The News, Culture and Practice of Sailing woodenboats
in Australia, New Zealand & The South Pacific.
Five Hundred Miles from the sea
The small boats take five people about a month to construct. The planks are made from a timber from the Congo. It appears that the supply of this timber has dried up and many boats were on shore half finished with no work going on. A small fishing boat hull costs about 3 million Ugandan Shillings
ALICIA- writing the next chapter
Chris Crerar was a great supported of SWS. He wrote some heartfelt articles that told of the highs and lows of owning wooden boats. Many of our readers were absorbed by a deep seated honesty in his writing style
South & West- Tasmania’s True self
The South and West coasts of Tasmania are places that demand respect. The isolation, the exposure to the southern ocean, the lack of communication, all conspire to make the coast daunting. But all coins have an obverse side.
Port Fairy origins of the 1950’s pioneering fishing boat, Tacoma
Jack Bellamy and his twin brother, Keith, who were both on the 1952 voyage, had watched from the kitchen window as the boat was built.
"You'd see the boat growing and all the framework going up, all the ribs and everything, and it was an amazing job to think what they did, the three brothers," Jack said.
“Not my Problem” is not a solution
This short documentary features more wooden boats than you would see in a year, here in Australia, but that’s not what its about.
The Falkuša
For its characteristics of toughness and strength, the traditional gajeta falkuša was made only with cypress wood from the volcanic island of Svetac. The keel was made of oak and the shell of larch.
Dispatches from The Outlaw Ocean
The oceans are typically and correctly viewed as a marine habitat. But they are much more than that. They are a workplace, a metaphor, an escape, a prison, a grocery store, a trash can, a cemetery, a bonanza, a tinderbox, an organ, a highway, a depot, a window, an emergency, and, above all, an opportunity
Port Lincoln's historic fishing vessel rots on the seabed
The ALMONTA remains on the seabed, its crow's nest and railings breaking the surface of the calm waters of Porter Bay and lilting precariously to one side.
I Didn’t know it meant That Much
But the takeaway for me as one of the current custodians, is that I didn't realise how much these old wooden boats still meant to the people who had been involved with them.
A Very Couta Christmas
A recently discovered 1990’s documentary on the Couta Boats has been re-edited into 8 minutes of rich and fascinating history.
ATALANTA, Errol Bullen and Zane Grey
Zane Grey caught some big fish, but, much to his chagrin, every time pictures of his catches were published, some local identity went out in a grubby boat and, with home-made tackle, caught still bigger fish.
From Gadigal to Nipaluna Country. A Not Race
In many ways ocean racing has become a monoculture. To succeed you must be skilled and tough and rich, but for most owners with a realistic chance of victory, the broader values, ambitions and motivations of the founders of the event have disappeared amid the ruthless need for a trophy.
The backbone of the fishing industry
Couta Fishing Tasmanian Style. A film from 1929 thanks to the AWBF and the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
“All the symbolism is shit”
No, it’s not a fishing manual or boat survival handbook; it’s more a fable-like story. For the old man, fishing isn’t simply a contest; it has a philosophical meaning.
Work or Leisure?
Here’s a selection three vastly different jobs that peaked my interest. Even if they aren’t actually in your skillset, its hard not to dream of what life might be like if a connection with timber craft meant that money was coming into the bank account, not just going leaving it
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