More Wooden Shorts
Downwind Safety Continued
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions following the heavy air downwind cruising piece last week. Purely coincidentally, this week the CYCA released its report into the three major incidents in last year’s race. The nitty gritty of the accounts of these events make for an intense read. It’s a different game racing a modern boat downwind offshore, to cruising a heavy old wooden boat but there are some important overlaps such as the section below.
The thoroughness of the report is presumably designed head off any knee jerk over-reaction from the statutory authorities. If you don’t have time to read the full 53 page document the CYCA has made summary.
Key Changes the CYCA will make:
Require 50% of Crew, Including the Person in Charge, to complete the qualifying race or passage on the boat entered, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
Mandate AIS MOB Devices for Category 1 and 2 Races – a requirement already implemented by the CYCA following the 2024 race.
Record and Share a Heavy Weather & Downwind Sailing Seminar ahead of the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race (the start of the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore).
Review and Clarify Satellite Communication Requirements, including publishing an approved list of acceptable satellite phone systems.
Record and share a Communications Seminar to assist crews with best-practice offshore communications protocols.
Simplify the race entry process – a new online race entry portal has been under development since December 2024.
Provide Australian Sailing with information to support updates to the Sea Safety and Survival Course (SSSC), including lessons from the successful MOB recovery and increased awareness of boom brakes, preventers and harness release systems.
The CYCA notes the review committee’s comment on helmets that they should remain optional, dependent on an individual’s preference or any specific requirements on an individual boat.
The full Document can be found HERE
MV Goondooloo Refloated
Image - Total Dive Solutions
Some of you may remember the sinking story we wrote entitled GOONDOOLOO GONE. Well it seems like we might have jumped the gun a little (OCS?) because she’s back above the water. Last week we received this from Total Dive Solutions. Apologies for the rank Press Release format…. but that’s all we’ve got!
Total Dive Solutions Successfully Salvages MV Goondooloo
Total Dive Solutions is proud to announce the successful salvage of the historic MV Goondooloo on Wednesday, 11th June 2025.
The salvage operation was carried out with precision and care by our experienced dive and salvage operations team, following comprehensive planning and in full compliance with all regulatory approvals. The Goondooloo, a cherished example of Australia’s wooden boat heritage, was carefully recovered and stabilised, ensuring the vessel can now begin its restoration journey.
Image - Total Dive Solutions
“It’s great to assist and play a part in helping this vessel live on, we know how much it means to the owners to have her back” Brock Males, Managing Director from Total Dive Solutions. “Our team just got in and got the job done. We all know wooden boats like the Goondooloo are an important part of our maritime history here in Tasmania”.
All necessary environmental and operational approvals were secured prior to commencing the salvage, and works were completed in line with best-practice procedures and environmental safeguards. Total Dive Solutions previously dived on the Goondooloo to remove the fuel and oils that were onboard.
As a leader in marine contracting and subsea operations, Total Dive Solutions is committed to the highest standards of safety, environmental protection, and professionalism. The Goondooloo salvage is another example of the team’s capability to deliver complex in-water projects with care and technical expertise, ensuring successful outcomes for all involved stakeholders.
Total Dive Solutions thanks all stakeholders for their cooperation; owners Deb and Craig & the entire Wooden Boat community, Environmental Protection Authority Tasmania, Marine and Safety Tasmania and TasPorts. Total Dive Solutions extend thanks to all contractors, staff and assisting personnel for their support in achieving this salvage successfully.
How classic yachts travel the world
OK this is another straight out promotional piece, but its a good story and one that might open a Classic Yacht Owners eyes to wider possibilities. From the Sevenstar Yacht Transport Comany’s website
A yacht of history and craftsmanship
Willow Wren, built in 1886, carries an extraordinary legacy. Commissioned by Lord Philip Patmore and constructed by Summers & Payne in Southampton, she was designed as a gentleman’s yacht. Graceful, swift, and built for competition, her sleek lines and meticulous craftsmanship made her a formidable presence in prestigious racing events, including the America’s Cup.
After her competitive years, she was converted into a cruising yacht, equipped with a yawl rig for easier handling, and became a luxurious floating home. However, the tides of history were not always kind; she endured decades of abandonment, lost her lead keel to World War I munitions production, and lay forgotten in the River Crouch for sixty years.
In the late 20th century, a dedicated restoration team revitalized her; however, by 2022, she began to deteriorate again. Captivated by her history and craftsmanship, the yacht's owner, Mr. Hessel de Jong, initiated a comprehensive restoration in Friesland, the Netherlands. Under the leadership of renowned yard master Ivor van Klink and a team of skilled craftsmen from the Netherlands and abroad, the vessel was fully restored to her former glory. She was fitted with a single mast, a white hull, and modern, seamlessly integrated technology. On May 19th, 2025, a special flag ceremony celebrated the completion of this restoration. It served as a moment of tribute, appreciation, and gratitude to all the craftsmen who have worked on this unique vessel since 1886, particularly over the past three years.
Read on HERE
CYAA Victorian Sailing Calendar.
If you’re a Wooden Boat owner on Port Phillip you should have thisrecently released sailing calendar stuck up on the fridge.