Boatshed

Looking north. We will float Shearwater to the Bay at high tide.

‘Shearwater’, a masterpiece, still sails the seas. My father made certain she would be indestructible.
Some time ago, she was ambushed by an unseasonable storm, and swept offshore. I eventually caught a glimpse of her hull, poised – vertically – above the waves. Never before had I seen an airborne sailing boat. For two hours she was tossed about like a twig; tumbled up and down a rocky beach;  and finally dumped just below high-water mark. I expected to recover little more than kindling; but instead found a whole vessel, with a single dent at the base of the centre-board casing. It was a lesson to remember. I had forgotten about the skill – the unshakeable integrity – of her maker. 

From: My Father as Mariner

Shearwater 2026: repaired, sanded, painted, oiled.
New sails made by our traditional sailmaker, Barry Quinn (Outer Harbour).
New wire shrouds, new stainless-steel turnbuckles and shackles.
Old boat (1984) sturdy as ever….

Mark Pearse used to sit at his kitchen table, and sketch small designs on the back of envelopes. Here is one such design that became a Christmas card…..

A block of Pink Gum (Euc. fasciculosa) given to me by Paul and Sue Elliot.
The wood is almost as tough as Myall: the grain runs up, down and every which way.

Shaping and re-shaping; embracing limitations.
Eucalyptus camaldulensis, River Redgum is a local wood – worth carving, even though the grain is capricious. I remind myself (yet again) of the Wabi Sabi philosophy: celebrating imperfection….knowing when to stop.

Lengths and breadths of Red Gum for a series: Elder. They will be vertical low-relief sculptures, or carvings. Low relief requires strong side light – and after years of reflection, I  have ‘alighted’ on an  idea that might solve the problem. Or not. We shall see….

Preparing ribs for a second lute body. Fortunately, I already have the (perspex) templates. The wood is Yew; the soundboard will made be of European Spruce, or King William Pine.

Here is the final practice run – before I tackle the real thing. The scrap of  wood is Huon Pine.
Still a bit rough, but getting less rough…so I tell myself.

This project fulfills Dad’s philosophy of ‘bit by bit’. I devote a maximum of  fifteen minutes each day to the sawing of  Pink Gum, the toughest wood around.
It also illustrates the associated observation: ‘less is more’.
I envisage three boat sculptures (assuming the wood is sound) –  and on the way, get plenty of time to think about what might be….