Geelong Wooden Boat Festival 2018

The history and traditions of wooden boats, and the experience and skills still actively employed in building and maintaining them, will bring the Geelong waterfront to life at the biennial Geelong Wooden Boat Festival 2018 this weekend.

Sponsored by Wooden Boatshop Yanmar, the major biennial event is run by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC) and held over the Labour Day long weekend every second year, alternating with the famous Hobart Wooden Boat Festival.

This 2018 Edition marks the eight year of the Geelong event. Nearly 150 wooden boats from dinghies to Tall Ships descend on Geelong for the Wooden Boat Festival 2018 this three-day long weekend.

The Wooden Boatshop (WBS) and Yanmar engines (distributed by Power Equipment) have partnered to sponsor the event. WBS has been a longstanding and highly successful event partner, combining its extensive specialist wooden-boat building skills and knowledge with the attributes of Yanmar diesel engines in its refits, rebuilds and new projects.

WBS says Yanmar is now become the accepted propulsion standard amidst the wooden boat fraternity, who are driven by performance, reliability, efficiency and service support.

YANMAR SYNERGY
From the 1970s, WBS installed Yanmar engines in the majority of their Couta boats because: "The GM/YM series were a quantum leap in technology beyond others available at the time," WBS' Wayne Parr said.

"They had new technology, were of modern design, compact and light in weight... ideal for Couta boats," Parr says, and hundreds of these trusty engines still ply Port Phillip today.

Cheviot 32 launches, the ultimate day boats, were fitted with Yanmar 6LP or 6BY engines — smooth, quiet and very fuel efficient.

From this evolved the Efficient 44 powered by the 500hp Yanmar 6CX530 — the lightest engine in its horsepower range while still far exceeding future EPA requirements.

Most recently WBS' classically styled Shearwater 38 launch arrived, fitted with the Yanmar 8LV370. The latest Shearwater 38 nearing completion, Squally Cove, will boast the first Yanmar Common-Rail 6LY440 in Australia.

CLASSIC BOATS ON SHOW
Among the many wooden boats featuring at the Wooden Boat Shop Yanmar Geelong Wooden Boat Festival 2018 are some fine examples of the WBS-Yanmar (Power Equipment) partnership…

Patternmaker is a 40ft Adams-designed cutter-rigged boat. While the design dates from the 1980s, Stuart Dickson built Patternmaker over 20 years and it was finally launched in 2011.

Stuart says Patternmaker, named
for his late father's lifetime trade, sleeps up to six people and is "a serious ocean-going boat — taking you virtually anywhere on the
 planet if you wished".

While the
original design did not have such a
big engine, Stuart wanted more power and reliability. He did a lot of
research and got a lot of help from Wooden Boatshop as to what the
Adams 40 could accommodate and
how to package it in. A 54hp 
Yanmar 4JH naturally aspirated diesel went in. "I can't speak highly enough of the Yanmar motor. It's been fantastic," he commented.

The cutter Torea was designed by Charlie Peel and launched in Sydney in 1938. It is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels (ARHV). Stephen found Torea for sale in Sydney in 2004.

With his son David he journeyed north and on a short test sail through the Heads they "simply fell in love with it" even if it did need a little TLC. Upon arrival at the Wooden Boatshop Tim Phillips said simply, "that's a beautiful boat".

Torea then spent 1600 hours over 10 months in 2005 undergoing a refurbishment. It then made two return trips to Hobart for the Wooden Boat Show (2009 and 2011) powered by the existing Yanmar 2QM15 (14hp circa 1978).

With several hundred hours clocked up this engine was reliable but, before the third and
most recent trip to Hobart, Torea returned to
 WBS to be fitted with a new Yanmar 3YM20
21hp engine.

"We immediately noticed the extra
power which gave us better control of the boat,
 and the fuel usage is actually 50 per cent less. I wish I'd bought the new engine earlier — as much as the old engines are good, the new engines are fantastic — just outstanding." Today, after four years and 288 hours, the Yanmar hasn't missed a beat.

FAMILY FESTIVITIES
At the Wooden Boatshop Yanmar Geelong Wooden Boat Festival 2018, there is something for everyone on land and on the water. From the Friday evening to the Monday afternoon, the program includes events, presentations, exhibitions and activities and a Grand Parade of boats... a cavalcade of sail.

Naturally there will be a big program of events on the water including the Festival Wooden Boat Passage Race from Portarlington to Geelong, Classic Wooden Yacht Cup, Couta Boat Cup, a Modern Wooden Boat Race, the Oslo Cup and a Wooden Power Boat navigation rally. More about this weekend's Wooden Boat Festival.