AWBFnewsletterApril 2014July 2014

Greetings, All

Things are starting to ramp up, with detailed plans under development for the2015 MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival. We are working on the sitemap, which changes this year with the redevelopment of the Brooke Street Pieron Franklin Wharf and a planned extension into Castray Esplanade to displaymore boats ashore. The venerable Macquarie Wharf No.1 on the northern end of the harbour will be a buildingsite in February next year, as TasPorts undertakes redevelopment of the old warehouse for a new hotel andtourism facility. All this means that the Hobart waterfront will be busier than ever and Dock Master RossBarnett will be working hard to fit in all the wonderful boats already requesting berths.

The search for a poster design is over, with Norfolk Island artist Tracey Yager coming up trumps with a superblysimple and evocative drawing of a wooden dinghy. Tracey is a genuine Norfolk Islander, descended from theHMS Bounty mutineer Matthew Quintal. She has studied and worked as a professional artist in London andNoosa, before returning to her native island in 1997. Tracey’s design beat a dozen other entries to take thevaluable commission. The original artwork work will be sold during the festival to raise funds for the next one.

One well-known and beloved boat will be missing in 2015, but for all the right reasons. The 102 year-old ferryMV Cartela left her home dock on the Hobart waterfront this month for a short passage under her own powerto the working river port of Franklin, south of Hobart. There she will undergo a major refit, converting her backto steam power and restoring her to former glory.

We have been spreading the word about the Southern Hemisphere’s largest wooden boat festival interstate,at the Brisbane Caravan and Camping Show and the Melbourne Boat Show. These large events feed intoincreasing visitor numbers for Tasmania. The State recently broke previous records with one million visitors forthe year, largely driven by popular events. Visitors can put together an extraordinary summer itinerary thisyear, with the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2015, Launceston’s food & wine Festivale, the St AylesSkiff Regatta in Franklin and the Cricket World Cup all within weeks of each other.

As the days grow a little longer each week, summer is surely coming and with it a chance for you to join us inHobart for the best-loved wooden boat festival in Australia. See you there!

- Paul Cullen, General Manager

This beautifully simple pencil sketch by Norfolk Island artist Tracey Yager gained a strong majority ofvotes from our selection panel. This prototype sketch will be the basis for the 2015 AWBF poster.The artwork joins a significant collection of fine maritime art including works by Bill Mearns, TomSamek, Peter Hiller, John Ford and others.

It was smiles all around as AWBF, Inc. took the Hobart City Council’s annual award for BestPractice in Volunteer Management for a Public Event. The award honours the huge contribu-tion our volunteers make to the festival, donating thousands of hours of unpaid work to pro-duce a great festival. Co-sponsors Volunteering Australia promoted the benefits of volunteerwork not just to the community, but to the individual as well. AWBF volunteer Cheryl Barnettaccepted the award on behalf of the 350+ festival volunteers and Chairman Steve Knight rep-resented the all-volunteer Board of Directors that guides the event. Lord Mayor DamonThomas acknowledged the great contribution to the Hobart community that volunteers make.This was the second major award for the festival in twelve months. The MyState AustralianWooden Boat Festival won the Silver Award at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards in the categoryMajor Events.

Farewell, For Now

MV Cartela

On a sparkling winter morning on the Hobartwaterfront, one of Tasmania’s iconic vessels,the 102 year-old passenger ferryleft Brooke Street Pier for her last trip in herpresent guise. Skippered by Captain MichaelRoche, the veteran ship sounded her whistleand set out under her own power for a newberth in Franklin, on the Huon River. There,she will undergo a complete restoration in-cluding a return to the original steam powerthat saw her carry generations of Hobartianson outings, picnics and adventures. The talkamong the hundred or so well-wishers at thedock-side was of fond memories aboard thevessel. Lord Mayor Damon Thomas cut theribbon that released her from Brooke StreetPier, which will soon be transformed into anew hotel and retail centre. Honoured for hermilitary service and for her cut of speed on theriver, the has been part of the socialfabric of southern Tasmania for more than acentury. All of us at AWBF look forward toher eventual return to Sullivans Cove anddecades more service to the people of Hobart.

From the top:

The Cartela show her years without apology.The vessel has carried ten of thousands ofpassengers on the Derwent and beyond.

Two old campaigners, the Cartela and theAntarctic supply vessel Aurora Australis arefamiliar sights on the Hobart waterfront.

Lord Mayor Damon Thomas recalls his ownschoolboy excursions on the Cartela

photos: Paul Cullen

It was a calm sunny winter’s day in Sydney when theCaptain received the call from his old chum Roscoe.‘We’re looking for articles for the Festival Newsletter.You write a good yarn, how about it?’ The Captainagreed to pen something for his chum.

‘Rum Bucket’ (or RB, the Captain’s fanciful name for hisboat Lahara), is a Jock Muir sloop built at Battery Point in 1951. She has owned the Captain’s bank account forthe last 13 years ever since he made the mistake of telling the yacht broker that ‘he would love to own a boat likeher, but…’ The remainder had been ignored and being an expert fly fisherman, the broker landed his catch.

This will be the fourth festival for Rum Bucket, the first being in 2003. How the festival has grown since then! Onthe way to last year’s event Rum Bucket developed a ‘salt-water spring’ in her bow whilst crossing Bass Strait andhad to be slipped on arrival in Hobart. Roscoe received the call for help and organised everything with TerryLean, the well-known shipwright and assessor. The Captain was most impressed, arriving at RYCT on a Fridaynight, RB was slipped on Saturday morning, the offending seam re-caulked on Sunday morning and the boat backin the water on Monday. The cost was taking Terry and his wife out to a seafood lunch on Sunday afternoon.Now where do you get that type of service in Sydney? Over lunch the Captain discussed certain repairs to RB thatwere on the ‘to do list’ but somehow never got done. The result was RB remaining in Hobart after the festivalwhilst her broken ribs received attention and fastenings were renewed amongst other tasks.

It did not end there. A couple of ribs still required attention and the chain plates could not be thoroughlyinspected. RB returned to Sydney only to return early this year for the next round of her makeover. The Captainunderstood why boats are always female; they have an extensive wardrobe and require occasional surgery tokeep them in pristine condition!

Whilst back in Sydney the lockers in the forepeak were removed to give Terry good access to the chainplates andother broken ribs. The trip south had taken its toll. Another salt-water spring; the headsail furler came apart, therudder stock was uncomfortably loose, the No.2 was ripped and the No.3 disintegrated. Who’d own a timberboat? During this stay in Hobart the chain plate ribs were all refastened and strengthened, the broken ribsrepaired, topsides painted and the rudder stock keyway repaired. But Terry had been thinking. ‘Your topsides aresplined, how about completing the job below the waterline?’ The Captain thought about this and agreed to theadditional surgery; surely it won’t cost that much.

The Captain’s plan was to sail RB to NZ once in good shape. The splining of the hull would certainly strengthenher significantly and hopefully cure the ‘salt-water springs’ once and for all. But why NZ? In 1951 RB, followingher launch, had competed in the Hobart race and secured second place. Immediately following this she hadcompeted in the Trans Tasman Race from Hobart to Auckland, again securing second place. At Christmas 1952the first owner again took RB to NZ, leaving Sydney in a gale and sailing through a cyclone on the way. Shedeparted without a ‘ticket of leave’ and was in deep ‘doo doo’ on return, but that’s another story.

Many have asked the Captain whether he would be attending the 2015 AWBF. Till recently the answer had beenno. The Captain planned to sail to Lord Howe as a staging point for the assault on NZ. Having been advised thatHobart was possibly a better departure point, and not to disappoint his Hobart chums, the Captain amended hisplans and submitted the application.

But there are a few loose ends to tidy up. The Captain picked up the phone, ‘Chris old boy, fancy a trip to Hobartfor the Wooden Boat Festival? Oh great, great! Now on the way back I thought we could take a detour,something a little different this time....’

- Mike Warner

PREPARES FOR THE FESTIVAL

The historical theme for the 2015 MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival is ‘As OnceWe Were’, reflecting on Tasmania’s long heritage of building wooden boats. We’replanning a retrospective display in Princes Wharf Numjber One, with a fine collection ofTasmanian dinghies, punts, sailboats and other vessels. We’re looking for good exam-ples from boat builders present or past, from around the state, to demonstrate therange of designs and building techniques used over the years; some old and somenew, all made with great skill using our wonderful native timbers. A few fine examplesare being given a dust off and polish already!

If you know of a special old Tasmanian boat which represents part of our maritimeheritage, please send us a photo with your details and that of the boat to Tim Oxley at:oxley.tim@gmail.com Don’t delay - the festival is only 7 months away!

The Huon Pine ferry Admiral(below) is a rare piece ofTasmanian history that willcelebrate her 150th birthday atthe 2015 AWBF. Originally builtas a 28’6” open ferry boat, thevessel was later lengthened,decked, rigged as a cutter andconverted to a fishing boat. Achequered career saw her finallysink in Port Jackson. Recoveredbut unrepaired, she was spottedin 2006 and returned to Tasma-nia for a remarkable restorationthat took more than three years.

The double ended cutter TerraLinna will be one of the oldestboats at the AWBF 2015. Builtas a private yacht in 1880 inHobart by George Luckman, theboat restoration was a majorproject for the Wooden BoatGuild of Tasmania. Terra Linnawas re-launched in 2012 after afour year project. Photo: BobLinacre

At the Brisbane Caravan and Camping Show in June, MediaManager Daryl Peebles flew the flag for AWBF 2015. Caravan-ners represent a healthy slice of Tasmania’s tourism income,largely due to the length of time they remain in the State. TheAustralian Wooden Boat Festival is a major drawcard.

AWBF teamed up with Tasmanian professional fishing guides GaryFrance and Ken Orr to run the Tourism Tasmania-supported standat the Melbourne Boat Show. Interest in the AWBF was high andthe joint stall took out the award for ‘Best Tourism Stall in Show’.Many thanks to Tourism Tasmania and the boys.

Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?

We are very impressed with some excellent photos sent though by Jeff Malley of the steam yacht ENA,recently delivered from Sydney to its new home in Melbourne. This stunning restoration of a 116-footEdwardian luxury yacht has to be seen to be believed. Built in 1901 for the ultra-wealthy banker SirThomas Dibbs, the ENA gleams with immaculate paintwork, glowing brass and polished teak. It wasn’talways like this, mind you. The ENA, under various names, has been a naval patrol boat, a scallopdredger, a training ship and (briefly) a submerged wreck in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Now in serv-ice as a luxury charter vessel in Port Phillip Bay, we would dearly love to see the ENA take pride of placeat the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival. Watch this space.

At whatever hour of the morning or night that he was needed, you could rely on Harry tobe there with his trusty ute, slinging equipment or supplies, bins or bricks, on the site ofthe Australian Wooden Boat Festival. Harry was a serial volunteer: we couldn’t keep himaway from the place. His cheerful manner, his capacity for hard work and his remarkableendurance were of enormous value to our site crew and managers. Harry never made abig thing of giving to the festival he loved - he left that until later.

We were very sorry to hear that Harry passed away suddenly in May 2014. We wereastonished when his daughter Wendy called to say that in accordance with Harry’s wishes,mourners were asked not to send flowers, but to give a donation to the Australian Wood-en Boat Festival. Go in peace, Harry. They don’t make them like you any more.

St Ayles Skiff RegattaFebruary 8-15, 2014

There’s no holding back the Women on Water andplans for a second round of competition followingthe World Championships in Ullapool, Scotlandhave blossomed into a full scale regatta. Putting ina guest appearance at the Wooden Boat Festival forsome demonstrations races and a bit of a warm-up,you can see these amazingly popular skiffs at workin Sullivans Cove on Sunday February 8. They’llbe at the Royal Hobart Regatta on Monday then set

off for the return trip to Franklin. Festivities openthere on Thursday 12 February and run through thewhole weekend to the finals and closing ceremonyon Sunday 15 Feb. Rumoured to be attracting in-ternational talent, the first St Ayles Skiffs eventlooks to have real pulling power. Apparently, theKiwis have thrown down the gauntlet and there’shonour at stake. Look out for some lively action inthe little town of Franklin over the weekend.

Photos courtesy Living Boat Trust, Franklin

office@australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au

Volunteer registration for the AWBF 2015 will open inSeptember, 2014. You can be part of the most excit-ing wooden boat festival in Australia by donating justa few hours of your time. We need all sorts of skillsfrom telephones to computers, boat handlers to barstaff, safety marshals and graphic artists, researchers,information staff and lots more that we probablyhaven’t even though of yet. You’ll join a lively groupof interesting people doing real jobs that count, pro-ducing a great community event that is entirely freeto the public. Want to know more? Drop us a line at:

CANYOUHELP?

All photos courtesy of theHobart Photographic Societyand our brilliant team of AWBFvolunteer photographers.