New yachting

Yachts

magazine is

launched

A new quarterly boating magazine

made its debut in April.

Called the Australian Cruising Boat Owner, the new publication is aimed according to a press release “to appeal to the growing number of people who regard cruising under sail as something more than just a recreation.”

Editor/Publisher Adrian Herbert, who is both a news journalist and boating writer, describes his product as “a highly specialist practical magazine”.

The introductory Autumn 1983 is sue features an article by Eric His cock on the building and later modifi cation of his latest Wanderer.

The magazine is available through newsagents at a recommended and maximum price of SA3. Four-issue postfree subscriptions are available for $l2 from Cruising Boat Owner, Box K 622, Haymarket, Australia, 2000.

Lan G. Menzies Re

ports from Madang

and Port Moresby,

Papua New Guinea:

• APTERYX. The previously re ported 12 m sloop Apteryx, owned by Jo and Pete Smith, has two new additions a son Craig bom in December, and a new fibreglass spray dodger. Both are doing well.

The Smiths have now left Madang, headed for Indonesian waters. • AWENCHEE. In Solomon Is lands the name means ‘good times’,

and that’s exactly what Glen and Shirley Ritchie, and their two-year old daughter Gemma, have been hav ing as they take a leisurely cruise in Papua New Guinea waters.

Originally launched in Sydney in 1976, Awenchee is a steel Adams 40, which formerly cruised the Solomon Islands for two years. It was pur-

chased by Glen and Shirley in De cember ’BO. The couple decided to give up their surfboard manufactur ing business on Sydney’s Pittwater, and head north along the east coast of Australia. After a period of living on board at Coffs Harbour on the New

South Wales coast, the Ritchies start ed cruising in earnest in April 'B2 and entered PNG waters via Samarai in November of that year.

Now in Madang, lady luck has looked their way and Glen has been able to pick up a decent job (with

government-approved work permit),

and the family intend to remain there for the remainder of 'B3. This will also give Glen the chance to re-model Awenchee’s aft cockpit, which has proved a little too cramped for tropic al cruising.

The addition of a substantial wheel-house cannot hide the classic Spray design of John and Raida Bedford's Aust ralian-based ketch Saroena.

The ketch was built at Tweed Heads, New South Wales, and was sailed to Papua New Guinea last year. It is shown here anchored in Port Moresby Harbour, and on deck are Raida and John Bedford, son Justin and friend Paul Barrett. - Ian G. Menzies.

Glen and Shirley Ritchie with daughter Gemma on board their steel sloop Awenchee in Madang. The yacht is well known in the Solomon Islands, and a long visit is planned in

Png

• SCALLYWAG. It’s the strange lattice-work of steel rising above her decks that first catches your atten tion, for the yawl Scallywag has masts that are triangular sections of heavy-duty, welded steam pipe.

These have proved functional, dur able and easy to maintain. Climbing to the spreaders or masthead is a real breeze.

A 10 m Temptress, Scallywag is a hard chine steel vessel that has been cruising Indonesian waters for over 10 years out of her home port of Darwin. This is her first venture into PNG waters. Like Windfall, reported in a previous issue of PIM, Scally wag also survived the disastrous Cyc lone Tracy that devastated Darwin in Northern Australia in 1974. Despite

severe hull damage and a slightly bent mast, she was salvaged, re paired and has since competed in three Darwin to Ambon yacht races.

Owned by Carl and Margaret Bridgman, with crew-member Robyn

Ingram, Scallywag departed Darwin

in November ’B2 and made passage via Port Moresby to Madang. The trio hugged the coastline virtually all the way, and found snug and safe

anchorages each night.

From Madang, Scallywag will head for Rabaul to link up with other cruising friends, and then return to Darwin via the Trobriand Islands and

the Louisiade Archipelago in late ’B3 where Carl will resume work as a

quarantine officer.

• TRALFAMADORE. Though the name of Michael and Dianne Gardin er’s 13 m ketch Tralfamadore comes from the realm of science fiction, the vessel became a reality when it was finally launched in 1976. Five years

Opposite page, extreme left: Awenchee, owned by Glen and Shirley Ritchie, is shown moored in the PNG port of Madang (see page 65). Left: Al so shown in Madang is the stur dy ferro ketch Tralfamadore, owned by Michael and Dianne Gardiner who are shown above with children Katie and Luke.

They have been cruising PNG waters for three years. Above right: Carl and Margaret Bridg man, with crew member Robyn Ingram on board the yawl Scallywag at Madang. Below: Scallywag displays her distinc tive masts of welded pipes.

of hard labor had gone into the construction of this fine ferro-cement Hartley Fijian in their home port of Adelaide in South Australia.

The Gardiners’ cruising life started in ’77 when they headed out of South Australian waters up the east coast of Australia to the port of Brisbane.

After a one-year stopover in that port they sailed eastward to New Caledonia, and then worked their way through the Loyalty Islands, Vanuatu and the Solomons to Rabaul in PNG. Along the way they added to their crew with the birth of their son Luke, who is now four.

Michael is a chartered accountant, and was able to obtain two years work in Rabaul, and there was a further addition to their family Katie, now two. A company transfer meant a move to Madang where the family have been for the last 12 months.

When interviewed, the family were making final preparations to their vessel prior to their departure for Indonesian waters.

Note: Several cruising yachts seek ing permits for Indonesian waters have had such permits granted on the condition that they by-pass Irian Jaya. “Military restrictions’’ has been the reason given for the refusal to grant entry permits to Irian Jaya. • BELLE STARR. Originally from Rabaul in East New Britain, Peter

Robinson with his wife Wendy and son David, four, is headed back that way to renew old acquaintances. The family’s passage-maker is Belle Starr, a 12 m Carlita design by John Pugh, built in steel by the Robinsons over a period of three years. The vessel was launched in May ’BO at the port of Gladstone, east coast of Australia, where Peter had a motor cycle business.

Since leaving Gladstone in De cember ’Bl, the Robinsons have wended their way through the Great Barrier Reef and then spent a relax ing two months at Thursday Island.

Now moored behind the new groyne at the Royal Papua Yacht Club, Port

Moresby, the family are enjoying the

local hospitality and say it’s the friendliest place that they’ve visited so far.

Time is no great problem for the Robinsons, so they plan to explore the coast around to Madang before completing the first major leg of their Pacific cruise at Rabaul. As Peter says, “the wind is free, so why not

enjoy it?’’

• MEVAGISSEY. Two young men who are thoroughly enjoying their cruising life are Rob McCauley and Glen Norton, both of whom hail from Perth in Western Australia. Rob’s 28 ft GRP sloop Mevagissey , was designed by Perth naval architect Graham Tilley and built in the city.

Rob and Glen left Fremantle (the port of the city of Perth), at the mouth of the Swan River, in April ’BO, and spent many months explor ing the rigged and remote northern coastline of Australia. After spending a year in Darwin, where they were both able to find work, the pair departed for Port Moresby in October ’B2. Rob and Glen have applied for a six months cruising permit for PNG waters, and hope to return to Darwin later this year. • TANGOROA. Single-hander Siegfried Eigl arrived in Port Mores by just a little bit the worse for wear, after battling headwinds and stormy seas from Thursday Island and across the Gulf of Papua.

Tangoroa is an 8 m cutter, built of double diagonal marine ply. and was launched in New Zealand in '79. The yacht is very simple in design no frills and has no inboard motor.

Siegfried relies on a 6 hp. Seagull to provide auxiliary power.

Starting from Darwin, this was Siegfried's maiden voyage, and one that he will long remember. Despite the fact that he had only a very basic understanding of navigation and sea manship. he faced no serious prob lems as he crossed the Gulf of Car pentaria. It was near Gove, however, that his luck ran out. Heavy seas and high winds for over 40 hours eventu ally took their toll, and when Tan-

goroa’s starboard shroud parted she was completely dismasted. Luckily, Siegfried was able to lash the mast and its rigging alongside, and after radioing for assistance, was towed to safety by the Thursday Island pilot boat.

After drying out, and carrying out routine maintenance. Siegfried hopes to stay in Port Moresby for a while, before heading east to the Solomon Islands.

Left: The Carlita design Belle Starr, owned by Peter and Wendy Robinson, lies off the Royal Papua Yacht Club, Port Moresby.

Above: Together in Port Moresby are Rob McCauley and Glen Norton of Mevagissey, Tonga Bill Fehoko of Mata Moana and Sieg fried Eigl of Tangoroa. Right: Lou Mar chant’s steel ketch Windfall in Port Moresby (PIM May p66).