SURFBOAT HERITAGE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ROWERS AND THEIR BOATS
These days surfboat rowers seldom have a close relationship with the boats they compete in. Typically their boat will be built by one of four or five SLSA endorsed surfboat builders. All boats are manufactured to SLSA specifications which govern materials; construction method; dimensions and minimum weight. Their club will have selected the boat because of a past relationship with the boat builder; preference for a particular design; past success of manufacturer’s boats; availability; price; and access to builder for repairs etc.
During the 1970s like many of my peers I had an appreciation of the boats we rowed. Locally on the Sydney northern beaches timber surfboats were made by Bill Clymer, Bob Miles and Roger Ninham. They were well known to us as colourful characters as well as boat builders. My brother in law Ron Michie was apprenticed to Bill Clymer. Later my son in law Nathan ‘NR’ Perry was apprenticed to Bob Miles. He and my daughter Kelly now build Perry Surfboats. Roger Ninham was an Olympic medallist rower whose father built boats in Western Australia. Roger was a fierce opposition competitor of ours, winning an Australian Title with neighbouring club Queenscliff. My brother in law Ron Michie also worked with Roger making timber oars. My wife Leanne occasionally exercised Roger’s horses when he was seeking Olympic equestrian representation.
Freshwater used Clymer boats and we would often visit the workshop when our boats were being built. Bill was always happy for some help removing the thousands of staples used in construction.
Bill Clymer built a few small two man surfboats for himself and John Windshuttle of Palm Beach. These were ideal for catching waves with a small sweep oar. They could also be sailed or use an outboard motor. In 1972 Bill generously lent me his mould so Leanne’s brother Ron could build us a beautiful cedar two man boat. Later Bill Clymer and son Matt produced some similar boats in fibreglass including one for Chris Branson.
Our boat was great for catching waves with its small sweep oar. The boats Bill built were often used by just one person. They rowed onto a wave, trailed oars and grabbed the sweep oar to steer down the wave. We usually used ours by having one person row and another sweep. Les Watt (bowman in our Freshwater crew) and myself alternated between rowing and sweeping. This meant we needed some weight in the bow to help launch onto waves. A person about 7 stone was ideal. Once on the wave the person in the bow had to quickly move back to the centre of the boat. My wife Leanne was ideal for this task. When she was not available we sometimes had to coerce young board riders to sit in the bow. The boat was very good on steep waves.
These days surfboat rowers seldom have a close relationship with the boats they compete in. Typically their boat will be built by one of four or five SLSA endorsed surfboat builders. All boats are manufactured to SLSA specifications which govern materials; construction method; dimensions and minimum weight. Their club will have selected the boat because of a past relationship with the boat builder; preference for a particular design; past success of manufacturer’s boats; availability; price; and access to builder for repairs etc.
During the 1970s like many of my peers I had an appreciation of the boats we rowed. Locally on the Sydney northern beaches timber surfboats were made by Bill Clymer, Bob Miles and Roger Ninham. They were well known to us as colourful characters as well as boat builders. My brother in law Ron Michie was apprenticed to Bill Clymer. Later my son in law Nathan ‘NR’ Perry was apprenticed to Bob Miles. He and my daughter Kelly now build Perry Surfboats. Roger Ninham was an Olympic medallist rower whose father built boats in Western Australia. Roger was a fierce opposition competitor of ours, winning an Australian Title with neighbouring club Queenscliff. My brother in law Ron Michie also worked with Roger making timber oars. My wife Leanne occasionally exercised Roger’s horses when he was seeking Olympic equestrian representation.
Freshwater used Clymer boats and we would often visit the workshop when our boats were being built. Bill was always happy for some help removing the thousands of staples used in construction.
Bill Clymer built a few small two man surfboats for himself and John Windshuttle of Palm Beach. These were ideal for catching waves with a small sweep oar. They could also be sailed or use an outboard motor. In 1972 Bill generously lent me his mould so Leanne’s brother Ron could build us a beautiful cedar two man boat. Later Bill Clymer and son Matt produced some similar boats in fibreglass including one for Chris Branson.
Our boat was great for catching waves with its small sweep oar. The boats Bill built were often used by just one person. They rowed onto a wave, trailed oars and grabbed the sweep oar to steer down the wave. We usually used ours by having one person row and another sweep. Les Watt (bowman in our Freshwater crew) and myself alternated between rowing and sweeping. This meant we needed some weight in the bow to help launch onto waves. A person about 7 stone was ideal. Once on the wave the person in the bow had to quickly move back to the centre of the boat. My wife Leanne was ideal for this task. When she was not available we sometimes had to coerce young board riders to sit in the bow. The boat was very good on steep waves.
THE EXPERIENCE OF ROWING SURFBOATS FROM A PAST ERA.
When we were restoring the 1947 double ender many older boaties would recall their experiences rowing similar craft. Listening to them describing skills such as quarter barring was a wonderful revelation that I wished I had experienced. We are so familiar with our own experiences it can be difficult to open one’s mind to a bigger picture. Older people are not just old, they can possess experiences and memories we will never know.
There are many mature blokes still rowing that grew up in open timber surfboats of the 1960s and 70s. Those of us that have been fortunate enough to continually row have progressively adapted to surfboat changes as they occurred. We have evolved with the modern boat and its inner shell. But revisiting an open timber surfboat brings back a rowing experience we did not know we had lost. The difference of the modern boats is immediately apparent. Suddenly they seem much more buoyant than the older craft. Going through the first wave in the restored 1971 boat was an instant reminder of its power. That is the best way to describe it, as it confidently charged through the water dampening the impact of chop. It felt powerful yet was being rowed by a crew averaging over 60. The outer hull is almost unchanged to a modern Clymer. It is nice to have some open space around you especially if you need to seek refuge under a seat or get your weight into the bottom of the boat. Once full with water the boat stays with you unlike modern buoyant boats that often continue to shore leaving dispatched rowers thinking “what do I do now – do I actually have to swim”.
When we were restoring the 1947 double ender many older boaties would recall their experiences rowing similar craft. Listening to them describing skills such as quarter barring was a wonderful revelation that I wished I had experienced. We are so familiar with our own experiences it can be difficult to open one’s mind to a bigger picture. Older people are not just old, they can possess experiences and memories we will never know.
There are many mature blokes still rowing that grew up in open timber surfboats of the 1960s and 70s. Those of us that have been fortunate enough to continually row have progressively adapted to surfboat changes as they occurred. We have evolved with the modern boat and its inner shell. But revisiting an open timber surfboat brings back a rowing experience we did not know we had lost. The difference of the modern boats is immediately apparent. Suddenly they seem much more buoyant than the older craft. Going through the first wave in the restored 1971 boat was an instant reminder of its power. That is the best way to describe it, as it confidently charged through the water dampening the impact of chop. It felt powerful yet was being rowed by a crew averaging over 60. The outer hull is almost unchanged to a modern Clymer. It is nice to have some open space around you especially if you need to seek refuge under a seat or get your weight into the bottom of the boat. Once full with water the boat stays with you unlike modern buoyant boats that often continue to shore leaving dispatched rowers thinking “what do I do now – do I actually have to swim”.
PRESERVING HERITAGE SURFBOATS
In the past it was customary for old timber surfboats to be burnt resembling a pagan ritual from the middle ages! Luckily many have survived and been preserved.
Kim and Leanne Marsh found an old Towns double ender in 1982 on the north NSW coast. They were faced with the dilemma of what to do with it! After storing it for many years they eventually engaged Glen Myers to restore the boat complying with conservation guidelines. They have also had a 1971 Clymer surfboat restored by Glen. This boat was originally built for Point Lonsdale, Victoria.
Kim and Leanne Marsh found an old Towns double ender in 1982 on the north NSW coast. They were faced with the dilemma of what to do with it! After storing it for many years they eventually engaged Glen Myers to restore the boat complying with conservation guidelines. They have also had a 1971 Clymer surfboat restored by Glen. This boat was originally built for Point Lonsdale, Victoria.
RESTORED 1947 TOWNS SURFBOAT
- Manufacturer - N & E Towns, Boatbuilders, Dempsey Island, Newcastle, NSW
- Date of manufacture: 1947
- Construction Method: Carve
- Materials: Timber:
- Hull - Australian Red Cedar
- Ribs & stringers - Spotted Gum
- Keel - Spotted Gum
- Gunwales - NZ Kauri
- Knees & Stem - Ti tree root
- Fastenings - Copper nails and roves
HISTORY
The 1947 Towns surfboat was originally used by Scotts Head Surf Life Saving Club, near Macksville on the NSW north coast. The boat was purchased new from N. & E. Towns, Boat Builders of Dempsey Island near Newcastle NSW.
Local folklore claims the club Sweep collected the boat from Towns and had it named after himself. The club objected and the Sweep consequently left Scotts Head SLSC. As a result the boat was named ‘So Long’. The boat was to be christened by cricket legend Keith Millar who cancelled at the last minute. In his place he sent a young unknown cricketer, Richie Benaud!
The boat was used as late as 1962 at a surf carnival at Tathra where it was the only double ended surfboat among the newer designed tuck stern boats. It was applauded as it left the beach signifying the end of an era. The boat was eventually sold to a local Scotts Head minister for use as a fishing boat.
In 2017 I was contacted by Dick Owens who had rowed in the bow of the double ender for three years from 1949 swept by “Chiller Brown. He recalled how they sometimes trained in the river dragging a telegraph pole behind the boat. During races they often stopped at the buoys to empty water out of the boat.
In 1982 Leanne Marsh saw the boat protruding from a farm shed, on a dirt road near Scotts Head. Leanne and Kim Marsh purchased the derelict boat and stored it in Coffs Harbour. It was transported to Sydney, in 1983 for an exhibition at Manly Museum.
The boat was stored for many years until the Marshes could afford to finance the restoration. Initially Bill Clymer sourced some Australian cedar planking and commenced replacing some planks. The amazingly adventurous, aging Bill was interrupted early in the process when he damaged his neck in the surf. Bill’s recovery was short lived when he had a snow skiing mishap in the US at an age when most rely on walking frames. Bill was an ex WWII Z Force commando!
Restoration was eventually restarted by Glen Myers. The works followed conservation guidelines researched at the National Maritime Museum Library. The integrity of the boat was maintained by retaining some details in their original state while essential new materials were highlighted.
Bill Clymer and the Les Stewart, ex Apprentice Master at Garden Island, Sydney, both provided advice on traditional boat building methods which aided authenticity of the restoration.
RESTORED 1947 TOWNS SURFBOAT
- Manufacturer - Bill Clymer Surfboats
- Manufacture date - 1971
- Construction Method - Cold moulded
- Hull - 3 layers of cedar planking 3mm thick x 100mm wide
- Ribs & stringers - Silver ash
- Keel / stem - Silver ash
- Gunwales - Silver ash
HISTORY
The surfboat was built by Bill Clymer Surfboats in 1971 for Point Lonsdale in Victoria. It was named as one of their ‘Steam Packet’ boats. Leanne Marsh’s brother Ron Michie worked on the boat while apprenticed to Bill Clymer.
Venus Bay SLSC acquired the boat from Point Lonsdale. It fell into disrepair and was bought by well known Jan Juc SLSC sweep Scott Tanahill who later sold it to the Marshs. The boat was structurally sound and was able to be restored to a seaworthy state.
The boat was manufactured by the cold moulded process. The silver ash keel, stem, stringers and ribs were laid on a mould (frame). Three layers of cedar planks, 1/8 inch (3mm) thick by 4 inches (100mm) wide were laid up over the framing. The outer and inner layer, in diagonally opposite directions, and central layer perpendicular to the keel. Glue was used between the layers with thousands of staples temporarily holding the planks in place. The staples had to be painstakingly removed by a small hand tool.
The bow and tuck (rear) decking were timber lined. The 1971 Point Lonsdale boat had a stylised Point Lonsdale lighthouse and rocks inlaid on the bow. This detail had deteriorated beyond repair but enough was evident to take a template and create a new timber inlay on the replaced bow decking.
RESTORED BOAT PUTS TO SEA
The 1971 Clymer boat has put to sea twice since being restored. On both occasions it was rowed by Les Watt, Colin Scully, Kim Marsh and Ken Bucknall. Its first outing was to accompany a new surfboat christened the Kim ‘Clark’ Marsh at Freshwater Beach. The second was to scatter the ashes of former crewmate Christopher ‘The Bat’ Branson. Both times the boat was hit by large waves on the way to sea but punched through beautifully. The boat refused to return to the beach peacefully on both outings and selected waves that did it proud.
Nathan’ NR’ Perry swept the boat at the christening event. He allowed bowman extraordinaire Les Watt to select a wave. In typical Les Watt fashion this resulted in a challenging steep late take off for NR. He held it with remarkable strength to the enjoyment of the crew. A great wave on a happy day.
