Ahoy there: The Notorious is headed our way.
TOM BENNETT
AFTER 12 years and 1000 heartaches, mariner Graeme Wylie is poised to hoist the mainsail on his “dreamboat” and set course for Geelong.
Mr Wylie, from Bushfield in the Western District, has built a replica 18 metre Portuguese caravel with its maiden outing set for Geelong’s Wooden Boat Festival.
He is one of those rare breed of backyard crazies called amateur boat builders.
Normally their projects end up as unfinished hulks but Mr Wylie will tell you he’s made of more determined stuff.
Early this year, after “trials and tribulations without number”, his vessel Notorious hit the water.
“She is based on a Portuguese caravel designed in the year 1480,” he said.
“I’ve tried to keep everything onboard in the original style.
“The blocks and deck hardware are made of wood and the sheets and lines are natural fibre,” Mr Wylie said.
He also said no trees were felled to make the vessel.
“We used distressed timber and Monterey cypress that had been bulldozed by local farmers,” he said.
Mr Wylie admits he had made a few concessions to the 20th century.
“We’ve got a diesel inboard, all 170 horsepower of it.
“There’s also modern day navigation gear and all the latest safety equipment,” he said.
The good ship Notorious displaces 58 tonnes.
“She is a real heavyweight, slow but extremely sea worthy,” Mr Wylie said.
Her rig is Lateen style, similar to the Arab dhows of the ninth century, the former furniture maker said.
“We will berth in Geelong prior to Christmas and stay alongside until March’s wooden boat event,” the proud skipper said.
“She is a floating reminder of a distant era when mighty sailing vessels were build by hand and in the total absence of technology.”
