Professional Skipper - Free Sample issue (July/Aug 2011)

Simpson's Rule was a very important calculation to know in those days. The most notable product of this work in the commercial world was the 55ft seine boat Sandra, Sanford's first purpose-built wooden fishing boat, and what a boat she was. Soon after Sandra was launched, Waitemata Fisheries placed an order and this boat was christened Waikawa, AK 41. At this time boatbuilding was going through quite a lot of changes, construction methods needed to be more efficient, waste reduced and the Marine Department required more precise drawings and specifications. After a while I think Percy could see Peter was just the man to take his busines see Peter was just the man to take his busines ss into the next era Peter can well remember that some of the old-style shipwrights like Alf Bias did not like all this new stuff. Peter was often in charge of lofting and spent time getting things right at the outset to save hours down the track fairing frames and timbers. There were a few heatted moments when Peter wanted such precision and the days of jjust kicking battens into place were over, in his mind. Even Percy found it a bit hard to come to terms with these newfangled ideas, as it took some time to convince him that the relocatable floor at the head of the shop was too hilly to loft accurately. Peter proved his point in a very short time and lofting was then done to his methods and procedures s. construction of a beautiful 62ft A class keeler for Arthur Robb, later to be named Kahurangi. The custom 1952 Peter lofted and worked from start to finish on the mer was Laurance Nathan, the founder of Lion Nathan Ltd. Peter certainly set an exceedingly high standard in all aspects of this build and was highly respected by Percy and his workmates s. Peter's love of naval architecture drove him and in 1954 he was offered a job by his old tutor, Alex Collings. His new workplace was the old Collings and Bell yard and slipway at the end of St Marys Road in Ponsonby, Auckland. Collings and Bell was scaled down by this stage and consisted of three staff, Alex, Cal Crooks and now Peter. New boats were completed and design work taken on. Towards 1958 things were co omingtoanend as oming to an end, as the yard was soon to be landlocked by the on-ramp leading to the Auckland Harbour Bridge, which was nearly completed. The last boat to be built at this historic site was the keeler Anthea, which had to be launched by skidding her out across the mud on her bilge to reach sufficient water. Peter was involved in designing such notable huge pilot launch for the Wellington Harbour nice-looking Akarana Peter was involved in designing such notable for the Auckland Harbou e boats as Tiakina, a Board and the very ur Board. Peter and Alex had quite a lot of discussion over this one, but it is not hard to see the Peter Peal factor in her design and shape. At about this time, Peter and Cal Crooks built a 3.6m hull to take the first three-stage Hamilton Jet to be trialled on the Waimakariri River. Other work included a massive project to design a steel-hulled steamer to replace the Earnslaw . They even made a very accurate model to work out the entire plating configuration. The last Peter saw of this is was when it was sent to Wellington to New Zealand Rail. The business finally closed due to Alex's poor health. Peter was looking for a change, so he enrolled at the teachers' training college to become a technical teacher. In those days secondary schools offered woodwork, engineering and technical drawing as subjects. (I was a product of this system, and I still think it is ththe perfect springboard to start a young person off in a trade. It's a shame they did away with it.) Peter's first school was Rangitoto Colleg o ge and it was not long before he was asked to run block courses for boatbuilding vacant. In 1962 he left Rangitoto College and tutor for the Auckland Technical Institute at Alan Wright. apprentices during the school holidays while the rooms were became a full-time Seddon Tech with CONTACT US TODAY: RALPH STARK 021-586-877 Offi ce 03-329-7834, Fax 03-329-7808 Email: Ralph@newfueltech.com Web: www.newfueltech.com July/August 2011 Professional Skipp r 29 per ss into the next era. The San Elizabeth purpose-built shop at the new Carrington Campus, where they ran three-week block courses over the years who are now w Peter retired in 1986. His experience is vast. His career started in the half-model era and he saw it through up until the early days of CAD (computer-assisted design), but it is not hard to see he loves doing things the old-fashioned way, like all good artists. Save Money And Fuel! We Supply Everyone From Trucking Fleets To Ships In The Ice, Agricultural, Automotive Engineers, Generation, Suppliers. And Now We Are Making It Available To You! CHORNCO'S PROPRIETARY RANGE OF PRODUCTS, PRODUCE COST SAVING BENEFITS THAT: Reduce noxious emissions Reduce fuel consumption Replace fuel lubricity Improves equipment performance Sustain equipment effi ciency Lower maintenance related costs Eliminate Diesel Bug Extend related equipment longevity He left to take up the yacht design course and tutoring in a s for students at various levels in wood, glass and reinforced plastics. Peter really enjoyed this work and he can reel off some very notable names he tutored ell known in the marine industry. VIP.S68

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