News

There is always something going ahead, either on the drawing board or in someone's shed.

The building process takes a while but here you can see progress on a number of fronts.

Send me a photo if you have one of my designs underway or just launched and maybe it can be featured here as well.

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FEBRUARY 2008

More launchings to report, this time its two motor launches and a long awaited new  21 Foot Restricted Class yacht.

Galatea is seen sailing at Goolwa SA, on her second trial, still being tuned up for racing This is the first new 21 Foot Restricted Class yacht built in just over 50 years. Grant Smith started building it in Autumn 2007. I did the design  in 2004 as an idea to get new boats into the class again, and the Goolwa fleet has taken it into their hands to create revised rules to incorporate new designs and build up their fleet.

Lamia is a Cinema motor launch, and has been in the water now for about two years but this image just came through from its Queensland builder. The hull is built to the flush deck version, and has had the moulds re-spaced to stretch it out to 20 feet long. I understand it has been trailed down to South Australia and back.

Gymea Bay is shown on the Brisbane River, its a 6 metre motor launch, with a raised aft cabin top.  The owner builder is fitting it out for camping/cruising trips for him and his wife to enjoy.

NOVEMBER 2007

The ski boat Wiski-Blu has been on the water now for about 6 months and the owner says its a fantastic boat, as you can see from the pictures. I am told they have had it up to 78kph on a flat Murray river, with a racing boat driver overlooking the setup. He is very pleased with how it trims and how it handles in turns.

SEPTEMBER 2007

Latitude 27 S, a 16 foot canoe stern putt-putt, was launched  at the Bribie Island Classic Regatta last May, and what a fantastic result! Builder Ian Primrose has done a superb job over 18 months, and even managed to get  a  whole page article about it  in the Courier-Mail in August.

Launching pictures of the first 6 metre outboard launch have just come through, here it is at Mungo Brush, NSW  August 2007.

It managed  over 11 knots with a 25 hp outboard on full throttle, and easily does 6 knots on under 1/2 throttle in calm conditions reports the owner/builder and his son.

2 new 21's happening in Goolwa soon. Stern view of one below.

The TAFE ski boat was on display at Goolwa earlier this year too

UPDATE APRIL 2007

A Yahoo group has been setup in the last few days, find it as follows:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Payneboats/

thanks Rob!

UPDATE March 2007

Another Restricted 21 is soon to begin construction in Goolwa to the strip plank lines plan, meanwhile the new planked racing hull is nearing completion and may be ready for the Goolwa wooden boat festival.

Two of the 6 metre outboard powered launches are well on their way, on in NSW, another in Qld, where an inboard 6 metre launch is also right way up and being fitted out.

I was at the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival and saw Satene, the fantastic clinker Cinema boat built in Newcastle, the two Hobart based Sailability boats, Dani the 16 foot canoe stern launch, a Yellowtail skiff superbly finished and James Frechyville with his modified Cinema, its longer and wider, which he motored across from Gippsland.

I keep forgetting to put in that early in 2006 I won the Classic Boat Magazine (UK) design competition, with my raid boat called Perentie, based on a SLSA surf-rescue style of hull.

Two more craft are under construction in Goolwa South Australia. The top photo shows a new 21 Foot Restricted Class yacht being planked up. This design uses strip planked cedar, and will have a fibreglass deck, cuddy and cockpit.

The Cherub is a carbon fibre hull and deck, with an unusual but stunning looking self-draining cockpit. This boat should be sailing in December.

November 2004

Launchings in recent months include the following vessels, the 20m motor sailer Duyfken, two more 7.4m daysailers in Hobart , the 8m motor launch in Goolwa, the 6m motor launch in WA and another Snapper Boat in Sydney, Nanygai.

My research continues on the vessels of Australian naval architect and designer Walter Reeks (1861 to 1925). Much information has already been collected and I am always looking for more. Anyone with information on Reeks or his vessels is invited to contact me.

May 2004

Plans have been prepared for a 13m Schooner variation of the 11.7m gaff ketch, putting longer overhangs on to that hull and modifying other details to suit the new rig and the client's requirements.

An 11m motor launch for cruising the Great Barrier Reef has also been designed. It features a raised deck forward and traditional styling.

Here in Australia another of the 14 foot motor launch designs has been professionally built by SeeChange Boatworks in Victoria, for a Sydney client, with some modifications prepared by the designer to suit his requirements.

This new 6m motor launch below has already attracted some clients and the prototype was taken by trailer for an appearance at the 2003 Goolwa South Australian Wooden Boat Festival.

At the 2001 Hobart Wooden Boat Festival, the 16 foot canoe stern motor launch "Dani" sat undercover as a "work in progress" exhibit. This time, 2003, she was motoring around the waterfront showing off her native timber fit out and smooth running.

The Iluka sea kayak has been adopted by two students as their HSC Industrial Arts project, one that will keep them busy for next few months.

Sailabilty QLD will soon have all four of their Payne 7.4m daysailers out and sailing as a fleet after organising funds to pay for the rigs for the second pair of hulls. They are getting up to 80 people along for their regular midweek days, a very satisfying outcome for all those who have promoted this venture for sailors with disabilities.

Two more hulls have been started in Hobart for the Sailability group to use on the Derwent. Meanwhile the pair in Launceston continue to be used regularly. One went to Devonport to race for while.