SCARLET-A Giles Inspired Voyager
Mark Watson has asked us to help find a new custodian for his Kauri steed SCARLET. Just looking at her you can see the fingerprints of Laurent Giles, the English master, all over her.
The arrival in Auckland in September 1953 of Eric and Susan Hiscock on the WANDERER III is believed to have inspired SCARLET’s first owner to commission her construction choosing Kauri planking over hardwood frames, Mahogany Cabin and deck of Queensland Beech over plywood
Eric and Susan Hiscock specified WANDERER III’s construction and made their first circumnavigation in her between 1952 and 1955. Their example lit the way for a generation of world-roaming sailors in modest-sized yachts.
Giles, one of the most celebrated British yacht designers of the 20th century, is renowned for designs that are revered for their exceptional blend of beauty, seaworthiness, and performance. Working from his Lymington office from the 1930s through the 1960s, he produced hulls distinctive hulls — with graceful sheerlines that made his boats instantly recognisable. What set his work apart was the rare ability to make a yacht that was both aesthetically lovely and genuinely capable offshore; his designs were not pretty boats that happened to sail, but serious sea boats that also happened to look “right”. Perhaps his most famous creation, Dyarchy, and the much-loved Vertue class, demonstrated this philosophy perfectly — the Vertues in particular became legendary for crossing oceans in the hands of solo sailors, showing almost for the first time, that a well-designed hull could handle almost anything if managed respectfully. His boats tend to inspire an almost devotional loyalty in their owners, and I can understand why.
Since her launch in the late 1950’s SCARLET has sailed the waters of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia the Northern Territory and now Victoria where she is berthed at the Sandringham Yacht Club
Mark has owned her for the last 18 years and sails her almost weekly in the SYC pursuit races and other Port Phillip events. He has made continual improvements replacing the deck, the engine, the working sails, and standing and running rigging, ontop of the usual consistent care and maintenance that keeps timber boat looking good.
SCARLET is currently in solid condition (the engine is a 2020 Yanmar 20hp) and still races most weeks. Mark acknowledges that come the spring she will need an antifoul and some fresh paint and varnish. But that sort of work is part of the journey with a boat like this and can be enjoyed if undertaken with the right attitude.
Now we come to the two difficult questions.
Is she the right boat for you? This is the easy one! Are you are looking for a budget boat with heaps of personality and great design provenance and a history that you can add to? Are you ok with a couple of weeks over the year spent working on the craft, not only improving her physically but also building a emotional bond with? Are you happy to chat with the people who will no doubt engage you as they are walking down the jetty wanting to know more about her? If the answer to these questions is “yes” then contact Mark and take a look.
How much is she worth? … The honest answer is “not much” and Mark knows it. He is currently asking $19,900 in his online add, but has considered the possibility of removing the newish engine and scrapping the rest if he can’t find a buyer. Now none of us want to see that…especially Mark. So if something in this article has piqued your interest get in touch with Mark and have a chat with him.
You never know… entries to the Australian Wooden Boat Festival next year don’t close until the end of August.
What an adventure that might be!
