I was sitting on my bunk, looking out the hatch, and then, in a split second, my whole world was turned upside down. My view turned from blue sky to blue water, a huge crashing sound was heard, and Maiwar was capsized like a bath toy. There was no time for fear or even a communicable thought, it all happened so quickly.

This is going to be special! Drinks and food and friends amongst some remarkable restorations. There will be a welcome to the Regatta and brief description of the vessels being worked on in the shed.

“It is an unforeseen circumstance. No one trains to have a giant mast break on a schooner. Everyone acted with professionalism. Everyone was doing the best they could with the gifts that they had.”

Many of those isolated hamlets are most easily accessible by boat rather than car, so in 1959, a group of librarians secured government funding to launch a waterborne library service with a special emphasis on children’s literature.

Delve into the ties Pasifika peoples have with the past, each other and the environment, in this new permanent exhibition. Wansolmoana – meaning One Salt Ocean – reflects the cultural significance of the immense body of water that connects the islands and people across the Pacific region.

Following on from last week’s Article The Lost Loot of Lima we had a wonderful update from Richard Bell, on the ground in Queenscliff. These Documents are part of a Queenscliff Historical Museum project about the Fishermen and Families on Fisherman’s Flat, Queenscliff.

I remember trying to sleep in the forward berth and being “squeezed” as the bow flexed - rather frighteningly as they were built to be very light - perhaps too light, as much strengthening was needed before the next trip in rough weather.

The 25 mile trip down the bay from St Kilda is always a good time for contemplation. The views are not spectacular. There’s no harbour bridge to serenade you on your way, or dramatic cliffs to escape… just a thin diminishing and growing 360 degree strip of land, interrupted by the teeth of the city skyline, and the pimples of the You Yangs and Arthur’s seat.

The Notice of Race has now been published for this years Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta.

“Without their regular feasts, the faithful are unstrung from the calendar, awash in a sea of days that are all the same.”
― Hilary Mantel,

The Melbourne Boat Show is back for its 61st year. This year there will be a “Heritage and Wooden Boat Precinct” Hosted by the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV) over four days in the heart of the city, at Docklands.

“…She was built at a time when people wanted adventure on the water, rather than a chilled Chardonnay tied to a pontoon.”

Maritime and terrestrial navigation requires two-dimensional coordinates. Once in the air a third coordinate comes into play — altitude. It was Gatty’s research and practical application that led to a solution to many of the complex problems associated with three-dimensional navigation.

Their core business seems to be in the small fishing boat market, with a side line in jet skis (now rebranded as PWCs), and devices for holding a plastic chardonnay glass stable, while towing a donut loaded with screaming kids.

Well, at the recent AWBF annual General meeting Joy stepped down so that she could spend more time with two of the most important things in her life…Her family and her stunning Neilson Ketch HOLGER DANSKE

“What matters is action. Not to think about writing, but to write. Not to think about sailing, but to sail. Not to think about loving, but to love.”

It’s an eclectic mix of craft, from out and out racing boats from every decade from the 1920’s to the 1970’s, to 90 year old fishing boats, to world girdling cruisers.

Andrew has produced an old school, analogue (!) Calendars for 2024 featuring his photographs of some of Australia’s wooden craft, and he has kindly made a small quantity available to SWS readers.

The Timber Boat Festival provides a great opportunity to welcome people aboard your boat and enjoy their enthusiasm for timber boat craftsmanship and share in the camaraderie of fellow timber boat owners.

After almost two weeks of uncertainty, and six months' worth of mud drying on the weary paddle wheeler's hull, Longreach tourism company Outback Pioneers revealed the boat would not be able to cruise again.