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Thread: Gwen 12

  1. #106
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    Minbun, FNQ, Australia
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    Default

    Amnesia, somebody is bound to remember that.
    Cliff.
    If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.

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  3. #107
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    South Australia
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    1

    Default a recent owner of a Gwen 12 joins the thread

    Hello All,
    What a great read this thread has been. I recently bought a Gwen from a chap in Goolwa, SA (who only a few months earlier had bought it from someone in Hahndorf). Sail number 1948, which I was told might place her in around 1969. She is open transomed, all ply. By the look of her set up she must have been owned by someone who knew their stuff - the rigging and fittings seem to have been tweeked for performance. As some of the seams were opening up and leaking we have spent the spring sanding back, taping with glass and repainting her (she has now lost her yellow livery and is sporting a red hull, white interior and varnished deck - incidentally we found several layers of older paint under the yellow - blue over white over red over yellow!). Almost there now, only the inside to repaint, the deck to re-varnish and then set her up. We had the mast restayed and will be replacing a couple of the ropes. She was bought for our son who has taken up sailing at the age of 14. Originally I bought a Sundance 16ft two man cat for the two of us to sail but he was more interested in monohull skiffs as this is what he sails with his school. I am an old Kitty cat sailor and remember the Gwens from the early 80's. They are a great looking boat and performed really well, although I should say the Kitty, which is also 12ft., was designed and succeeded in to killing off the Gwens and similar skiffs that competed in the inter dominion races. They were too successful and were kicked out of the skiff comp. only to emerge as a class of their own (Sadly the Kitty has also gone the way of the Gwen, despite a couple of upgrades to construction and rig).
    I am really looking forward to getting the Gwen into the water in the next couple of weeks as I am sure she will not disappoint.
    I too would like to get hold of a set of plans, and if anyone out there has any Gwen bits and pieces they can part with I would like to hear from them.
    Cheers , Ron

  4. #108
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    296

    Default Website

    Hi,
    Adding to the thread, we bought a Gwen 12 from S.A. late last year.
    Well, the year's almost gone and we've only been out a few times but had an amazing time!
    To try and bring all the Gwen information together, I've started on a little website - www.gwen12.org - that needs lots more work and information.
    Please let me know if there's some information I can add.

    Perhaps there's a chance at bringing some boats together as well?! A new association...??

    Robert

  5. #109
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
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    Baringhup
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    Another new member. Reading with interest all the quotes on the 'old Gwen 12'.
    I was taken with the quote from Gwen 12 Sailor. My father built my brother and myself each a Gwen back in the early 60s and sailed it for a few years. Then moved on to Kitty Cats (again also built by Dad). Did the Nationals at Largs Bay in about 1967. Had a few, then moved into Javelins, trailable yachts, etc. I purchased another Gwen around 25 years ago (Sail No.1905, possible mid to late 50s), which my children and their friends sailed mainly at Albert Park Lake in their winter series (too cold and rough on Port Phillip), where they learnt the art of "trapping". This happened for a while until the old glue gave up and the decks started coming off. Been in my shed until I recently retired, now have the time to start the rebuild. The boat was built by H.G. Lang, has Dehaviland Alloy spars and Miller and Whitworth sails. Looking forward to finishing the boat and have some more younger kids sail it up here in central Victoria at Cairn Curran SC. What a great boat the were and still are. Love to see a new association formed and sail at Wooden Boat regattas. Saw a Gwen in Tassie at 2013 Wooden Boat Festival. Great event, was locked in Constitution Dock for 4 days in my brother's Newark Islands Sharpie 23.
    Cheers, Ralph

  6. #110
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Mandurah, Western Australia
    Posts
    11

    Default More on Gwen

    Hi all,
    Way back in the early 1950's I sailed an old VJ from the old Albert Sailing Club at the north end of the Lake close to the back of the VFL home ground of South Melbourne FC.
    It was mixed fleet racing with a variety of old Snipes, a couple of Mk1 Moths, 2 so-called Sandridge Sharpie 12's - a fore runner of the very pretty, cold moulded, not-really-home-buildable Port Phillip 12's (which did not catch on in sufficient quantities to challenge the numerical strength of the difficult to home-build Gwen in a number of InterDominion Championships), a 16' cold moulded scow [very modern for the 1950's], a beautiful Payne-Mortlock sailing canoe with twin hiking planks and a 20' catamaran designed, owned and sailed by none other than Charile Cunningham and son Lindsay! Son also sailed the initial QuikCat on Albert Park Lake on occasions.
    Quite surprising that they used Albert Park Lake for their early Yvonne 20 and Quikkie 16 at fine tuning. Needless to say they had to do 4 laps of the course whilst the rest of the Club's fleet only had to do 2 or 3 laps

    The Gwen 12 (named after Charlies wife or daughter - can't remember which) still had been designed with lots of fiddly details probably intended to save weight and materials but inside I recall there were lots of "sticks" to keep things apart. Lindsay followed a similar line with complicated [read fiddly] construction details on the QuikCat.
    It was oft repeated in the early years of the Gwen 12 that "the chief purpose of the fore and aft hatches was to bail out the water which leaked in through the same hatches" .

    Most readers have probably never heard of nor seen a Gwen 20 which Charlie designed with a similar up-swept chine line which disappeared into the gunwale well back from the stem. Just who he intended the Gwen 20 to compete with was never very clear but I think only a couple were built [if more than the original prototype].

    After departing Albert Park Lake in 1955 this author raced the Australian 12' Cadet Dinghy designed in about 1927 and still being raced actively today in 3 States; good luck with re-vitalizing another of the great old classes.

    Cheers
    Martin B.
    Mandurah, Western Australia.

  7. #111
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    Apr 2014
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    Hi All.
    In reply to Martin B. I remember all the classes you mentioned. As I recall the Gwen 12 and Gwenala 20 were named after Charlie's daughter. I think the Jolly Boat and Flying Dutchman sealed the fate of the '20'. I started at the Williamstown Sailing Club in the early 50s and guess what? It was on an old VJ with steel centre plate and no swing planks (soon changed those things). As well as a couple of Gwen 12s we also had around 6 Port Phillip 12s. They were a much nicer looking and better performed boat than the Gwen, but were not for the home builder. The hulls were built by Mouldcraft as a strip ply veneered hull (cold moulded) like the FD and Finns. Maybe the cats that the Cunninghams sailed on the Lake were the reason that they stopped cats from sailing on the lake. We at the Cairn Curran SC have just started sailing the 12 Cadet Dinghy as a training boat with 2 boats on loan from Royal Brighton YC and now compete in the Stonehaven Cup series. The Cup was sailed at Royal Brighton last Christmas and they now head to King Island next Christmas.
    Good to hear from old yachties, keeps us young.
    Cheers Ralph (Gwen 12)

  8. #112
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Mandurah, Western Australia
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    11

    Default More Gwen et alia

    Hi Ralph,
    By heck, you must be very old to remember all that; I am 74
    I thought of the JollyBoat helping to kill the Gwen 20 after my posting 16 April; you could add the 5o5 to the FD on the killing list too. Memories of other old classes - a Uni mate from Williamstown sailed an IdleAlong (NZ class) at Hobson's Bay YC. in the 60's.
    Fantastic that your Cairn Curran Club has adopted the Aust 12' Cadet Dinghy; I still believe this fantastic old design is the A1 teenage Club training dinghy, sail it bolt upright or pay the price and swim home [experience speaking here], the 'ancient' hanging lug rig was so 'out of date' HaHa that the new design dinghies 60 years later all adopted flexible rigs with automatic leech easing in the puffs. Cadets have had this ancient art with flexing gaff since 1927 ! My boat, Defiance II, below won the Stonehaven Cup in Melbourne in 1957; this pic was taken the following year on the Swan in 1978. This pic confirms the bend in the gaff and flexi rig.
    Defiance.jpg
    [Yes, I am aware that they allow marconi rigs now; I trialed on for RBYC in 1959 and sailed a demo marconi rig in the Invitation Races of the Stonehaven Cup in South Aust ]

    As for VT's, here is Albert Park Lake on Aust Grand Prix Car Race Day 1953 . One-up and no hiking plank on the VJ with "manual outboard" strapped to the bowsprit so one could paddle home if the weed fouled the plate [modern -it was made from the 'magic' material new at the time durallium - no steel for me !] and/or rudder too badly to proceed.

    VJ 1.jpg

    Best of luck with the Cadets and sorry for the Thread hijack from Gwen 12's to other old dinghies

    Cheers from Martin Bunny,
    Mandurah, Western Australia.

  9. #113
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    Apr 2014
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    Hi Martin. Great to hear back. When I started we had 3 regular Idle-a-longs sailing at Williamstown SC (don't remember them at Hobson Bay). The Payne - Mortlock Canoe was at Hobson Bay. Looks like the VJ had it's original cotton sails and cane battens. My Gwen has cane battens. Our VJ soon had a Duralium c/p, much lighter and easier to handle. Hard to give up this sailing thing even though my body doesn't do what my brain tells it to.
    Cheers Ralph

  10. #114
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    Apr 2014
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    Baringhup
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    Default Gwen 12

    I thought I might try and upload some pics of the restoration of my old Gwen.
    Nearly finished, just need to strip hull and re-varnish. Have made new centreplate, rudder and rudder box with new tiller.
    Ralph
    Attached Images Attached Images

  11. #115
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    NSW, Australia
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    You've done a very nice job of it. It looks great.

    I'm surprised by how much the varnished finish hides the chine for'd in those shots. Back when I used to see Gwens racing most of them were painted, and it really made the chine obvious.
    You know you're making progress when there's sawdust in your coffee.

  12. #116
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    Apr 2014
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    Baringhup
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    5

    Default Gwen 12

    Have finally finished the restoration of my Gwen 12 yacht.
    Took it to the Wooden Boat Regatta held by the South Gippsland Yacht Club (Inverloch, Vic.) over the Australia Day weekend.
    Could only go for one day, so after an early start and a 5 hour drive we arrived to a beautiful day and setting. Lots of lovely boats both restored, new and as they are.
    Rigged the boat amongst the other boats, took a long time to rig owing to the amazed and welcoming people wanting to talk and ask questions regarding the Gwen. Things like age, history of class relative speed, etc.
    I was welcomed by one of the Club members saying "how can we have a wooden boat regatta without a Gwen 12". They had been trying to trace one for the regatta and they eventually found that the boat they had been searching for was donated to a scout group, who consequently burn it on a bonfire!
    After catching up with old friends and answering many questions and lots of 'well done' and were lucky enough to win the 'peoples choice' award.
    It was now time to pack up and start the 5 hour drive back home. Now they want us to come back next year for the weekend and have a sail.
    I have attached some more pics.
    Ralph
    Attached Images Attached Images

  13. #117
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    2,139

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    Looks a treat well done and thanks for posting the pics
    Mike
    "Working to a rigidly defined method of doubt and uncertainty"

  14. #118
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    nsw
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    3

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    ..... and now I've found one, its not that bad but does need some ply replaced the hull side, anyone have the original spec for the ply?

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