Australian Amateur Boat Builder - January-March 2017 PDF

AUSTRALASIAN AMATEUR BOATBUILDER AND KITBOATS 1
2 australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats
The MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival n Robert Ayliffe
In-water Cleaning of Hulls n Rosemary Jilderts
16
Barrie's Reviews n Barrie Armstrong
21
Scruffie World News n Derek Ellard
26
Torturing Plywood Into Boat Shapes n Dudley Dix
32
Tangaloomas Whalers n David Jones
36
Trailaway Boat Kits News n Barrie Armstrong
41
Shipmate! n Barrie Callaghan
42 Dutch Treats Sailing South for the

MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival
44
Random Roving Boats Notes
46
Build Your Own Rapid 5000 Lightweight Trailer Boat n Craig Schionning
48
Building the Moyne 12 part one n Pat Reece
51
The Woodruff Key n Richard Smith
52
FireBug News n Peter Tait
56
Bellinger Canoe Update n Dave Giddings
60
Gold Coast Marine Expo Moves to March 2017
62
Affordable Fisher part 17 n Peter Caplen
72
Retractable Navigation Lights n Accon Marine
73
Letters to the Editor
74
Yanmar at Work and in Retirement
78
Ripple The Perfect Tender n Spirited Designs
80
Boats For Sale
FRONT COVER:
MyState Australian
Wooden Boat Festival
publisher

editor
production
accounts
printing
distribution
P & G Lynch
& Assoc Pty Ltd
Paul Lynch
Wendy Elliston
Gayl Lynch
Beaudesert Times
Gordon & Gotch
Editorial contributions and

advertising enquiries to:
Paul Lynch
10 Rina Court
Varsity Lakes, Q 4227
PO Box 560, Varsity Lakes Q 4227
p: 07 5593 8187
e: wendy@multihull.com.au
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed

in articles in this magazine are
those of the writers concerned and
do not necessarily reflect the views
of the publisher.
Copyright: Articles in this
publication may not be reproduced
without permission of the publisher
and/or writer.
w w w. a m a t e u r b o a t b u i l d e r. c o m . a u
australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats 1
THE MYSTATE
AUSTRALIAN
WOODEN BOAT
FESTIVAL
by ROBERT AYLIFFE
The MyState
Australian
Wo o d e n B o a t
Festival is held
every two years
and the next
o n e s c o m i n g u p
from February
10-13, 2017.
H o b a r t s h i s t o r i c
waterfront will
come alive with
the colour and
excitement
of our rich
maritime culture
a n d h i s t o r y.
ou will see hundreds of wooden boats, from

magnificent tall ships to classic sailboats,
rugged working boats to superbly detailed
models. Youll have a chance to talk to the owners
and builders, the crafts people and sailors, and
shipwrights who still practice traditional skills every
day.
Theres a vibrant program of entertainment and fun,

special guests, brilliant Tasmanian food and drink,
demonstrations, races and displays. You can visit the
Shipwrights Village, the Maritime Marketplace, the
Childrens Circus School, the International Wooden
Boat Symposium and much, much more. The MyState
TAKE A CRUISE, BOARD A

TALL SHIP, SNAP UP A FRESH
CRAYFISH OR LISTEN TO SOME
GREAT LIVE MUSIC IN THE
WATERSIDE TAVERN
Australian Wooden Boat Festival is the largest

wooden boat festival in the southern hemisphere and
admission is entirely free!
The festival takes in the whole of Sullivans Cove
from Hunter Street to Princes Wharf and Castray
Esplanade. Hobarts working waterfront is right in the
middle of the central business district with a great
range of hotels, apartments, cafs and pubs right on
the doorstep. Take a cruise, board a tall ship, snap
up a fresh crayfish or listen to some great live music
in the Waterside Tavern. Its all on for four wonderful
days at Tasmanias favourite summer festival.
The festival opens with the glorious Parade of Sail
on Friday afternoon and continues straight through
the long weekend (Monday is a local public holiday in
Hobart). The International Wooden Boat Symposium
will present expert international and Australian
speakers. The Maritime Marketplace hosts more
than 80 exhibitors of hard-to-find maritime kit and
boat building displays. The Shipwrights Village
celebrates the traditional skills and tools still used
today in Tasmanias artisan shipyards. Dont miss the
Tasmanian Fishing Industry Display at Victoria Dock
and of course the brilliant program of entertainment in
the Waterside Tavern.
AUSTRALIAS OWN BOTE-COTE

EPOXY SYSTEMS, FOUNDATION
SPONSORS SINCE THE FIRST
FESTIVAL, ARE BACK AGAIN
For an overview of what the festival

features, you can download the 2015
Official Festival Program. The program
for the 2017 event will be available on
our website in late 2016. If you have
questions in the meantime, just call us
on (03) 6223 3375.
Australias own Bote-Cote Epoxy
Systems, foundation sponsors since
the first festival, are back again.
Well have new products and all the
old favourites: Scheduled Forum
and Q&A presentations, from Drive
Marines Dave Giddings, Stray Dog
Boat Works Ali and Robert Ayliffe
and Mike Jansen, presenting Q&As
on the New Norwalk Islands Sharpies
range and Iain Oughtred designs,

including the world runaway success St
Ayles Skiff Community Coastal Rowing
adventure and on the Boatcraft Pacific
stand here will be scheduled Aquacote
Paint, Bote-Cote Epoxies and Purbond
Polyurethane demonstrations.
Not only that, but Dave Giddings Bote
Cote and Boatcrafts very active NSW
agent, is running for the first time
in Tasmania the Kids Boat Building
workshop, where kids build a mob of
very small boats using plywood and fast
setting Bote-Cote products, let them
cure overnight and row and maybe sail
them around Constitution Dock!
This may even extend to Franklin.
conjecture! The action is non stop and there is real

village fair, lets all get into this and you can all have a
go feel to it. NOT to be missed.
(Be warned! This St Ayles skiff business is addictive!)
T HE ST AYLES SKIFF CHAMPIONSHIPS

(TASMANIA) 2017
These championships will be held in the town of

Franklin, February 18-19 under the auspices of the
Living Boat Trust, and organised by the Women On
Water (WOW) Group. Almost fully booked out!
Contact the committee: info@tasskiffie.org
NEXT ISSUE FEATURE!
The South Australian Wooden Boat

Festival, April 22 and 23, Goolwa SA
Then! A week later, and its

Franklins turn.
This almost extreme
southern town on
the banks of the
mighty Huon River
is also a focus of
very synpathetic
redevelopment, old
movie theatres brought
back to original
glory, fantatsic local
hospitality, excellent
working boat sheds
and more. Franklin is
host again to this really
outstanding event
over two days that
drew large numbers
of paricipants from
all over the world for
the inaugural event
in 2015, and even
greater numbers of
spectators. From
the buzz, it seems
that 2015 will be well
eclipsed, with a big
lump in international;
teams and local and
interstate boats
The regattas racing is
pretty democratic, there
are many more teams
than boats, so that
everyones boats get
used by everyone else.
Really adds to the fun,
and sometimes spirited
IN-WATER
CLEANING
OF HULLS
YOUD NEVER GUESS, BUT ...
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED!
by ROSEMARY JILDERTS
But a little bit of history first Way back into the dim dark past, sailors have
cleaned their hulls of bar nacles and other marine growth and repainted whenever
and wherever they could, and whenever and wherever the hulls needed it. When
John and I started cruising in the early 80s haulout wasnt too expensive well
within our means and antifoul paints were reasonably priced. Annual haulout
was the norm and in between times boaties would raft up against a suitable jetty
and work like mad at low tide to clean and repaint the bottom between tides or
theyd careen on a suitable beach or sand bar.
fter selling our second monohull John and

I decided to build a catamaran. We were
delighted that it would be easy to keep
her clean and in good and safe working order by
beaching her regularly. These cleanings didnt need
to be done too often back in the days when active
ingredients that actually worked were allowed in
the antifouls. The advent of tributyltin in the late
60s/early 70s was a godsend. It was cheap and it
actually worked! But because of the effects of TBT
on the aquaculture industry the use of tributyltin was
eventually banned.
New and more expensive antifouls began appearing

on the market but John and I were never able
to find one that worked for the length of time the
manufacturer suggested. In fact, on more than
one occasion, after spending time and money in a
boatyard sanding and repainting, we have discovered
within just a few weeks of launch the brand new
antifoul was inactive and growth was already
appearing. Although the manufacturer replaced the
paint it was economically unviable to haul out again.
On the last occasion we headed offshore with nonworking antifoul.
LEFT: 19th Century painting of ships careened for

cleaning in the Torres Strait.
ABOVE: Repairs being carried out on an old whaler near
New Bedford.
So while cruising through Malaysia we bought and

coated our boat with antifoul containing tributyltin and
although it was sold as a six month antifoul, the hulls
were still clean two years later. When we eventually
decided to return to Australia we reluctantly removed
it all (there was virtually no biofouling on the hulls)
and replaced it with acceptable antifoul which only
lasted a few months and cost a small fortune.
So, we set our minds to accepting the less effective
bottom paints knowing that wed just have to hop in
the water or beach our boats and give them a good
scrub more often. Then the Hand of God (meaning
the maritime authorities) descended, and with a
massive whack on the back that took our breath
away, they stated that we could no longer clean our
boats in the water.
This now created a dilemma for many. A lot of boaties

cruise on a shoe-string budget and simply could
not afford to be hauling out every time biofouling
appeared.
Everyone understands that without some form of

control the accumulation of marine growth on vessels
increases drag and fuel consumption. So, we have to
keep our hulls clean. In many harbours, particularly
in warm tropical waters, biofouling grows rapidly so an
annual hull clean is insufficient. The only option is to

regularly give the hull a scrub down in the water. But
this was illegal.
The ban was the topic of conversation at barbecues,

get-togethers and over sun-downers. Why, so many
asked, cant we clean in-water. The barnacles came
out of the water, so why cant we put them back?
But the law, no matter how ridiculous and unrealistic
it seemed, was there and presumably there to stay.
A lot of boaties were caught in the act and fined; but
occasionally someone with a brain made a rational
decision as the following story indicates.
One Christmas we lent our dinghy to a boatie in the
harbour for a few weeks. When we returned from
holidays the dinghys bottom, which is normally
clean because its kept on davits, was foul with silt
from being in the water constantly. No barnies ...
just silt ... (microfouling as I have since learned) so
John decided to wipe it down on the marina dock.
He was immediately reprimanded by an official, as
it was against the pollution laws. Now if you tell
me you are looking for a crack, he said, that would
be okay. He was obviously a realist. Naturally, John
replied, Im looking for a crack. As you read on you
will realise that the marina staff member had been
kept clean so that the vessels can move at any time.

But how do we do that with ineffective or at the very
least, less effective, antifouls that seem to be all thats
available to the recreational boatie?
Biofouling We all know the purpose of antifouling.
We know that biofouling is the growth and
accumulation of aquatic organisms on vessels and
other movable submerged structures which affect
their performance and can lead to the spread of
invasive aquatic species. We also know that by
not keeping the underwater areas clean organisms
can be spread, so we have a responsibility to clean
regularly particularly when moving between locations.
But how do we do that legally without hauling out
on a more regular basis? No matter what we did,
we couldnt be legal. Clean in-water and we were
breaking the law. Allow the barnacles to accumulate
on moving parts placing the boat in an unseaworthy
condition and, once again, we were breaking the law.
Many boaties simply continued to clean in the water
and prayed not to be caught. So, most of us became
law-breakers by continuing the practice. It didnt
surprise us when we realised that even departmental
boats were cleaned in the water.
We agonised over the problem for years then recently,

while researching another issue, John came across
a piece of new legislation that doesnt seem to have
been given much publicity. I even quizzed some
maritime officials and they were also unaware of it.
But now, after a lot of research of current regulations,
of visiting official website after official website and
clicking on link after link it seems that in-water hull
cleaning may actually be legal ... perhaps with some
conditions applied ... but in some cases it looks as
though it is even recommended.
THE EPBC ACT

FROM TOP: Sokari and Research Vessel Sunbird on the beach
side by side while carrying out cleaning on the hulls.
Even when in-water cleaning was accepted practice, boats
still needed to come out onto the hard for major cleaning and
painting jobs.
Until laws changed this was a common sight along the coast
with yachts careened for cleaning regularly.
misinformed and John was, in fact, quite within his

rights to clean off the silt.
Another issue that John has complained about for
years is that the bans on in-water cleaning were
at odds with maritime regulations which state that
vessels must be kept in a seaworthy condition. This
means that props and rudders, especially, must be
In June 2013, the Anti-fouling and in-water cleaning

guidelines replaced the Australian and New Zealand
Environment and Conservation Council Code of
Practice for Antifouling and In-water Hull Cleaning and
Maintenance, 1997.
Part two of these guidelines addresses in-water
cleaning and it states that vessels and moveable
structures should be removed from the water prior
to cleaning. However, in cases where removal is
not economically or practically viable, (emphasis by
author) the guidelines accept in-water cleaning as a
potential management option for removing biofouling,
providing that risks are appropriately managed.
It does seem, however, as though regulations for
in-water cleaning in Commonwealth waters could be
different to those in each states waters. There was
a link to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act) for more
information on the state regulations but the link didnt
work so I was unable learn more. By now I was going
cross-eyed and becoming frustrated with all the false

leads and broken links.
While emphasising their preference for out of water
cleaning and maintenance the department does now
have guidelines for in-water cleaning.
ABOVE LEFT: Microfouling is the slime layer which can be

easily removed by wiping.
Image courtesy of DAFF
ABOVE RIGHT: Macrofouling are those larger organisms
that are visible to the human eye barnacles, tubeworms,
mussels etc. Image courtesy of DAFF
GUIDELINES FOR IN-WATER CLEANING
The new guidelines are intended to assist authorities

to decide on the appropriateness of in-water cleaning
operations in general and on a case-by-case basis.
The guidelines are based on the following:
the risks posed by biofouling management

measures should be balanced with the risks of
failing to manage biofouling;
there is an operational need to manage biofouling

on vessels and movable structures;
it is preferable to minimise the accumulation of
biofouling on vessels and movable structures;
and it is preferable for biofouling to be removed in

the location where it was acquired before departing
or moving to a new location.
THE GUIDELINES ALSO STATE:
Keeping the in-water areas of our boats clean

optimises the boats performance and will also
minimise biosecurity risks. However, cleaning can
physically damage some anti-fouling coatings,
shorten the coating life and, when done in-water,
can release a pulse of biocide as well as invasive
aquatic pests into the surrounding environment. So,
in-water cleaning should only be undertaken when
removal of the biofouling wont harm the coating and
is an acceptable biosecurity or contaminant risk.
The department does, however, state that although
in some circumstances in-water cleaning is
recommended, vessels and movable structures
should be removed from the water for cleaning and
maintenance in preference to in-water operations,

where this is operationally and economically
practicable. In-water cleaning shouldnt be
considered a replacement for coating maintenance
and renewal at recognised shore-based
maintenance facilities.
RECORD KEEPING
For recreational vessels, the preferred form of

documentation is a biofouling record book and/or
biofouling management plan, or original receipts or
invoices stating the coating type and the volume
purchased, vessel name and date of application,
where the former document(s) are not held.
At this point I was finding the research heavy-going
so I attempted to contact the relevant authority. I
was pleasantly surprised to receive a very prompt
response however the content also surprised me ...
but not pleasantly, As your online profile suggests
you publish regularly in boating publications, I need to
determine whether you intend to publish the answer
the Department provides to you . Your honesty
in this matter would be appreciated.
My initial enquiry had been of a personal nature,
however, by now I thought the readers deserved to
have an answer also. I responded immediately with
those facts ... and that was the last I heard from them.
RIGHT FROM TOP:

A mussel inside a skin fitting could be an indication that there are more throughout
the boats plumbing.
A Current measurement instrument encrusted with zebra mussels.
Once antifoul stops working it doesnt take long for marine growth to accumulate on
underwater areas.
Macrofouling on the underwater areas of a boats hull.
I can only assume it went into the THTD (Too Hard To Do)
basket.
So, I went back to the internet and a myriad websites to

start untangling the mess. Just before completing the article
I decided to give them a prod ... another chance to answer
my queries ... explaining that their lack of response would be
noted in the article and lo and behold I had a reply within one
hour with their answers. The contents of the email follow :
Hi Rosemary
Below is your response regarding in-water cleaning.

Apologies for the delay.
The Anti-Fouling and In-Water Cleaning Guidelines are

intended to encourage best practice approaches to in-water
cleaning and minimise contamination and biosecurity risks
associated with such activities.
These guidelines are being implemented on a jurisdictional
basis, as each state and the Northern Territory has different
implementation arrangements within their waters due to
different management frameworks. Advice on implementing
the guidelines in state and territory waters should be
obtained from the relevant agency within a particular
jurisdiction.
The Department of Agriculture is able to provide advice
about the biosecurity risk of a proposed in-water cleaning
activity in Commonwealth waters.
Appendix 1 of the guidelines contains a decision support

tool which may assist owners and operators of vessels to
determine the types of information considered by authorities
in decisions on in-water cleaning. In addition, there are
general recommendations about in-water cleaning in
Commonwealth waters on the Departments website at http://
www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/pests-diseases-weeds/
marine-pests/anti-fouling-and-inwater-cleaning-guidelines/
general-recommendations
The accumulation of marine growth can weigh down navigation aids.
Someone wishing to in-water clean in Commonwealth

waters should first visit the Department of
Environment website for information about their
obligations under the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act).
If the proposed in-water clean will significantly impact
on heritage values of a declared World Heritage
property or National Heritage place the matter needs
to be referred under the EPBC Act. The initial process
is one of self-referral, where the applicant decides
whether or not their activity has, will have, or is likely
to have an impact. Further information is available at
http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/management/
referrals/index.html.
Enquiries regarding the biosecurity risk of a potential
in-water cleaning activity can be directed to the
Department of Agriculture through the email address
IMS-Program@daff.gov.au
So, there were no proper answers to my questions
... nothing to give us even a broad idea of the
requirements ... nothing the layman could really
understand. And in the end I was just pointed back
in the direction of the same website and the same

department that I had originally contacted. So, once
again, head down, bum up and I began digging
through all the relevant websites, following links ...
many of which were broken and took me nowhere.
But in the end, I believe I came to understand the
current situation.
(When reading the following, carefully consider their

wording. Not recommended is not the same as
banned; should is not the same as must. Words in
bold are for emphasis by author.)
Regular (6-12 monthly) in-water cleaning is

an effective way to limit the development of
biofouling and is recommended for all submerged
surfaces, particularly propellers and other niche*
areas on vessels and movable structures.
*(Niche = Areas on a vessel or movable structure
more susceptible to biofouling accumulation due to
different hydrodynamic forces, susceptibility to antifouling coating wear or damage or absence of antifouling coatings. They include, but are not limited to,
waterline, sea chests, bow thrusters, propeller shafts,
Props and rudders must

be kept clean so that
the vessel is in a ready
to move condition at
all times. With a layer
of barnies like this
performance would drop
and fuel consumption
would increase.
inlet gratings, jack-up legs, moon pools, bollards,

braces and dry-docking support strips.)
Any in-water cleaning should be conducted in the
same location where the biofouling was acquired so
that cleaning may not pose a biosecurity risk as all
biofouling species on the vessel would already be
present in that area. However, if the biofouling was
acquired from distant locations it may contain invasive
species that do pose a risk.
In-water cleaning to routinely remove mature
and extensive macrofouling as a substitute for
earlier and/or better maintenance practices is not
recommended.
In-water cleaning of vessels or movable structures
should ideally be carried out before departing to new
destinations, not after arriving at those destinations.
In-water cleaning should only be carried out on antifouling coatings that are suitable for in-water cleaning.
Information can be obtained from the coating
manufacturer.
In-water cleaning should not be performed on vessels
or movable structures that have reached or exceeded
their planned in-service period. When the anti-fouling
coating has reached the end of its service life the
vessel or movable structure should be removed from
the water and a new anti-fouling coating applied.
Preparation and mixing of anti-fouling coatings must
never be carried out in intertidal areas.
In-water cleaning technologies should aim to, at least,
capture debris greater than 50micrometres (m) in
diameter, which will minimise release of viable adult,
juvenile and larval stages of macrofouling organisms.
Any cleaning debris collected must be disposed of
on land and in compliance with the waste disposal
requirements of the relevant authority.
If suspected invasive or non-indigenous aquatic
species are encountered during in-water cleaning
or other vessel maintenance activities, the relevant
authority should immediately be notified and the

cleaning or maintenance activity ceased.
BIOFOULING TYPE
Microfouling refers to a layer of microscopic

organisms including bacteria and diatoms and the
slimy substances they produce. This slime layer can
be easily removed by gently passing a finger over the
surface.
Macrofouling refers to large, distinct multicellular

organisms visible to the human eye, such as
barnacles, tubeworms, mussels, fronds of algae
and other large attached or mobile organisms.
Macrofouling growths represent a greater biosecurity
risk as they may contain a diverse range of
organisms, and are more difficult to effectively remove
and contain.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INWATER CLEANING IN COMMONWEALTH

WATERS
Commonwealth waters extend from the 3nm line (the

limit of coastal waters) seaward to the 12nm (limit of
the territorial sea.)
A slime layer (microfouling), regardless of origin, may

be removed without full containment of biofouling
waste, providing a gentle, non-abrasive technique is
used.
Macrofouling, (fouling that has progressed beyond
a slime layer) acquired from beyond the Australian
Economic Exclusion Zone, should not be cleaned
in-water if technology is not available to minimise
release of viable biological material into the water
column.
Locally acquired macrofouling may be cleaned inwater providing the coating is suitable for cleaning
and the cleaning method does not damage the
coating surface or release unsuitable amounts of
contaminant into the environment. The biofouling

waste does not need to be contained.
Macrofouling acquired from another area of domestic

origin may not need full containment of the waste but
this must be determined by the relevant authority.
Macrofouling from international locations should only
be removed using cleaning methods that minimise
release of all organisms or parts of organisms and
anti-fouling coating debris.
Exceptions could be that in-water cleaning is
still banned where biosecurity controls have
been implemented for invasive aquatic species
management purposes.
So, I seem to have determined that in-water cleaning

is acceptable, even recommended, under some
circumstances.
Dark Sand
Sand
Black
Forest Green
Cobolt Blue
Dark Red
White Stripe
Dark Blue /
Burgundy
Available in a range of colours
Captains Blue
Cobolt Blue
No rights can be derived from these illustrations

The colours shown give an idea of the colours used.
Ocean Blue

Dark Blue /
White Stripe
Burgundy
Dark Red
Burgundy
Captains Blue
Cobolt Blue
Ocean Blue
Dark Blue /
White Stripe
Burgundy
Dark Red
Black
Dark Sand
Sand

Captains Blue
Large colour range

Available in 4 sizes
Stores flat
Dark Red
Forest Green
Since tropical cyclone Yasi cut a swathe of destruction

through the Cardwell area, insurance companies, in a
knee-jerk reaction, have decided to hit the majority of
boats in the north. Most companies we rang refused
outright to insure northern boats; one from WA
wouldnt insure boats above postcode 4600 while the
few that would accept boats put such high premiums
on them that it wasnt viable. It seems that this
reaction isnt limited only to cyclone prone areas, with
southern states also suffering from increased costs
and denial of renewals.
White Stripe
Dark Blue /
Captains Blue
This sounds very reasonable, but hang on ... there

is one new problem I can see with haulout. All boats
must now have insurance to use marinas (some
insist on full comprehensive while others accept third
party); jetties and haul-out yards. Therein lies another
problem.
Independent back support

14 different positions
Waterproof non-skid base


The way I read the legislation it is now recommended

that we clean our hulls in-water on a regular basis,
preferably before macrofouling occurs, certainly in
Commonwealth waters. However, we SHOULD
haul out once the antifouling is no longer working
to clean, maintain and repaint. Boaties should
consult with their state authorities on their individual
recommendations.
Dark Sand
Black
www.comfortseat.com.au
Cobolt Blue
Dark Sand
Black
Ocean Blue
Sand
Forest Green
Ocean Blue
Forest Green
Sand
Visit our stand

Wooden Boat Festival Hobart
10 - 13 February
to see our new products.
Marine RV Trucking
Huge Range of Styles & Sizes
Uprights Under-bench
Top-loading Kits
So, where do we go from there? Insurance

companies are denying us the right to insure, either
by an outright refusal or by making premiums so
outrageously high that people simply cant afford it.
If we cant get insurance, we cant haulout to do the
maintenance and to repaint.
So, regardless of how many restrictions the relevant

authority puts on us regarding in-water cleaning,
many boaties who cant get insurance will have no
alternative but to clean in-water no matter what.
At least there has been a relaxation of the in-water
cleaning rules for the beleaguered boatie rather than
the previous outright ban.
Imported & Distributed by:

Ocean Solutions Pty Ltd
1300 791 432
sales@oceansolutions.com.au
www.oceansolutions.com.au
BARRIESREVIEWS
(The personal opinions of a very ancient mariner. He is 80; most reviews
were collected from experience, over many years, and some new designs
were reviewed from a designers viewpoint.)
I will rate designs out of five. If you feel I am wrong lets talk about it.
I dont know everything; I am not too sure what your dreams and ambitions
are, regarding that special boat just for you and your family. However I will
do my best to only recommend special designs that you can build and
will be great for the average family. I myself am a timid sailor so will always
judge a designs safety rating ahead of all. This means of course that the
boat must behave well in a blow and always bring you home safely.
EPISODE ONE
SAYLON 20 CATAMARAN
A BRAND NEW DESIGN
y friend Richard Woods has been emailing me

from the Bahamas, anchored in a pleasant
harbour on his powercat Skoota 28 (another of
his designs)
He and his wife are running their business via mobile
phone while waiting for that blasted wind and rain to
go away!
We got to talking about our ideas for a light towable

catamaran to sail and potter in and around the bays
and rivers and lakes, which we certainly have many of
in Australia, and sometimes we may need to overnight
with a young family, and motor with a small outboard
when the winds are light.
Richard has so read my mind with the Saylon 20, its

a boat I want to build yesterday, and I guess many of
you will find this design attractive too.
A few things are different and rather special with this

new design. The hull/sail area formula is especially
for the reasonably calm inland sailing areas of USA
and Australia.
Richard normally designs cats for the rugged North
Atlantic oceans, which would soon sort out such a
narrow hull spacing as we have in the Saylon 20.
(6.1m x 2.5m).
However, if we keep in mind that the designers brief
was for family sailing in reasonably protected waters,
and if we sail it accordingly, there should be no
problems.
Richard is really a bit too special with the ability of
this craft to handle rough winds. I know of at least six
local designs that are not quite as sturdy or seaworthy
as the Saylon 20,, and yet many have been built
and I would not hesitate to build a Saylon 20, and
LOA
6.1m / 20ft
LWL
5.9m / 19ft 4in
BOA
2.5m / 8ft 2in
SAIL AREA
Mainsail
13sqm / 140sqft
Jib
7sqm / 75sqft
Mast Height
8.8m / 28ft 9in
Empty Weight
680kgs / 1500lbs
Displacement to WL
920kgs / 2030lbs
Draft
285mm 11in

(1000mm 3ft 3in boards down)
2 single berths in hulls / 1 double in aft cabin
Headroom
Moored: 1.85m / 6ft

Sailing: 1.35m / 4ft 6in
So, what did Richard do?
When I weigh up the building method (epoxy/ply/

fibreglass composite) and the light weight, meaning a
small car can tow this pretty boat easily, and the use
of a second hand rig. I am sold!
I will be starting my SAYLON 20 end of this year ...
you can help me if you live in Brisbane.
As I mentioned earlier I will rate my reviews out of
five, five being absolutely fabulous.
My rating for the Saylon 20, is 4.5
This obviously resulted in a 1.8m cockpit, (centre

cockpit) and keeps all weight out of the back end
when sailing in daylight hours.
Footnote: I dont mind an argument. If I can answer

questions or cause some dissent among sailors, and
as a result cause a fruitful discussion, I would be
happy, cos my work here is done!
take it out in 25kts without a worry ... for a few unique

reasons:
1. Most families tend to group down the rear of a
forward cabin-type catamarans cockpit, causing
the transom to bog down in the water.
2. Most 20 cats group all the family in the forward

cabin, denying Mum and Dad any privacy at all, so
there goes the romance!
Well, he gave the parents an aft double cabin of their
own, so that gets rid of the privacy angst.
Standing the mast up in the cockpit, as it is based on

the cockpit floor, is so easy and safe.
All lines are led to the cockpit so scrambling over the
fore cabin roof is not needed.
This fore cabin comprises entry to the two quarter
berths in the hulls, and also houses the dinette and
stove and sink. A toilet is hidden in a hull near the aft
double cabin.
Now, this is a catamaran, so it is roughly a rectangular

shape , and therefore has much more internal space
than a 20 monohull. This space. internally, is huge!
In episode 2 ... I will review a small and inexpensive

plywood sailing/racing boat for kids 8-16.
See you on the water,
Barrie
p 07 3172 9642
m 0478 280 619
e ba15@bigpond.com
CONSTRUCTION
Built entirely from light ply with an exaggerated chine

midway up the sides of a dory style flat bottomed hull,
as shown above.
The chine beam is wider in this important area and
greatly increases the internal volume where it matters
most.
This craft is, like all Woods Designs, so very easy to
build.
Light plywood hulls, cockpit and cabins makes it all
so simple.
Also, and I believe this is important to most, is

it takes the same time to rig and launch as a
monohull at the ramp, possibly even a bit less, as
it is such a stable platform to rig on.
Launch anywhere from a flatbed trailer. No worries at
all!
CONCLUSION
Richard Woods calls this a motor-sailer, and I would

agree.
This is a cruising boat for sheltered waters but rigged

as an up-market cruiser.
The centre cockpit design makes for a dry boat. There

are no trampolines as the cockpit is all ply. Any offthe-beach rig, say Hobie 16, will be fine.
As this is a flat panel ply design I would recommend
this boat as a project for a first time builder.
Saves money because it

last & lasts & lasts ...
COP-R-BOTE
extra long life antifouling
Copper metal blended in epoxy resin
No repainting for many, many years
Environmentally friendly
Proven by sailors around Australia
Red, Blue, Green and Black
Ideal for multihulls and trailer boats
Reduces osmosis on polyester hulls
Australian formulated for Australian conditions
BoatCraft Pacific
46 Chetwynd St, Loganholme, Qld 4129
info@boatcraft.com.au p: 07 3806 1944
www.boatcraft.com.au
AGENTS AROUND AUSTRALIA
TIPS FOR CLEANING

VALUABLE MARINE
ELECTRONICS
hether its a portable fish finder, colour TFT

stereo display or a large multi-function display,
touchscreens with rubberized buttons are
commonplace on boats. Over time, salt spray, grime and
fingerprints reduce their appearance, and may lead to
premature deterioration. Shurhold, the leader in marine
cleaning tools and products, offers a Clean and Simple Tip
for detailing these valuable electronics.
The first step is to power-down the device(s). This will avoid

unintentionally changing a setting. Its also a good time to
check the manufacturers manual to see if they recommend
any specific cleaning or maintenance routines.
If the device is all-weather rated, a light misting of water

will remove dirt and salt residue; never use a hose with full
pressure. Use a synthetic PVA chamois to wipe the surface
clean and remove the contaminates. For large dashes, work
from the top down and in sections. The key is to dry the
device quickly before water spots form.
Next, lightly spray the area with a high-quality, one-step
detailing product like Shurholds Serious Shine. This quick
spray product will clean, polish and protect almost any

surface, without leaving an oily, artificial residue. It contains
UV inhibitors and anti-fingerprint/anti-static properties. Its
perfect for touchscreens, glass, frames, buttons, chrome,
gauges, fiberglass and even Isinglass.
Lightly buff the surface with Serious Shine and a clean

microfiber towel. Then, flip the towel to its dry side and
polish everything to a high sheen. Screens will be clean and
the surrounding accents gleaming like new. A video of the
entire process is available at bit.ly/2dOiCRs.
For areas of built-up grime, Shurholds Serious Marine
Cleaner (SMC) is ideal. Its a safe, yet strong, multi-surface
cleaner that will tackle vinyl seating, canvas, exhaust stains
and even the bilge.
Dedicated to educating boat owners, Shurhold provides
key tips for boat value preservation at www.shurhold.com.
Inventor of the One Handle Does It All system, Shurhold
manufactures specialty care items and accessories to
clean, polish and detail.
www.shurhold.com
ARE YOU?
making oars refitting varnishing designing making a kayak updating electronics sailing
cruising selecting timber sanding fairing painting trailering buying selling sewing sails repairing
reviving marinising an engine building a kit customising launching building a rudder using epoxy making
a mast or simply dreaming about messing about in boats ...
building a boat
racing
If so, wed like to hear from you!
Australian Amateur Boatbuilder & KitBoats magazine is interested in hearing the story of your project, the reasons why, how
you got started and what was your motivation. Dont worry if you cant write a masterpiece and naturally, youll have to include
some clear photos, showing the various stages of construction from the beginning to where it all ended!
PO Box 560, Varsity Lakes, Queensland 4227

P: 07 5593 8187 F: 07 5593 8973 E: wendy@multihull.com.au
SCRUFFIE
WORLD NEWS
The author
guns it...
Cruising at 6kts with the equivalent of

nine passengers on board...
by DEREK ELLARD
There are times when those who design and build things be
they cars, bikes, boats, musical instruments, or even lawnmowers
rejoice to know that they are in good hands. For us it is always
a source of great pleasure to hear about the voyages our owners
undertake, especially those who are demonstrably competent
sailors. Such is the case with our youngest builder Kael
Kloosterman who has recently built his Shimmy 12 as a school
project. His video you can see it on our website will lay to
rest any doubts you may harbour about the future of boatbuilding
and sailing. The footage is simple, yet effective, its just one
teenager in a small boat but it speaks volumes about sailing as
we imagine it should be effortlessly enjoyable. Well done Kael
and thank you for the inspiration.
ome 20 years ago I took a family out for a test

sail in a brisk wind and to my surprise the father
gave the helm to his youngest a girl of around
10 or 11. Shes the best he said. And she was. A girl
born to sail, she tacked, gybed, thrashed to windward
and flew offwind with unshakable confidence and
enviable poise. I hope shes still sailing as dad didnt
buy the boat.
WEBSITE WONDERS!
Weve got a new website! Yes, the talented Mrs
Scruffie has redesigned the whole lot, discarding
plenty of waffle and introducing a cleaner, smarter,
quicker site thats stylish and super easy to navigate.
Yes, Im biased, but credit where credit is due, yes its
still work in progress but long overdue. Click on and
enjoy www.scruffie.com
NEW MODEL
Well nearly, in actual fact were cheating a bit with the
new Sienna 17. The Sienna 19, the sailing schools
favourite, was always designed with optional keels to
allow either sailing or power versions and we always
had in mind a transom stern version as a replacement
for the venerable Scruffie 16. Not that the 16 will ever
go out of production, but the 17 is to be a smaller

simpler sloop rigged version of the 19. Cheaper too.
But then we were approached to do an inboard diesel

or electric launch so the 17 began to take shape in
earnest. It seems a simple matter to build a transom
shaped baffle to fit neatly in the hull mould, cutting
off the counter stern and a couple of feet in overall
length. Not so fast, theres more to it than that. Firstly
we build a new transom plug to fit precisely into the
mould the right amount of rake, the correct deck
camber, and all perfectly fair and polished. From that
we fabricate a snug fitting removable mould which
can be securely clamped in place without damaging
the counter. Then its all wax, gelcoat, cloth, core-mat,
and chopped strand. Followed by boom! tish! and
out pops a 17 footer. Easy. Just as we were about
to start along comes not just one but two orders for
new full length Sienna 19s, sigh ... In doing the new
19s were lowering the cockpit coaming a touch but
otherwise if it aint broke, dont fix it.
RIG DECISION
I agonise over rigs, theres so much going for the

loose footed main but the gaff really is superior in
some ways. When tendering for a big contract a
Some of the builders timber indulgences.
while back we were, however, shocked to read that

crash helmets were to be mandatory for sea cadets
in a country we decline to name. So its back to the
boomless main then ... oh to hell with that, youre not
a proper sailor unless youve been whacked with an
errant boom, the new Sienna 17 will therefore sport a
gaff sloop ring but crash helmets will be optional.
front. Result? Very expensive repairs all round but

only cosmetic damage to the Sienna. Cue relieved
mopping of brow and grateful entreaties to the gods
of luggers.
And the moral is? Keep your distance, maintain your
trailer and its brakes and buy a Sienna 19 just in
case.
MORE SIENNA NEWS
AND FINALLY
Just got one of Blue Peters boats back for

refurbishing. The sailing school should properly be
referred to as the sailing school of hard knocks. For
in her short life, shes had a few. One of them was
when she wasnt even afloat but innocently strapped
on to the trailer. A three vehicle end to end shunt
resulted in extensive damage to the three cars and to
the trailer. Sufficient force was generated to bend the
steel winch stalk, the bolts
and base plate as the boat
tried to overtake the car in
FOLLOWED BY
BOOM! TISH!
AND OUT POPS
A 17 FOOTER
Our second Secret 33 electric launch was farewelled

recently. The boat was craned on to the lowloader bound for Perth to join her sister ship. On
the successful sea trials we managed to get some
excellent photos and good video footage. Here are
some of photographer Ray Cashs best.
Thats all for now its Sienna time
Our new Sienna 17 launch.
STRAYDOG
BOATWORKS
the modern classics
STUDY PLANS
IAIN O PLANS
$30
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$55
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Study plans pack now includes redrawn large

poster size drawing incorporating sail plans, general
arrangements kit details, spec sheet AND DVD of pix,
articles and build suggestions including Mk2 range.
BOOKS
VAKA! rare copies. (stunning saga of Polynesian ship

building and navigation techniques, and the settling
of Aotearoa (NZ). 300 pages. Illustrated. Inc pack and
post Australia $56.
UPDATED IAIN OUGHTRED CLINKER PLYWOOD
BOAT BUILDING MANUAL $47.90 incl pack and
post.
Updated IAIN OUGHTRED CATALOGUE (10/9/11)
$28 incl pack and post. Manual and Catalogue
together $70 incl pack and post. DVD Iain Oughtred
photographs. $20
Google: wwwstaylesskiff.net
QUALITY T-SHIRTS
Cotton, navy with dramatic bone logo.

Please state number and size. $35ea
S
XL
XXL
Pay by PayPal on site www.straydogboatworks.com
BOAT GEAR
CARBON MASTS AND BOOMS POA

NIS TABERNACLE SETS POA
JAPANESE BACK SAWS One of the most useful
tools in the boat building workshop. Amazingly fast
cutting, accurate, easy to use. In store now. Makes
real carpenters out of us woodbutchers. Great
Christmas present! $69 incl p/p
SPARE BLADES $45 incl p/p
CAT EYE NAV LIGHTS Like Charlie Fishers.
Converted by us to LED. Inc pack and post $95
Flush white stern light, like Charlie Fishers. $39 incl
pack and post.
Full range of bronze screws, fastenings and fittings,
Go to website for details
PRECUT KITS
Iain has had first price rise in 30 years

Oar Plan
Pram Dinghies
Feather
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Mouse
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Canadian Canoes
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Rowing Skiffs
Acorn Skiff
Acorn 15
Mole (Thames type)
Badger (Thames type)
Wemyss (Open water capable)
Outrigger Skiff
Snipefish
Dory Skiffs
Skerrie Skiff 15
Skerrie Skiff 17
Dories
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Cruising Yachts
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Includes pack and post within Australia.
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POA
$874
All pricing under review due to

recent currency fluctuations.
Contact us prior to purchase
Includes two t-shirts. Specify your size when ordering.

Acorn 15
$1880
Acorn 17
$1993
Acorn Skiff 118
$1643
Arctic Tern
$3970
Auk
$1235
Auklet
POA
Badger
$2184
Beaver
$1470
Caledonian Yawl
$4497
Elf
$2051
Elfyn
$2457
Eun Mara
$5255
Feather
$1167
Fulmar
$4499
Gannet
$3600
Granny
$1518
Guillemot 116
$1595
Guillemot 126
$1670
Humble Bee
$1641
Kotik 6.58 (scaled up Wee Seal)
$5499
Little Tern
POA
MacGregor
$1157
Mole
$1692
Mouse
POA
Ness Yawl
$3577
Penny Fee 16
$3992
Puffin
$1661
Shearwater
$2424
Stickleback
$1100
St Ayles Skiff
$4650
(5m Open Water One Design Class Skiff)
Tammie Norrie 136
$1998
Tammie Norrie 15
$2360
Tammie Norrie 16
$2472
Tirrik
$2766
Wee Rob
$1031
Wemyss Skiff
$2660
St Ayles Skiff Kit
Molds, MDF set up components and
plank clamps
$4650
Still required all solid and lamination timber inc build
frame material, Bote Cote epoxy sticking and coating
products, Aquacote Paints and stainless hardware
State capital cities insured freight
$390
One kit, incl all solid and lamination timber inc
build frame material, Bote Cote Epoxy sticking and
coating products, Aquacote Paints and stainless
hardware
$7414.50
$390
Two kits, with timber, Bote Cote products, Aquacote
paints, for consecutive (IE Re use build jig)
construction
$13,125
$390
Grey Seal Hull and Bulkheads
(26 Ron Mohr version)
POA coming soon
Wee Seal Hull and Bulkheads
Very high quality Lloyds Register Okoume plywood,
reliable, fast turnaround times. Sold timber and Bote
Cote epoxy, rigging packs available for all kits.
PLEASE NOTE : Stray Dog Boat Works is the only legitimate
supplier of Iain Oughtred kits, or part kits in Australia and NZ.
Any other person or entity offering or negotiating for sale or
knowingly receiving kits or part kits in Australia or NZ is in
breach of Iains and Alecs copyright, and will be pursued, on
behalf of Iain and Jordan Boat Works for that breach.
w w w. s t r a y d o g b o a t w o r k s . c o m
NAME ..................................................................................................................................................................................
ADDRESS ...........................................................................................................................................................................
Phone: (W) ................................................................................. (H) .................................................................................
Enclosed is my cheque/money order paid to:
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TORTURING PLYWOOD
INTO BOAT SHAPES
The Paper Jet bottom panel has nearly 90 of twist

over its length, with most of the twist in the bow.
Starting from the bow and working toward the
stern, the twist can be pulled in much more easily
than starting from the stern.
by DUDLEY DIX
Tortured plywood was originally a description of how Tor nado

catamarans were built by torturing the thin plywood skins into shapes
that were previously thought impossible for plywood. It was a very
innovative way to build a beautiful round-bilge boat from sheet material.
Some argue that there is no such thing as tortured plywood because
plywood cannot be bent into compound shapes no matter what method
is used. That is their theory but science has proven over and over again
that theories are there to be broken.
lywood is a great engineering material. Man

has taken natures wonder engineering
material, wood, and improved on the structural
characteristics for use in large sheets. In its natural
form you cant cut wood into 1/4 (6mm) thickness and
expect it to remain stable and strong in sizes more
than a few inches in width when measured across the
grain. It will split, it will twist and it will warp out of the
nice flat form that you originally cut. It will be strong
along the grain but relatively weak across the grain,
which must be taken into account in any structural
application.
When that same wood species is cut into thin veneers
and they are glued together with the grain direction
of adjacent layers oriented at 90 to each other,
each layer strengthens those on each side of it in its
weakest direction. The resulting material loses its
linear strength characteristic and strength becomes
relatively similar in all directions. The material also
becomes much more stable, much less likely to
twist, warp and crack. This brings great benefits for
designers using this man-made material but it also
introduces limitations that the designer or builder must
work around. In short, the benefit of plywood is that
it is flat and the drawback of plywood is also that it is
flat.
Of course the wood species, the quality and
number of veneers and the quality of the glue and
manufacture all affect the strength and stiffness of
the laminated sheet. As a simple rule of thumb, the
more veneers that it has, the stiffer and more stable
the sheet will be, when comparing sheets of the same
wood specie. When comparing sheets of different
species, the denser (heavier) specie will likely be the
stronger one.
Ever since plywood was first invented, man has been
figuring ways to distort it into shapes other than the
flat sheets in which it is formed. There are various
ways to do this and understanding the nature of the
material helps to figure the best way to deform it to
suit our needs.
1. Wood can be stretched, within limits. When we

bend it, the outer surface of the bend stretches and
the inner surface of the bend is compressed. The
fibres in the middle are on the neutral axis and are
neither stretched nor compressed. The fact that it
can be stretched means that it can be deformed in
ways that are not necessarily conical or cylindrical
in nature, the principles of developable surfaces
normally used when designing curved surfaces
for sheet materials. It can be somewhat tortured
into shapes that mathematics says cant be done.
But, push it too far and it will fracture, proving that
the mathematics may have been right after all. I
regularly design panels that my surface modelling
programs tell me cant be skinned with sheet
materials but knowledge of the materials that will
be used allow me to bend the rules a bit.
2. Wood can be softened and made more pliable if
it is wet, especially if it is also heated at the same
time. This is the principle used when making
steam-bent frames in traditional boatbuilding,
softening the wood strip in a steam box. It doesnt
have to be a wood specie that is naturally flexible;
it is done with oak and other strong timbers. A stiff
piece of wood becomes quite soft and malleable
when hot and wet, so it can be bent to shape and
will hold that shape when it dries and cools. This
can also be done with plywood but how do you
do it with a big piece that wont fit into a steam
box? I have made plywood sheets more flexible
by laying them on wet grass, spraying water over
the sheets then covering with black plastic and
leaving in the sun for a few hours. Others have had
similar success using a steam wallpaper stripper
on the outside surface while gradually pulling the
sheet in with clamps and other mechanical tools.
If you have a sheet clamped in place and need to
coax more bend into it but dont have a wallpaper
stripper, spray water onto both sides of the sheet
then cover with black plastic to absorb heat or use
a heat gun to warm it. Even without heat, you can
The completed Paper Jet hull. This photo shows

clearly how much twist there is in the bottom
panel, from almost vertical in the bow to almost
horizontal at the transom. Most of this twist is
in the forward 1/3 of the length, where the panel
is fairly narrow. The plywood naturally bulges
outward over that part of the twist, to conform
to developable surface rules. Temporary screws
pulled it in against a stringer for gluing, to form a
finer bow for better wave penetration
wet the sheet, keep it wet overnight with hessian

bags or similar, then find that it is easier to bend in
the morning.
3. Wood can be bent by making saw-cuts (kerfs)

across the piece on the inside of the curve. This
reduces the compression loads on the inner
surface of the curve and effectively moves the
neutral axis locally to the mid-point of the thickness
that is left after the kerf is cut. If the kerf is half-way
through the wood then the bend characteristics
become more like a piece of half the thickness
than one of the full thickness. The more kerfs that
are cut the more that the piece is softened and the
smoother the curve that results because the soft
spot at each kerf will show on the outside of the
curve if the kerfs are too far apart. This works with
plywood also but must be judiciously done. The
kerfs shouldnt be cut deeper than half-way through

the plywood, or the structure of the plywood will be
destroyed. If you cut them so deep that only the
surface veneer remains, you will almost certainly
fracture that surface veneer along the kerf line. The
kerfs should also not be excessively wide because
they will have to be filled with epoxy to regain the
lost strength after the panel is glued in place. The
width of a circular saw blade or narrow router bit,
so about 3mm, is a good kerf width. It gives enough
width to allow the sheet to bend without the edges
of the cuts closing so much that they cant be filled.
4. It is easier to deform short sheets a small amount

than long sheets a large amount. If you have a
panel that is 20ft long and has considerable twist
to it, it will be difficult to pull the twist into that long
panel if it is all in one piece. It will be easier to get
This is a forward bottom panel from the Cape Cutter

19. It has been clamped in place and allowed time to
rest and distort to the shape of the hull. You can see
how it has retained most of the twist and is ready to
be glued to the hull.
This is the same panel, held in tight with clamps, Spanish windlass and
lengths of timber, with wedges under the timbers to push it against the
stringers. Dampened and left like this for a day or two will convince the
plywood that it needs to comply with what you want.
that twist if the panel is fitted in three 8ft lengths

that are glued to each other on the hull framing.
It will be even easier if fitted in six 4ft lengths but
that is only required if the twist is extreme. As
example, for the Cape Cutter 19 or Cape Henry
21, with lots of twist in the bow and not much twist
aft, the panel would be best fitted as 4ft lengths
in the bow, changing to 8ft lengths further aft.
What is happening is that when the plywood is
being twisted it tries to keep one diagonal of the

sheet as a straight line, to keep to the conical or
cylindrical curvature of a developable shape. If
the diagonal is 20ft long there are large stresses
imposed in overcoming that natural tendency of
the sheet. If the diagonal is only 4ft or 5ft long the
stresses are considerably reduced so the sheet
complies more easily to the shape that you want.
the easy end. Also, dont just

dive in and start gluing the
panel in place before you have
tested it for proper fit. That
needs you to clamp it against
the framing at the twisted end
first and gradually pull it in and
adjust the position as needed
until it fits properly. Then leave
it there for a few days, wetting/
heating occasionally so that it can relax into the
shape that you need.
9. Plywood that is twisted diagonally will bulge
outward, due to the conical/cylindrical forms
adopted by sheet materials. This extra hull volume
may be desirable for some boats, like planing
powerboats. For other boat types that extra volume
may not be desirable, for performance reasons.
Running a stringer or two through the bulkheads/
frames will add strength and rigidity to the panel
and will also allow the builder to pull the panel
inward against the frames with screws, to glue it to
the stringer/s. This makes a finer bow, with smaller
bow wave, improved wave penetration and greater
speed.
If you are building a boat that has a skin panel
that has a large amount of twist that is mostly
concentrated in one area then you are almost
certain to need one or more of these methods to
get the plywood to conform to the hull shape. You
can combine various methods from the list, to
supercharge the process. Softening with water/heat or
steam, combined with kerfs and fitting narrow sheets
will allow plywood to take on considerable twist.
Once you have managed to pull that panel and its
partner on the other side of the boat to the form that
you need and they will hold most of the twist when
released, then it is time to glue them into place.
Dont consider getting one side done and glued in
place before starting to twist the other side, you will
seriously limit your options for clamping any edges
where the two panels meet. You will also load the
framework on one side and possibly pull it out of
alignment so that the completed boat is asymmetrical.
It is best to prepare the one side then set it aside
while you prepare the other side, then glue both on in
parallel. These processes take time but it is better to
take your time than to rush it, then have to deep-six
the panel.
DONT CONSIDER GETTING ONE SIDE DONE AND GLUED

IN PLACE BEFORE STARTING TO TWIST THE OTHER
SIDE, YOU WILL SERIOUSLY LIMIT YOUR OPTIONS FOR
CLAMPING ANY EDGES WHERE THE TWO PANELS MEET
5. You cant easily deform a sheet so that one edge
has convex curvature (curved outward) and the
opposite edge has concave curvature (curved
inward). The stresses in the sheet will likely
damage it. The builder of the first Didi Mini to be
skinned emailed me to say that he had found it
impossible to skin the side panel forward of the
mast; the sheet simply could not be forced into the
required shape, even though the sections through
the panel are straight lines. It has convex curvature
at the deck to add reserve buoyancy and concave
curvature at the bottom in the form of a hollow
bow waterline, to improve wave penetration and
increase speed. I told him to cut the sheet vertically
so that it was two sheets 4ft long instead of one
sheet 8ft long. He emailed back that the problem
disappeared and he could easily skin that area.
6. Narrow panels are easier to twist than wide ones.
If you have a long and narrow panel that is twisted
and another that is the same length and twist
but 5x the width, the narrow one can possibly be
fitted in one length but the wide one will need to
be broken down into shorter lengths to make it
easier to fit. My radius chine designs generally
have considerable twist in the bottom panel toward
the bow. There is no problem twisting this panel
because it is narrow in that area.
7. Plywood will take on a set if it is distorted and

held in the distorted shape for a few hours. If it
wont pull all the way into the shape that you need,
dont force it too far, you will break it. Pull it in with
clamps, levers and Spanish windlass as far as it
will go, then leave it. If you were to unclamp it a
day later, you would find that it doesnt want to lie
flat because it will have taken on a considerable
amount of the bend due to stretching/compressing
of the wood. Instead, go back two or three times in
24 hours and pull it in some more. Eventually you
should be able to pull it all the way to where you
want it.
8. If you do have a long panel that you want to skin

in one large piece for some reason, dont start by
gluing the easy end first then working toward the
twisted end. That will almost guarantee that you will
use some choice words along the way and have to
use a lot of brute force to pull in that difficult end.
Instead, glue the twisted end first then gradually
pull in the twist by working along the panel toward
South African born yacht designer Dudley

Dix is a graduate of Westlawn School
of Yacht Design. He has a wide range of
designs, built by professional and amateur
builders in 90 countries. The Dudley Dix
Yacht Design office is in Virginia Beach,
USA, with website at http://dixdesign.com
THINGSHAPPEN
by RICHARD SMITH
A fellow asked me to change his inboard

powered cabin boat to outboard power.
Nil problem or so I thought, however the
decision to take this job on just about
caused my early demise.
he boat, it turned out, was a big fat 25ft planing

hull, really solid and heavy on a tandem trailer
with no brakes. It was kept at Port Waikato
south of Auckland. Well, there are a few fairly steep
hills between where the boat was and where I was
going to do the work. The bloke towed this rig around
with a Rover 3000 car which in itself was a big heavy
unit.
We set off okay with me in the passenger seat and
all was well going up one of the steep hills until we
started going down the other side when the boat
and trailer started pushing the car faster and faster.

I had a sideways glance at the driver that revealed
he had gone as white as a ghost and was only just
maintaining control.
I closed my eyes so I dont know how he managed

to get us on to the flat road again, only me and the
wife know how scared I had gotten but when I opened
my eyes again the big boy beside me was a sweaty
blubbering mess, chain smoking all the way to my
place.
I took the inboard out, filled and reinforced the drive
shaft hole in the hull, built a self-draining outboard
well for his new 150hp Mercury and then followed
him back to help sea trial the boat / new motor combo
which went like a burnt boot (good).
On reflection I should have charged him danger
money but as I said things happen.
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TANGALOOMAS
WHALERS
by DAVID JONES, QUEENSLAND MARITIME MUSEUM
Tangalooma is well known

today for its natural beauty,
its comfortable resort
and sheltered anchorage
behind the wrecks. It is also
remembered as the site of
Queenslands one and only
whaling station.
hilst whaling had been conducted in Australia

since the early days of European settlement,
it was not until the 1950s that whaling
began in Queensland. In the aftermath of the war,
unprecedented demand for whale oil prompted the
Commonwealth Government to encourage whaling in
Australia. The industry would be of immense national
importance in improving the countrys balance of
overseas trade, and it was an enterprise widely
supported by the public at that time.
The major product from whale oil was margarine,
sold to the UK and Europe; while meat-meal and
LEFT: The three Kos sisters moored together in 1952.

Image Qld Maritime Museum collection
ABOVE: Approaching Tangalooma whaling station.
Image Campbell collection via Qld Maritime Museum
Work on building the whaling station was completed

in seven months. Centrepiece was the factory building
consisting of a concrete flensing deck, of 1,000sqm
area with a log ramp leading in two stages running
down into the sea to land the whales. Cookers to
extract the whale oil and machinery to process the
intestines and bones into meal were located under the
flensing deck. Storage tanks, a steam power station,
repair workshops, jetty and accommodation buildings
were also built.
bonemeal would be sold on the domestic market.

Whale meat was also sold as pet food in the UK and
USA.
Tangalooma was a prime location for a whaling
station, lying within easy reach of the Humpback
Whales winter migration route off Cape Moreton.
Whale Products Pty Ltd leased land at Tangalooma
and began building their whaling station late in 1951.
The company had the expert advice of Captain
Melsom, a veteran Norwegian whaler with 40 years
experience, and he was appointed one of their
directors.
Three whale chasers were purchased in Norway to

operate out of Tangalooma: Kos I, Kos II and Kos
VII. They were typical of the many whale chasers
built between the wars around 250 tons gross, 38m
long with a harpoon gun over their bows, and low
freeboard for handling captured whales alongside.
Each of the Kos boats had a colourful history of 10
Antarctic seasons in the 1930s before being taken
up by Great Britain as naval auxiliaries during the
war. Each of the chasers brought with them an expert
Norwegian whaling skipper and a seasoned crew.
Operations commenced on Friday, June 6, 1952

with Kos VII catching two large whales off Cape
Moreton, both harpooned by Captain Melsom himself.
Two days later all three chasers were operating
together, catching eight 12m whales between them.
Tangalooma whaling station was in business.
Hunting whales was an art rather than a science,
depending heavily on the judgement and skill of the
chasers captain. Surfacing whales would be sighted
first by a lookout high on the mast. The captain
then moved down a catwalk from the bridge to the
LEFT: Kos VII brings in Tangaloomas first catch,

June 6, 1952.
Image Courier Mail, Jones collection
BELOW LEFT: Kos II approaching Tangalooma.
Image Campbell collection via Qld Maritime Museum
excitement early in 1954 when Kos II

sighted and caught a Blue Whale. Though
the Blue Whale is the largest animal on
earth, growing up to 30m in length, this one
was undersized, measuring only 20.4m,
and the company had to pay the value of
its produce in a fine.
In 1957 Kos VII was sold to Cheynes
Beach Whaling at Albany in Western
Australia and a replacement chaser,
Firern, was purchased. She was renamed
Tangalooma, and being larger and more
powerful than the Kos boats, she was
used to collect whales caught by the other
chasers, and tow them to Tangalooma.
This allowed the Kos twins to continue
hunting with minimal disruption.
harpoon gun in the bow and made the shot using

his experience to secure a quick and efficient kill.
The captured whale was then secured and towed to
Tangalooma to be landed and processed.
Control over whaling in Australia was exercised by

the Commonwealth Government which limited the
seasons duration and the numbers allowed to be
caught in the year. For its first season from May 1
to October 31, 1952, Tangalooma was allocated a
quota of 500 whales, later increased to 600. Each
whale must be at least 10.7m in length and mothers
with calves were protected. A government inspector
examined each whale caught and the CSIRO carried
out continuous research on the whale population.
By October 7 Whale Products had filled its quota.
Whales had averaged over 12m in length with the
largest caught measuring 15.8m, establishing an
Australian record. Around 5,000 tons of whale oil
was produced with world prices at a high level.
Operations then settled into a regular pattern each
year.
From 1955 to 1960 quotas were filled in little more
than two months, and size and yield of whales
processed was consistently high. There was some
After nine good seasons when whales

were plentiful, the 1961 season came
as a rude shock. Despite the use of a
light aircraft to widen the search, whales
were hard to find. By the time the season
closed at the end of October, their quota
of 660 had not been filled. Only 591 whales had
been caught as the chasers searched as far afield
as Maroochydore and Southport. Skippers could no
longer be selective and the average size of whales
caught along with their yield fell considerably.
For the next season two modern chasers were bought

fitted with the latest navigation equipment. Thorbryn
and Thorgrim were also veterans of many seasons
in the Southern Ocean. They were built during 1947
and at 440 tons were larger and faster than their
predecessors. Kos I and II, now 34 years old, were
retired. The company hoped the new whalers would
turn their fortunes around and changed the names of
their active fleet. Tangalooma became Looma 1, while
the new additions became Looma 2 and Looma 3
respectively.
Tangalooma opened its 1962 season on June 18, but
results were even worse than the previous year. After
seven weeks at the height of the northern migration,
only 68 whales had been taken. This was a quarter of
the number caught in the same period of the previous
year and prospects looked dire. Whaling operations
were stopped on August 5, 1962 and Tangaloomas
whaling station was closed down.
ABOVE: Tangalooma whaling station from the nearby sand hills. Image Mervyn Jones, Jones collection
Why had the Humpback population collapsed so

suddenly in just two years? Australian whaling
had been controlled by the government to ensure
whale stocks were preserved. In the broad southern
oceans the International Whaling Commission laid
down similar rules to protect whale populations. But
in the distant, southern seas these rules had been
flouted and the slaughter of whales had become
indiscriminate and excessive.
This was confirmed in a tangible way when two

scientific tags shot into migrating Humpbacks by the
CSIRO were returned to Tangalooma in 1962 from
whales killed in the south. But no Humpback Whales
were reported as having been caught there in that
season and the tags were claimed to have come from
other species.
Once the Tangalooma whaling station closed the
companys assets were sold. Buildings and property
BUILD-A-BOAT
NOT JUST BOAT PLAN BUT ALSO ART
PO Box 674 Freshwater 2090
or call Matt on 02 9938 4933
www.buildaboatplans.com.au
on Moreton Island were sold to a syndicate which

converted Tangalooma into a tourist resort. The ramp
was demolished and equipment dismantled while
dining rooms, lounges and recreation facilities were
built and accommodation improved. The new resort
opened in December 1963.
The whale chasers were also sold, Looma 2 and

Looma 3 to Cheynes Beach Whaling in Western
Australia where they served for another 15 years
hunting Sperm Whales. Looma 1 operated for a
short time in New Zealand before being scrapped in
1966. Kos I and Kos II lingered on the Brisbane River
seeing little use before being scuttled as part of Curtin
artificial reef off Moreton Island in the early 1970s.
Happily the Humpback Whales have returned.
Instead of whalers with harpoons it is tourists with
cameras who flock to see them and the whales seem
to enjoy the attention. Long may this continue.
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TBK NEWS
by BARRIE ARMSTRONG
LAUNCH OF THE
REDFIN 22 MK2
Acclaimed design with flood in water ballast.

Now available in printed paper plans with full size dimensions!
Many clients have requested plansets to work from when building a

Redfin 22. Others have suggested improvements over the years that
will make this a much better boat. We are now entering a new era in
sailboat production, especially with the Redfin 22 MK2.
ur Redfin 22 design has had water ballast

since 1997. Its a nice feeling when other
designers now deem it absolutely necessary
to include water ballast in their new craft, and that
water ballast prevents capsize problems. Of course it
does, and always has.
Jim Young (one of NZs best designers and builders)

used water ballast in a new range of designs in the
late 70s.
To which I reply, Yes, correct, I have had a loan of

that water as ballast, and I am giving it back now.
NOW FOR THE BEST NEWS
When I am retrieving the R22 at the ramp someone

always says Hey mate, youve sure got a bad water
leak somewhere!
You also cannot believe the relief when towing a 6.6m

boat with 2.39m beam that only weighs 450kg behind
your car. (Ballast not required when travelling over the
roads!)
So of course my boats are not original in this area,

just a bit different and an improvement on Jims. I use
two separate tanks at each chine; Jim used a different
V-bottom design with one tank down the middle. Think
about this.
The Redfin 22 yacht lines, plans and full size
drawings are now available in paper form. Thats
right, buy the plans and scaled station measurements,
join the dots with a batten, and cut out all component
parts with no lofting or design work on your part. You
can source your own supplies in your own time, and

build when it suits.
I have had the full size drawings in a drawer for years

now, but have pushed the cut kits (cut from my full
size plywood patterns) for obvious reasons. I mean,
in this mode everything is done for you other than the
actual build. You of course pay for this service.
The reason that we have taken this advanced step is

that a new method (world first!) has become available
to present the model in three dimensions and also
results in very accurate patterns. The cut kits will be
perfect, your plan version boat will be perfect, so we
all win.
This decision was taken because:-
1. I know from REAL sailing experience, in all

conditions, that we have here if not the best and
safest trailer sailer
on the market, at
least one of the
very best.
5. Build from plans and full size drawings or buy a

precision cut kit, its up to you.
Now, the cost to recheck and redraw everything has
not helped my bank balance one bit, but I believe in
the Redfin 22 so much that it has become, to me, a
legacy to leave behind.
Plans should be available by the time you read this.
Call me 07 3172 9642.
AROUND THE BUILDERS
Alan Thomas from Bairnsdale (near Gippsland lakes)

has seen the light of day with his Redfin 22 and is
now rigging for a Christmas launching. Now that is a
pretty boat.
2. You can build a lot

of this boat sitting
outside in a chair.
Its that easy.
3. No throwaway jigs,

the boat becomes
its own jig.
4. Many well known

designers and
builders have
agreed that the
method used to
construct a Redfin
22 is the best
and easiest of all
constructions (stitch
and tape) with
double bias tape
and cloth and BoteCote epoxy)
BoatCraft Pacific
And all BoatCraft Pacific distributors for
Single Pack Waterproof Polyurethane Adhesive
Epox-E-Glue
1:1 Full Strength Epoxy Adhesive
BoatCraft Pacific
Boat Building Fasteners

Silicon Bronze Engine Bolts Silicon Bronze Coach Bolts
Silicon Bronze Machine Screws Silicon Bronze Wood Screws
Flat Head, Oval Head, Round Head, Slot Drive, Philips Drive, Square Drive
Silicon Bronze Ring Grip Nails Copper Square Boat Nails
and Roves Copper Sheathing Nails
Distributors Throughout Australia
Redfin 520.
Paul Kennedy (ex 14 International Skiff sailor,) will

be launching his Redfin 22 very shortly in Brisbane.
(shown above).
Glen Cruickshank of Kallangur in Brisbane is also
very cool with his Redfin 22 and should be on the
water when you read this article.
Rod Bailley of North Brisbane is finding his Redfin
22 the ideal boat to learn to sail in, and frequently
charges out a creek at Sandgate to challenge
Moreton Bay.
We have built three Redfin 22 yachts for

clients in NSW, and are currently building
one at BoatCraft Pacific head office as part
of a boat building class.
REDFIN 520
As usual a steady stream of orders just keeps on
coming in; Denis Reyer of Brisbane is currently
turning his attractive 520 over and should be nearly
finished by Christmas.
John Tannock (Qld Wooden Boat Assn.) and Geoff

Fuller had a great cruise in their Redfin 520s recently.
REDFIN 15
(In my opinion the best 15 boat I have ever sailed)
Manuel of Ipswich near Brisbane has turned his R15

over ready for finishing. He has done a great job of
such a pretty boat, using the best light gaboon ply
available.
However NSW is forming up to be the main centre for

Redfins at the moment.
Alan, Rod and Glen have built from plywood with

traced patterns drawn on their own plywood, ready for
them to cut out at their leisure. This was my original
approach and with this concept I sold six kits in two
months. I am looking at this idea again so call me on
0478 280 619 for a serious chat.
Gee, it would be nice

to have a just launched
day in Moreton Bay a few days after Christmas.
PLANS AVAILABLE FROM US
It all started with the Cherry 16 design from Frank

Pelin in NZ. I was awarded the Australian kit supplier
and never looked back. This was my bread and
butter line for many years.
TBK are also selling plans from a Pelin catalogue of
162 pages (many drawings and on the water photos)
now available for $35. (Glossy paper content)
Plans also available for many designs of catamarans
and trimarans to build in ply, ranging from 10 to 50 in
paper or downloadable plans with all measurements,
designed by Richard Woods. Prices range from $10
to $600.
ABOVE: A most impressive 9.6m trailable yacht we are very proud

of. She is still built with marine ply. What else?
MORE TRAILER SAILERS
These craft are fast cruisers nearing the sports boat

range, but comfortable to spend a holiday aboard.
Okay ... you wanted a trailer sailer, but may have
been a bit confused re costs, quality, availability, who
to trust and how long it takes to build.
Well we now have all that covered! You tell me the
size of trailer sailer you want, speedy
or cruising, and we will design to
your specifications.
We have the best designs, access
to great quality plywood, a fantastic
CNC operator in Brian of Southport,
Gold Coast, and also access to
some of the best plans for multihulls
ever.
We use Bote-Cote Epoxy resins and
ABOVE: 3D version of our brand new Redfin 22 MK2 (with water ballast, of course).
BoatCraft Pacific fibreglass tapes
and cloth.
(Have you seen the video on
YouTube of another Strike 18
passing a trailer-tri 24 as if it was
anchored? UNBELIEVABLE. I am
sure Ian Farrier would be as amazed
as I was to see that! (youtube
Strike 18 Sailing .wmv)
And this from a very cheap to build
18 tri built in about a month. Oh, and
it is trailable too! Plans, delivered to
your email address, cost $220. Ring
me now for more info on the Strike
ABOVE: Some of these craft have strip planked bottom and chines, with ply topsides, if you
want to go strip planking. Above is a 3D image of a 6M trailer sailer.
18 trailable trimaran.
We have partnered with Keith, another yacht designer
friend of mine, to market and keep designing plans for
trailer sailors of all types and sizes.
Currently we have designs for sports cruisers to
satisfy clients wanting craft in all sizes from 5.6m to
9m. Plans (downloadable electronically) from $480.
REDFIN 22 Mk2
aft cabin bulkhead here?

aft cabin bulkhead here?
original location of aft cabin bulkhead
My mate Johnno is building a Strike 18 tri now, soon

ready to turn over and finish. His (approved) version
has a long cabin to sleep and look after two crew.
Most people buy a Cobra 16 catamaran and hinge it
to a Strike 18 main hull and go sailing. Great idea!
As I mentioned in another article I will be building
a Saylon 20 trailable catamaran very soon. This is
another smart and economical design from Richard
Woods, who is currently in the Bahamas.
PLEASANT TRIP
On Sunday, October 16 Johnno and I caught a ferry

to Macleay Island on Moreton Bay to have a look at
a long Strike 18 trimaran that was for sale. (thats
two for sale this year.) As there were some rigging
problems with the boat during a 30kt race we came
away empty
handed.
Why have I
mentioned
this?
Well, the welcome we got from the members of such

a fine club was outstanding! A great clubhouse, cool
views, and such nice people ... we will visit again!
Just so you know where to visit on Moreton Bay go

there!
(Johnno is 81 and I am 80, yet we were made so
welcome we felt like teenagers again. Thanks so
much guys.)
Finally ... it is important that we all communicate,

so we know what you want, and can organise our
business accordingly. Besides, when you hear my
friendly voice you just have to buy from the best! (I
can return your call to anywhere at no cost to you.)
Dont hesitate to call me very late at night because I
dont sleep much.
We have at least eight different plans for trailer

sailers, some very fast, others cruising, from 5.2m to
9m, all available now in full size plans or CNC kits.
I am also pleased to offer great plans for trimarans
and catamarans from the best multihull designer I
know.
Remember, the fantastic Redfin 22 MK2 yacht is

now available in plans or kits to suit your needs.
You cant fail with TBK.
e: ba15@bigpond.com
p: 07 3172 9642
m: 0478 280 619
Strike 18.
SHIPMATE!
by BARRIE CALLAGHAN
Have you ever needed supplies in port only to find the

store is half an hour walk or you had to call for a cab?
This is the situation my nephew found himself in while
cruising the coral coast.
Knowing I was an importer of bicycles, he asked if
there were any folding bikes available that could be
stored below deck.
I have encountered a similar problem when touring

in my caravan, often I have stayed in an area where
bike tracks follow the coastline taking in wonderful
sights.
I could install a bike rack on the back of the caravan

but the type of caravan I own doesnt lend itself to that
type of application.
I could see that many more boaties and caravan
travellers have the same problem.
I spent many hours searching my suppliers and

manufacturers of folding bikes that would satisfy the
needs of many of the above people.
I now have available for sale a lightweight and
compact folding bike that can be purchased with a
carry bag and weighs in at only 13kg. This bike sells
for only $295 and the carry bag is an optional extra
at $27.50 each. I will provide this carry bag into
which the folded bike will fit free to AABB readers.
This bike is small enough to freight by parcel post to
anywhere in Australia.
Contact Barrie
m: 0413 262 272
e: thriftebikes@gmail.com
DUTCH TREATS SAILING

SOUTH FOR THE
MYSTATE AUSTRALIAN
WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL
Mr Bert van Baar (second from right) and the

six visiting students discuss their forthcoming
tour down-under with barbecue attendees.
Bete Photography
The MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival was the centre of

attention at a traditional Aussie barbecue held late last week.
Normally this would not be an extraordinary occurrence; however
the unusual thing about this event was that the Aussie barbecue was
actually held in the Drovers Dog, a caf in Amsterdam.
he barbecue was part of AussieOktober, a

month of Australian cultural events which
includes a unique art exhibition in Utrecht
bringing together maps of the Australian coastline
from both famous explorers of the Dutch Golden Age
as well as contemporary Australian Aboriginal artists.
The Australian Embassy in the Netherlands
also launched a magazine called Boemerang in
conjunction with Dutch Culture. Boemerang features
stories about the personal, business and political ties

between the Dutch and Australians.
The Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands, His
Excellency Dr Brett Mason, hosted the barbecue and
spoke about the significance of the long-standing
relationship between The Netherlands and Australia.
Also present were six young Dutch boat-building
students who are travelling to Tasmania a little later
this year with their instructor, Mr Bert van Baar to
Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands H.E. Dr Brett Mason addresses crowd at the Drovers Dog. Bete Photography
build a BM 16m2 (Bergumer Meer class) sailboat.

The boat will be built at the Wooden Boat Centre
in Franklin on Tasmanias Huon River and is to
be constructed from recovered Tasmanian myrtle
donated by Hydrowood.
The 16m2 BM design dates back to 1931 and,

because of its sailing qualities, quickly became very
popular in regatta racing. The BM 16m2 is widely used
in sailing schools in The Netherlands and many Dutch
cruising sailors learned their skills in this nimble sail
boat.
Mr van Barr told the barbecues attendees of his and
his students excitement as they prepared for their
Tasmanian adventure and ultimate participation in
the forthcoming MyState Australian Wooden Boat
Festival.
The BM 16m2 sailboat to be built by the visiting

students will be one of the many beautiful Dutch
vessels to feature in the 2017 MyState Australian
Wooden Boat Festival. Others being shipped from
The Netherlands include four beautiful wooden Friese
tjotters with their typical keels that are bound to draw
the attention of onlookers and two Nederlandse
12-voetsjollen (Dutch 12ft dinghies).
The Regenboog Oranje, a wedding gift to the Dutch
Royal Couple, will also feature at the festival. Oranje
is the flagship of the Regenboogklasse (Rainbow

Class) which, in 2017, will celebrate 100 years of
racing in The Netherlands.
Another crowd-pleaser making the journey from the

Netherlands to Tasmania is Reinier Sijpkens with his
famous Muziekboot (Musicboat) which will delight
audiences around the waterfront of Hobart during the
four-day MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival
next February.
AT A GLANCE
WHAT
12th MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival
WHEN
February 10-13, 2017
WHERE
Sullivans Cove, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
INFORMATION
www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au
EVENT BLOG
http://awbf.com.au
CONTACT
office@australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au
Random Roving Boats Notes

Ireland and Scotland. August 2016
Skiffs on the beach in
Shieldaig...
Water cooled
electric pod for
Barnabys new Haiku.
OCH! IT WAS COLD!
Iain with his

RC model
Haiku.
Shieldaigs newest is
taken to the water...
Iains model Haiku

with her lid off...
Robert and Iain

figuring out the new
Raid sail rig for the
St Ayles Skiff, and
tweaking the rudder
system on Haiku...
The real thing! Barnabys Haiku after turn over.

Note the turning frame. We should have the files for
the complete hull build in the next few weeks. The
boat is being built in Barnabys Waywood furniture
studio/workshop.
Dinner in Iains cottage, Skye.
BUILD
YOUR
OWN
LIGHT
WEIGHT
TRAILER
BOAT!
This cor ner of the market is flooded
with choice and there is a reason
for this. The half cabin trailer boat
is a compact way to get out on the
water and is a popular concept for
family boating and fishing. This size
is also relatively affordable without
the berthing headaches associated
with larger boats. This is a market
largely dominated by production
boats which are mostly built using
solid FRP construction making
the boats very heavy, requiring
more horsepower and using more
fuel. They are also predominately
monohulls but catamarans also have
a considerable market share.
Craig Schionning introduces the
RAPID 5000
its for boats of this size are not very common

rides beautifully and is very comfortable. The twin
and even less common in light-weight
hulls force a combination of water and air through the
composite epoxy materials. The Rapid 5000
tunnel essentially riding on a cushion of air.
can be supplied in a comprehensive kit package
The Rapids stylish half cabin design provides good
comprising of either Duflex panels or Gaboon
shelter and is intended to have fixed safety glass
plywood. Our Ripple tender range of designs has
windows for extra protection. Inside the cabin are a
been extremely popular and has proven to be
couple of single bunks and space for storage. Below
very easy and quick to assemble. The Rapid 5000
the self-draining wet-deck are the fuel tanks at a
uses the same assembly method beginning with
capacity of 50 litres each side. Between the engines
an interlocking MDF build frame which creates the
is an extension of the bridgedeck creating a small aft
jig for the hull to be built over. A major advantage
deck for boarding. From here access into the boat is
with this process to form the hull is that it allows the
through a door in the aft bulkhead which is latched
builder ample time to ensure that all hull panels fit
when underway. The aft deck is spacious and open
appropriately and are running fairly. All panels can
plan if fishing is the interest; or additional seating can
be fitted and scrutinized before any epoxy filler is
fitted for recreational activities.
applied. Once the builder is satisfied, all seams/joins
An advantage with building your own boat is of course
can be filled. With the filler cured the hull is a onefinishing and fitting it out exactly to your own tastes.
piece structure and the corners are sanded down in
Setting your own layout for bait tanks, in-built esky,
preparation for the glassing. The Duflex system only
cutting boards etc is in your hands. These days vinyl
requires glass tapes to join the panels whereas the
wrap finish can save quite a bit of finishing work on
plywood version is sheathed in a light layer of woven
the hull topsides and create a stunning result with
glass cloth in addition to the tapes as a waterproofing
impressive modern design graphics.
and wear skin. The hull bottoms also have additional
laminate applied for protection on the
trailer and beaching.
SPECIFICATIONS
The Rapid 5000 design is powered
LOA
5.05m / 16ft 6in
by twin outboard engines starting
BOA
2.45m / 8ft
at 40hp up to 70hp. Because of the
DRAFT
375mm / 1ft 2in
lightweight epoxy structure horsepower
DESIGN DISPLACEMENT
950kgs /2094 pounds
can be reduced which in turn saves
BRIDGEDECK CLEARANCE
330mm / 1ft1in
on fuel consumption as well as
PAYLOAD
400kgs /882 pounds
capacity. Estimated speeds with 40hp
REC. ENGINE SIZE
Twin 50hp Outboard
engines will be approximately 25kts
ESTIMATED
at cruise and over 30kts top. The hull
BUILD HOURS
500(basic standard finish)
shape has been derived from the
KIT COST
FROM AU$12,400.00 excl. GST
very successful Spirited 230 which
FULLY BUILT COST
FROM AU$57,600.00 excl. GST
is a 7m full cabin design. Despite its
ESTIMATED TOTAL MATERIAL COST
AU$35,000.00 excl. GST
lightweight displacement this design
For more information about this design and our range of other designs please check out:
www.spiriteddesigns.com.au
BUILDING THE
MOYNE 12
PART ONE
by PAT REECE
Weve been working closely with Nick Atkins over the last couple of years,
building and selling his range of pre cut kits, pre cut canoes etc. Up until
now Nicks focus has been mainly been on double ended beach boats. The
Belfast range has sizes from 9ft right up to 17ft, extremely pretty in style
but maybe a little complex and off putting for a first time builder.
ow we can proudly introduce the first of Nicks

Transom dinghies, the Moyne 12. With an LOA
of 12ft and beam of 4ft9, shes a multi purpose
day sailer or motor vessel with a small outboard. In
true Atkins style, shes has generous garboard planks
giving a nice wide bottom with a tight turn in the bilge.
This means the little boat has a huge load carrying
capacity, and stable too.
Spring School 2016 saw two of these dinghies
being built. This gave us the opportunity to see how
easy the kits were to put together, and fine tune any
changes. In the 10 day course the first ever Moyne 12
was finish planked and taken off her bulding jig.
So this is part one of a three part article on how to

build the Moyne 12. Nick has put in over 10 years
of R&D in his kits so we can assure these kits are
perfect in every detail.
BELOW LEFT TO RIGHT:

Numbered planks makes assembly very easy.
The kit arrives as 8 x 4 flat pack.
Inner Stem laminations.
Within 30 minutes the building jig is up!
Garboard planks are glued up and looking very fair.
The finished hull, very pretty little boat!
Day one and the fun begins. We start with laminating

the inner stem, this gives it a full 24 hours cure
time so it can be shaped in the coming days. The
afternoon sees the building jig assembled. This is an
exciting time, the first Moyne 12 coming to life. The
self aligning jig only takes approx 30 minutes to put
together, once setup on trestles and sighted so its
nice and straight the building can begin.
The stem is roughly shaped on the bench and cut for

the keelson. The kit comes standard with a 3mm MDF
transom template or an optional extra is to have a pre
made and bevelled solid timber transom. The floors
can be either fitted before planking or after. Another
option is to have the floors CNC cut and bevelled,
this ensures perfect fit. We now have the shaped
stem in place along with the transom, the keelson
can be glued in place and bevelled. I cut the bevel on
keelson using the table saw then finished it off with a
hand plane. Gluing up the planks is a simple task with

Nicks unique 3D puzzle joint, we wet up the joint with
WEST System epoxy and clamp it up and let cure
overnight. We are now ready to start planking!
Dry fitting planks to make sure correct positioning fore
and aft. Once glued the next plank can be bevelled,
gains cut, glued up and so on. The kit also comes
with MDF template for the outer stem, this can be
laminated up in down time if your waiting for glue
to cure. When all the planking is done, ends can
trimmed up and the hull can come off the building jig.
SO WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BASIC KIT?

Hull planking using 6mm European Gaboon ply,
Nicks unique 3D puzzle joint for joining planks
12mm MDF self aligning building jig
Molds up and inner stem support in place.
Most of the internal structure has been cutaway to give good access
inside for cleaning up during the building.
ABOVE AND ABOVE RIGHT: Both Moyne 12 dinghies steaming along!
ABOVE AND ABOVE RIGHT: The end result, a fully planked boat in just 10 days! Yes its possible!
MDF templates for transom, both inner and outer

stems and floors
Consumables pack including all your WEST System

epoxy resins, filler powders, gloves, mixing cups etc
Solid timber pack, gunwales, inwales, fitout timbers
etc.
Optional extras can include, pre glued, cut and

bevelled transom and floors, pre laminated inner and
outer stems.
Interested in building a Moyne 12 but not sure

about the construction?
Duck Flat Woodenboats are now building bare hulls in

our workshop ready for you to finish off yourself. Lead
time of around 4-6 weeks, all the hard work is done.
Contact Duck Flat Woodenboats for kit and bare
hull pricing on 08 8391 3988 or email us at
info@duckflatwoodenboats.com Follow our
projects on Instagram and Facebook pages.
THE WOODRUFF KEY

by RICHARD SMITH
As we all know boats are manoeuvrable

things, they can go backwards, forwards,
side to side, up and down and sometimes
all of the above at the same time.
ne day I went out with three of the RSA Fishing

Club members. We were heading to the
southern end of Waiheke Island in Auckland
harbour where the big schnapper were supposed to
be (I never saw any).
The boat we were on was about 15-16ft but well
found and seaworthy and was named Forgot due to
the owners penchant for forgetting things.
We were motoring out to the fishing spot when the

boat started to go off course side to side, broach into
the chop round in big circles. What the hell was going
on? We asked the skipper, steering not working, he
replied turning the steering wheel round and round
uselessly with no response from the outboard.
Well of course the boat had to have a tool kit (not) but
we managed to prise the cap off the steering wheel
and found the shaft nut rattling around inside which
we retrieved. So far so good but then disaster, the
skipper who was a bit impetuous grabbed the wheel
and before we could stop him pulled it off and of

course the woodruff key fell to the flooring and on into
the bilge via one of the gaps between the floor and
the frame.
Unfortunately the floor was in large panels and a

rather hilarious time was had while the four of us plus
gear had to manoeuvre ourselves around the boat so
we could get to the key which of course was very hard
to find in the dark bilge.
It was eventually found and the helm was
reassembled and the nut tightened as best we could
with the fish hook removing pliers. Now you think that
this was a once in a lifetime event but not so. Many
decades later now on the Gold Coast my wife and I
were going to Stradbroke Island with our friends in
their lovely modern boat when the steering wheel
came loose.
Good thing I knew exactly what to do and retrieved
the nut and the key and reassembled it.
I guess the point here is that helm wheels can

loosen up and should be checked as part of your
maintenance regime. After all No Key No Steering
and as I said at the beginning boats go in all different
directions at once if left to their own devices.
FIREBUGNEWS
Hobart v Sydney. It was great fun for all, young and old. An amazing new experience for many!
by PETER TAIT
FIREBUGS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT?
The FireBug has always primarily been about Build a

boat and learn to sail at low cost.
It has been a great success and thousands of people,

adults and children alike have had great fun building
and sailing, learning and enjoying the beach and all
the newly acquired skills. The big bonus is sailing in
races and now there are small fleets of self built boats
competing in regattas in many countries around the
world. Fantastic!
NEW BOATS AROUND THE

WORLD...
IN QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND
Hughs workshop-on-the-water. Quick dip

to cool down at lunchtime?
IN YASS, NSW
Suzanne Pollack is
enjoying teaching
herself woodwork
and is very excited
that a boat is coming
together in the shed!
Boatbuilder in the making, Suzanne.
IN ONTARIO,
CANADA
Robert McLean is doing an immaculate job, the best I

have seen for some time! The hull is complete except
for final painting. Robert fits his boatbuilding between
long holidays away so doesnt expect to be on the
water before next northern summer.
Retired British
architect Hugh
Skinner is building in
a lakeside boatshed
on Lake Whakatipu,
New Zealands most
beautiful lake. Note
that there are built in
rowlocks and is that
an outboard bracket
Hugh?
Robert doing an immaculate job.
SYDNEY HOBART RACE IN FIREBUGS!
Sydneys Concord Ryde Sailing Club sailed against Hobarts

Lindisfarne Club in the first Australian Interclub/Interstate
Regatta. The Derwent west of the Tasman Bridge in Hobart is
just right for small boat sailing. There was a total of 14 entries
making it Australias biggest fleet of FireBugs so far. (The current
record is 26 at PPYC in Christchurch NZ.) To keep things easy
and keep costs down Concord Ryde borrowed local boats for the
contest.
Local knowledge combined with excellent sailing skills gave the
advantage to the Lindisfarne Sailing Club Sailors and the final
results were:
First overall, Oli Pritchard, second Max Gluskie from LSC.
Third Thom Hardman and first adult was Phil Sullivan, both from
Sydney.
ALSO second placed Max Gluskie has been selected to go to
Germany to contest the Laser 4.7 radial world championship. He
is one of our original Firebug builder/sailors at Lindisfarne. Well
done Max!
Happy
skippers at
Lindisfarne
Sailing Club
in Hobart
Tasmania.
Davey &
Company Ltd
of London
Established 1885
TRADITIONAL YACHT
AND SHIPS
BRONZE FITTINGS
Port Holes
Ventilators
Cleats
Bollards
Fairleads
Hawse Pipes
Gudgeons
Pintles
Staunchions
Flagstaffs
Eyebolts
Stemheads
Rowlocks
Boathooks
Furling Gear
Mast Bands
Ash Bocks
Shroud Plates
Gaff Span Shackles
Brass Slides
Spinnaker Pole Fittings
Highfield Levers
Riggings Screws
Tuffnol Blocks
Belaying Pins
Bowsprit Plates
Shackles
Parrel Beads
Pelican Hooks
Anchors
Anchor Windlass
Rollers
Oil Navigation Lights
Hurricane Lamp
Oil Globe Lights
ES Sorensen lamps
Bulkhead Lamps
Door & Hatch Fittings
Skylight Fittings
Solid Fuel Stoves
Bells
Sounding Leads
Caulking Irons
Marlin Spikes
Speedy Stitcher
Jefferys No. 2
Black Glue
Oakum
Caulking Cotton
Roving Punches
and much much more ...
Race start
with the
iconic Tasman
Bridge in the
background.
Adele (Flipper)
Aucherlonie
recovering from
a deliberate
cartwheel.Did
you see
that? Fabo
Mt Wellington
in the
background.
oat
Give Your Brious
Th a t L u x u Fe e l
Old W orld
BoatCraft Pacific
info@boatcraft.com.au
p: 07 3806 1944
And all distributors
LEFT: Luke Franklin sailing at

Concord Ryde Sailing Club in
Sydney. State of the art boat.
FIRE UP OUTSTANDING RACEBUG
John Franklins boat was built in just three weeks in a

gotta-be-finished-before-Christmas rush a couple of
years ago. The beautifully set up and presented boat
is pictured above being sailed by Johns son Luke at
the Sydney club Concord Ryde at Parramatta. The
wooden trim looks great. Nice job!
SWEET LINES OF THE FIREBUG

Rodneys boat under construction.
IN CHINA
Rodney Zhang writes, My boat is now stored at a

holiday resort in Changchun City. Ill finish my degree
of Marine Technology this year at Unitec in Auckland
and may go back to China to start my career.
IN HOPPERS CROSSING VICTORIA

Nice lines, no wonder they slip along so fast!
Patrick Sullivan in Blue Bug at CRSC.
A BUG CHAMPIONSHIP IN OZ
After the success of the interclub event hosted by
Lindisfarne Sailing Club in competition with Concord
Ryde Sailing Club last April, Firebug Dinghies
Australia will hold its first open championship at
CRSC in Sydney on February 18/19 2017. There
will be adult and junior prizes in keeping with clubs
philosophy of Grey Fleet and Green Fleet and a
prize for the best presented boat.
Some boats will be available for loan to overseas/
interstate visitors.
Details will be on the Australian website:
http://firebugdinghiesaustralia.weebly.com/
Psst, would it be too early to put money on New

Zealand?
Damian
Royes writes
My dream
retirement
plan is to build
a yacht big
enough to sail
from Melbourne
to North
Queensland,
to escape the
Damien doing a nice tidy job.
winters! The
Bug is the first
step in achieving this goal.
THANKS FOR THE STORIES AND PHOTOS!
Des Clark and various LSC members, Hugh Skinner,

Ross Venner, Damien Royes, David Yeates, Rodney
Zhang, Robert McLean, Suzanne Pollack, Satoshi
Akita and Nicole Williams. Some will appear in the
next issue.
IN IRELAND
David Yeates
juniors BugBuild
has suffered a
setback with
another wee babe in
the family taking all
the attention. Sonny
boy is impatient
to get on with the
build.
The all new Bug website lookin great.
NEW FIREBUG WEBSITE
The Home Website for FireBugs is currently being

re-built and will go live in the next few weeks.
Okay then, Ill finish it myself!
GADGET CORNER
Hugh Skinners photo

showing the up-ended
building jig being used to
store all the parts as things
progress!
Satoshis FireBug at the Show.
IN JAPAN AT THE YOKOHAMA BOAT SHOW

Dear Peter, I didnt take any photos at the Boat
Show.The photos attached are the scene that we are
preparing the day before opening. Unfortunately the
area was like a hiding place! However I enjoyed to
meet many old sailing friends I hadnt seen for a long
time. It was a very enjoyable! Best Regards Satoshi.
BELLINGER CANOE
UPDATE
FIGURE FIVE The no longer novices.
by DAVE GIDDINGS DRIVE MARINE
The team at DRIVE Marine Services (DMS) joined together with The Australian
National Maritime Museum (ANMM) and Institute of Industrial Arts Technology
Education (IIATE) for the first time in 2016 to host the inaugural Novice Canoe
Building Challenge at the 2016 Sydney Classic & Wooden Boat Festival (C&WBF).
The challenge involved teams of students from Carlingford, Pennant Hills and
Turramurra High Schools and Lumen Christi Catholic College constructing a
Bellinger Double Chine Canoe in three days at the Sydney C&WBF held at the
Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour from April 15-17, 2016.
The supervising teachers also joined in and made their own canoe in between
supervising the students which was fairly easy with such a motivated group.
he canoes were constructed

under the expert guidance of
Brian Jones (the designer of the
Bellinger and retired primary school
teacher) using materials donated by
DRIVE Marine and BoatCraft Pacific,
the students constructed the canoes
from precut panels of 4mm plywood,
cable ties, Bote-Cote Epoxy Resin
thickened with Bote-Cotes easy to
mix Gluing and Filleting Filler. Another
important ingredient in the mix was
Alesha Bleakley the dynamo teacher
who dug up the teams and helped pull
the challenge together. Alesha gave
up her weekend, to supervise the
event after organising custom made
aprons for each student. Then there
was Emma Ferguson and Lynda Kelly
from the ANMM who provided the
venue, lunch for all team members
and even found accommodation for
the out of town team.
The first morning of the festival
saw the teams gathered along the
waters edge to be briefed by Brian
on the initial steps of playing with
Bote-Cote and assembling their
canoes as shown in figure one.
The students then split up into their
teams and began planing their ply,
FIGURE ONE Students on steep learning curve.
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TOP: FIGURE TWO Brian providing guidance.

ABOVE: FIGURE THREE Brians gunnel clamping tool.
before joining the panels with

a butt-strap and their first
opportunity to play with
Bote-Cote. Brian assembled
the gaggle on a regular
basis to introduce the next
step. Brian mulled around
throughout the day to assist
students and ensure there
were no questions left
unasked as the students
worked together to assemble
their canoes. It was amazing
to see students who had
never done any boat
building previously, working
cooperatively at a cracking
pace bringing the canoes to
life with figure two showing
the students into it. By the
end of day one, all teams
had their canoes pulled into
shape with cable ties ready
to have a gupping good time
on Saturday filleting all of the
seams. By Saturday evening
all seams were completed
and a coat of Bote-Cote
applied on the inside. Brian
even showed his engineering
prowess when he brought
out his gunnel clamping tool
that proved a dream to use
for pulling the gunnels in at
the stems with the beast in
action at figure three. The aim
was to roll the canoes over
on Sunday morning and coat
the outside with a generous
layer of Bote-Cote ready for
a 1400 launch. Unfortunately,
the plan was thwarted as
inclement weather arrived
and dashed the plan. So
Sunday was spent removing cable ties and cleaning
up the outside as shown at figure four.
A video of the build was taken by Charlotte and cut
down to 30 minutes of how to build a Bellinger canoe
at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQEV_
Y2z1I4&t=227s It is also very entertaining and will
give you an insight into how to take a flat pack and
turn it into a Bellinger in easy steps. During and after
the C&WBF there has been an overwhelming amount
of feedback complimenting the success of the canoe
build.
The students and teachers learnt not only how
to build a canoe but also about the ease of using
modern technology products which provide a safer
FIGURE FOUR Finishing off on

Sunday.
way to work. For more information on modern

technology epoxies go to: http://www.boatcraftnsw.
com/portfolio-view/working-with-moderntechnology-epoxies-a-safer-way-to-work/ It is
also hoped the Novice Canoe Building weekend will
give the students some good ideas for their HSC
projects and future careers. Three students were
so impressed with what they had achieved that by
Sunday afternoon they were enquiring how they could
get into a boatbuilding career. Figure five (lead in pic)
shows the proud students lined up with their canoes
on Sunday before the big splash.
Then there was the launching and race in Cockle
Bay when many laughs were had as the supervising
teachers had to show their paddling prowess. We are
sure the teachers will never admit it but the students
canoes definitely remained afloat a lot longer than
the teachers ... The teams should be commended for
the quality of their builds as the work produced was
fantastic!
Congratulations to Carlingford High School coming
in first for the quality of their build and Pennant Hills
High School coming in first in the Canoe Race.
Since then Brian, has

been back at Tuncurry and
Bulladellah High Schools
building more canoes with
disengaged students. He
recently informed me that with
the build at Darling Harbour
the number of Bellinger
canoes built by students is
now over one hundred. In
addition, several other schools
have taken up the challenge of building Bellinger
Canoes as a practical program for their students.
The next opportunity to see Bellinger Canoes being
built in public will be at the Australian Wooden Boat
Festival in Hobart from February 10-13, 2017. We
showed Paul Cullen (General Manager AWBF) how
much fun the students were having at the Sydney
C&WBF and he went away with a mission to have the
Novice Canoe Challenge in Hobart. The teams will
be slaving away under Brians expert tutelage in the
Shipwrights Village and the finished canoes should
be pristine, having an extra day to finish them off. The
teams should even be able to get gunnels on them
and you never know, but there may even be some
time for creative artwork before hitting the water. See
you all in Hobart for another great festival and if you
want to know more about a safer way to work with
modern technology epoxies, paints and other boat
building materials come and listen to me waffle on in
the Maritime Marketplace Theatrette on my favourite
subject and say hello.
For more information contact the team at
DRIVE Marine Services by checking out the
advertisement below.
GOLD COAST MARINE EXPO

MOVES TO MARCH 2017
TO BECOME THE GOLD COAST INTERNATIONAL BOAT
SHOW AND WELCOMES THE BIA AS A SHOW PARTNER
Creating Australias first boat show of the year

The Gold Coast International Boat Show & Marine Expo
The first major
event of the 2017
Australian boat
show season will
be staged in March
right in the heart
of the nations
recreational boating
industry capital on
Queenslands Gold
Coast.
The Gold Coast International Boat Show & Marine Expo sees the dates of the award-winning
Gold Coast International Marine Expo move forward to 17-19 March 2017
LEFT: The Gold Coast International Boat Show is the first major
event of the 2017 Australian boat show season and will be staged
in March right in the heart of the nations recreational boating
industry capital on Queenslands Gold Coast
he Gold Coast International Boat Show &

Marine Expo sees the dates of the awardwinning Gold Coast International Marine Expo
move forward to March 17-19, 2017.
The Gold Coast International Boat Show & Marine
Expo will be operated and managed with the
support of the Boating Industry Association
Australias peak industry representative body, and
held at the Gold Coast Marine Precinct at Coomera.
Boating Industry Association national chief
executive Howard Glenn said the March boat show
dates will be the catalyst for an exciting new era for
Australias marine industry.
The timing of this March event is seasonally
important for boating enthusiasts and it also opens
up an exciting opportunity for our industry to
continue to innovate and grow, Mr Glenn said.
Expos dedicated Event & Marketing Manager
Emma Brown will lead the boat show management
team to ensure a smooth transition to the 2017
March dates.
A stand-alone Gold Coast International Boat Show
& Marine Expo means the Expo we all know and
love will be able to continue to grow and build on its
proven success 2016 was our biggest show in six
years, said Mrs Brown.
The new March dates create further lead time for
our exhibitors as existing boat owners can prepare
for their coming summer fresh in their minds are
their considerations for repowering, replacing or
upgrading their boats systems and accessories, or
buying a new boat or yacht to further enhance their
leisure time with their families next season.
For manufacturers, importers as well as
accessories and service providers, the pre-winter
campaign timing is a business imperative.
Mrs Brown said that the full support of the BIA is
immensely significant and welcome.
The skills, resources and experience the BIA brings
to the table will be invaluable for our boat show, and
for our industry as a whole.
With our new dates, we are now taking the boat
show with so much more to a whole new level.
Application to exhibit for the 2017 Gold Coast
International Boat Show & Marine Expo to be
staged in March 2017 will be released today.
Exhibitors are invited to register their interest by
contacting the show team via
www.gcmarineexpo.com.au
If you love boating, youll really love the Gold
Coast in March.
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FISHER
PART 17
WANT A 50 GRAND SEA FISHING

BOAT FOR LESS THAN 20?
THIS IS HOW TO DO IT!
by PETER CAPLEN
Last issue we covered the installation of an anchor windlass. This issue

we are looking at fitting imitation teak decking which is surprisingly hard
wearing and lifts the appearance of any vessel especially where resale
value is important. This is a big subject so I have restricted it to just
showing the basic technique involved with the work.
ost people are aware of the various faux

teak deck systems now available and while
Dek-King by Wilks (the fender people from
Tollesbury) may not yet be the most well-known
name, it is rapidly becoming the decking of choice in
the UK due to its superior design. Furthermore Wilks
have taken the decking idea and extended it to cover
fendering, hand rails, toe rails and bulwark cappings
which all now feature in their Traditional range. All
of these new sections are made from 100% recycled
plastic so also dramatically cutting down on waste.
The benefits of Dek-King are not hard to see; more
or less maintenance-free apart from cleaning in the
spring to remove the winters verdigris. A pressure
washer is all that is needed to remove dirt, unlike
real teak which is soon destroyed with the use of a
pressure washer. Serious stains can be removed by
rubbing with 40 grit production paper thus ensuring
that it always looks near new.
For this article we have used all of the latest

extrusions in what is a first for any magazine. As
AABB is firmly practical we are beginning with a
tutorial on how to use Dek-King materials in order
for readers to be able tackle the job themselves and
therefore save a fortune in labour costs.
The first thing to remember with Dek-King is that there

are no rules! You can do exactly as you please with it
as long as the basic principles concerning preparation
and adhesives are concerned. Other than that the
design of the deck layout and other uses you find are
entirely up to you.
There are no specific skills required to lay Dek-King
other than infinite patience and extreme care. With
these two basic abilities you can transform any
vessel and there is no doubt that Dek-King lifts the
appearance of every craft onto which it is laid.
We begin by looking at the method of laying a basic

Dek-King deck. The first decision is the style of deck.
You can either have the planks running fore and aft
in a straight line or curving to follow the line of the
gunwale. Both have their advantages and drawbacks
with regard to the fitting process so there is nothing to
be gained by choosing one over the other apart from
the appearance that you find most pleasing.
Where deck paint has been previously used, this

must be removed along with any other single pack
finishes on the deck. Properly adhered two pack
polyurethanes and epoxy coatings can remain.
Curved Dek-King.
Fore and aft Dek-King.
These are the basic deck materials: From left to right:

Extra wide King-Plank without caulk edge Tee
section caulking strip intermediate strip with one
caulk edge outside strip with one rolled edge and
one caulk edge. Stelmax clear adhesive for joining
strips prior to laying black Sealtack 750 for bonding
decking to the deck and additional caulking.
As with every job the first stage is the preparation. In
this case it was necessary to first sand the deck and
then to fill all the low spots to give a flush finish.
One of the new extrusions we are using on this deck

is the gunwale capping. This is a large and very
substantial section with a lip designed to cap off the
gunwale and finish the edge. Due to its very newness
we were supplied with unsanded sections which look
exactly what they are, plastic extrusions!
The ends can then be roughly shaped and we find

that a small Surform plane is an ideal tool for this job.
However, once sanded with a belt sander they are

instantly transformed into very convincing teak
sections.
The section is then finished by hand ready for fitting.

In our case we decided to use several short lengths
with gaps where the fairleads are situated. The other
option is to have one single length but as the fairleads
were already fitted with stainless steel deck edge
protectors we decided against that option.
As we are using these heavy sections they are the

first to be prepared and laid. We begin by cutting a
section to length and then screwing it to the bench
ready for sanding.
Once each section had been prepared the previously

sanded deck was dusted off ready to begin the fitting
work.
The majority of sanding can then be completed by

running the belt sander along the section while firmly
attached to the bench. Detailed finishing is performed
with the belt sander clamped to the bench and the
section finished freehand as per pics 6 and 7.
The first section to be fitted is placed in position and

the edge marked onto the deck.
The remaining
sections are
then fitted in the
same way.
Beads of Sealtack are gunned onto the deck to seal

beneath the edges of the section and to bond it to the
deck.
Note: If the section is to bonded and not subsequently
screwed then the entire area will need coating with
Sealtack in the same way as the decking strips.
For this project the sections are then screwed to the

deck using stainless steel self tapping screws.
Once all sections are completed on both sides the

next step is to begin laying the actual deck.
A rubber faced mallet is then used to bed the section
onto the sealant to ensure a good bond.
BUILD-A-BOAT
NOT JUST BOAT PLAN BUT ALSO ART
PO Box 674 Freshwater 2090
or call Matt on 02 9938 4933
www.buildaboatplans.com.au
Note: If the gunwale cappings are not being used

then the deck laying work begins here with the cutting
and fixing of the deck margins.
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#18 catalo
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The first step is to measure and mark the centre of

the fore cabin in preparation for laying the margin
sections that edge the deck.
The decking strip can then be cut using the tool of

your choice. We like to use a pair of large tin snips,
but a craft knife is equally suited to the task.
Note: If we hadnt used the gunwale cappings for the

outside edge a margin would have been laid on the
outside edge as well.
It is then necessary to mark the corners and find the

centre of the angle between each cabin face. This is
easily done by marking a line perpendicular to each
cabin face and then halving it with a centre-line. It is
necessary to allow for half the width of the caulking
strip before cutting the decking to length, as will be
seen in a moment. You can see the marks used at
each corner. The choice is then to either make up
cardboard templates for each section or cut each
length slightly oversize and mark it directly off the
lines on the deck. We tend to use the former as it is
less wasteful.
A short piece of caulking extrusion is offered up

on the end of the strip. This is what the allowance
mentioned earlier is for.
The caulking extrusions can then be cut to length. In

this case we find a craft knife to be the most practical.
The template can then be used to transfer the angle

and length to the Dek-King.
Once a line of decking strip has been cut to length, a

pencil along the edge needs to be drawn as a guide
when applying the Sealtack adhesive.
The area is then brushed off to remove all dust and

odd bits of trimmed-off decking.
The first section of Dek-King can now be carefully laid

within the marked area.
The Sealtack is then applied by gunning it in lines

along the marked deck area and then evenly spread
using a notched tiling trowel perpendicular to the
length of decking.
The previously cut caulking piece is slipped under

the end of the decking strip and the whole process is
repeated for the next section of margin.
?
Y
E
V
R
U
S
NEED A
Pre-purchase inspections on all types of
craft carried out by registered surveyor and shipright.
A comprehensive 100 point checklist leaves
nothing to chance
As a member of the Small Ships Surveyors Association,

you can expect reliable, courteous, prompt
and professional service at affordable rates.
If your requirements cover any of the following:
Assessing the condition of a vessel
Assessing the value of a vessel
Consideration whether to purchase a vessel
Assessment of a vessel for insurance purposes
the following
call or email
to
te
ita
es
h
t
o
Please do n
ll
Terry Budde
ll@gmail.com
e
d
d
u
yb
rr
te
4
7
8
7
4
ys.com
0414 3
liawidesurve
www.austra
Based Gold Coast,
Will travel anywhere, anytime
Once the strips for the current section are all laid a
flooring roller is used to flatten them off and ensure
that the Sealtack is squeezed up into the ribs
moulded into the underside of the decking.
Again for this purpose we found a craft knife the best

tool for cutting.
If any areas appear to be lifting, it will necessary to

weigh them down until the sealant has cured.
The King plank can then be offered up onto the deck

and marked ready for trimming to length.
With the margins complete the next job is the King

plank on the fore-deck. In this case where the bow
cleat and anchor windlass are on or near the centre
of the deck it is best to make a template to ensure the
King plank is accurately cut.
Once the template is complete it can be transferred to

the King plank section ready for cutting.
Where the decking goes around equipment it is

important to mask everything prior to laying the
sealant.
The edges of the King plank are marked onto the

deck and the adhesive applied in lines in the same
manner as for the margins. It is then spread across
using the tiling comb ready for the King plank to be
positioned and rolled down in the normal manner.
The first piece of decking can now be laid. A strip is

placed alongside the king plank (as we are using a
fore and aft design) and the forward end is marked
to match the the shape of the gunwale capping using
any suitable materials as a guide.
The other end of the plank can now be marked ready

for cutting to length.
Note: If we were using the curved decking design

then the ends of the decking would be left to overlap
the King plank. We will looking at the technique
required in part two of this series.
The same technique is repeated with each adjacent

plank until the entire area is covered. At this stage
the planks are all loosely clipped together ready to be
formed into a mat.
The end of the plank is cut using the tin snips.
Stelmax adhesive is now used to join all the prepared

planks into the mat.
The plank can then be offered up in position and if

necessary adjusted to correct any misalgnment.
While the planks are laying in position a straight line

is drawn across the mat to assist with later assembly
of the mat.
The mat can now be disassembled. If the planks are

of very similar length it is a good idea to number them
before dismantling).
This plank is then pressed into the previous plank

and the pencil mark aligned to ensure the mat
is reassembled exactly as it was removed. The
adhesive will adhere within a few moments and there
is no need to hold the planks together once they are
joined as they remain in contact themselves except
on tight curves where some weight may be needed
for a few minutes. In the case of these straight planks
this is not necessary.
With the planks removed the edges of the margin can

be cleaned of excess adhesive and anything else
likely to interfere with the final laying of the mat.
Once the entire mat is assembled and has been left

for a few minutes for the adhesive to cure it can be
lifted away to allow the deck area to be prepared.
Stelmax adhesive is run into the groove along one
edge of the planking.
Before the mat is finally bonded down there is

an opportunity to make any adjustments such as
smoothing the edges, again using the Surform.
After brushing off the deck, applying the adhesive

and combing it out, the mat can be laid taking care to
ensure it is correctly positioned before pressing into
place.
The whole area is weighted down over night to ensure

it doesnt lift. Anything heavy will do for weights and
bags of wet sand are particularly good.
Apart from final cleaning, that completes this section

of the deck and covers the basic techniques for laying
Dek-King margins and decking mats.
Next issue we will be looking at

some of the tricks we used when
laying decking and matching
gunwale cappings in other areas
of the boat.
The mat is then pressed down all round and rolled to

ensure it is properly bonded to the deck.
RETRACTABLE
NAVIGATION LIGHTS
ENHANCE DECK SAFETY
Accon Marines 205 port (top

left), 206 starboard and 207
side pop-up lights.
Although essential for safe operation at night, navigation lights can sometimes
represent hazards when theyre not being used. Protruding housings can stub
unsuspecting toes, or even lead to a trip and fall. Pop-Up navigation lights from
Accon Marine recess into the deck when not needed, preserving the boats clean
lines while enhancing occupant safety.
ade from marine-grade 316 stainless steel, the 205-M Stainless Port Light, 206-M stainless starboard
light and 207-M stainless side lights each feature a fully retractable design that leaves the deck flush
when out of use. USCG-approved to 1nm, the lights meet the 72 Colregs protocol and are NMMA typeaccepted. Each uses a compact #78 bulb that yields brilliant illumination from a streamlined and stylish housing.
Mounting is easy, as each light in the series is supplied with a cut-out template and fastens into place with three
#10 screws (not included). For best results, using Accon Marines 204-M-C waterproofing cup prevents water
intrusion below deck. An installation video on YouTube is at bit.ly/2e4F0DE
CONTACT ACCON MARINE
www.acconmarine.com
LETTERS
TO THE
EDITOR
Dear Ed
Some time ago Australasian Amateur Boatbuilder/
KitBoats magazine published an article on the Jim
Betts designed boat called the GP16.
Three boats of this design were built by Rob Bruce of
Newery Island in NSW.
I have a set of plans but am interested in buying an
already built boat.
regards Brook Murphy
brooke.murphy@bigpond.com
Dear Ed
I have recently bought a K22 Penta 2 cylinder, 10hp
marine engine and am trying to find some history
about it. I believe it to be a 1930s vintage and was
told it came out of a lifeboat and that it was on the
dock at Newcastle for some time.
Does any reader know about this?
regards Brian Hair

brianhair@bigpond.com
Dear Ed
I am building a small motor boat. Having finished the
hull, I found I would have to manufacture the rudder
gudgeons and pintles, as I could find no standard
product to fit the rudder.
However in my ignorance the version that I designed
and built will not let the rudder turn more than 40. I
read somewhere that the rudders of traditional yachts
become a brake when turned more than 35.
I was wondering if this applies to motor boats.
The rudder is hung on the transom and not attached
to the skeg.
I hope some of your experts could enlighten me, as
the thought of remaking these items is depressing.
Yours sincerely
Robert Donaldson
(Please email wendy@multihull.com.au and I will
ensure Robert receives any replies)
YANMAR
AT WORK AND IN RETIREMENT
Boaters rarely come more
dedicated to the Yanmar
brand than Geoff T ickle.
Following a 23 year
career selling Yanmar
marine and industrial
diesel engines, Geoff
retired to enjoy cruising
aboard his Yanmar 6LPASTP2 powered cruiser.
hroughout their lives, both Geoff and his wife

Brenda, have been avid boaties. As children
they grew up in boating families that frequently
went boating on weekends and holidays. Geoff and
Brenda Tickle purchased their first boat together in
the 1970s.
Fast forward 30 years and several boats later, and
Geoff and Brenda were thinking about a boat for their
retirement years.
Their boat of the day was a 26 Honeymoon
displacement cruiser with a Yanmar 4JH4 engine.
With a cruise speed of 7.5kts it was too slow.
In 2005, the brief for the new boat was to go bigger
and purchase a hull suited to cruising up the coast
The only downside with Sanuk was that it didnt have

a Yanmar engine in the engine room, said Geoff.
With the original 225hp engine on board, it was
decided to use the boat with this engine for a few
years. That was until 2009 when Geoff Tickle
decided the time was right to repower the boat with
a Yanmar 6LPA-STP2 matched to a Yanmar KM50A
transmission.
There was never any doubt about what brand of
engine I was going to use on board Sanuk, Geoff
said.
Through all my years of working with the Yanmar

brand, I knew just how good these engines are. I also
knew that the Yanmar 6LPA-STP2 was also being
fitted as the engine of choice to the latest Fairway
36 hulls because the performance was significantly
better with the extra power.
Working in with his local Yanmar Dealer, Geoff Tickle
stripped out the engine room and started from fresh.
The engine bearers were slightly modified to accept
the new Yanmar marine diesel engine.
The Yanmar 6LPA-STP2 was 200kgs lighter than

the old 225hp engine and the Yanmar was also
physically smaller. This allowed the Yanmar to be
installed further aft allowing extra space between the
front of the engine and the bulkhead. There was also
more room either side of the Yanmar engine, which
permitted a reconfiguration of the engine room. There
was now clear access all around the Yanmar for easy
servicing.
The Yanmar 6LPA-STP2 is a sophisticated, true

hi-performance and well proven package. It is
direct injected with mechanical governor equipped
turbocharger with intercooler. This straight 6 cylinder
engine pumps out 315mhp at 3800rpm at the
flywheel. The 4-valve per cylinder engine boasts a 4.2
litre displacement for sustained torque through the
mid rev range while still offering an impressive powerto-weight advantage coming in with a dry weight of
only 408kgs without the transmission.
of Queensland at a decent speed. It had to be easy
for the retired couple to manage and of course
economical to run.
We thought that the Fairway 36 was an ideal boat for

us, Geoff Tickle said.
However when we were looking to purchase there
was a two year waiting list on a new Fairway hull.
While we were searching around we came across
Sanuk for sale at Sanctuary Cove.
Sanuk is a Fairway 36, a big and beamy displacement

cruiser which was built on the Gold Coast in 1998.
Sanuk is a Thai name which translated into English
means fun.
With Sanuk back on the water the transformation in

performance has been nothing short of astounding;
more power, lighter, smaller and lower fuel
consumption. Even on the most fundamental of
parameters, outright speed, the Yanmar is a clear
winner.
With the Yanmar ticking over at 3400rpm the cruise

speed of 15kts is a comfortable pace. At wide
open throttle the hull is good for 20kts, a level of
performance which is comforting to have on tap when
a storm is approaching and the next anchorage needs
to be reached in a hurry.
Interestingly, at the same fuel burn rate as the old
engine, Sanuk is now 3kts quicker with the Yanmar
in the engine room. Three knots may not sound like
much but over a coastal trip where anchorages are
typically 50-60nm apart, the extra

speed can reduce the time at sea by
up to two hours.
Having now logged 750 hours since
the 2009 repower, Geoff Tickle has
meticulously maintained a detailed
fuel consumption log.
Pottering around Moreton Bay
with the dinghy in tow and the
grandchildren on board, the fuel burn
averages around 11 litres per hour
at 9kts. On the coastal run when
the throttle is opened up and the
hull speed is lifted to 15kts the fuel
consumption averages just 15 litres
per hour.
The real test of fuel consumption
came in 2012 when Geoff and
Brenda Tickle embarked on a three
month cruise north. Over the journey
they travelled approximately 800nm
and used 2200 litres of fuel while
clocking up exactly 100 hours on the
Yanmar 6LPA-STP2. Cruising speed
was between 12-15kts depending on
the currents.
With all the data computed the
fuel burn equates to 2.75 litres per
nautical mile or 22 litres per hour.
Geoff rates this as very economical
for a 36ft boat weighing around 10
tonnes and covering an extended
voyage at this speed. It also meant
that each anchorage along the
coast could be reached in a weather
window of five to six hours.
I think that you would be hard
pressed to find a more economical
combination than the Fairway 36 hull
powered by a Yanmar diesel engine.
When at sea, engine reliability is the
most important sea-safety factor,
said Geoff Tickle.
As a dedicated Yanmar person, I
have seen first-hand that Yanmar is
definitely the way to go.
RUBBER CLAMP MOUNTS ANYWHERE,

GRIPS UP TO 191mm
essels of all sizes have an endless

assortment of equipment that needs to be
stowed. For items that require ready access,
theres Quick Fist from Davis Instruments. Offered
in two sizes, these patented devices secure a wide
range of gear and mount almost anywhere, inside
or out.
Quick Fists are manufactured from heavy-duty,
UV-resistant, transportation-grade rubber. Internal
ridges hold equipment in place, and offer a wide
range of clamping diameters and tensions. Theyre
made to withstand extreme temperatures without
becoming stiff and inoperable in the cold, or soft
and loose in the heat. Non-conductive, they wont
rust or corrode.
Sold as a pair, the standard Quick Fist easily
mounts with one #10 bolt or screw through the 22mm W x 70mm L base. It will hold objects from 13mm to
64mm in diameter, and up to 10kg. For heavier items, multiple units can be used. Its perfect for everything from
a flashlight to coiled line.
Super Quick Fist is sold individually, and is designed for larger and heavier items like fire extinguishers, and
oxygen and CO2 cylindersanything from 64mm to 191mm in diameter and up to 23kgs. It installs with three
#10 bolts or screws through its 22mm W x 152mm L base.
www.davisnet.com
?
Y
E
V
R
U
S
NEED A
Pre-purchase inspections on all types of
craft carried out by registered surveyor and shipright.
Saves money because it

last & lasts & lasts ...
COP-R-BOTE
A comprehensive 100 point checklist leaves
extra long life antifouling
As a member of the Small Ships Surveyors Association,

you can expect reliable, courteous, prompt
and professional service at affordable rates.
Copper metal blended in epoxy resin

No repainting for many, many years
Environmentally friendly
Proven by sailors around Australia
Red, Blue, Green and Black
Ideal for multihulls and trailer boats
Reduces osmosis on polyester hulls
Australian formulated for Australian conditions
nothing to chance
If your requirements cover any of the following:

Assessing the condition of a vessel
Assessing the value of a vessel
Consideration whether to purchase a vessel
Assessment of a vessel for insurance purposes
the following
call or email
to
te
ita
es
h
t
o
Please do n
ll
Terry Budde
ll@gmail.com
e
d
d
u
yb
rr
te
4
7
8
7
4
ys.com
0414 3
liawidesurve
www.austra
Based Gold Coast,
Will travel anywhere, anytime
BoatCraft Pacific
AGENTS AROUND AUSTRALIA
RIPPLE...
THE PERFECT TENDER
SPIRITED DESIGNS have had amazing success with this range of tender
designs with over 50 sold. These panel designed catamaran tenders are ideal DIY
projects for entry-level amateur builders. Ordering the kit package is the easiest
way to start however there is also an option to build off the plans. This allows
the customer to choose their desired material and source it at their own pace.
The budget is also addressed due to the various material choices; beginning with
Gaboon plywood at the more affordable end, plain foam core or Duflex panel
which comes at a higher cost premium.
eing of a catamaran design, the tunnel that

runs through the centre of the boat acts as a
long type of bench seat which can either be
straddled or passengers can sit facing outboard. The
twin hulls provide plenty of buoyancy and stability
when loaded. They also produce a very comfortable
ride through chop with the fine entry bows cutting
through cleanly and the hull running on the tunnel
between the hulls. Although the hull shape is
designed for planing it is also very efficient at slower
speeds off the plane. Many of these boats are being
used for day boats exploring waterways or camping
trips away.
Spirited Designs can also offer a fully-built version
of these designs which has become a regular
occurrence since their release. Classed as special
projects these are usually for the discerning buyer
wanting a unique customised product. These projects
are commonly optioned up with extras built into the
boat. One of the latest examples is a 3.2m Ripple
built from the Duflex Divinycell kit for maximum
weight saving with modified seating, in-built fuel tank,
Beachmaster transom wheels, davit lifting points,
composite built in rod-holders and other optional
features. Another one of the projects was a 4.2m
Ripple customised for wheelchair access and use.
This had a self-draining deck with a side steering
console.
The range begins at 2m through to 4.2m
with popular sizes in between. Spirited
Designs can also custom-design an
existing model or design a new one to suit
specific requirements. Several customers
have built one of these tenders as a trial for
building the mothership. Its probably fair to
say that if building the tender is too difficult
then dont even contemplate the big boat!
Whether the builder is working from a
kit or plans, the assembly process is the
same. For each material option once
the hull panels are ready for fitting, the
build frame is set up and the panels are
fastened to it with temporary screws.
The chines are then taped with epoxy as
the structural connection before fairing
commences. If building with plywood then it
is recommended to sheath the hull exterior
with a light woven fibreglass cloth for wear and tear
which would be done prior to fairing.
Spirited Designs supply building support with either
the kit or the plans for any assistance required during
the project.
For more information about the Ripple
designs or their full range, check out:
www.spiriteddesigns.com.au
FOR SALE
NIS 18 MK2
LIVE ABOARD CAPABLE 40 x 8 x 1 DRAFT
RIVER CRUISER
!
D
L
SO
Mary Rose 2
Mary Rose 2 was designed and built by Percy Collom in

the late 90s for extended family cruising from the lower
lakes in South Australia to Morgan and beyond. She
sleeps six easily in comfort and privacy. She has two
enclosed heads one of which could be easily turned into
shower facilities. Asking Price: $39,000
Didi
Philippe loves his Mk2 NIS18 Turbo Ketch Didi so much hes
gone out and bought an NIS NIS29.
So now Didi is for sale.
Very well built, only only 4 years or so old, good everything.
Philippe is a tough guy who feels no need for comfy
mattresses in the 1/4 berth or the vee berth.
Unless you are another Philippe, you will need to add soft
furnishing.
Otherwise this is a really well kitted, well built, well sorted
kit built Mk2 NIS18, ready to cruise and extend the NIS lore
wherever she goes.
Change your life. The future you, will thank you, for this!
Curious? Learn more at Boats For Sale
Robert Ayliffe
Robert Ayliffe 0428 817 464
BACARLI
IS FOR SALE!
0428 817 464

www.straydogboatworks.com
HOT! NIS 23, Route 66

IS FOR SALE!
All packed up! After winning for the second time the Geelong Wooden
Boat Festivals 2016 Modern Wooden Boat Race against all comers.
The fabulous 57 Canoe sterned Bacarli
has been owned and lovingly cared for by
a prominent Adelaide family since 1986.
Built In 1950 at Blunts Boat Yard in
Williamstown, Victoria, Bacarli has
cruised between Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. The
spacious comfortable Bacarli is now ready to safely carry another
family, to horizons only limited by imagination.
She draws a bit over 2m, is capable of being sailed by one fit person,
but is best suited to a crew of one or two. Her space on deck, and
her space below is palatial, especially in the saloon/galley area.
Now, Bacarli is looking for a new and adventurous owner who is
capable of getting the best from her, and in return giving her the
ongoing love that such a beautiful mistress of the sea deserves.
Moored in Adelaide. Ready to go, now.
Contact Robert boats for sale

straydogboatworks.com 0428 817 464
Corio Bays Rob Ballard, as then president of the of the Victorian Trailer
Sailor Association and wife and sailing partner Annis were always going
to be discriminating clients.
Knew about, then built to professional standards their state of the art
Mk2 NIS 23 Route 66 at their home in suburban Geelong
Now, time and tide have caused a rethink, and as a consequence, Route
66, the bright blue race winner from Corio Bay, is now for sale.
There are bragging rights with Route 66.
She bristles with all the good gear. Super lightweight carbon masts and
booms. Rapid low stress rigging and packing up with the patent pending
tabernacles system. All sail control within the cockpit. A comfortable
interior for two, who like each other, for extended cruising. Self steering
just by setting the sheets. A hull shape that eats the square waves of
Port Phillip Bay, the Mornington Peninsula and Bass Strait and stays
remarkably dry while doing it.
Contact: Robert Ayliffe
0428 817 464 ww.straydogboatworks.com
AUS16230
www.hqhh.de 11/2016
Real teamwork!
As we sail into 2017, all the crew at

Pantaenius are on deck to make your
boating safe and enjoyable.
Sydney Phone +61-(0)2 - 9936 1670

pantaenius.com.au
To build your own boat,
whether a
canoe or 50' ocean cruiser, provides pleasure

and a sense of achievement few can appreciate.
WEST SYSTEM epoxy products are an easily
used chemistry set that gives the amateur boat-
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resin & hardeners

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The full range of WEST SYSTEM products will be on

display at the MyState Australian Wooden Boat
Festival in 2017, from February 10 through 13, in the
Princes Wharf No 1 building on Hobart's historic
waterfront. Come and ask the ATL Technical Team
about the best products for your specific project.
Manufactured in Australia since 1989 and

available from Dealers nationally.
For more information visit
www.westsystem.com.au
ATL composites
T (+61) 7 5563 1222

info@atlcomposites.com
WEST SYSTEM is a registered trademark of WEST SYSTEM Inc.
application tools

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AUSTRALASIAN AMATEUR BOATBUILDER AND KITBOATS 1

2 australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats

The MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival n Robert Ayliffe

In-water Cleaning of Hulls n Rosemary Jilderts

Barrie's Reviews n Barrie Armstrong

Scruffie World News n Derek Ellard

Torturing Plywood Into Boat Shapes n Dudley Dix

Tangaloomas Whalers n David Jones

Trailaway Boat Kits News n Barrie Armstrong

Shipmate! n Barrie Callaghan

42 Dutch Treats Sailing South for the

Random Roving Boats Notes

Building the Moyne 12 part one n Pat Reece

The Woodruff Key n Richard Smith

FireBug News n Peter Tait

Bellinger Canoe Update n Dave Giddings

Gold Coast Marine Expo Moves to March 2017

Affordable Fisher part 17 n Peter Caplen

Retractable Navigation Lights n Accon Marine

Letters to the Editor

Yanmar at Work and in Retirement

Ripple The Perfect Tender n Spirited Designs

Boats For Sale

Editorial contributions and

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed

2 australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats

australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats 3

ou will see hundreds of wooden boats, from

Theres a vibrant program of entertainment and fun,

TAKE A CRUISE, BOARD A

4 australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats

Australian Wooden Boat Festival is the largest

AUSTRALIAS OWN BOTE-COTE

For an overview of what the festival

australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats 5

6 australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats

range and Iain Oughtred designs,

conjecture! The action is non stop and there is real

T HE ST AYLES SKIFF CHAMPIONSHIPS

These championships will be held in the town of

NEXT ISSUE FEATURE!

The South Australian Wooden Boat

Then! A week later, and its

fter selling our second monohull John and

8 australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats

New and more expensive antifouls began appearing

LEFT: 19th Century painting of ships careened for

So while cruising through Malaysia we bought and

This now created a dilemma for many. A lot of boaties

Everyone understands that without some form of

annual hull clean is insufficient. The only option is to

The ban was the topic of conversation at barbecues,

australasian amateur boatbuilder and kitboats 9

kept clean so that the vessels can move at any time.

We agonised over the problem for years then recently,

THE EPBC ACT

misinformed and John was, in fact, quite within his

In June 2013, the Anti-fouling and in-water cleaning

cross-eyed and becoming frustrated with all the false

ABOVE LEFT: Microfouling is the slime layer which can be

GUIDELINES FOR IN-WATER CLEANING

The new guidelines are intended to assist authorities

the risks posed by biofouling management

42 Dutch Treats Sailing South for the

the risks posed by biofouling management

there is an operational need to manage biofouling

and it is preferable for biofouling to be removed in

Keeping the in-water areas of our boats clean

2. Most 20 cats group all the family in the forward