YACHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 122, 25 May 1935, Page 25

YACHTING.

SUCCESS OF SILVER FERN

LATE MR. T. LE HITQUET

SAIL AND BALLAST RESTRICTIONS

(By SPEEDWELL.)

The class of 12ft round bilge restricted boats designed by Mr. Arch Logan, of Stanley Point, for Mr. Geo. Dennes, commodore of the Heme Bay Sailing Club, proved to be very popular last year, four being built from the design, and already two others are being built for next season. The first boat was built for Colin Dennes, son of the commodore at his home at Heme. Bay. It was built by the boys with the assistance of a well-known All Black footballer who was at one time a boat builder. The boat was inspected several times during the course of her construction by Mr. Logan. A very good job was made of the building, and the boat was named Silver Fern, in compliment to the All Blacks. Silver Fern was raced in all club races, and her record is an excellent one. She won (i tirst, 8 second and a third prize for 13 starts, being placed each time. She was sailed in all of her junior races by Colin Dennes. Silver Fern also won a cup presented to the club by Mr. Ernest Davis for the highest aggregate points in the season. \ Dimensions of Silver Fern. The boars are practically a miniature of the M class, also designed by Mr. Logan. They carry the modern Uerniudan type of mainsail and a small jib, set on the stem, eliminating the bowsprit as the M class does. The centreboard is of the same pattern, hung by a kingbolt for'ard, and is fully housed in the case by means of a small block and tackle. The hull is clinker-built, 10 planks aside, and the boat is halt-decked. The side decks are Din wide, after deck 12in. and fore-deck 3ft Gin from stem, continuing aft.. The coamings are Sft Gin long and come to a point liin for'ard of the mast. The mast is square where it goes through the deck. Quite a good sized sail Is carried and the boat is stiff and extremely wearherly, as "Speedwell" proved after a thorough trial. It was remarkable how close to the wind the little boat would sail without losing headway. She was quick in stays and gathered way again without ; falling off. The dimensions of the hull are 12ft overall, ~tt beam and lft !iin depth amidships, draught (without plate) Gin. The centreboajru is Jtn steel, 151n wide, and drops Bft below the keel. he mast steps 3ft Iroin the stem and is tall enough to earrv the Bermudan (jib-headed) mainsail si> popular and effective on large and small boats. The sail area is 110 square feet— the mainsail has 92ft and the jib 18ft— which gives the boat a perfect balance on the wind with the plate fully down. The mainsail is ll)ft Din on the boom, 16ft on the luff (hoist), and 18ft Gin on the leach with Sin of round. The jib is lift on the lull' (stay), Oft on the leach and 4ft on the foot, which, as the plan shows, is cut high. A spinnaker is carried with a Oft boom, the sail hoisting to the same point as the jib, 18ft from the deck. The mast is lifted with a gooseneck' and a track lor the mainsail. Two shrouds each side are fitted, the lower one going lift up and the other to a foot below the masthead, where the forcstay is also attached to a mast , ftl ",,, .• N '° backstays are necessary, thus Simplifying the rig and the handling. The boats cost £30 complete with sails if the work is done by the owner The builder's price would be about £10 more, but they are worth it. The other boats of this class built during he past season were Valerie, built by C. Phillpot for D. Hurley, Kandy Kid, also built by Mr. Phfflnot for Messrs Len Heard and W. J. Held, and Alva, built by Mr. A. Bartley for his own us-.. Builder of Good Boats. Mr. Thomas L* Iluquet, who died on Wednesday at DevUnport, was fur over 40 years engaged in boatbuilding at the marine suburb and was well known and respected by h large number of the older yachtsmen of Auckland. Mr. Le-HiiQuet was bora B."> years ngo at Jer.-sey, Channel Islands, and learned his trade there. .Many of the older methods which had stood the test of time were still used by him. At one time ho pulled up for the winter nearly every yacht or launch of any size owned un the North Shore and a considerable number of the Auckland yachts also. He did not use a winch, but a wooden capstan turned with long oars, the same as on board ship. This method was perhaps slow but deadly sure, as the writer proved many a time on his own boats, Pearl, Hiueinoa, Rogue,. Thistle and Speedwell. Mr. Le Iluquet first established himself at North Head in what was partly an excavation In the rock with a wooden shed extending it nearly to the water beloiv tile late Mr. Sandy Watson's house. Here the Uira, a 28ft straight stem keel boat with a short counter was built, his tirst yacht to the writer's recollection. She was hired out for several years In succession by yachtsmen who subsequently owned some of our best yachts.

Later Mr. Le Iluriuet moved to a site on the waterfront next to Mr. (!eo. Xlccol's shipyard, which i.s now part of the hauling out area of the Dovonport Yacht Club, Here were built from about 101H) onwards the keel yachts Walrere, Ehon, hotter known as the Donkey, and several others. About 1000 Mr. Le lluquet moved to me lower part of Church Street, where ho erected a large boat shed, and together' 1 with ills son, Mr. Tod Le I-tiiqiiet, built, some very smart yachts, must of which were later sold to Wellington owners. Amongst the boats he built at the Church Street yard were Wairere 11. for bin sou, Ailsa, for Messrs. E. and W. Felcham, Viola, for Mr. W. Oakley, Galatea, for Mr. H. H. Metealfe, Alexa, for Mr. 'Ernie Payne, then of the Thames, and Mariuigi, also for Mr. Ted Le Hllquet. This boat was easily his best, and Ted put up a good record with her. Later, she was bought by Mr. Berkeley Clark, then commodore of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, who cruised to the Sounds in her last season. Lust year she was purchased by a prominent Christcliurch yachtsman and was sailed down to Lyttelton. Marangi's crew, when In Auckland, included Messrs. Cordon Miller, Mull Warbiick, Cob. Mays, liert Wnrbrick. Mr. Ted Le Iluquct was an early member of the North Shore Yacht Club, and for several years was a flag officer. In addition to the yachts mentioned Mr. Le Huquet built numerous launches, Including Jersey Lily, which he retained for hi.s own use, Iluia, for Captain Geo. MoKenzie, Roma, for Mr. Percy Howden, Doris M., for Mr. W. Martin, Virginia, for Mr. Hazard and Aumoe, for Mr. Brooklield. Of working boats and pearling luggers buiit by Mr. Lβ Huquet one could fill a column, but what are known on the waterfront as the "blue boats," i.e., the hard-working tow boats of Messrs. Bentley and Poarce are samples of his faithful work, which was characteristic of everything he built from a dinghy 'to a pearling lugger. The late Mr. Lβ Huquet took a groat Interest in his work nnd the sport generally. In the very early days of the North Shore Yacht Club he became a member and regularly gave a trophy for competition Wliile some of his methods appeared as old-fashioned yet they were reliable, and in proof of this he was entrusted with the hauling up and down each winter and spring of our largest yachts, including Volunteer, Viking, Thelnia, Ilex, Ariki, Italnbow, Moana I. and II.," Heartsease and many others, and in this way did much to popularise the Siiore as a hauling out place, a popularity it now retains Mr. T. K. Le Huquet. Who ballt "the 05ft keel yacht Jeanette for his o.vn use lust year, is the only son, and yachtsmen extend to him their sympathy.