attractions of free : sailing. | am not against learning how to sail the old boats more Courtesy US Vintage Model Yacht Group 16 igned in Australia by Adrian Brewer. Plastic hulled, it sails well, Michael Beckingham of Whitianga, New Zealand though owning several other boats when he is not flying model aircraft such as his Stearman biplane, still enjoys sailing his 1896 -built Rainbow (seen below). With a solid carved kauri A truly lovely sailing boat ((above) from “the happy sailor’ and WW reader, Paul Cousins of Christchurch, New Zealand. His French Bautier , (a Louis Heloise), Marie Claire, with its hull made of kauri, was built from the Traplet plan, the model designed by the late Andre Moreau. Paul made everything according to the plans, and found the four articles in Marine Modelling International crucial to the build. He made the sparts of imported Oregon, his wife Janice making a wonderful job of sewing up the sails. The model was launched Victoria on Wednes- hull, it was built to be free-sailed by the Harbour Master of Lyttleton (a port in the South Island of New Zealand) in 1896 It was later converted by Mike to take radio gear, and it still uses its original sails made out of Indian cotton. on Lake day 6th January 2003, where she sailed perfectly in light airs. This pretty rigged boat seen with Geoff Neal in) New little gaff(at right) owner, of Levin, Zealand’s North Island was des- a7 Wim Moonen of Den Haag in the Netherlands, as readers of Windling World who have seen his models are aware, is a very talented ship modeller and RC sailing enthusiast. He was awarded an Abel by WW in December last year. While he concedes that he is presently engaged in building a sailing model galleon, this traditional Dutch barge above and right, is in fact his latest completed model. It has an overall length of 170cm and is 30cm in width. It is built mainly of plywood and scrap matetial. The winches for the sideboards which the Dutch call ‘swords’ are made by himself. Because he has so many other boats to sail, this one is usually sailed by other members of the club group who haven’t yet got boats of their own. Three of them are now building identical barges for themselves. He says that there are still several of the real boats around on the canals, and they are ideal for shallow areas. Wim is seen with the model above, the boat again shown on the back f this i cover of this issue. “4 3 at Senter sonpesvopnartennsy and the story continues overleaf 19 Continued from page 19) | remember seeing a model of this boat the first time Dennis Conner brought his wonderful collection of models to Auckland during the America’s Cup. Now in 2003 Alex Bart- lett, a mustard-keen Auckland windler, has completed an RC model of the boat. that defended | have not been terribly successful in getting much (successfully) the AMERICA’s CcuP information on this 9O’ schooner, other than the fact that she led a fleet of 14 sailboats from the New York Yacht Club in a single 35 -mile race off New York in 1870, in the process defeating Great Britain’s 108’ Cambria in what was a cup defence. Howard Chapelle documents the fact that the boat, built by Byerly & Son in Philadelphia, was launched in 1857 then went through a series of changes (including one to a schooner rig), all this before her one big moment of fame. Our *Alexander the (almost) Great’, seen at right, has been quite a prolific builder, and both his Bluenose schooner and his version of Ticonderoga are beautifully built, and have been featured in earlier issues of WW. Last year he was awarded an ABEL for the latter. Now, in adding to his fleet, he has given us sheer magic indeed with this model launched in May 20 The model was built to lines taken off the real boat by a J Hyslop in 1888. It has a hull length 1092mm and a beam of 273mm. Mast heights are 1130mm_ for the main mast, 1100mm for the mizzen mast, the height estimated from photos taken of the Conner static exhibition model. Hull construction was by the bread and butter method using solid 18mm red cedar, glued then hollowed out with a chisel. Alex did the hollowing out with a constant fear of the chisel going right through the hull. Spars are made of red cedar in order to save weight, the decks were done in 3mm kauri ply, with planks drawn on, and the sails were done using (Continued on page 21) 4 oz sailcloth. The sail battens are stainless steel trace. The model is fitted for sailing with a 370mm long keel with a 1.8kg lead bulb. A 10m glass.case is mooted for a permanent “Memorial tribute to the late New Zealand yachting icon, Sir Peter Blake. To be built and sited outdoors at the end of the Auckland, National Maritime Museum, it will house NZL32 (Black Magic), the yacht that won the America’s Cup for New Zealand in San Diego in 1995. A NZ $10m project (and | guarantee it will be more —Ed) “HEY ILIKE THAT ! ANOTHER SEAGULL WASTE DEPOSITERY. ” The yacht designer, William Atkin wrote; ‘None of us know anything about boats until we have built or owned at least three; by that time we begin to realise how very little we really do know’, ‘Were | a builder and one I’m not, (and I’m not because | can’t !) I’ve seen a boat that | would build | think many readers will share my view, that this is a stunning boat. | predict that a few will want to build it.-Ed. but since | can’t… | shan’t’. ANON 21 The Q Class Flying 12’s appealed to his sense of humour, and he was to crew on them for several years before Moth Stuart Hamilton Reid’s love of sailing began when he inherited his much older brother’s canoe when he was five. A foundation member of the Rocky Bay Memorial Cruising Club formed in 1947, he had a series of boats including a hollow garboard dinghy, and a Zeddie by age 12. His first new boat was a MK II Moth in which he won the Hamilton designing his own built Claymore in ‘Aussie’ a_ dirt floored _ single garage, with the aid of a A profile Stuart Of Hamilton ‘wolf a Sunes, . 5 or Reid gun’, lead light and hand tool several years while he was working as a project construction draughtsman at Matahina, he found himself regularly commuting between that area and Rotorua one weekend, and Browns Bay on Auckland’s North Shore for sailing regatta’s. His Claymore (below) having won the Handicap trophy at the Wellington Nationals, he donated the Claymore Trophy for the first boat to be designed and built by her skipper won by none other than top New Zealand International designer Bruce Farr the following season. ((Continued on page 23) Yacht Club class championships in 1962. For overseas readers, Hamil- ton is the largest city in the Waikato farming region of New Zealand’s North Island. 22 Stuart would later crew for a few seasons on Flying Fifteen and Flying Dutchman yachts, in between instructing at a motorcycle riding school, until his two sons were old enough to sail. He and a friend then designer paints and draws, and intends to market paintings of these classic boats mounted and ready to frame. Any readers requiring plans of their favourite craft, he can draw these up provided sufficient information in the form of photos or sketches are supplied. Below is __ his drawing of the classic 1880 Logan — yacht, Jessie Logan, now restored and a fairly regular sight on the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland. built two Optimists, and this led Stuart to design and build Optimus Maximus (seen above) as a family beach cruiser the success of which encouraged all his subsequent designs over the next twenty-five years. His friendship with the late designer John Spencer was to awaken his interest in RC one metre boats, and model yachts _ in general, and he draws and paints __ traditional sailing craft when not sailing with the Katikati Yacht Club. He was an early member of the Traditional Small Craft Society. These days, this talented marine artist and yacht Richard Gross of Auckland, New Zealand, has made Milano shown above and another of his boats (Windana II} from the same mould, several other Ancient Mariner sailors having done likewise. sloops, ketches, schooner. and There are now_ this | think that readers will agree, that they are lovely looking hulls and provide fine looking boats. Richard has made the option of rigging the boat as a schooner or a ketch, and by changing the masts around and placing the mizzen mast further back, he is able to use the same sheeting positions. Milano weighs 11kg, is 127Omm in length, has a beam of 370mm, mast heights of 1450 and 1300mm, and 24 a Hitec winch working from aft forwards around a pulley and back to the drum works well. : en Impey, Tony ; : Barry Gibson, Stu: Mark Sicel When the WENDY went down. It was not a National loss to any nation, there were no attempts at rescue, no helicopters with cameramen overhead, and there was no media coverage. This after all, was not the Sydney to Hobart Ocean race, and there was no great That is Keith with the model (above) and he tells me that he has almost completed a larger version. | recently read that MacArthur’s multi-hull attempt with Kingfisher storm. It was a slow sinking, stern first of a little model sloop called Wendy on a beautiful Spring day. She belonged to someone to whom at some stage she would have been special, and she took her radio gear down with her as her hull finally filled, dead centre of the pond. This is very likely the only mention of her demise ever published. Even in model yachting these things do happen. “Losses at sea’ have been known to occur, even in the pond ! You can look out for the December issue in which will be included a story and photos on Keith Hummerstone (of North London) and his sailing model of Ellen MacArthur’s “round-the-world(er)’ Kingfisher 1 which was built by Marten Marine for her in Auckland, New Zealand. 2 on the Jules Verne record ended with a dismasting when they were deep in the belly of the Southern Ocean. Seems she is rather a gutsy lady, that Ellen. How close is close enough if you and your model yacht are, let us say, an item ‘, or to put it another way, _ if you and ‘her’ are inseparable ? Well Is this cosy enough as a fer instance ? Dockwalloper—a person who walks around the docks checking things out, He is said to be ‘dockwalloping’. From the “Ministry of Absolutely Useless ‘” Information’. (| William Shakespeare were alive today, he woule be 449 7a years old, WOW | but would he be AY into windling 25 ¢ Ed. med (wrote Spike Milligan) D’Arcy ’s Boathouse At the back of the house is the shed, or *D’Arcy’s boathouse’ as it is sometimes known, that ‘inland outpost’ where things one day you just know Well friends, I’d rather you as friends even after | tell you that be- cause of currency fluctuations, sub- scriptions have got to rise in order to keep the boat afloat. UK/Europe now 15 Pounds, USA/ Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific all now $20 in applicable currency, land. Increases your next renewal. Increases with effect your next renewal. you’ll need, share space with other things you’ve never needed but thought you would, The Classic Ypfindler where boxes and containers that ‘might just come in useful’, things for making things, masts and spars, lead for keels, tools, old broken toys, paint-stiff brushes, model yachts and other things desirable, share space and silent company with bugs in webs and spiders. This is man’s other home, for all sorts of bits and bobs and odds and ends, whajamacallits, wossnames and thingies. Auckland windler, Roy Lake sails his Brixham trawler Revive Mark Steele 26 The computer keeps asking me, “DO YOU YAHOO ?” Some habits are very personal, anyway, truth be known, | have bellowed the odd YAHOO a few times in my life | Go on then, | double dare you | Make a foot long RC sailing model of that classic schooner Altair (seen below) on a bigger scale with builder, the late Sandy Cousins of Scotland. Okay then…make it any size you care to, but make it, for you can still get the plans (Plan # MAR 2521) from Traplet Plans Service in the United Kingdom. The subs may have gone up but look on the bright side. You are now all getting your magazines non-folded in a larger sized envelope at in creased postage, but no more creases (except those brought on by age !) Congratulations to Des Townson, New Zealand designer/producer, of the ELECTRON model yachts, on being honoured A pigeon among Eagles… by the Auckland National Maritime | believe… itis a conspiracy against all ‘fings’ small – this Museum in May. anti-Footy feeling displayed by a few who prefer bigger-boats. It stems | think (only perhaps, mind you !) from the fear of scoff by Passers-by, that we, (heaven forbid !) be ever looked upon as big kids still growing up and only allowed to “dinky-do’ windle Des has produced 827 ol his Electron’s to date, and itis the most successtul one design model yacht in the world, with little yachts which c¢ an be happily sailed with larger ones. Abel 27 New Zealand’s unique ‘model yachting for fun, relaxation and friendship’ magazine