Page 4 - CYAA Magazine Jan 2018 Issue 41

Classic Yacht Association of Australia
handicapping for a race would have its
challenges, confirming that I may not be the you do next, and you are deciding the schedule.
fastest boat on the water, but certainly a
consistent performer. As for a tacking duel, I
wasn’t even going to go there!
I like all boats whether they are sail or motor,
but seem to have a penchant for classic boats. I
say seem to, as it sort of crept up on me when I
wasn’t looking. Before I know what has
happened, all around me declare that I have
become a wooden boat tragic. In recent times, I
seem to be spending more time staring at 8
Metre yachts and Couta boats, which is a
worrying development. Given that I’m a steel
boat person, whose life revolves around
commercial shipping this seems strange but
pleasing development of mind.
Being one of the Directors and a partner of a tug
company, the gap between work and relaxation
with Victory does not seem so large. Wooden
boats do seem to draw you in, and given the
amount of work so far, it would be easy to
conclude that they are all work and no play. The
reality is, this is not the labour from a work consider all aspects of my experience of classic
Huon Pine wheelhouse cladding returns Photo
March 2018 Marius Fenger
Page 4
sense, but a labour of love. You are deciding what
Not everyone has the time, money or resources
to meet museum standards, and compromises are
inevitable. It is times like this that the support of
like-minded individuals can be particularly
valuable and foster a sense of camaraderie. The
act of combining classic sail and motor vessels
can only be a benefit for all.
It is timely to mention other aspects of classic
ownership, with interest in classics experiencing
resurgence worldwide. New classics being
launched with many of the design lines from
another time, represented in modern construction
and materials. They are also beautiful and a
change from the modern boat factory that
produces any colour you want, as long as it’s
white (my apologies to Henry Ford). But what is
missing from these vessels is history. Who
designed and built this boat? What has happened
during the boat’s life, and how its owners have
become part of this boat’s life?
In writing this article I have been prompted to
boating. Casual observation could conclude that
it's just about a boat on the water. But I am happy
to say I have found it to be much more than that:
bringing together a particularly nice group of
like-minded individuals who are passionate
about their boats, who also consider that style,
tradition, elegance and history are important.
Victory is a Melbourne tug, although currently
berthed at a marina in Hobart. Having been built
and designed in Williamstown, the heart of
Melbourne maritime. Spending her early years
plying the waters of Port Phillip Bay and later
years on Western Port Bay based in Hastings,
Victory has been a part of so many people’s lives,
that she is certainly living history. Any doubt of
this would soon be dispelled, as it was, at the
recent Wooden Boat Festival, where many of the
visitors who came aboard were from Victoria, and
had either worked on or sailed on Victory. A
request has already been made for Victory to
attend the reopening of Seaport at Williamstown.