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 for us to sail in.

• The Heron
• "It'll Do" Joins the Fleet
• Jurra Gets Faster
• Larger Sailboats
• Going Solo in the Laser
• Holiday Sailing

By the way, Dad still has the Heron, Jurra, parked in the driveway in Sydney. Of course, he'll never sell it. But maybe one day soon it will be made ship shape again, and his grandchildren will learn to sail in the boat he built and taught us to sail in. That would have a nice symmetry.

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