Abandoned schooner in Queensland Australia

[jockster1059]

Hi everyone, re the disused Laguna Quays resort near Yepoon in Queensland... does anyone know the name of the abandoned schooner on the hard stand, and it's history? Cheers Jim.

[LittleWing77]

Poor baby! (What a mess.)

You know who would probably know, Jock?

Our CF Member, Fore and Aft. He's a surveyor and seems to know most of the boat stories on your continent.

Cheers,
LittleWing77

[RaymondR]

Laguna Quays is a long way from Yepoon. I'd say the nearest town is either Mackay or Proserpine.

[LakeSuperior]

Very cool looking yacht!! It somehow stirs the soul.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Laguna Quays is a long way from Yepoon. I'd say the nearest town is either Mackay or Proserpine.

Yep, it's about 25km South of Prosepine and 80Km North of Mackay.


Yeppoon (two "p"'s ) is about 250km South of Mackay (as the crow flies, more like 300 by road)

[jockster1059]

Yeah my geography and spelling are obviously not up to scratch... I live in Tasmania, and I had an idea that the boat in the photo may have come from here originally. Just trying to dig up a bit of history.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by jockster1059

Yeah my geography and spelling are obviously not up to scratch... I live in Tasmania, and I had an idea that the boat in the photo may have come from here originally. Just trying to dig up a bit of history.

That's OK. I misspelt Proserpine

[RaymondR]

There was a schooner rigged boat called "Black Pearl" with the same colour scheme about on the section of coast between Bundaberg and Airlie Beach but the one in the image looks a bit bigger than my memory of it. Owned by a Vietnam vet with a bad leg, first name Paul, and I think he had built it himself in Tasmania.

[Fore and Aft]

Jockster I wonder what the story is with that schooner? Did you look on Yachthub to see if she is for sale? If you ask me she is ripe for conversion to a playhouse.
Little Wing whatever happened to ENZA?
Cheers

[Bowdrie]

Me likes the ship, the deckhouses not so much.
Interestingly, it has a real "jib boom" set on top of the "bowsprit", which is quite proper and traditional.

[Hasbeen]

What a good place for such a monstrosity. It could at least make a good weekender if solidly aground, beyond flood level.


Even Francis Herreshoff himself, the inventor of the clipper bow stated that it was unsuitable for any vessel of less than 70Ft load water line.

The weather helm must be dreadful for the inner forestay to be set way out passed the bow & the forestay damn near into the next ocean to try to overcome the dreadful hill lines & bow.

The last thing any sailer needs is a "picturesque" boat, more suitable for the picture on a biscuit tin lid, than to ever go to sea, & that is one in spades.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Hasbeen

Even Francis Herreshoff himself, the inventor of the clipper bow stated that it was unsuitable for any vessel of less than 70Ft load water line.
[I]The weather helm must be dreadful for the inner forestay to be set way out passed the bow & the forestay damn near into the next ocean to try to overcome the dreadful hill lines

First off, L. Francis did NOT "invent" a clipper bow, not by a long shot.
Let's see, L. Francis designed the "Nereia" at 38', and the "Mobjack" at 45', both with clipper bows, and both sail very well, their were others too.
That "ship ashore" looks as though it's set-up for at least 3 headsails, maybe 4.
The reason?
If you look at the hull lines you'll see that with the full bow the center of lateral plane is quite forward.
So, depending upon point of sail and various wind strengths the jib positions were used to balance the rig.
Hulls/rigs such as that plied the world over for well over a century, proving dependable and safe, and only needing a small crew.
A typical "South Seas trader", if you will.
Look up the schooner "Pilgrim", an Alden design from the '30s and study her lines.
"Dreadful hull lines"? Me thinks somebody needs some education.

[Hasbeen]

"Hulls/rigs such as that plied the world over", Bowdrie.

Yes indeed Bowdrie, because the hull shape is an efficient cargo carrier, but so is a rectangular box.


I have sailed a few things like that, & it is not anything that could be called a pleasure. I have even sailed an ex US coast guard buoy tender, but it was not a nice experience.



There was a very similar thing once in Gladstone, with a broken motor, & a crew without enough money to repair it. They needed to get to Sydney but were not game to move the thing without a working motor.


We offered to tow them out to sea, & then in fact showed them that the thing could be handled under the front main, [it was at least not gaff rigged], but they were not game to try. Probably a wise decision on their part.


I guess you & I have different ideas on what is acceptable sailing characteristics in a pleasure boat.

[Bowdrie]

Let us not forget the "Friendship Sloop", nor the Chesapeake Bay oyster smacks for more protected waters.
We could also include several designs by William Garden, and a bunch by William Atkin, good boats all.
Go to weather like an S&S Swan? I don't think so, but fully capable of safe ocean work.
Mustn't forget the Cherubini 44, well sailed they have shown their sterns to many so-called "performance cruisers".
"All that is new is not better, nor is all that is older bad", I know, sometimes that's a hard concept to grasp for many in the world of cruising.

[Hasbeen]

Jumping to conclusions there Bowdrie, just because I don't think a hull designed for maximum carrying capacity is suitable for a pleasure boat doesn't mean I think the latest ocean racer is any more suitable. Todays racers have too fine an entry designed to get to windward & too fat a stern designed to support large crews, & promote surfing too be suitable for short handed or solo sailing.


I did 53,000 miles around the Pacific in a 1934 built Honduras mahogany Morgan Giles designed yacht, designed for Saturday sailing on the solent, an attack on the meter boat rule, not some tupperwear or plastic fantastic modern.


I have plenty of time on modern ocean racers, & am well aware of their deficiencies, as I am on picturesque old world working boats. I sailed a couple of old Oz converted pearling luggers in the tourist industry, & know just how limited such boats are when it comes to sailing in restricted waters. I also sailed one of our America's Cup 12 meters when she went tourist day tripping. Guess which worked best.



Picturesque is great in the tourist industry, but not much use crossing oceans, or beating off a lea shore.