“No comment” is also a comment
It’s coming up to two years since we sent out the first edition of SWS. Looking back, that first issue already seems dated! However one of the things we always had hoped for, was that SWS would become a conversation rather than a lecture.
Each week our inboxes ping with the arrival of emails, encouraging, suggesting, enlightening, correcting our work. The comments boxes at the end of each article have provided a wealth of information to the community which now has grown to over 5000 visitors per month.
In celebration of this rich dialogue and in expectation of more to come, we are republishing (in no particular order) some of our favourites so far, this year.
Enjoy!
“Always Look Aloft”-Uffa Fox, 50 Years On.
From Bruce Taylor CHUTZPAH R33
In the late 1950s as a very young cadet, I attended a presentation by Uffa Fox at the Heretaunga Boating Club, Wellington NZ. where he introduced us to the Flying Fifteen. I was in awe of the beauty of the hull and we were most impressed when he showed photographs of his COWESLIP being transported upside down on top of his Humber motor car. The detached keel fitted in the boot and he claimed he had managed a top speed of 80 miles per hour.
He also claimed the FF would not capsize. Sadly the following day in a good Wellington Southerly buster his prediction proved not to be so .
The Royal Yacht Club of Victoria hosted the 17th Worlds in 2009.
135 boats entered made up from each Australian state along with a large contingent from the UK and boats from Hong Kong and New Zealand. It was a wonderful regatta and the Port Philip chop, like Wellington harbour claimed several "swampings".
Renowned Victorian sailing John Calvert-Jones, was the first "foreigner "to win the FF Nationals in the UK; thereafter it it was renamed the "Worlds".
In the 1980s a Flying 25 raced out of the Royal Brighton Yacht Club on Port Philip, whilst similar in shape it lack the beautiful proportions of the 15.
If ever in Cowes visit Commodore’s House on the waterfront, it was Fox's home for many years and full of memorabilia.
STREETER
From Martin Chambers
I sailed (mostly motored) on CORNELIUS, another of the STREETER and MALE pearling luggers, down the west coast in 1980. CORNELIUS was very original, no wheelhouse, tiller ropes for steering while standing exposed to the full force of whatever weather. I got off before the bight crossing, whimp that I am. Engine control was by Geoff, the skipper, banging his foot on the deck, and Nancy, who was totally deaf, feeling the vibration therefore happy to sit in the warmth of the engine room. The story of the circumnavigation can be found there https://fliphtml5.com/zybgz/duld/basic/51-100
CORNELIUS was lost on cable beach during a cyclone. I'm not sure how many of these luggers remain. They were mostly built in Broome from jarrah. It would be interesting to learn how the jarrah was shipped to Broome.
Great boats. Go for a cruise on STREETER if ever you get the chance.
Martin
Peter Mander - Give A Man A Boat
From Chris Thompson
“Give a Man a Boat” is probably the favourite of my library of sailing books. It's not just the story of the Manders themselves, but also a fantastic insight into an era of bare-bones brilliance; a time of very limited resources, but huge amounts of passion and thought. It was also a time when NZ sailing's top events were open to almost anyone; a far cry from today's elitism.
Books, Sailing & A Tenuous Australian Connection. RUNAGATE Sinks
From Milton Green
Saw Stanley Kramer with a megaphone directing Peck and Gardner at Canadian Bay Mt Eliza in 1958 as a teenager -they bottled a Gwen 12. Bonus was seeing Sinatra at Festival Hall concert as he was hot for Ava at the time. Shute lived for a time just out of Frankston.
Help Needed! Naming The Schooner
From Keith Glover WRAITH OF ODIN CYC55
May I take this opportunity for the sake of accuracy and respect for ALL concerned add the following to the backstory identifying Jan (Jenny) Tait on ACTIVE as the first woman to race in the Sydney Hobart for which she has been appropriately and respectfully acknowledged.
CYCA records show Mrs Dagmar O'Brien also participated in partnership with Dr B. O'Brien aboard their Gaff rigged ketch CONNELLA in the 1946 Sydney to Hobart race.
History correctly records Jenny Tait first to complete the race with CONNELLA having retired in Bass Strait ,as I am informed by their son Raud.
Raud further recounts CONNELLA having broken a spar, the O'Briens went ashore, possibly Eden, cut a limb from a tree , fashioned a replacement and continued south! if this finally lead to retirement is not known.
If I could be permitted (tongue in cheek perhaps) on analysis of Tony's historically researched painting of the start and the 1946 photo after the start I suggest CONNELLA actually crossed the start line before ACTIVE (maybe by a bowsprit) as whilst SAGA and MORNA are to weather and making way in clear air with MERLIN and CONNELLA to leeward but still for the moment making way prior to being inevitably gassed, MERLIN appears bow up in an effort get above MORNA'S line , clear her air and prevent ACTIVE from coming over the top of her , this appears to be confirmed by the 1946 photo which allows the smaller CONNELLA to go slightly bow down keeping enough pressure to at least get over the line before ACTIVE.
Thus making Dagmar the first woman to START in a Sydney to Hobart .
Pioneering women both!
Upon returning to Sydney the O'Brien's made contact with John G Alden (correspondence of 1947 confirms) leading to the build commission of the ketch WRAITH of ODIN circa 1949/50 by Alf Jahnsen at Foster NSW in which they continued their unfinished business with the race.
Appropriately WRAITH of ODIN still carries their original sail number CYC55.
The Sharpie Story - Finding Sabre
From Roger Smith
A fascinating article and thanks for sharing your knowledge and memories. An enjoyable read. My earliest memories of sailing was in my fathers Sharpie at Burnham on Crouch in the Uk. No 34 and called Ynys around 1966. My Father Terry Smith sailed in the British Sharpie entry in the Melbourne Olympics as the Crew to Jasper Blackle and earned a bronze medal. The boat Chuckles 64 that was used in the Olympics has recently been restored and is still being competitively sailed in Britain. Dad had many Olympic sailing stories but sadly passed away last year. I was trying to arrange for him at the age of 87 to have one last sail in Chuckles but sadly this was not to be. I would like to find more Olympic photographs of the Sharpie if anyone has any please as going through all his photos we have none of these. It would be nice to have a good one to keep with his medal to pass on to future generations of our family. Thanks in anticipation.
Irrational Fears
From Ross McLean
Hi, Thanks for a fascinating article.
I read some odd beliefs that I was not aware of.
For my own experiences when sailing aboard the Baltimore pinkie schooner, LE PAPILLION, the mate had a belief that a bouquet of flowers should be dropped overboard as we depart a port, to guarantee our safe return. I employed this on numerous occasions while delivering to or returning with boats from NZ. It seemed to work as we had no issues with any crossing of the Tasman, save one occasion when a crew member thought it more important to zone out rather than keep a good watch. The cargo ship missed us by less than a mile, but that is still a collision to the authorities.
The bouquet saved us perhaps.
So far as whistling is concerned …
The tradition on LE PAPILLION was to throw a penny over the side in the direction you wanted the wind to come from.
Having almost exhausted our stash of American pennies and becalmed off Brazil on our way to the Caribbean, the skipper said that I may as well whistle for all the good it would do.
So I did, for only about 10 minutes to some Alan Parsons Project music.
At the conclusion of just 2 songs, we had zephyrs of breeze forming.
By days end, we had wind and lots of it, romping along at about 7 knots. So it did work.
Or is it that we knew it was going to change anyway?
Perhaps we humans have some sort of innate sixth sense as birds have that the barometer was dropping, so the change was coming anyway and we were just indulging ourselves in a bit of superstitious nonsense?
Insects and birds sense the fall in air pressure, so perhaps we humans just needed to list more closely, and so were we doing just that?
Thanks again for a great read,
Regards,
Rossco
The End Of The Great Sailing Ship Era.
From Mike Stong LANDFALL 554
Incredible footage and great interviews, sobering to think that they were old ships well past their prime, minimal maintenance, worn out sails, and fully loaded, but still sustained runs at 18+kn , with only a dozen sailors more than on COMANCHE for a trip to Hobart
Ed Psaltis-From Wooden Boats To
Winning The Big Ones.
From Steve Tait
A wonderful story. It evoked my hero of seamanship.
That’s you Ed!
One Friday night Bill Psaltis & Theo Taylor (Bill Gilbert too) took 1st Woolwich Sea Scouts on a night sail to Quarantine Beach aboard MELTEMI and Theo’s boat( a folkboat I think). We were 13 I guess?
Ed Charlie & Arthur all knew his way around the boat in the dark and impressed me enormously. - and the Gilbert’s , McCallums, Coxons, Tait’s Trmpkes Sucklings and Shillington boys.
Theo taught me how to ‘have one hand for the boat & one for you’- demonstrating a one handed bowline over the life lines as he ate breakfast.
We came home after a sail offshore and went flying ant sailing on the Lane cove River. That weekend taught me this seamanship thing is big! It’s dangerous offshore.
At sea scout BBQ I was introduced to Doc (David) Wilson and his mahogany (Barnett?) Dragon SCORPIUS DKA117.
One design took my heart and passion.
I raced against the Halvorsens, Archie Robinson, Ted Albert, Mick Morris, Max Porter, Bill Northam - as a 15 year old.
BUCCANEER (my mothers bridge partners John Spencer designed 71’ ply hard chine cherub) diverted my attention for the Sydney to Rio race prep. As we trained I often thought what would Ed do?
Alas a fatal aneurism kept me onshore for that voyage. Ian Westlake took that prize..
Now I love wooden boats of all types.
My little clinker (Dundon Putt Putt) is nearly enough to keep my wooden boat passion in check. I even look lovingly at a Jubilee.
But nothing , absolutely nothing, beats a ride today on the 8 metre Ernest Digby built and designed - DEFIANCE!
From Gadigal To Nipaluna Country.
A Not Race
From Andrew Coutts
The Journey....not the destination.... A wonderful reminder! Fellowship of the watch, appreciation of nature and the exhilaration of making passages under sail. That image of freshly baked boat bread, a steaming bowl of mussels...and a drop of Margaret River's finest took me there completely! Thanks for sharing.