Thursday 26 January 2023
Today was another perfect day for launching a St Ayles Skiff. I was met at the shed by Ted K after I had given the new skiff a final vacuum and cleaned out the spiders and their poo. We loaded the car with the rudder and other loose bits and hitched up the trailer and skiff for the short trip down through the town to the Riverside Club. Geoff was there already and had St John out and ready to go. We parked both boats down by the river as boatbuilders, rowers and friends drifted in for the 2pm launch.
I gave a speech acknowledging that we were standing on the meeting place of the Pibbulman and Menang people on the ancient boundary between their lands. The indigenous naming of the skiff Nullaki was also explained as meaning the area on the Wilson Inlet where seagrass was plentiful.
I thanked Harry and Kay for their wonderful generosity in lending us their shed and told them how much we loved being there. I thanked the boat builders and the committee and my wife JB. Geoff then acknowledged me for the enthusiasm and drive that had seen this whole project through. I toasted the boat with the whisky that Sally had brought from Scotland for the first skiff launch and invited everyone to join in having a wee dram. Kay said how much she and Harry had enjoyed having us in the shed.
Then it was time to put on PFDs and work out who was going to row in which skiff. We rolled Nullaki on its trailer down into the river where she floated off beautifully.
I coxed and the rowers present who are going to the Augusta Picnic Regatta tomorrow climbed in.
St John was launched and came out to meet us coxed by a real rower, Clem W. There is a rule that whenever there are two boats on the water going in the same direction, it’s a race. So very soon we were racing St John down river towards the first bend where we pulled out in front and executed what for some was our first port hand turn to return to the crowd on the bank.
I was so impressed by the smoothness and quietness of our new rowlocks in Nullaki and the experienced rowers said they found them easier, that I had made the obvious decision that Nullaki should be the boat we take to the regatta tomorrow. We pulled the boats out lifting Nullaki back onto the road trailer and took them up to the Riverside Club house for a wash down. Nullaki’s stone guards were given a temporary covering in shade cloth to prevent the stones and road tar from marking the boat on tomorrow’s 3.5 hour journey.
I’m off to join Fay in Franklin Tasmania where she had a row with the Women on Water at the Living Boat Trust in their St Ayles Skiff “Imagine”. She sent me this photo today.
I am sailing in the Tawe Nunnagah 23 Raid up the SW coast and D’Encastreaux channel and into Hobart for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival where I have volunteered to man the St Ayles Skiff stand on Sunday morning. I’m joining Stef and Peter K who are already having adventures in Tasmania in Fair Wind, a Drascombe Longboat.
Well thats all folks, thanks for your support and interest. I hope you and future skiff builders will find the information in this blog helpful. Feel free to contact me through the website. If you are in Denmark come and have a row and join our club.
Cheers Dave
Denmarkrowers@iinet.net.au
