AT THE SIGN OF THE PENNANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 160, 27 September 1927, Page 12

AT THE SIGN OF THE PENNANT

(By

KEELSON)

Personalities Afloat

mr. g. a. McKenzie, Ccmmcdore Devonport Yacht Club. Tlie Dovonport Yacht Club owes a large measure of its prosperity to the energy of one of its younger members, George Alexander McKenzie. As one of the pre-war members of the club he was a keen supporter of its activities until 1915, when he went

to the war. On his return in 1917 he found the sport languishing and the chib practically defunct, owing to so many yachtsmen having joined up. It was ; bout 1901 that ho f.rst made his acquaintance with the sea, as the youngest member of the crew of the launch Huia. Up to 191T* he cruised and raced in various boats and was still identified with Huia. After the war he was a prime mover in re-establishing his club. He joined the crew of the big keeler lorangi, owned by his uncle, Captain M. McKenzie, and is now captain of h«r crew. Recognising his ability as a leader Dovonport elected him commodore five years ago, and last month showed continued confidence in him by re-elect-ing him to that office for another term. Outside the confines of his particular club Mr. McKenzie has also worked hard on the management side of the sport. From 1917 to 1920 he was a committeeman of the New Zealand Power Boat Association. In addition he has served for two years on the committee of the Auckland Yacht and Motor-Boat Association. He is now holding office for the third term on the committee of the lloyal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

OWNERS AND THEIR BOATS

WORK ON THE WAITEMATA For a while Auckland owners and crews hoped in vain for a fine weekend. Now. after so many of the other sort, they have grown tired of cursing the wet ones. Jn spiite of the deluge that comes as stir© as pay-day, however, quite a lot of work has been carried out at the various slipways. Viking’s inizzen mast has been stepped in it? new position The fitting of chain-plates and shrouds is now proceeding. .Mr. Percy Thode’s Rangi is having he lead keel refastened. The work of boring and fitting new bolts through iha keel was proceeding last week. Colonist is about ready for the water. With her white top-sides and gold streak, lined with black, she has probably never looked in better condition. Mr. L. Jenkinson’s big kcelcr Ida is going into commission this coming season, and a start was made last week-end to prepare her for another spell afloat. The late owner of Cupid (Mr. Willetts) is having a new 16-footer round bilge boat built. He hopes to have his new ship ready for the water fairly early in the new’ season. • • » The £2-footer Wairangi is to change her quarters; from the northern to the southern shores of the Waitemata, Mr. E. Service, of Herne; Bay, having bought her from her former owner. Mr. Woods. Mr. McKeown’s 16-footer Lancia was sold last week-end for a small figure. Lancia put up a very satisfactory record last season, and it is to be hoped that her new owners will carry on the good work. m » • \ team was busy last week on the first-class yacht Heartsease, scraping the mast. The top sides have received a coat of the familiar white, but there appears quite a lot to be done yet. The late start on the keel yacht Ngatira is being compensated for by a relay during weekdays. The interior is the centre of operations at present, the combings having been burnt off and ti e inside cleaned ready for painting. Mr. W. A. Wilkinson’s well-known launch Maroro has not been sold, the report being a bit premature. Maroro looks none the worse for the collision with Victory last season, and will be out early as usual for the opening day racing. • * • Mr. L. E. Glass’s launch Esther G. is undergoing thorough renovating inside and out. The hull has becpi cleaned down and has received a coat of red leiid on top sides. The power-plant has been removed to the owner’s residence to be dismantled and overhauled. Mr. Charles Hartley’s Tasmanian one-designer Vanitie. which is now ow ned and sailed at Tauranga. has been fitted with a 7J horse-power Kelvin engine. As Vanitie was one of tho most successful prize-getters when racing on the Waitemata, the news of he:* conversion comes as a surprise. The crew of Spray was among the unfortunates whose work suffered from tlv?* rain last week. The combings outside had been given the usual coat ol buX colour in preparation for graining

when down came a heavy shower. The top-sides had already received the white paint, but they looked more like a barber's pole when the rain abated. PROGRESS ON THE MANUKAU Mr. Bray’s Maldie has had new’ garboards fitted, ancl the work of recaulking is proceeding. Work is well forward on the launch Salome, and. judging by appearances, she should be one of the first afloat. Emerald has been down several weeks. Her “early bird” owner lias hopes that his “worm” will be in the form of a prise next season. Valencia, owned by Messrs. Whitcombe and Evans, has been extensively altered since; last season. With the additional power derived from her new Continental motor, her owners hope to account for a few prizes this summer. The advantage of being able to take one’s boat Home for the winter overhaul, is shown by the advanced state of the painting of the IS-footer Mystery at Mr. Duffy’s residence. This smart little craft will be on hand when the championship events come up for decision. A lot of time has been put in on the keeler Anahera. The job of removing the sheathing has been completed and the seams recaulked. This craft is probably the only one of her type in New Zealand. In addition to the lead keel, which makes her draught from four to five feet, a bronze centreboard is fitted and works down through the lead itself. Needless to say this extra resistance on a beat to windward in a breeze makes her a pretty stiff ship. MILFORD’S NEW HARBOUR WAIRAU ESTUARY SCHEME The Milford Cruising Club is to be envied its proposed new boat-harbour and haulingr-out site, in the Wairau Estuary (details of which were published in THE SUN yesterday). It is

doubtful, however, whether the scheme will be of tiny practical use to yachtsmen living on the city side of the Waitemata. It must:, Dy nature of its position, be limited to .hose living in the northern suburbs, those who are prepared to move their homes for the sake of this, added convenience, or to those with money and time enough to spare to make the frequent journeys backwards and forwards. “Better than being hounded from pillar to post on the Waitemata,” was the argument advanced at the meeting held to discuss the project on Saturday, but the general expression of opinion on this side seems to be a regretful, ‘Too far away.” Being an hour and a-half’s sailing nearer Kawau, Great Barrier and the northern part of the Gulf is an ad van-

tage providing prospective users of the estuary propose to limit their activities to cruising.. That hour and a-half would make a great difference to racing owners who would be laced with the prospect of three hours sailing to and from the present co urses. This might be got over by planning a new racing ground in Kangitoto channel, but if anything approaching the 400 boats for which the estuary has room were afloat at the one time, shipping interests might have something to say on the subject. Milford £s in touch with the Waite - mata clubs and, in view of the present shortage of liauling-out sites, it •will be interesting to see how much support is forthcoming for so worthy a scheme. CRUDE-OIL POWER PLANT Mr. Chas. Seagar, of Devonport, expects to land the new’ crude-oil engine for his launch Rehitai early next month. The launch w r as completely stripped last season; her steam engine and gear being removed for replacement by the crude-oil job, so that more room may be available on board. Mr. Seagar had this fine craft built many years ago. and her sturdy build and powerful engine enabled long cruises to be undertaken. The launch was purchased in 1919 by the Whakatane Freezing Works, fitted with a wheelhouse forw’ard and a towing mast. She was employed hauling barge loads of frozen meat out to the liners in the roads. Subsequently Mr. Seagar bought her back again. LOOK TO YOUR MOORINGS Now that boats are beginning to take the Muter from their winter quarters owners will do well to lift and examine their moorings. Some boatmen do not realise the urgency of a periodical examination of this gear, and every season damage is caused through boats breaking adrift during rough weather, and fouling other crs.fi;. So up with the chain, and if corrosion shows to any extent, discard it at once. New chain is cheap—repairing your club-mate’s boat is costly.

EVE AFLOAT It is rumoured in well-informed quarters that two young women with a practical knowledge of the sea. are negotiating to buy the 16-footer Tulip, formerly owned by the late Mr. E. F. Swinburne. If this is so, races for “S” class should be most popular next season. DEPLETING Y-CLASS Y-class it seems is steadily going down hill. With Sea Gnome and Cupid acquired by Manukau owners. Alerte is not left with any serious opposition for the coming season’s races. It is to be regretted if this class is allowed to fade out of the yachting picture as it is a particularly suitable one for young seamen learning the art of sailing. FAVOUR FORGOTTEN Yachtsmen are ever ready to help each other in any way possible and the Whangarei man who lent a chart to the owner of an Auckland mullet boat last April did a kindly act. Though it was most likely due to sheer forgetfulness, the recipient of the favour scarcely showed his appreciation by keeping the chart for nearly six months before returning it. Such an instance having been brought under notice, it is to be hoped that the Auckland yachtsmen will not so transgress again; AKARANA’S NEW HOME With so many wet week-ends, work on Akarana’s new clubhouse on the site near Campbell’s Point had not progressed very far up till last week-end. A few hours of sunshine then, however, enabled a working bee of 25 or so to get busy on the foundations, with the result that much useful work was accomplished. Some modifications of the plans of the club’s new home have had to be made, the main one being the alteration of the size to 71ft x 41ft. BOATS AFLOAT Messrs. McLeod Bros.’ big launch Tina is one of the first boats afloat this season. She took the water from Col. Wild's yard yesterday morning, after her annual overhaul. The launch Joy went down on Saturday. LOCKER AND DINGHY SPACE Applications for locker and dinghy space are rolling in to the Richmond Cruising Club, and include several from

new owners. Space is limited, however, and it will be no easy matter to find room for all who have asked for it. This state of affairs can be taken as a fail* indication of the keenness of the club members for the 1927-28 season. “IN ENGLAND NOW” ‘A wild, wet, inclement, summer’s day. a day on which the sun did not shine for 10 minutes, until the racing was over and the soaked sails were stowed and coated.” Thus an eye-witness vividly describes a recent day in the Solent. Considering that .he speaks of a day in the height of the English yachting season, we in New Zealand have a lot to be thankful for. On the same wild afternoon, Sir Thomas Lipton’s Shamrock was "laid so flat in a squall that her lee shrouds had seaweed hanging to them, five or six feet above the deck when she righted,” and another yacht’s mast snapped clean off* 20ft up.