Yachting
Yachting
All my life I have had an interest in sailing boats. The dinghy my Dad built us soon had a piece of canvas rigged as a sail. Much easier than rowing.
After I left school, I spent a lot of time drawing boats and trying to design them. Lack of money meant only two ever got built. The first proper yacht I owned was a chine built job about 12ft 6″ long. I originally sailed it around the “Sandspit” a beach on the Manuka harbour near Waiuku. Then I started working in Auckland and after a while I got it to the Waitemata Harbour. Great there until the mast got broken. I never repaired that mast. Around 1957 I designed a round-bilge 12-footer which I built using the moulded ply method. It sailed reasonably well but I found it a but too narrow at the stern, and being round bilged, was not as stable as the previous boat. Homemade sails didn’t help either but I learnt a lot. I eventually sold both of them, then bought a Zephyr dinghy hull, which I finished off. Did some sailing in that then sold it just before I went to England.
In London, I built a plywood canoe mainly for David’s benefit and he had a lot of fun in that.
Back in NZ we bought a Moth class yacht, for David and I to take turns in. Worked out his turn was always first and lasted about four hours. My turn amounted to one hour or less just before going home.
When he left home, I bought a 16ft trailer-sailor for Joan and I. We enjoyed the sailing but somehow Joan always got wet and bruised when putting it back onto the trailer. So didn’t use that as much as I liked. I also bought a 10ft aluminium dinghy that was set up for sailing and had a lot of fun sailing that. But mainly a one-man boat. When my Dad passed on, I had to take my mother out, as she didn’t drive. She loved swimming and also Joan was happy doing that. So I built another yacht for myself, then we all three would go to Eastern beach where they could enjoy the beach while I went sailing. About this time, a class of sailing dinghy called a Laser was all the vogue. I couldn’t afford to buy one so I drew up something very similar in shape and size, which I built in plywood. I rigged it with an old Zephyr sail that I had available and that went very well. Used it until Mum and Joan had both passed on. Then found loading it onto the trailer was very hard going so sold that one to a neighbour.
During 1985 I bought my first keel yacht; a Southerly 23. Very small but sailed like a dream. I introduced Shirley to sailing in Ithica and we had three seasons in that, and sailed as far as the Coromandel and the Bay of Islands. We also spent 2 ½ weeks on Whangarei harbour sheltering from wind and rain during Christmas and New Year 1988-89. Rather cramped for those conditions. Also she was a fibreglass boat and getting osmosis.
The following October we bought a Raven 26. Another fibreglass boat which the seller assured me he had cured of osmosis. This problem is not curable and contributed to my deciding to sell “Ziggy Stardust”. Raven 26s are a very seaworthy boar. Stiff in a breeze and very strong also she sailed well under genoa only. So by furling the main sail we had a large reefing factor.
Ours was a bit difficult in accommodation, as it had the main bunk-cum-seat along the starboard side and the galley facilities along the port side, with barely 18 inches between. The person sitting on the seat got in the way of the cook. But we enjoyed four years sailing in her.
My final yacht is a Townsen 8.8 metre. Although only three feet longer than a Raven, the different interior layout made it much more convenient. The galley sink is just inside the boat, to starboard and under the hatch and with the stove opposite to port, the cook has a standing and running space clear of the two main seats-cum-bunks which are just ahead of the galley. The on deck arrangements are convenient and there is a good-sized spray dodger over the main hatch. This was originally in canvas but when that began to rot, I replaced it in timber and plywood with Perspex windows. Aalita also sails very comfortably under genoa as well.
The hull is made of laminated timber to deck level and plywood decks. All are covered with a layer of fibreglass to keep out the marine worms. Much easier to work on than other materials.
Sadly, with my illness and loss of strength, I will not be able to sail in her again.