I was very fortunate to meet with some relatives/direct descendants of the original owner, Henry Hampden Dutton (I think known variously as Harry, or HHD). Hamish Dutton is the great grandson of Harry, and took a strong interest in Wyruna a number of years ago. He did some detailed research, and collected what items still remained of/from Wyruna during the families ownership. Amazingly, some really interesting items remain in their possession, 100 years later.
One of the items was an original drawing (in blueprint), showing side elevation, and interior and exterior fitout/fittings. This would have comprised one of many drawings completed by Walter Reeks in 1912. It shows his signature, dated 6 July 1912, which is less than six months from when we know delivery occurred. This was fortuitous timing, as we are close to starting deck structures, that will be influenced by rig selection. It enabled a much easier task to trace Wyruna into CAD. The next post will show how this was used – with some rig suggestions.
Apparently this drawing was hanging on a wall in the family’s Rocky Point home on Kangaroo Island for many years. It is fantastic to have a copy.
They also had a number of jumpers/sailing jackets, embroidered with Wyruna and RSAYS, dating from the time of Harry’s ownership (I believe). Given their age, and apparent use for fishing jumpers over the years, they are in remarkable condition. Apparently, the family had many of them.
I was also lucky enough to meet the grand daughter of Harry, who had some fantastic memories of Wyruna, and its apparent significance to the family. Her father was taught to sail in Wyruna.
Plenty to update on. Been busy on a range of boat/sailing and non-marine activities. This has been treated as non-urgent, and I’ve been putting together some updates that have needed context, as there has been progress on detail, that doesn’t evidence much actual much.
I’ve been full time for over six months on Wyruna, with some time off for various reasons – including COVID, some holidays etc. It has been great, but of course the detail work involving a few thousand copper nails, lots of plank refurbishment has felt like wading through molasses from time to time. But we have made some fantastic progress, and while there is plenty more to do, it is coming together in the right shape.
In the last week, we have reached the point where the external frame put in place by Ferdi that was used to bend the boat back into shape, and then support it as we replaced the internal structures, came off. This was to allow us to put the final refurbished planks back on, room for the beam shelves and ultimately deck beams.
The boat also has sufficient strength/integrity to hold itself together, with some cross bracing to ensure it doesn’t follow its natural tendency to flatten out. So far, it has been holding well. The plan should see us having the upper beam shelves in shortly. I am learning not to put a time frame on things!
Some things to note in this picture. The battens joining the stem mark the top of the shear strake, and are a little higher towards the bow than the original shear line. There is one plank to go on each side at this point, before the shear strake. We have used this to set the height of the lower deck beam, to enable these planks to be fastened next. Lots of work to get to this point it feels! Some may notice some glue that has not been cleared (hood ends on the port side in particular). The topside planks have been glued down to each other. They are very narrow, and aren’t considered to swell considerably once in place, and it will ensure a fair finish once complete.
Separately, you can see the work being completed on Vanessa (to the port of Wyruna), which is undergoing a refastening of most of the copper nails, and some rib replacements. Vanessa is a 1922 built William Fife 8 metre racing yacht, and an interesting contrast to Wyruna’s slightly older design and more ‘auxilliary’ lines.
Port Bow
While we have used as much of the original kauri planking as possible, some will require replacing. There is one ‘new’ plank end in this picture, from timber helpfully supplied by the previous owner. Kauri of the right width and thickness has been difficult to source for the wider planks. Floorboards are now rarer (in the necessary dimensions), as they are either too thin when wide enough, or not wide enough when thick enough. By some good luck, I have purchased some desktops that were from some cabinets out of the State Library of Victoria, that should provide for sufficient timber for the planks to be replaced in kauri. The planks requiring replacing are predominantly where the props supporting the boat were punched through in a wind storm that really started the sorry demise of Wyruna. There are 8 replacement sections all up, (not including the shear strakes), generally less than 4 metres long. Out of the original kauri, we will retain about 85% (by metre). The lower planks (garboard plus two above) were hardwood, and will be replaced by new timber, as these have degraded materially and are also more vital structurally. Only one on each side remains on the boat in the picture above.
How the boat looks internally, with the braces removed and most of the planking now complete. The temporary cross braces can be seen here. Before setting final beam shelves and deck beams, we will measure for accuracy.
Standing in the bow.
Standing on the transom, looking forward. Feels like good progress. When contrasted with this…
Image from a similar position, from about March 2020. Still a lot of removal required at this point, obviously!
Internal view of the bow area. Still a lot of clean up work, but the structure is emerging. This is before we took the final old timber out, being the upper beam shelf. Spent a lot of time here in the past few months.
We have been making steady progress. Several diversions on the boat itself, and time off for other things (both myself and Christian from Ferdi’s team).
Planking has been the focus of most of the activity – with good progress made. Briefly, we have five planks on port and four on starboard to refasten. Of these, only 5 need refurbishing, as the rest have been completed and can go into place without further work. This is of the kauri planks. There are a further three hardwood planks (including the garboard) that will be replaced.
We remain on the hunt for some appropriate timber to replace sections in about nine of the kauri planks – some up to 5 metres. Although most are less than 4 metres. Photos below. Fair bit of tidy up work to be done, but we are trying to keep timber loss to a minimum at this point.
Just a short update, more as a placeholder so I can recall where we are currently placed, and post more detail later.
Last two months has seen us reinforce the transverse floors, which was started mid 2021. These important structures seek to minimise lateral movement of the keel, connect the lower part of the hull to the keel (particularly when heeling). Ivan Knight had reported that there was leaking in the lower planks, potentially from lateral movement of the keel.
Our reinforcement will include some additional laminated timber across the original natural crooks that composed the original floors, connected to the larger stringers featured in an earlier post. These will be further connected by some bronze cast secondary floors, that will connect to the keel bolts, stringers and lower planking to form a much stronger lower hull. All going well!
We have also started refurbishing and refastening the planks, and as of 5 April, have an additional 7 planks installed, although not all fastened for now. We need some longer (125mm) copper nails, to connect through the stringers, and when we get there, the deckbeams.
A few months back an opportunity presented to take a break from corporate work and focus full time on Wyruna’s reconstruction, sailing (bit to learn here, as an understatement) and accelerate this program.
If it all goes well, in 12 months we’ll be in the water, sailing and halfway to a career change.
I finish my full time employment towards the end of January 2022, after 26 or so years, and will move straight into the shed. Still a lot to do!
So many more updates next year, all going well.
Update – April 2022. I finished work in late February 2022, and have been busy on Wyruna since then. Lots to update, but much of it is detail work, that I’ll endeavour to place in some sort of context (before/after). That feels like it makes sense.
I understand this is the original compass from Wyruna, kept for over 80 years by prior owner John Rischbieth. John was gifted Wyruna in 1933 for his 16th birthday, and would own it for ten years. It would be fantastic to reunite it with the boat, but I suspect it will not be our primary navigation assistant. Image very kindly sent by relatives of John’s, who also still have the red ensign. Unfortunately John is no longer with us.
He provided some great stories in some interviews published by the RSAYS about his time on Wyruna, one involving this compass (presumably), an iron windlass handle and a subsequent and consequent beaching near St Kilda (SA) on a night sail back across St Vincent’s Gulf.
We haven’t been able to get over to the shed for some time now, but the good news is that Ferdi’s team has been working through on Wyruna.
The following pictures are screen shots from videos Ferdi has sent across to keep us updated. Good progress has been made replacing upper and lower stringers, reinforcing the floors and connecting them more soundly to the new stringers, and putting the first of the refurbished planks back on. Great news.
Stringer detail.
A detail picture, showing the scarf join in the new lower spotted gum stringer. This spotted gum has been steaming really well, with these longer timbers being bagged and steamed in the boat, requiring only a little pressure to get them in place. The team have increased the cross section of these timbers for a number of reasons. It has added some useful longitudinal strength, and has acted as a strong back to tie the new ribs to, enabling the shape to be pulled back in/pushed out where required. Nearly 40 years being supported by props had an effect on the shape, however in good news Ferdi reports that they have been successful in returning some nice fair lines. These heavier stringers will also be directly connected to the floors, by new laminations (using original stringer timber) and fastened through. The intention here is to reduce a reported feature of Wyruna, which saw the keel move laterally from time to time while under sail. Previous owner Ivan mentioned this in a recent visit, and it would be a feature we would like to reduce! This picture also shows the doubled (and broader) ribs around the mast step/chainplate, for additional strength.
New lower stringers – looking aft.
Still with the internal bracing in place, this shows the new lower stringers, with the old upper ones still in place. A new upper stringer is in place, bagged in black plastic for steaming – just to the left in this picture. This also shows the temporary internal bracing, which has been used to ensure we can retain and move Wyruna’s shape as the new structural timber is put in. When the new ribs were completed, while adding the required/intended strength and rigidity, there was a noticeable change in pressure on this frame. There were a good few days of puzzlement, measurement, pushing and pulling for Christian to bring it all back together. The chain in the middle of this picture ties this temporary frame to the keelson, and is remarkably tight, indicative of the work it is doing.
New stringers – looking aft.
Similar to the above picture, but with the upper stringer now in place. I am not certain, but the brace to the left of this picture, immediately in front of the ladder looks to be resting on a section of old stringer, giving a good indication of the additional size of the new one now installed just above it.
First plank back on!
A little difficult to see, but the first refurbished planks copper fastened back on to Wyruna are here. It is the one with the notch in the upper hood end, pending repair. This is the lowest of the original kauri planks, with the three below this being hardwood (including the garboard). We’ve made the decision to replace the lower planks with new timber, as the originals have not lasted. There is a lot of surface checking, which is considered okay, but some quite large splits through the timber in parts. Given they also connect to the floors, some additional strength from new timber would be welcome. We may be able to use the garboards (remarkably), but I am considering this unlikely for now. New stem and apron in evidence here also.
refurbished planks
Bit difficult to see, as it doesn’t show the length that well, but this is >37 feet of original kauri planking refurbished and ready to go back on. In remarkable condition 108 years after first being attached to Wyruna, and now ready for another 100 years. The notch in the front is a repair, pending the arrival of some new kauri. Happily, Ivan has a store of from his original intentions to refurbish Wyruna, and once we have some greater freedom of movement, we will be able to pick some of this up. There are a few planks in need of substantial repair, and this kauri will be both much appreciated and very useful.
Also seen here to the right (portside) of Wyruna is the 8 metre yacht Vanessa, in for a substantial rebuild also. Although not to quite the same extent!
Bit of a sidetrip down some of the mornings during my six weeks at Ferdi’s shed in Williamstown. I’m generally getting there early to greet the sun and beat the traffic. Although the recent COVID lockdown did reduce that considerably!
Generally taken from the Seaworks carpark, that Ferdi and his team work out of.
12 May 202113 May 202118 May 2021 with hot air balloons19 May 202121 May 202121 May 202124 May 202126 May 20217 June 20217 June 20218 June 2021
Split this post, really just a follow on from the last one.
Quick grab of coming out of the thicknesser.
Completed, and underway for installation – Christian matching the natural curve of the timber with the sheer, where possible. Scarf yet to be cut. As noted, this timber is quite green, has a wonderful waxy feel to the hand, but is a little difficult to machine and wears hard on the saws/thicknesser. Very heavy at the 6.1m lengths we are using.
