by Mark Steele - Auckland, New Zealand Scenic surroundings, a Gentleman’s yacht, and a compact Square-rigger

Surroundings often enhance the pleasure of sailing fullsize boats and model yachts. Take the absolutely magnificent area in the first photograph above in which the celebrated Falmouth punt, Curlew is seen in the South Atlantic, that wonderful photograph made available to me by the owners of Curlew at the time, Tim and Pauline Carr. In 1998 Curlew was generously donated to the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, Cornwall in England. In the second photograph above I move into the world of model yacht racing, three one metre boats seen in the foreground of New Zealand’s majestic, Mount Taranaki. What nicer surroundings could anyone ask for?

Quite 'splendiferous' is Aucklander, Malcolm Wilkinson’s circa 1770 gentleman’s yacht Bonny photographed by Richard Gross, the photos (below) taken on Onepoto lagoon on Auckland’s North Shore in the North Island of New Zealand The model was built to a Swedish design by Frederic Chapman whom I believe is the same naval architect that designed the famous Swedish ship Wasa. The model is `pretty as’, with tidy classic lines of the period, the gentleman owners cabin intricately detailed inside with murals on either side created in the style that Wilkinson, originally a cabinet maker is known for.

As ageing windlers slip anchor and `sail away, should we be looking ourselves, towards the development of a suitable simple little model sailing boat that would form the basis for the initial introduction to model sailboating of future generations of kids ? The current crop, fed on technology off the internet, and pursuing cellphones and texting and other modern pleasures, have little time and interest in the magic of model yacht building and sailing, for young minds it is just too slow and boring. A few years ahead however, the present still growing interest in non-pressure sailing or windling as practiced by us oldies could well spawn in the minds of the young.

George and Marla Surgent of Seaworthy Small Ships in Maryland are of course meeting some demand by youngsters, and David Beede is still producing his Simplicity models I have noted. Roy Lake of Auckland has built four or five little square-rigged, rudderless `whoosh downwind(ers)’ and generously given four of them to a handful of school kids who on occasion sail them merrily down the stream of an estuary on the north shore of New Zealand’s North Island, the fifth, Gundaroo (which he is seen holding) he gave to the writer.

Bill Richards of MA, USA may well have a point in his view that there is a further need and has shared with me a photo he took of a simple spritsail model that comes pretty close to what he envisages. This (Bill envisages) could be built by members of clubs, each producing specific sections or parts on Winter evenings. Does the need exist and is the practicality of such a production system possible, and would it prove successful in the present `what’s in it for me’ world that we live in - what do you think I wonder?

When being complimented on your new model it is worth remembering that a pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the butt!

Ann Louise is a lovely square-rigger. I have commented before and I will say it again – go back ten or twelve years and a sailing square-rigged model sailing ship was quite rare, and with the passage of time and mounting interest in such vessels, today there are many more coming out of the work sheds of modellers. Meet Neville Wade (above) who after a lifelong interest in the last of the sailing ships, those sailing up to World War II, three and a bit years ago started ship modelling as a hobby. The chosen subject was a Danish training ship of the 1880’s called the Georg Stage, later sailed around the world in the years 1934-1936 as the Joseph Conrad. Now retired at fifty-eight, Nev is a member of a very small but long established club called the Sheffield Ship Model Society. He sails regularly with other members who are in their seventies and eighties who are a mine of help and experience, sailing on a very small pond in Millhouses Park, particularly in the Winter months. Harold Underhill plans were used and the model built at 1:40th scale so that it would fit into the family car. Named after their daughter, the boat hull was made of a mixture of plywood sheet and limewood strip, sealed on the inside using fiberglass sheet and resin. The sails were cut from kite material. The boat sails well, it’s purpose being to give pleasure to Nev and to anyone who comes to watch it, and by doing so, hopefully to remind everyone what a beautiful thing a sailing square rigger was. Length overall is 860mm from the forward end of the fo’c’sle to the stern rail, 1130mm from the bowsprit end to the stern rail, and she is indeed a very compact boat capable of being easily stowed for trips to the pond in the rear of the owners car.

A much admired RC model by Andrew Charters of Meggett, South Carolina, USA of the Nathaniel Herreshoff designed 70’ Gloriana (above left) then Hans Staal of the Netherlands’ photograph of the 1.5m long Langoustier, Red Atao built by Wim Stackelenburg of the Netherlands, and to the right of that, an Auckland, New Zealand model by Brian Cuthbert, one of several of much admired, good performing fishing schooners that he is known for.

Some viewers may not have heard of Tim FitzHigham who may not even have an interest in model sailing boats nor be a sailor of conventional water craft. Although we are in touch, I don’t know that for certain either, but a UK friend who had been to a couple of Tim’s stage shows is adamant that this man is `wickedly funny’ and has sailed a boat made of paper up the Thames and crossed from France to England in a copper bath mounted on two hulls which he rowed. If that were not enough, Tim also lived as a recluse in a cave on a Spanish desert, in a personal quest to be a medieval Knight and is considered by others to act and attempt some very stupid plans. A comic actor who delights in making people laugh, he claims to be part of the `Unholy alliance against normality’.

I believe that our world needs exciting wacky people to undertake the seemingly impossible and often absurd and make people laugh. We live in a world of worry and tension and mounting dangers, a world in which people chase personal fortunes, some even prepared to trample over anyone in a greedy rampage in order to attain their objectives.The world needs to slow down and we need to relax, loosen up and hold on to an ability to laugh like we used to as children, live a bit outrageously so long as it doesn’t do more than make others smile. We could all take a lesson from the late Spike Milligan who said “Blessed are the cracked for they let in the light”. Yes, and also from Tim FitzHigham, described as `an inveterate shenanaganist!’

Blessed are the cracked indeed ! One of the many nice touches in the life of that oft-mentioned Auckland windling group of ours are the periodic `shouts’ whereby food and drink are served pondside. Since we are all in the `seventy plus’ age bracket, how about wine with the label Pino More (if you get my drift?) when new boats are launched, sometimes on birthdays, major Anniversaries etc. It goes well with the sandwiches, sausage rolls and cake. “Boats out of the water guys – The Shout is on !” We refuse to change our policy of having fun and acting a bit outrageously. (A bit did I say ?)

A well thought out `el cheapo’ accessory to cover your transmitter if sailing in the rain ? It is called a `plastic bag’, preferably one with no writing on it, after all you don’t want to reveal to the world where you buy your bread, now do you?

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