Yowzer! and I just thought our sandbaggers were oversparred!

[Paul Pless]

Just got the Spring 2007 Maritime Life and Traditions...




Folks, these are eighteen footers with a crew of 18 to keep em on their feet!

[TimH]

Looks like fun
(in warm water)

[Paul Pless]

there's a picture in the article of an 18' boat that has a 45' spinnaker pole

[brian.cunningham]

Didn't WB do an article on those a while back?

[Wild Dingo]

Paul are those the Aussie ones from some years back?... if so I will hunt up some info I have on them... bloody tuff as buggary them fellas

[Wild Dingo]

Okay did some hunting and scanning

Pics courtesy of Australian Wooden boats Vol 1... (with special thanks to Jeff "Ironmule")

Okay the 18ft "Brittania"





Some loose info
Brittania was built 1919 by a bloke named "Wee" George Robinson
Carvel built, bright finished side planks all flush although some in the class were clinker build either way the class was heavily built... it took 6 weeks to build Brittania she was fastened with 7200 copper nails from 1 1/2in to 6in in size each dipped in varnish before being driven.

Brittania was a 18fter although her bowsprit stuck out 21ft her boom with ringtail spar extended measured 43ft!!! her spinnaker pole was 45ft overall... overall length of off that gear was 71ft!!!

In a breeze of over 18 knots she carried a crew of 14 and a small boy... sailing into the wind she carried 1000sq ft of sail sailing before the wind up to 2,800 sq feet of sail (on an 18 ft skiff!! }

(If required I can tell more cause I dont think the words are that clear for you)

And another 18ft "Taree"




Then we Aussies went reallly deep into troppo land with the 8ft Zephyr





Drawn first by Harry Pritchard of Sydney in 1891 built 1892 - 1893 first raced in 1893... 8ft LOA x 8ft Beam... carried 3 persons in Irene Pritchard at the tiller, H. Pritchard on mainsheet and Fred Pritchard on jib.... she carried an 18ft mast 16ft boom and a 10ft bowsprit {there is no mention in the write up on sail size}

Truely we have always been a rather troppo bunch of galahs down here

ahem thats if the pics at the start of the thread are on Aussie early skiff maniacs that is PAUL???

[Paul Fitzgerald]

The classic 18 footers have made a comeback in the last few years on Sydney Harbour

www.sydneyflyingsquadron.com.au/classhist.htm

Traditionally, the 18 footers carried a Rugby League football team, a skipper and a bailing boy. Something for the footballers to do in the summer off season.

I grew up into 12 foot skiffs at Greenwich in the mid '60's, when we were just starting to race twin trapeze boats.
There were still a few old post war skiffs in the club, which were scaled down 18 footers and I crewed on them in a few races. Around six crew and a bailer boy.

The spinnaker pole was so long it was in two halves, which were joined together on the downwind leg and pulled apart to store on the boom going upwind.

There was no end to end jybe. The pole was passed over the forestay, which was on the end of a 10 foot bowsprit. Another job for the bailer boy.

www.skiff.org.au/history.htm

Beautiful boats, cold moulded in clear cedar and resourcinol, or clinker. Always finished clear.

The old skiffs were completely open, no side decks and no bouyancy tanks. If you capsized your race was over, they usually had to be towed to shore before they could be righted.

Most of the 18 footer skippers grew up in twelves, they sure taught you how to sail and to be self reliant.

[brian.cunningham]

Great looking boats

How fast are they?

[Concordia...41]

Holy Sail Plan Batman!

[Paul Pless]

Okay the 18ft "Brittania"

that's the one from the article
outstanding!

[Chris.]

I have crewed a few times on Aberdare .....



And I must say that retrospectively it was great fun (seen from the bar at the Flying Squadron) but it was a scary ride at the time.

Aberdare has very deep hull, and it takes a lot of wind to get her on the plane. We did it, but it did feel like I was on a train wreck about to happen. However, we did not swim that time.

The skipper/owner, Rob Tearne, also has a 6' skiff. The 6 footers are probably more outrageous than the eighteens. Apart from being 6' long, they are also 6' wide with an 8' bowsprit. They have a permanent canvas spray dodger to stop them taking on too much water. usually sailed with a crew of two plus boy. I have not sailed on the 6 footer and have no wish to do so. I claim that I am too old and too big for such a small boat (all true).
However, the average age on Aberdare is probably about 50 .... and though terrifying at times, I have never knocked back a request to crew.

[shark_ef]

whoooooohhaaaaa!!! that looks like fun, but not for amateurs, or at least not for all amateurs, somebody should know what they're doing!

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Here we go, skiff porn
The historic eighteens went to Perth over easter. Enjoy

http://www.westernsail.com/soundslides/historical18s/