August News Wrap
Here are a few items that caught our attention in the world of wooden boats or the values that surround it!
MALIBU OUTRIGGERS
We were delighted to receive this paragraph from TG telling us about his adventures in the 1960’s in West Coast USA aboard a Malibu Outrigger. If you were wondering what;s missing from the way we encourage our children to sail then have a read. And HERE is the SWS article that inspired the comment. TG writes…
My Dad built a Malibu in the early sixties and I (1961) was sailing on it by the age of seven. Once, when I was about 14, the two of us launched early morning from San Pedro and and spent till 2PM tacking up wind to get to Twin Harbors.
After a short tie up and arguement with some official pinhead, we headed back to San Pedro. The afternoon wind had just picked up and the ocean swells rose to about 6ft. going pretty much due west.
We were concerned about being alone in the channel if we had problems, but went for it anyway. The swells were still pretty smooth and we caught one, riding the hull near the top and having the ama way down below us sitting on the 'buzzards roost'.
I was forward manning the sail and quickly realized that not much thrust was going to be required and slacked way off the sheet. We were so hooked up that we must have been doing twenty+ knots for suddenly we were offshore of Marineland.
Now we could relax because a slow run down the coast took forever and we were lucky to make port by sundown.
Maybe the most fun I've ever had.
FARMING WIND IN VICTORIA
If Donald Trump hates it then it’s probably OK. Victoria Wind Farm planning is well developed but little understood. Here’s a great summary courtesy of VR Fish, Victoria’s peak recreational fishing body. It makes for interesting reading. I don’t really have a guage on where the Australian Wooden Boat community stands on this one. Rational opinions very welcome!
Map of feasibility licence areas in Gippsland
The discussion around offshore wind farms and their potential impacts on our fishing is a hot topic amongst the recreational fishing community.
Offshore wind power is the energy taken from the force of winds out at sea, captured by installations of wind turbines (wind farms), and supplied into the electricity grid via an undersea cable to provide power to the community. It’s a form of clean, renewable energy, like onshore wind and solar.
In recent years, the Commonwealth Government has declared offshore wind farm zones in waters off the Victorian coast including in Bass Strait (off Gippsland) and the Southern Ocean (near Port Fairy). There are now several proposed offshore wind energy projects in these areas.
If the projects are approved, how the offshore wind farm zones will co-exist with recreational fishing has continued to be pondered many Victorian recfishers.
At offshore wind farms around the world, often recreational fishing can occur alongside an operational offshore wind farm and the structures effectively create new fish habitat, act as artificial reefs and can potentially enhance marine abundance in the area.
However, there is also the potential for access limitations or exclusion zones to be put in place around infrastructure for public safety and to protect the wind turbines and infrastructure. In addition to potential impacts to access, these projects also have the potential to adversely impact environmental and social values.
THE VOYAGE OF MADMEN
Don & Jane - "McIntyre Adventure have recently released the full version of “The Voyage of Madmen” on Youtube. Click the image below to watch the full 98 minutes
They write
In 1968, The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race was the first ever around-the-world solo yacht race. Known at the time as a voyage for madmen, lives were forever changed – yachts sank, a suicide occurred and of the nine entries only one man finished – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston becoming the first person ever to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the globe. No other race has occurred like it in half a century. The Voyage of Madmen is the story of Don McIntyre’s 50 year anniversary recreation of the infamous race and his quest to attract amateur sailors to compete in small boats, taking on the perils of the sea entirely against the odds. It’s a race without modern technological aids where actually surviving a non-stop lap of the world is the achievement. Of the 18 solo sailors to depart France in 2018 – five solitary skippers cross the finish line – the final finisher spending 322 days alone at sea. This is the story of the longest sporting event in history. A display of brutal individualism by characters longing for a by-gone era who are hell-bent on recreating the longest, loneliest and most gruelling sports event on the planet. This film is an independent production funded entirely by Don & Jane - "McIntyre Adventure"...we have not yet been able to sell it to mainstream media or TV ..only a few hire and buy sales...For the past 10 Years we have invested heavily in supporting adventure ..the Golden Globe, Ocean Globe and Mini Globe Races and the ALMA Class Globe 580 one design mini. All this basically without major sponsors or external funding. We withheld the public release of this amazing film for two years , hoping to sell it for mass distribution...We are still trying!....but with the fourth edition of the McIntyre GGR starting Sept 6 2026 again from Les Sables d'Olonne and knowing many people around the world would be inspired watching this amazing human story, we cannot hide it any longer...Thanks to all the friends, volunteers and partners who helped make adventure and film possible.PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS about it.......we hope you enjoy the film. If you would like to support our adventures, please follow , subscribe, comment and share :) ..it helps a lot! THANKS!...The 2018 edition of the GGR will go down in history for many reasons. This is a tribute to the 18 sailors who risked all to follow a simple dream!” – Don & Jane
OIL SPILLS
I love good data! I also grew up associating graphic pictures of dying sealife, with names like AMOCO CADIZ and the TORREY CANYON which ran aground ran aground on rocks off the south-west coast of the United Kingdom in 1967, spilling an estimated 25–36 million gallons of crude oil. Well it turns out that the problem of ships spilling oil while not 100% eliminated, has certainly been minimised despite the ever increasing volume of oil moving around our oceans.
Have a look at the stats thanks to the wonderful website Our World in Data.
Oil spills are disasters that can have severe social, economic, and environmental impacts.
They are the release of crude oil or refined petroleum products from tankers, rigs, wells, and offshore platforms.
These spills are most common in marine environments but can also occur on land. They can have disastrous consequences for local ecosystems, and be expensive due to the loss of oil and the costs involved in their clean-up.
The number of oil spills and the quantity of oil that is spilled from tankers has fallen substantially in recent decades.
On this page, you can find all our data, visualizations, and writing relating to oil spills. Specifically, this refers to oil spills from tankers – container ships transporting oil – where consistent, high-quality global data is available.
PORT TOWNSEND FESTIVAL
With the opening just a week away, momentum builds towards another brilliant wooden boat festival in Port Townsend, the only wooden boat festival that could hold a candle to our own AWBF. They have just released their “Ultimate Guide to the 2025 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival”. Even if you are not going to attend, it’s worth a browse. Inspiration perhaps for your next adventure!
Last Light on Victoria Dock Exhibition
Image: A sample of the photography from Last Light on Victoria Dock via William McCauley
Next week the MMHN is hosting a photographic exhibition at Magnet Gallery, The District Shopping Centre, G19 Wharf St, Docklands 3008. Take the Bourke Street tram to Waterfront City (the last stop).
Victoria Harbour played a significant role in Melbourne’s maritime history.
You are invited to this significant photographic exhibition, entitled Last Light on Victoria Dock. This unique collection of images illuminates, in a melancholy way, the historic, economic and social significance of Victoria Dock as it was in the 1990s. The photos capture Docklands Precinct just prior to its sad demolition. Photographer William McCauley will speak about his project and MMHN will speak on its connection to the heritage of Victoria.
When: September 4 at 6.30pm