The First Bermudan on the Bay?
Big personalities leap off the pages of history and into our imaginations. Sir Walter Bassett is a great example. His biography on the Bassett Family Association website runs to 1200 words and doesn’t even mention the reason for this article, his charming 24ft yacht called HETTIE
But what it does give us is an insight into the nature of the man…
“Bassett was a forceful and decisive character who found it hard to tolerate foolishness, but was forgiving of ignorance. The uninformed he set out to educate, lucidly and patiently. He had an uncanny knack of grasping the salient problems and of solving them at the outset. A formidably competent person, he succeeded in his work, and in his recreations which included sailing, fishing, golf and woodwork.”
Commissioned in the Australian Imperial Force on 30 September 1915 and posted to the 5th Field Company, Engineers, he embarked on 23 November 1915 for Egypt and served on the Western Front. On the night of 4/5 August 1916 at Pozieres, France, he won the Military Cross for constructing machine-gun emplacements in captured trenches and for digging a communication trench while under heavy fire.
After the war, Bassett became a mechanical and aeronautical engineer, a university academic and a company director. In 1930, he commissioned Clement Blunt Boat Builders of Williamstown to build a boat that “was manageable for a crew of two and was entirely capable in the Port Phillip chop”. In this regard, HETTIE’s hull was based on the legendary Couta Boats that fished the southern end of the bay with a little of the American gentleman’s yacht of the era thrown in. Blunt’s were particularly proud of HETTIE and a photo of her can still be found on the wall of their Williamstown workshop.
HETTIE in the yard at Williamstown 1944, top of picture next to the dinghies
Leo Hibbert was Sir Walters Boatman and he use to take the boat from her Sorrento mooring to Williamstown every year to have Blunts do the work on her. Originally a local fisherman, Leo kept HETTIE in shipshape condition and always accompanied Sir Walter on the water.
Tim Phillips of The Wooden Boatshop in Sorrento remarks…
“I remember him so well, an outstanding man. When he planned a fishing trip Leo would have the boat tied up to the Sorrento pier and Sir Walter and his party would come down to go snapper fishing at the Rough up. Generally, they would steam down to the heads, fish the ebb and sail back to Sorrento with the flood.”
In later years, he was frequently sighted ‘up Pinnacle’ anchored over a hole fishing for a good-sized snapper or drifting for flathead.
When Walter grew old, he gave the boat to Leo, as was the proper custom for wealthy people in that era. HETTIE remained moored off The Baths at Sorrento.
Subsequent custodians (Chris Young (1976 - 1983), Philip Myer (1983 – 1987), Sandy Hancock (1987-1999), Ian Roberts; (1993 – 1999) and Joc Mitchell; 1999 – 2016) continued her to sail and fish aboard HETTIE and she was well known in both Sorrento and Queenscliff. She was regularly involved in the Division 2 Couta Boat races. Legendary Port Melbourne fisherman Dugga Beazley recounts a race when the weather was very blustery and most boats had withdrawn. HETTIE proved her seaworthiness as one of only three boats to complete the race.
HETTIE under the custodianship of Ian Roberts sailing in the the 1993 Portsea Cup
In 2016, HETTIE’s current owner, Chris Crellin, began a progressive complete restoration under the watchful eye of the Wooden Boat Shop in Sorrento. HETTIE sailed from Sorrento and arrived in St Kilda at the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron in late 2018, taking up a swing mooring adjacent to the historic kiosk located at the end of St Kilda Pier where she recommenced her sailing and fishing adventures, but this time at the top of Port Phillip. Her deck was completely replaced during 2020 with the assistance of F. J. Darley Traditional Shipwrights, and now provides comfortable cruising, fishing and sailing amongst the other classic yachts.
Images- Charlie Salter (Click to enlarge)
HETTIE’s distinctive rig, roomy cabin and substantial cockpit make her instantly recognisable among the Couta Boat fleet and classic yachts of Port Phillip.
HETTIE is now looking for a new custodian to continue the legacy that started with Sir Walter. If you believe you might be that person then get in touch with Chris Crellin
Dimensions:
Length: 24 ft
Beam: 9 ft 3 in
Draft: 3 ft 3 in
Timbers Used:
Planking: Carvel in New Zealand Kauri
Deck: Teak over fibreglass, ply substrate
Spars: Oregon
Additional Notes:
Yanmar diesel 2GM20, Raymarine Axiom 7 chart plotter/sonar (touch screen multifunction navigation with integrated Realvision sonar), remotely operated electric horizontal HR700 Muir anchor windlass, Furlex jib furler, ¾ jib, genoa and main sails, lazy jacks, Hooper boom sail bag, cockpit weather cover, 12V house and engine batteries with battery management system, dual bilge pumps, porta loo
Price:
$50,000