Introducing Robin

**robinhilliard** · 11th March 2009, 08:56 PM

Hello All,

I've just joined the forum after running into Michael again at the SA Wooden Boat Show last weekend, and rather than lurk I thought I'd post a quick intro.

I live in Sydney and built a 16'6'' Ian Oughtred Ness Boat starting at the Duck Flat Summer School in '96 and launched in '04 (Michael helped set up the details of the lug rig for me). I'm currently scratch-building a 6' pram dinghy to fit inside the Ness boat for trailering, with the idea that it have just enough volume to be used as a tender for me to get to shore (the Ness is a bit big to pull up on the beach single-handed) and double as a low-powered gunkholing sailing dinghy for my young daughters, using the mizzen mast from the Ness.

Talking to Michael on the weekend we came up with the idea of using the PD racer CB and rudder design for the pram, so that I can reuse them if I build a RAID (or it turns out to be a Collins-class pram). The plans are on the way and I'll let you all know how it goes.

Cheers,
Robin

**m2c1Iw** · 11th March 2009, 09:02 PM

G'day Robin and welcome,
The festival was a great event and the weather was kind.

When you figure out how to post pics we will look forward to some pics of both the Ness and the festival.

Cheers
Mike

**robinhilliard** · 11th March 2009, 09:41 PM

Hi Mike,

Michael has already posted some of the show photos in the welcome thread, the full set is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7960153...7614890730947/

And there are photos of the launch and subsequent sailing of the Ness Boat Harry Henry here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7960153...7600120074136/

I have a lot of photos of the construction but they're on *gasp* paper - at some time I need to get them scanned. The story of the construction and subsequent history of modifications is quite epic, with five major moves of building location; lost trailer wheels on the Hay plains; initial sea trials involving surfing ferry wakes on Sydney harbour in 25 knots of wind with a four year old on board; snapped masts and Olympic rowing endurance records being set to the chant "I am building an outboard motor mount, I am building an outboard..."

Robin

**m2c1Iw** · 11th March 2009, 09:57 PM

Cool, thanks

**Boatmik** · 12th March 2009, 01:05 AM

Taking a small liberty ... here are some pics of Robin's Ness Boat

Before the internet had become quite so useful I met Robin at Boat Books in Sydney where I did a once every fortnight boatbuilding advice session.

(that was it?? wasn't it Robin?)

At any rate ... very nice to see you here.

MIK

**robinhilliard** · 12th March 2009, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by Boatmik

Before the internet had become quite so useful I met Robin at Boat Books in Sydney where I did a once every fortnight boatbuilding advice session.

(that was it?? wasn't it Robin?)

Yes, we had some good chats in Boat Books - I was already very familiar with your work from the Duck Flat catalogue, Beth being a close second for my choice of boat (the Ness is still a canoe yawl). A few years later I was putting off ordering the sails and rigging hardware because I was thinking of getting your advice and you were no longer in Sydney - but then when I finally decided to at least order the sails I rang KA sails in Adelaide, and guess who answered the phone

). The sails, ropes and hardware arrived with two pages of handwritten diagrams, a high-point in customer service yet to be matched in my retail life.

Robin

PS: However it was only upon reading your GIS lug piece on your site a few days ago that I remembered the whole point of leading the main halyard from the front of the yard back to a block was to pass it around the OTHER side of the mast

. Looking forward to trying that...

Robin

**b.o.a.t.** · 12th March 2009, 01:06 PM

Nice boat !!
No... that doesn't cover it....

Gorgeous boat !!

Smith's Lake ?

cheers
AJ

**robinhilliard** · 12th March 2009, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by b.o.a.t.

Nice boat !!
No... that doesn't cover it....

Gorgeous boat !!

Smith's Lake ?

cheers
AJ

Why thank you

)

And yes it's Smith's Lake, well spotted. Just a few days before these photos the lake was the highest it had been in living memory (my extended family lived there through most of the 80s) and I got to sail up some creeks (full of paperbarks, lovely) that would normally not be navigable. I also have some photos of the torrent when they opened the sandbar with a bulldozer - spectacular!

Robin

**robinhilliard** · 14th March 2009, 11:13 AM

Some photos of the scow/pram project in her current form:

higher-res photos

This is how much I got done with the first sheet of 9mm Gaboon - didn't have quite enough left for the transom. The inner keel and knees are long-hoarded offcuts from the Ness Boat project. This is the first time I've built knees, I created six identical copies with about a 100 degree angle - with them all epoxied and screwed in place the gluing should be very straightforward.

The boat has been designed by eyeball, the only principle being that it had to fit between the Ness Boat's CB case and side for trailering, and I put all the rocker into the aft two thirds and left the front third straight. I'm planning a foam cushion on the bottom for rowing, and to mount the mast (Ness Boat mizzen) and CB (PD Racer) as far forward as possible so that they don't get in the way in tender mode. There will probably be a small foredeck supported by the CB case to act as a mast partner.

Cheers,
Robin

**arbordg** · 14th March 2009, 01:34 PM

Robin,

Welcome, and thaks for sharing your fotos.

**robhosailor** · 30th March 2009, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by Boatmik

here are some pics of Robin's Ness Boat
/.../
At any rate ... very nice to see you here.

WOW!!!
It's nice indeed!!!

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