salt and wood

1. The bits.

2. Point launch.

3. Headed for the beach.

4. Leaving the point.

5. Comming in.

6. Landing.

The Eric was a prolonged experiment that involved a couple of test launches while waiting for a suitable off shore winter breeze to sail her out into the Pacific. She was first cobbled together from flotsam collected along the rocks at Yarra Bay and test sailed from the tip of the artificial wave break back to the beach. The hull was a timber, PET bottles and foam combo with half a brick tied under it on some timber lengths. This was one of the first self righting non skimmer style boats. The mast was from lengths of abandoned fishing rod fixed together and the main sail was cut from a washed up deck chair. A float and a bit of red cloth were fixed from the crows nest a a means of greater visibility for longer should a successful sea launch be achieved.

The sail was located to far back for such a long bow and she sailed ‘sideways’ on her first run. This was corrected by adding an additional rudder and also a foresail to assist in keeping the nose downwind.