Blowin' your own

Trade-A-Boat caught up with James Morrison as he unpacked his gear from the back of the Beemer X5, beside the temporary stage in the RMYC carpark. Despite an all-night return flight from a concert in the USA, he was cheerful and eager to 'talk boats'.

"I was born in the bush, but the family moved to Pittwater when I was tiny, so I had a wonderful waterfront upbringing," he said. "I used to rip across Pittwater to school in a tinnie, so I guess I was the only kid in class who looked up a tide chart instead of a bus timetable.

"The tinnie was also my transport to music gigs at the RMYC. I was only a 13-year-old kid (James baulks at the word 'prodigy') and far too young to drive, so I'd get kitted up in my monkey suit and jump in the tinnie to get to the RMYC.

"My brother John and I cut our sailing teeth in dinghies - Manly Juniors at first, followed by a Cherub, a Lazy E and Lasers. Our pride and joy for a few years was a Tasman Tiger, in which we did things the designers never foresaw.

"We lived on a hill, so the quickest way to launch the Tiger was to let it run down the slope - with us onboard 'steering' - across the main road and onto the beach. The more speed we picked up on the hill, the less distance we had to drag the trailer across the sand to the water. But our finest achievement in the Tiger was an ocean trip that greyed our parents' hair prematurely.

"We had a gig with Don Burrows at The Entrance when I was 17 - John was drumming and I was on the brass - and we decided it would be easier to sail up to The Entrance than find our way to a road rendezvous and go with the rest of the band.

 "I'm pretty sure that the Tasman Tiger designers never intended their little sailing dinghy for a 20-mile ocean journey, but that didn't worry us. We packed the mandatory emergency supplies - a bucket of KFC - jammed our gig gear in a waterproof bag and off we went.

"Somehow we made it through the surf to the beach at The Entrance and got to the function on time. I'd never attempt it today, though!"

Morrison says he's never been without a boat, and today he has three in his collection: an oversized 'Couta' boat, a mini tugboat and a houseboat that's home to James' friends more often than it is to him.

"The gaffer's bigger than a normal Couta boat," said James. "It was built in Victoria in 1937 and was probably a cray boat.

"It's an absolute classic, complete with bowsprit, wicker deckchair and long wooden tiller. It moves in a traditional, sedate way that's in great contrast with today's racing yachts.

"When a gust hits, the gaff gives way a little to leeward, and the resulting mild list won't spill your wine.

"The tiny tugboat appealed to me as soon as I saw its 'Scuffy the Tugboat' lines. It was built in Drummoyne as a workboat, and in later years had been converted into a pleasure fishing boat - the engine was seized and it needed a little TLC, but how hard could that be?

"A mere 60 grand later it's the finished picture I'd foreseen!"

Although the present Morrison fleet is wooden, James isn't blind to the attractions of plastic.

"When I get tired of the restoration and regular maintenance work on wooden boats, it's nice to have a break and live with low-upkeep plastic for a while," he said. "But the charm of wooden craft keeps drawing me back.

"A restored wooden boat can actually be more beautiful than it was originally, and there are many jobs I enjoy doing myself, such as rerouting wires and fixing float switches.

 "It's great therapy after a heavy work schedule simply to mess around on a boat. We can't fiddle with today's cars - they're too complex and computer driven - so tinkering around on a boat is a great substitute."

So what's next in the Morrison fleet, we wondered.

"I had a lot of fun in a Flying Dutchman many years ago and I wouldn't mind finding another one," he said. "But regardless of what I pick up next, it'll most likely come from the pages of Trade-A-Boat.

"I spend a lot of time flying around the world and in airports, and it's always a pleasure to come across the latest issue. With other boat magazines it's pretty much over when you've read the stories, but the For Sale pages of Trade-A-Boat are the best dream starters I know of.

"You can read and reread the ads and fantasise about what you'd do and where you'd go with a wide variety of craft. Keep up the good work!"

With that parting praise, the great jazzman clambered on stage and treated the waiting RMYC members to one of the finest concerts they're ever likely to hear.

As James and his gang sang and played, the backdrop of yachts and cruisers seemed most fitting. The water baby was back.

More open RMYC
Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay has just commissioned an expanded pontoon-style marina complex that greatly improves access for members and visitors.

The existing fuel wharf, inside the pontoon array, is retained, but the good news for visitors is the new fuel facility on the western floating break wall. Visitors can fuel without the need to enter the marina.

Casual moorings are now more readily adapted to different boat types and sizes than were the previous pile berths, and casual mooring enquiries are most welcome. For more information, contact RMYC, tel (02) 9997 5511.