| Outside, the tall gum trees are moving in response
to a chill winter breeze. Wallabies browse on lucerne
pellets and on the plants in the precious garden,
cold-weather fur having thickened their coats for
some time now. A silver moon casts shadows on the
brown grass – grass which will carry frost in
the morning. It is a cold night…
But come on in, Shipmates (to steal a line from the
late William Atkin), come on in and join us in front
of the fire. Although we may be in the bush, the atmosphere
is filled with good humour and talk of matters nautical.
We may not be in the cabin of a small yacht, but the
floor is scattered with boat books and plans, and
our thoughts range over bays, inlets and islands.
Many, many years ago I thought I was almost alone
in this obsession with boats – but of course,
I was wrong…
On this particular evening we are working out the
details of the perfect beachcruiser. She must be small
enough to be hauled up a beach or onto a trailer by
one person, yet large enough to carry a load. Her
insides must be laid out to facilitate sleeping in
comfort, yet still be set up for worthwhile rowing
and sailing. The rig must stow inside the length of
the boat so that trailing is easy, but the sails must
be large enough to make sailing her a spirited challenge.
She must be wide enough to stand up to her rig, yet
narrow enough to row easily and efficiently with easy-to-stow
seven foot oars
 |
We are working
out the details of the perfect beachcruiser.
She must be small enough to be hauled up a beach
or onto a trailer by one person, yet large enough
to carry a load. |
Good looks are important, as is a construction method
which is efficient and strong. Yes, this boat must
also be quick to build, because most of us are impatient
to finish, and have little time to spare from the
pressures of normal lives – but we expect her
to last for three generations or more. If we misjudge
the weather, we need her to bring us home in safety
and to carry enough emergency buoyancy to ensure that
we can self-rescue without calling the coast guard
– the list goes on…
This boat has already floated clear of the drawing
board, and this session of talk is just about details
of tenting and sleeping facilities. Her designer was
nervous before the first launching – Would she
float on her lines? Would she stand up to her generous
rig? Would the centerboard allow her to go where she
looked when on the wind? Would she carry excess weather
helm? – question after question crowded his
uneasy mind, causing him to pace, and to talk quickly…
She floats! Sails are filled and off we go –
fears of failure evaporate and we smile as the little
craft lifts and plunges through the short, steep chop
on this blustery launching day. All too soon the trial
sail is over, but the excitement of the trip lasts
long into the launch-day evening and makes waking
thoughts happy ones…
But back to our warm, fire lit room. My companions
recline in comfortable seats, bookshelves within easy
reach. We had some liquid refreshments earlier, and
now our conversation comes easily. “I think
you are complicating internal arrangements too much,”
says one, “you need to keep her insides clear
and uncluttered.”
His antagonist insists that drop-in boxes shaped
to fit the contours of the hull are sensible to keep
camping gear dry and out from underfoot.
“Well I can give you dimensions for the correctly
shaped boxes,” says another, “but I agree
with xxxx, you can stow all the gear you would ever
need in the built-in buoyancy compartments already
in the design.”
“But,” says yyyy, “you shouldn’t
fill buoyancy compartments with heavy items, especially
compartments in the ends of the boat. If you do, the
inertia will reduce the boat’s ability to rise
quickly to waves. She will end up wetter.” He
continued, “I would put my stuff in watertight
canoe bags and stow them as close to the centre of
buoyancy of the boat as possible.”
Mr. xxxx chimed in with the comment, “Yes,
and light stuff can go up under the side decks –
we already know that the oars and camping stretcher
fit there quite well.”
The conversation ranged back and forth for hours,
covering all sorts of similar detail. This type of
companionship seems rare these days, which is unfortunate
because it seems a lot better than sitting in front
of a television or a computer screen.
Boats such as the one being discussed by our fireside
friends are quite simple to build, and if done with
care, will last for a very long time indeed. The first
cost is low, but only if you supply the labour yourself.
A boat built by a professional builder will necessarily
be quite expensive if built properly. If the quoted
price is low, you can be sure that the builder has
taken short cuts.
But why not build the boat yourself? There are plenty
of good building books and plans around the place,
and the process of building your own boat will provide
challenges and satisfaction in equal measure.
So, sit around the fire, talk with friends, and dream
of adventures to come.
More columns by Ross Lillistone
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