February 2011 - Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania

Editor: Peter Higgs
Volume 14 Number 9
Stop Press!
We need to shift the Terra Linna from
MacQuarie No. 1 Shed to Noel and
Noelene‟s home on Sunday 20th
February. Meet there at 10.00am and
then proceed to Noel‟s to set her up for
completion.
Presidents February
Report 2011
Well the AWBF 2011 has been
and gone! What a blow away!
Record boat entries on land and in the water, record crowds, record takings, record
presenters and record numbers of international visitors.
17th February 2011
A great result all round and a tribute to all who contributed! I also add a big thankyou to all non members who
assisted us.
In particular for their lead roles I thank:
Cherelle & Robin - they looked after the raffle completely
Jim Tayton & David Morton - 8:30am - 8:30pm on programme sales, including counting many thousands of $2
coins and walking the length of the festival venue dozens
of times.
Victoria Bishop - first-class organiser of the stall, despite
being ill most of the festival
Not to mention Ainesely & Ros setting up the stall and
being there each morning.
Jim Bonham for making the scaffold appear & disappear
with no apparent effort, and dozens of others.
The above figures could not have been achieved without
pre-festival preparations. In particular I thank Grahame
Dudgeon for his crafting of mini oars. What a hit they
were!
I would just like to sincerely thank all members who participated at the WBGT stall and the Selling of programs.
The following are the preliminary results of sales.
In VERY round figures, it looks like we've made:
Stall $3,500
Raffle $1,100
Programmes $ 2,000 (to be shared by KYC and WBGT)
Secretary’s February Report 2011
Roscoe apologises for not having a February report,
which is due to work loads resulting from his AWBF commitments.
But being the quiz master he promises to catch up with
past results and quickly adds this question;
How did Reg Fazackerly drill holes during the construction of his Fazackerly dinghy‟s?
Roscoe
Guild tent late in the day! Photo Peter Higgs
Terra Linna Report
The following photos summarises ten years of work on
the Terra Linna by the Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania
Inc.

Murray Isles

Plywood Plus
I also sincerely thank all members and their families,
who have worked on the restoration of the Terra Linna.
As well, I thank the artisans who have worked on her
Spars, Rigging and Sails, Denman Marine, Mike Seeney
and Storm Bay Sails respectfully.
I am confident we will be having a launching in 2011
when we can all celebrate the re-launching of an important part of Tasmania‟s Maritime Heritage.
Terra Linna at the AWBF 2003
Terra Linna looking aft and forward below, note the original
knee and timber on the centre board casing. Photo Peter Higgs
Terra Linna at the AWBF 2011
I want to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors;

Tasmania Community Fund

Nyrstar

Australian National Maritime Museum

RC Civil Contracting

Norglass Paint

Peter Johnson Chandlery

Retlas Plaques

Noel and Noelene Hall

Bryan Gatehouse

Peter Lindsay

Jason Evans

Nuts and Bolts
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From the Editors Desk
Because it is a very important collection I feature an
article written by Peta Knott about the “Fazackerly Dinghy‟s”
Fazackerley or Fake?
Peta Knott
Most people who know a bit about boats will have
heard of Fazackerley vessels even if they can‟t say or
spell the name!
Reg Fazackerley was a prolific Tasmanian boat builder
throughout the 20th century. He built vessels to order
but specialised in clinker built wooden dinghies of
Huon and King Billy Pine. They were well crafted and
very safe on the water. They were, and still are prestigious items of maritime heritage.
did the putty work inside the dinghy and Reg‟s best friend
and son-in-law, Gus Sage, helped with the two-man job of
clenching the copper nails through the planks.
The Huon and King Billy Pine for the planks came from
Williams on Argyle St and grown Oak knees from Garden
Island in the Channel. These knees were collected on family bush walks or fishing trips and allowed to dry out for 12
months before being used in a boat. Initially Reg‟s boats
were built out of Huon Pine but later only the garboard
strakes were Huon and the rest was King Billy Pine.
Due to the superior materials and construction of Fazackerley's dinghies, they are currently very collectable vessels
and prestigious items of Tasmanian maritime heritage. His
design was copied by many so collectors should be aware
of imitations claiming to be the real deal.
Reg Fazackerley‟s dinghies can be identified by the following features:
King Billy or Huon Pine planks
To celebrate his contribution to the maritime world, a
Fazackerley dinghy display is being held at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival. Fazackerley vessels are
coming from all parts of Tasmania and even from interstate to assemble the largest number of Fazackerley
dinghies ever seen in one location. The community will
be able to marvel at the dinghies' beauty, design and
longevity while learning about the history and significance of Reg Fazackerley‟s dinghies and his contribution to Tasmanian maritime heritage.
It is estimated that Reg built well over one hundred
vessels of a variety of sizes and designs. He built vessels to order and they ranged from small 9ft dinghies to
18ft vessels or the 40ft motorsailer Brothers. In the
smaller vessel range Reg built V bottomed dinghies of
plywood, carvel rowing boats and his famous clinker
dinghies. Whatever the design, they were always of
superior craftsmanship and constructed of wood.
Fazackerley vessels were usually built in the shed at
the back of Reg‟s home at 50 Duke St Sandy Bay or
next the holiday shack at Randall‟s Bay. On average it
took 2 weeks for Reg Fazackerley to build a dinghy
from laying down the keel to the final coat of paint or
varnish.
Initially, Reg steamed the planks in a home-made hot
water trough of galvanised iron and Huon Pine, but
later, he installed a steamer. All his boat planks were
heated in these apparatus until they could be bent and
clamped onto the boat frame.
Although Reg was the head boat builder, many of the
Fazackerley family helped out. Small children‟s fingers
no ribs forward of the front seat
a distinct tumble home on the transom
grown Oak knees
the signature “R.F.” and a year of construction under a
seat
Quite a bit is known about Reg‟s vessels but what about
the boat builder himself? Reginald Joseph Fazackerley
was born 18 July 1893 on the Tasman Peninsula and was
one of eleven children. He attended school until he was
eleven and built his first boat at age 16, a 25ft vessel
called Zoe.
Reg‟s first trade was a T-model Ford motor mechanic.
Such was his knowledge of these vehicles that he earned
the title of „T-Ford King‟. In the late 1930s he worked as a
motor mechanic on the press for the Mercury Newspaper
and built boats after work. There was such a high demand
for his dinghies that he had to give up his work as a motor
mechanic.
During the war years he was drafted to work at the Commonwealth Shipyard at Prince of Wales Bay as a foreman
building many lifeboats and small hospital ships. After the
war Reg worked at the Hobart Marine Board as a foreman
and carpenter and was also a linesman tying up boats on
the wharves at Hobart and Selfs Point.
Throughout his working life, Reg had an incredible work
ethic, continuing to build his distinctive boats after hours.
In the 1950s he retired and began full time boat building.
He never had to advertised his boat building services as
there was always a great demand for his vessels. Many of
the dinghies that Reg built were donated to the Royal
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Hobart Regatta Association and the Sandy Bay Regatta
Association to be raffled. In the late 1970s Reg built his
last dinghy aged about 84.
January Guest Speaker’s
Synopsis
Peter Higgs presented a session on the Mowat boat
from Kingston, Ontario Canada. The boat is named
“Black Angus” and size and design wise is very similar
to the Terra Linna. Black Angus was built in 1909 in
Prince Edward County Ontario by Scott Hutcheson, a
fisherman, and was used by Hutcheson until the 1940‟s.
On 15 May 1983, Reg died at Sandy Bay. The Hon Michael Hodgman paid tribute to Reg Fazackerley, the
great Tasmanian, in National Parliament.
So come along to the Australian Wooden Boat Festival
and see some of Reg‟s handiwork. Of the hundred or so
vessels constructed, about 40 Fazackerley vessels are
known to still exist due to their high quality construction
and collectability. The dinghy display will highlight the
importance of these vessels and help the public identify if
they have a Fazackerley dinghy hiding in their backyard
or shed.
She was abandoned until 1954 when a George Offen
bought her and restored her for fishing. In 1958 a fisherwoman Marion Mills of Brighton Ontario bought Black
Angus and fished with her till she retired in 1967. In
1968 Angus Mowat bought the boat and used her as a
Lake Boat. After his death in 1977 his nephew took
charge until 1988 when it was given to the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes, Kingston Ontario. This where
a full restoration was carried out. Here a dedicated team
have restored her to sailing condition.
Australian Wooden Boat Festival 11-14th February 2011.
Fazackerley Dinghy Display Princes Wharf 1. Tours of
the display 11-11:30am on Saturday 12th and Monday
14th. Sunday 13th 2pm expert shipwright Bill Foster will
analyse the dinghies‟ construction and see if they are all
Fazackerleys or fake!
www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au
A very similar story to the life of Terra Linna!
AWBF 2011 Pictorial, photos Peter
Higgs
One of the Fazackerly‟s on display in PW 1. Photo Peter
Higgs
Event Report-Sunday 12th December 2010
The pre-AWBF working bee for models was very well attended with some 60 models being prepared. All models
were sold at the festival.
Next Roving and Rowing Day, March the 5th
and 6th Clean Up Australia Day, Barnes Bay,
Duck Pond Bruny Island.
Trip Leader Roscoe
Continued on page 6.
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General Meetings are on the
3rd Monday of each month, inc. public holidays except in the month of December.
Calendar 2010

Sunday 20th February Kettering Yacht Club Invitation Sail Racing Day for visitors to AWBF. See
http://www.kyc.yachting.org.au/ for more information

Monday 21st February WBGT General and Committee meeting at Mariners Cottage

Barnes Bay, Big and Small boat outing, Clean up
Australia Day. Barnes Bay March the 5th and 6th.
Trip Leader Ross Barnett

Sunday March 13th Terra Linna Working Bee,
10.00am

Monday March 21st WBGT General and Committee
meeting at Mariners Cottage

Sunday April 3rd New Norfolk Autumn Festival.
Big and Small Boat day with the WBGT Flotilla
leaving from Lindisfarne at 6.30am to arrive New
Norfolf 9.30am. Come along for the beautiful Autumn colours on the river.

Sunday April 13th Terra Linna Working Bee
10.00am

Monday April 18th WBGT Committee and General
meetings

Maritime and Maritime Heritage lunch box talks 12
noon till 1.00pm — 1st Tuesday of each month at
TMAG Royal Society Room organised by the Maritime Museum. The April talk will be on the Restoration of the Terra Linna by Peter Higgs.
The next general meeting of the
Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania Inc. will be held at
the Mariners’ Cottage,
Napoleon Street, Battery Point commencing
at 7.30 pm
Monday 21st February 2011
There will be a committee meeting held
prior to the General Meeting at 6.00pm, at which
members are welcome
http://www.woodenboatguildtas.org.au/
Guest Speaker, 21st February 2011
Failing any others coming forward Jim Tayton offered to continue his “Couta Crossing” video ( we do
need a tape video player for this) and Peter Higgs
has some reserve items if needed
Presenter/s or practical demonstration required for
future meetings.
Skeg articles by the 1st Monday of each month
please . If the deadlines can’t be kept the SKEG will
be published without late submissions!
Trip Leaders responsibilities; the Trip Leader is to confirm meeting
paces and times (including maps) for the Skeg edition prior to the
event. Skeg closing time is 1st Monday for text and 1st Monday for
photos every month. Following the event the Trip Leader is to provide a short story and up to 5 of their own photos, sized and titled (as
file name) appropriately, of the event for inclusion in the following
Skeg. Members wishing to submit photos from the rowing days are
required to provide a maximum of five to the Trip Leader so that we
do not get same/similar contributions. All must be sized as below with
a title as the file name.
1. Skeg photographs by the 1st Monday of each month.
2. Speaker/demonstration ( it can be a demonstration of a
wooden boat building activity or problem solving activity)
for next month are always needed so get your name and
topic in.
Members wishing to submit articles & photos: All members articles and photos are most welcome as contributions for the Skeg or
other publications. For the Skeg, articles are preferred to be in MS
Word with no formatting. Members are asked to restrict their photographic submissions to 5 In total per month and to have resized the
photos to the following specs. No PDF‟s please!
Officers of the Guild contact list
President
400 Pixels wide X 300 Pixels high, or
5.7 cm wide X 4.2 cm high, with a resolution of
180 pixels per inch
Graeme Hunt
0408146752
Sen.Vice President Brian Marriott
0419877684
Vice President
Jim Tayton
03 62674051
Secretary
Ross Barnett Home 6227 1720 or
mobile 0438 300 229
If you can not size a photo submit it with a title as a file name and the
editor will size It for you.
All SKEG articles must be with the editor in a digital form by the
1st Monday of the month.
Treasurer
David Barnes
03 62441302
Flag Officers
Peter Higgs 62491695 0419803317
& Brian Marriott
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Mess Officers
Vacant
Committee
David Gatonby
0428391432
Noel Hall
03 62445583
Peter Higgs
0419803317
David Morton
0400560330
AWBF 2011 Pictorial, photos Peter
Higgs (cont)
6
For Sale:
Argo
Hi Peter, just a few photo‟s to look at. The top two are of
"Percy Charles" and the rest are of "Argo". I am looking
to sell Argo so if you
know of any Member
looking for a nice little
dinghy please pass my
details on.
Argo is all Huon pine
4.7mts x 1850 she has
a wet well and lined
inside which makes a
great finish. The motor
is a 6hp Yanmar diesel and is in good condition. Argo is
on a good trailer but is not registered. I bought Argo to
keep and sell Percy but have had such a great time with
Percy with her original rig I have changed my mind.
Please feel free to give my e-mail and mobile to anyone
interested.
Gavin can be contacted through the editor.
Eltin Ronan
Photo Peter Higgs
Having just arranged to purchase Gavin
Boon‟s Fazackerly I need to offer Eltin Ronan
for sale. She‟s
been a big/little
Eltin Ronan beached at Spectacle Island,
restoration job for
Dodges Ferry
a boat with a lot
of history. Looking for a mad keen wooden boater to take
her on and maintain her as part of Tasmania‟s Maritime
history.
Great rowing boat and prepared to negotiate the price.
Contact Peter on 0419803317
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