Above: JW: "The Clarence River Dory is the “civilian” version of a workboat I designed to provide a quick solution to the shortage of small coastal fishing boats in East Timor after the civil war there, most of the local craft had been destroyed and the villagers were very dependent upon the sea for their food and livlihood. A practiced worker can build one of these in a week, at about 600 pounds in materials plus paint.
They take any outboard motor from 5 hp to 25, but the 15 hp motors donated for the project by Yamaha turned out to be near perfect. ( Thanks Mr Yamaha, those motors really made a difference.)
This boat is the prototype, built in Australia and sponsored by the local bowling club and others, it was flown to East Timor by the Australian Air Force."
http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/clarenceriverdory/index.htm
What do you think are the main challenges facing the self build boat sector these days?
Mike UK
JW: Time and space. The middle class worker is doing more hours in the workplace than they have for more than two generations, and free or discretionary time has suffered. The two income household has a lot less spare time to put into projects such as a home built boat.
That said, many of us spend our working days “fighting with ghosts”, that’s working under pressure sitting at a computer terminal or shuffling paper, and there is much stress built up by the end of the day. To come home, kiss ones beloved hello then work for an hour with wood, fastenings and tools is seriously good therapy.
The other issue is space, within city limits our houses are often getting bigger, but the yards around them are much smaller, the city bureaucracy is much more restrictive in terms of temporary shelters, and the neighbours so close that running a high speed router or a big hammer of an evening is an imposition on their piece and quiet.
Which design are you proudest of?
Ethan USA
JW That depends upon which side of the bed I got out on that morning. Several of them have proven to be lifechangers for many of their owners and I’m as proud of the changes that the boats have wrought as I am of the actual design itself. But there are some that stand out.
Navigator, the little yawl rigged cruiser is one, SCAMP is another, the Clarence River Dory (CRD) is very special for the difference it made in the lives of so many in an area devastated by war, and Navman the Mini Transat racer which is still, after 15 years, a competitive boat in the intense competition of the Single Handed Transatlantic race that happens every second year.
J:"Navigators on Lake Mahinapua, South Island New Zealand.
Dave Johnson and Owen Sinclair went cruising together, here are the two Navigators, both yawl rigged, sitting awaiting their crews.
www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/navigator/index.htm"
Left: John Leathwick sails his Navigator on the lakes in central New Zealand, she’s big enough to accommodate the whole family but still sails well enough to be fun.
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