The boat yard needs a good tidy up, as most good boat yards do. There are two working slipways, quite a few interesting timber boats around in various states of disrepair, and a great big shed that appears to house generations of maritime objects that “might just come in useful one day”. It’s picturesque, it’s mildly functional and just for a fraction of a second, the romanticism the of prospect trumps the daunting realities.

This summer we spent a month living on board, cruising through Bass Strait and the Southeast coast of Australia. In was another special adventure aboard this extraordinary craft. Anchoring 30 meters off the beach at Erith Island on New Year’s Eve with no other human in sight; sailing 220 miles from Flinders Island to Eden, with the windvane nodding and nudging us back on course as the miles disappeared under our transom. These and hundreds of other memories will never be erased.

Waitoa was part of a flotilla boats used by a pearl cultivation enterprise, run by Japanese investors in 1960’s. As time went on she became a ferry for Islanders working at Escape River to travel back and forth to TI. When an oil spill wiped out the cultivation business in 1970 we returned this lugger and few others to fishing for pearl shells, called mother-of-pearl, in the Torres Strait.

“I have mentioned the influence of Claud Worth, the English doctor, writer, and designer, whose TERN IV I greatly admired. Those who know Worth’s boat and my BRILLIANT design may see this inspiration; both are shaped and built not as racing yachts but as sea boats intended to survive the worst weather and to make good passages.”

So now I’m a little confused!  There are so many good things going on, so many positive stories and no shortage of activity, so why we are not brimming with optimism?

E.F. Schumacher wrote in his seminal work Small is Beautiful that “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.”

A lot of thought went into how she should look and It was about this time that one of the crew said, “this would be a great boat to take to Southport”. There is a world of difference between harbour racing and heading offshore for a 400-mile race, as I was about to find out.

ETTRICK is ready and waiting for her next custodian. Whether you want to win The Cup Regatta In November or the CYAA series next summer, with ETTRICK you have a boat that can do it!

PAID CONTENT

Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron Is Selling The Vessel Mistral IX Pursuant To An Order Of The Magistrates Court Of Victoria Made 1 June 2023, to Recover Money Due To RMYS By Order Of The Court And For Unpaid Marina Fees And Other Expenses.

“A Huon Valley boat yard with a 160-year history has hit the market offering a rare buying opportunity. This historic and well-known property sits on the water’s edge with a Crown Lease in place.”

“The yacht is characterised by a classic design that focuses attention on her unique wooden frame, finished in a high-gloss clear coat. “

Perhaps before embarking on the new build of a wooden boat, first consider if there is an existing craft that, given a full restoration, would fulfil your needs and dreams as well as one built from scratch.

It's not often that you come across a seventy year old, 30ft yacht that’s been around the world. The story of MAORI LASS has some great history but it also has some large blank chapters waiting to be filled by a yachting sleuth with the time and inclination to fill in the gaps.

Dreams sometimes overpower reality. Lyle Hess understood that, and he didn’t want one of his wooden boats to be the cause of unhappiness. "I warn people, 'Don't build a boat if it's beyond your means, or if it's going to cause family trouble.