Lloyd "helping" Pep Manthorpe work on "Josephine" (Nov 1959)

Sailing

As a youth my Dad had been in the sea scouts and sailed in heavyweight Sharpies at the Whyalla Yacht Club. He'd sometimes go out sailing with Pep Manthorpe on his yacht "Josephine".

I grew up reading the books of Sir Francis Chichester and Joshua Slocum.

Thus in the early 1970s, it wasn't a surprise that Dad decided to build a Heron dinghy for us to sail in.

• The Heron — "Jurra" under construction.
• "It'll Do" Joins the Fleet — Holdfast Trainer for Kym.
• "Jurra" Gets Faster — Some fettling pays off.
• Larger Sailboats — An adventure with Uncle David.
• Going Solo in the Laser — Sailing on Port Phillip.
• Holiday Sailing — Family adventures.

For many years, Dad still had the Heron, "Jurra", parked in the driveway in Sydney. Of course, he would never sell it.

I concocted a plan to get it down to me in Victoria and make it ship shape again. It would have been nice for Dad's grandchildren to have the opportunity to learn to sail in the boat their Grandfather built and taught us to sail in. That would have had a nice symmetry, but sadly didn't happen.

Sailing Alone
Around the World
[ Joshua Slocum ]
Penguin
ISBN: 0140437363

Gypsy Moth Circles the World
[ Sir Francis Chichester ]
International Marine Publishing
ISBN: 0071414282

 

The Lonely Sea and the Sky
[ Francis Chichester ]
ISBN: 1557782997