INTENDS TO SAIL ROUND THE WORLD

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 185, 6 August 1931, Page 7

INTENDS TO SAIL ROUND THE WORLD

CHRISTCHURCH MAN AT WORK ON 25-TON YACHT. In a twenty-five-ton auxiliary ketch of his own construction, Mr 11. B. Jones, of Christchurch, plans to make ambitious voyages. His intention is first to explore the islands of the South Seas and, ultimately, to sail right round the world. This idea has been in Mr Jones’s mind for a long time and the scheme is now definitely under way. An exact model of the yacht, built for testing purposes, has been completed and will be on exhibition at the Winter Show. There is a .syndicate of five interested in the scheme. They are all business men, including Mr Jones, who is a locksmith and sports repairs expert. The vessel will be called the “ Cutty Sark,” after the name bestowed on the syndicate, and the five members will comprise the crew. Mr Jones has built many model yachts, as the beautifully finished model of the “ Cutty Sark ” clearly shows, but this will be his first venture on so large a scale. He anticipates that the work will take him about two years, as it will be practically a oneman job. Little has been done toward the building of the yacht so far, beyond the preparation of moulds and templates. Exactly to Scale. The model was the first thing to be perfected. It has been built exactly to scale in every way and, now that its builder is quite satisfied with it, he can start work on the actual yacht, sure that he is going ahead on the right lines. This is the third model built, two others having been tested and rejected for various reasons. The present model promises to be entirely satisfactory. This model has taken six months to build. It is a flush-decked boat, Marconi rigged. It follows Mr Jones’s own design and the sail plan is also original. Some extraordinarily painstaking work has gone into the model. It is built of jarrah, kauri, oak and American pitch pine—the same materials as are to be used on the yacht itself. Every detail has been carried out with the greatest care, for the model is to scale, not only in dimensions but also in weight. The decking, which has been put down more than once in the course of experiments, is secured by 372 brass screws and the planking is held in place by SSOO rivets. All the brasswork has been fashioned by Mr Jones in his own workshop and made from brass taken out of old locks. Even the blocks, which are fitted with tiny running sheaves, are to scale. The rigging is fitted with deadeyes and spliced. No interior fittings have been included in the model, but they have been taken into consideration as far as the weight of the model is concerned. Experience at Sea. Mr Jones has a wide knowledge of the sea. He has been seventeen years at sea, much of that time being spent in sailing vessels. He came to Christchurch about eight years ago. His activities have drawn to his shop quite a number of men who hg,ve, at one time, sailed the seven seas in fullrigged ships and interest in his venture is keen among these men. The “ Cutty SarJ>: ” will be built at Redeliffs.