Boat show primed to go

One of the finest fleets of classic and antique boats you'll see anywhere descends on Lake Rotoiti this weekend. Tracy Neal talks to some of those whose labours of love will be on display and on the water.

The brass and varnish are being polished on classic and traditional boats from Nelson and throughout New Zealand, ready for one of the showcase outings for the country's boating enthusiasts this weekend.

Sailing boats and rowing boats salvaged from sheds, and powerboats preened to perfection, will take over Lake Rotoiti for the ninth annual Seresin Estate Antique and Classic Boat Show.

Thousands of enthusiasts are once again expected to line the lake shore for the two-day spectacle, which this year will end with a jazz afternoon at nearby Tophouse Homestead on Sunday.

It's always an occasion for a picnic and a time to swap stories, says seasoned fan Kindra Douglas.

Voted this year's Nelson Mail Nelsonian of the Year for her work with the Nelson Tasman Housing Trust, Douglas has a soft spot for wooden boats and built her own small sailing dinghy, Walnut, which was launched on Lake Tarawera in 1993.

The small John Welsford-design dinghy, originally intended to be a yacht tender, was lengthened to 2m by Douglas, who wanted a boat she could sail and use her car to transport.

Her interest was piqued while working in Auckland store Boat Books at Westhaven Marina.

"While I was there, I was going to Lake Tarawera regularly for holidays, and I wanted to get out on the lake."

After a discussion with Welsford (a small craft design specialist) about what she wanted, he suggested that maybe she should build a boat herself.

"I said, `I can't build a boat', and he said, `Can you sew? If you can sew, then you can build a boat'," Douglas recalls.

"He told me to get a piece of wood, lay a pattern over it, and basically stitch it together.

"I thought then, `That could be fun', so he sold me a set of plans."

The small, hard-chine, flat-bottomed plywood dinghy was the result. Douglas now uses it on Nelson Haven across the road from her Atawhai home.

The traditional lug sail can be rigged on its bamboo mast in about seven minutes.

Another Nelson wooden boat enthusiast, Graham Allan, will take the opportunity this weekend to showcase his Iron Duke Sea Scout cutter Whitby, built in 1961 by Alan Westrupp in his Nelson yard.

Allan says he was drawn to the style of boat simply for its expert craftsmanship, and because it was part of Nelson's maritime history.

"I wanted to see that preserved."

The Whitby has a strong racing pedigree as well, and was fast in its day, says Allan, who acquired the cutter several years ago from the sea scouts and had it restored by Richard Walker and John Harris of Walker Boatbuilding in Brightwater.

While he enjoys sailing Whitby off Marahau, where it is stored, this weekend it will be rowed on the lake by some Iron Duke "old boys".

"It's wonderful to sail as well as row," Allan says.

Boat show organiser Pete Rainey says that over almost a decade, the event has developed a format that suits boat owners and boat viewers.

Highlights this year include a Nordic folk boat owned by past winner Peter Sewell and a 102-year-old Wellington steam clinker called India.

There's always room to depart from tradition, too.

"The Seagull (outboard motor) race promises to be hilarious, with the Grovetown Hotel Social Club entering a pram dinghy mounted with a porcelain toilet, towing an inflatable dinghy carrying a large stuffed horse," Rainey says.

It will be left to the weekend's crowds to find out the significance of the stuffed horse.

This year's show has also attracted former New Zealand yachting Olympian Bret de Thier, who, after several years of wanting to take part, is finally getting his chance.

He is bringing his 4m gaff-rigged dory Hunky Dory, which is both a sailing boat and a rowing boat.

"On the entry form, I've ticked `sailing', but I can row if there's no wind," says de Thier, who is in the throes of moving back to Christchurch after a long career in design in Auckland.

He has worked for New Zealand and international clients designing interiors for ocean racing yachts, as well as lecturing in design at Massey and Auckland universities.

"I have been wanting to come to the show for years, but timing was always an issue."

De Thier started making model boats when he was about six years old, which led to a career building, sailing and racing them.

He represented New Zealand at three Olympic Games - Tokyo in 1964 (Finn Class reserve), Munich in 1972 (Finn Class), and as the yachting coach at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

The show will begin on Saturday morning with registration, after which there will be time to view the boats on land. They will then be launched for a sail past and an afternoon of events, including the Seagull race and a children's rowing race. Sunday will follow a similar format.

Each year, one boat is voted the most outstanding of the show.

Rainey says the judges of the Jens Hansen Cup for the overall winning boat will be considering many factors - the way the boat looks, the story behind it, the condition of the boat, the way it is constructed and engineered.

"It's not necessarily the most valuable or expensive boat that wins the ultimate prize."

 

What to expect

The ninth Seresin Estate Antique and Classic Boat Show takes place at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park, this Saturday and Sunday.

The boat show is an eco-friendly event and people are asked to respect the venue. DOC has released kiwi into the national park close to where the show takes place, so it is essential that the "no dogs" rule is upheld.

All boats will be checked for noxious aquatic weeds and oil leaks. Boats will also be sprayed against the invasive weed didymo on Sunday afternoon after the event.

Christchurch singer Janice Gray, backed by Tom Rainey and his band, will perform at the Saturday night prizegiving and again at an outdoor concert on Sunday at the newly licensed Tophouse Homestead.

Entry to the classic boat show is $15 for a day pass or $20 for the weekend. There is no charge for school students.

 

 

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