Public Address | Cafe | Speaker: A Slight Diversion from Election Fever: A Brief Essay on the Lost Art of Ferrocement Boatbuilding

Sue Wilson

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 19:51:17 +1200

Hi Nancy, I have been following with interest the story of the missing couple in the Sounds in 1998 I was one of many that saw the mystery ketch, I have been trying to find the match for years, would you have a picture of the Lonebird taken side on…

Lilith __

Mon, 08 Sept 2014 23:53:15 +1200

My wonderful aunt is currently organizing Harold’s voting papers in hospital. She advises any potential visitors: “Harold is hanging out for election anecdotes so remember to pass something on when you see him. If you can think of anything that reflects badly on John Key you would make his day.”…

Lilith __

Mon, 08 Sept 2014 23:50:22 +1200

And now-ish … Maybe it’s in Samoa :)

As I recall, it fell over in the quakes and the authorities made the guy take it to the dump. Sorry.

David Haywood

Mon, 08 Sept 2014 23:40:39 +1200

Just an update on Harold: he has greatly enjoyed reading all these comments, but has had a few setbacks in hospital, so unfortunately is unable to reply as yet.

My wonderful aunt is currently organizing Harold's voting papers in hospital. She advises any potential visitors: "Harold is hanging out for…

Rob Stowell

Thu, 04 Sept 2014 11:23:30 +1200

And now-ish ... Maybe it's in Samoa :)

Joe Wylie

Thu, 04 Sept 2014 10:21:27 +1200

I seem to remember it from my childhood – it’s been there many decades, an icon, a concrete symbol of someone’s unrealised dream.

Circa 2008

Rob Stowell

Thu, 04 Sept 2014 10:15:09 +1200

Who knows about the black ferro boat on fairy road Christchurch? It was really ugly, and I wonder if it survived the earth quakes.
I seem to remember it from my childhood – it's been there many decades, an icon, a concrete symbol of someone's unrealised dream.
Lately I'm not…

Nancy Blackett

Wed, 03 Sept 2014 22:00:35 +1200

I agree that Nancy was more exciting but I think that Susan was portrayed as a vital and appreciated member of the crew. She was first mate and a competent sailor. Keeping the crew in order and the camp shipshape are the mate's job. There were lots of ways to…

Carol Stewart

Wed, 03 Sept 2014 13:46:11 +1200

I think Arthur Ransome wrote fantastic girls
Apart from poor old Susan, who got stuck with all the thankless tasks. Perhaps she was intended as a dramatic foil for the charismatic and fabulous Nancy.
One of the nicest things I received from my dear grandmother was some of the original…

Steve Barnes

Wed, 03 Sept 2014 02:17:25 +1200

I have thought about a book in a gonzo style of journalism.
Hunter S. is still one of my heroes, I had my first beating from a stranger with Hell’s Angels in my pocket, not really sure if that means anything but hey…
I feel our paths may have crossed…

Paul Brown

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 21:35:49 +1200

I have thought about a book in a gonzo style of journalism. I used to tell my daughter bedtime stories of my travels. One of her favourites was from when we were sailing from Darwin to Bali. When sailing downwind in the trades we used to hang off the mainsheet…

Chris Fabling

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 19:05:03 +1200

Neat .. permission to board captain. My late cousin Athol Burns had an interest also in ferrocement ocean going yotts .. he & my father used to tinker in Wellngton when they had their boat building shed at Ballena Bay before moving up to Northland. I will add yr pix to…

Rob Stowell

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 11:13:46 +1200

so big-budget that there’d be no chance of it being made.
This seems cheap, really – maybe not the full budget? And the quality … I tried, but couldn’t watch more than ten minutes here and there …

David Haywood

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 10:07:56 +1200

My mother moved into a home recently and going through the house I found all the letters I had sent my parents. Some were up to 12 pages long. It was good to see the stories I tell,l were not too far from the truth. Though they were censored, there…

David Haywood

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 10:05:16 +1200

In my mind Nancy B grew up and became Nancy Wake.

Wow — weirdly I've also had that same exact train of thought!

I've long wondered why Nancy Wake isn't much more famous in New Zealand — for my money she's probably the coolest NZer ever. Perhaps they could put…

Nancy Blackett

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 08:51:55 +1200

Thanks David, I think Arthur Ransome wrote fantastic girls. In my mind Nancy B grew up and became Nancy Wake.

ChrisW

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 08:31:46 +1200

Unfortunately Harold is currently in hospital (he cracked a femur during some shenanigans after ...
Best wishes to Harold for full rehabilitation to shenanigan-capability again (even if maturing caution means that capability might not be exercised so much?)

Paul Brown

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 01:19:20 +1200

Well Harold, I never expected to see a post about ferro cement boatbuilding on Public Address. I, also built a ferro yacht (along with 3 other) on the North Shore in the early 70s.
It was a stretched Hartley Tahitian 50 ft ketch named Aokautere. When we started we thought…

WaynePhillips

Tue, 02 Sept 2014 00:34:44 +1200

Great story!
Declaring my interest, I'm a structural Engineer working in London.

I went to a seminar a month or two ago which I found very interesting. On the nautical side I remembered that when I was in Vietnam I had noticed the water tankers supplying all the junks in…

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 23:15:11 +1200

Here’s a picture of Lonebird in the early 90’s.

Great photo, Nancy! And my seven-year-old son (Arthur Ransome fan that he is) will just about have a heart attack when he sees your name.

Nancy Blackett

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 21:45:18 +1200

Here's a picture of Lonebird in the early 90's. I'm still inspired by the sheer willpower of Pete to get her built and keep her sailing.

Waz Bradley

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 21:00:32 +1200

I had a great friend who built (by sheer force of will and tenacity) a 90' gaff rigged ferro schooner. Being a traditional rigger, with an obsession with marlingspike seamanship, I was frequently to be found aloft, splicing wires, worming, parcelling and serving over shrouds, or below decks working on…

Kevin McCready

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 19:52:06 +1200

My knowledge of ferro boats was that some were built well and others weren't. But I too would be interested in their longevity, the factors eating them away (concrete cancer whereby the reo rusts inside and expands before breaking?) and maintenance issues. PS Russell Brown, are you a sailor, boat…

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 19:03:58 +1200

I collected my second Ferro cement boat from diamond habour a few years back. It was a Harley Tahitian. My other Ferro boat was also a Tahitian, but the stretched version.

Wow, a double ferrocement owner! Presumably you liked them? I am intrigued that they do seem to have a…

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 18:59:51 +1200

Well, ok, he enjoyed having it, she enjoyed the occasional sail on a fine day. Much as I did :)

I think this was rather like my grandparents' relationship RE: Loxley.

I recall my grandmother saying — possibly quoting a well-known adage (though not well-known to me) — that you…

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 18:54:28 +1200

I wonder if the shot of the fully rigged Loxley was taken in Mansion House Bay on Kawau?

Yes, I can confirm that you are correct – impressive memory, sir!

And a big thank you to everyone for their get well messages to Harold.

Gregor Ronald

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 18:22:50 +1200

I was told that half of all ferro-cement boats ended up as swimming pools.

FletcherB

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 15:44:32 +1200

I was there only a few months back, and unless there are other bays with similar mansions (none that I know of?), I will concur with your conclusion that it's Mansion House Bay on Kawau Island.

And thanks to Harold for a great story.

Susan Snowdon

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 15:36:47 +1200

Thank you for that lovely story and family photos. Much enjoyed. Best wishes for Harold's recovery.

stephen walker

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 15:26:42 +1200

Lovely story. I wonder if the shot of the fully rigged Loxley was taken in Mansion House Bay on Kawau? We used to go there often in the early to mid-70s. I haven't been there for more than 30 years, but that scene just looked very familiar...

danielpresling

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 14:29:26 +1200

Thank you so much for this story. I have very fond memories of my Grandfather's ferro yacht 'Shady Lady' and I've loved the feel of ferro in the water all my life.

Get well soon Harold.

Moz

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 14:08:12 +1200

I thought every town in NZ was required to have a ferroconcrete decoration in the shape of a boat? It certainly seemed that way to me in the 70's and 80's. Some of them launched, some of them were turned into odd-shaped sheds.

I vaguely recall the one down the…

Steve Curtis

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 14:07:05 +1200

Isnt the ferro-cement still used for those floating marina pontoons. The local rowing club has one to launch their hulls into an estuary with a large tidal range. Floats just a few cm above the changing water level. Never to sail upon wine dark seas unfortunately !

Angela Hart

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 14:01:22 +1200

This is a great story, you are a remarkable man Harold. It speaks to kiwi ingenuity, intelligence and faith (and a wonderful family) that you completed the building of this remarkable vessel without any sailing experience. I'm sorry to hear of your accident but thank you very much for this…

Fooman

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 13:44:48 +1200

Not quite so short a blip. There was a ferrocrete hull on what seemed like permanent display in someones back yard at the top of Morley St in New Plymouth. Years of driving past it in the 80's. Grey and weathered. Then one day it was gone.

Was it finished?…

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 13:33:53 +1200

Harold the guest blogger photographed an hour or so ago in hospital. He had a pretty awful night and is not at all looking his best. My aunt is with him (last seen launching a boat in this post).

Incidentally neither my grandfather nor aunt have more than a few…

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 13:22:14 +1200

What a wonderful story! Thank you Harold. And get better soon!

Thanks Lilith, will pass on your kind message...

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 13:21:24 +1200

I’ve never quite been able to love any ferro-cement boat since. (Apologies to Harold and Loxley, which looks lovely. I’ve fancied the H28 since a teen – Herreshoff is a legend.)

Yes, I’m a huge Herreshoff fan myself! But that certainly sounds like a very negative ferrocement experience there, Rob.…

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 13:12:40 +1200

What became of Loxley? Is this it, last year, about to head to Tonga?

Answering for Harold: Well-spotted, Ben! Yes, that's Loxley! Aluminium masts instead of the oregon now, I notice. Harold told me he'd had recent reports that Loxley has been spotted in Samoa, so this all ties together…

BenWilson

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 13:04:01 +1200

What became of Loxley? Is this it, last year, about to head to Tonga?

Enjoyable story, Harold, thanks for the diversion.

Lilith __

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 13:01:51 +1200

What a wonderful story! Thank you Harold. And get better soon!

Rob Stowell

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 12:37:38 +1200

My father and an enthusiastic friend built a ferro-cement dingy one afternoon on the beach at Purau.
We dug sand to build up the shape, a board across the stern, some chicken-wire, and we mixed and scraped and smoothed cement over it. My not-perfect memory is that it cured fast…

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 11:59:03 +1200

One of the things that I most liked about your account, Harold, is the fact that you built a 37-foot yacht without actually having sailed before. Just as well it turned out that you liked sailing.

David Haywood

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 11:52:11 +1200

Unfortunately Harold is currently in hospital (he cracked a femur during some shenanigans after writing this guest blog and finishing his latest book), but any comments left here will be passed onto him. Hopefully he can respond to any questions.

I can also report that Harold dislikes John Key as…

Public Address

Mon, 01 Sept 2014 11:52:11 +1200

Discussion from blog post.