Utiekah III - The Movie Star

UTIEKAH III ON TELEVISION AND THE BIG SCREEN



An Artist's Impression of Utiekah III
sailing in the Whitsunday's



Owning Utiekah III has taken me on many different paths.  At a young age I knew I was a gypsy.  My week-ends couldn't come fast enough to grab the gun, the dog and the dinghy, sail the Goulbourne River, shoot rabbits and come home to the farm when I was hungry.  I knew suburban life was never going to sate my yearnings for wide open spaces and when I purchased my `grand lady', in my mid thirties, I was excited, a total rookie and when I think of the limited knowledge I had of sailing - to own a 70 foot yacht, I have to smile - in fact, I had to hire men to help me sail her from Tasmania back to Melbourne because the country in me could not cross over to the sailor in me.  Add to her sorry state of repair, the size of the ocean crossing and the basic instinct needed to predict seas, currents and weather, I felt daunted.  That was a long time ago and how I have learnt.



What a moment in my life.  At the helm of
Utiekah III for the first time taking her
back to Melbourne for restoration.



I was running on adrenalin with a passion to commence restoration of Utiekah III and my vision of what I could make of her became a driving force in my and my late wife's life.  So, whilst earning a living as a plumber by day and entertainer by night, I pulled up on my `jack of all trades' demeanor and started to re-design, reshape and renovate this neglected looking yacht to make her my home.  I was determined that she was not just going to be another pleasure boat but something I was proud to live in with the mindset that the only difference to my home and anyone elses was that my backdrop was the Pacific Ocean and it moved.  So the hard work began but I have been rewarded many times over and as you read on you will see that Utiekah III has compensated me in other ways for what some would call `hard work', but I called `pleasure'.  



Utiekah III being towed in the
series `Patrol Boat' in  January 1983

Going back to the early 1980's whilst living in Sydney, I was approached by the directors of `Patrol Boat' with a script writers  innovative idea to use Utiekah III in one of their weekly series as a villian's boat for smuggling exotic birds into Australian Waters.  

Whilst this side of repaying some of the dollars spent on her was never an intention, I didn't hesitate in accepting the offer, thus her first role as a `movie-star prop' was initiated.




Then in 1983 another weekly series called `Carson's Law' required her services as a makeshift Casino.  We were living in Melbourne and she was tied up in the Yarra at South Wharf.  The film location was at Station Pier so she was moved, decorated and reinvented as a gambling site for the duration of the shoot then safely returned to her mooring for normality to continue.  Once again, she was earning her keep.  But the big-time came in 2002, when she played a part in a German Movie entitled "Blowing In The Wind".

Being craned out of the water for the
movie `Blowing In The Wind'

The storyline consisted of Utiekah III's owner dying and the boat being left as a beneficiary to his only son.  They used Earlando Bay near Bowen for the setting so she was sailed down to the location, craned out of the water and propped on the hard for the creation of her part in the movie.  This was by far the biggest role she had landed and also the biggest dollar earner.

ON A PAINT CAN LABEL


Utiekah III as she appeared on the Paint
Label for Intergrain.  This verbal agreement
lasted for 7 years.  

Whilst living in Melbourne, she caught the eye of the owner of Seamaster by Intergrain.  He approached me and asked if I would test out their product on Utiekah's decks and give progress reports on the finish, the effect weather, sea water and sun had on her, and the workload involved in maintaining her.  This verbal arrangement was for a seven year period.  She was photographed and used on their label and totally eye-catching she was.

In principle, I would never have allowed use of her if I was not a fan of Seamaster.  Because of its durability and appearance with harsh elements to compete with, I was only too happy to show her off in this manner.  Her bright work needed limited work and the photograph was in keeping with the look I wanted for a 1925 vintage ketch.

Intergrain was later sold to another entity who played around with the formula and of a personal opinion, was never the same. Thus her run as a picture on a paint tin label came to an end.





As a Competitor
IN THE BICENTENIAL YEAR OF THE TALL SHIPS - 1988

Our lives seemed to revolve around Utiekah III and the social benefits and friendships gained in owning her were and are many.  One of the biggest decisions I made was to register her to be part of the 100 odd yachts to participate in the once in a life-time spectacular of the Bicentenial Tall Ship in 1988 sailing her from Hobart to Sydney.  I possibly never realised the preparation and work load involved in this decision, nor do I harbour any regrets but this plan of action needed nearly 8 months of discipline and tunnel vision to ready Utiekah III to be part of this historical event. My late-wife, Carolyn and I worked tirelessly to make sure we, along with our chosen crew of 8 friends and family made a memory we would never forget. 



This picture says it all.  Australia supported the Tall Ships like a proud nation and a right to be. 
It appeared that anyone and everyone who owned a boat came out on this day to show their enthusiam
for one of the most spectaular events of our country.

 
Spectacular indeed, over 35 Tall Ships from all over the world and many classic sailing yachts registered to be part of Australia making history.  It is unlikely that Sydney Cove will ever see the presence of so many people (over 2 million in Sydney Harbour and surrounds and another 1.6 million reportedly trod Princes Pier when the fleet sailed into Melbourne) dotting every spare piece of terra firma to witness this odyssey. 



Utiekah III having her ballwalks and decking
replaced after being hit in a collision with
another yacht in The Tall Ships

All didn't go to plan, accidents happen and on the second night out at 1.55am, one zealous participant didn't give way and sliced into Utiekah's port side ripping out part of her ballwalks that put an end to that part of our journey. 

We were devastated but not out.  She motored very slowly into Triahunna on the East Coast of Tasmania for us to examine the damage and make decisions.  Repair her we would was the unanimous decision so all the crew and some abled timber technicians worked for 2 and a half days and nights to get her back into the race and at 5.00am on 17th January, we sailed off again to continue the journey to Sydney.  As an aside, we were found clear of any fault or blame by the CYC of Australia for the incident.



Utiekah III with her full wardrobe of sails
competing in the Tall Ships in 1988 -
`ATS 27'
(Australian Tall Ships Flag No 27)



UTIEKAH III for Sale - She Is Unique - 85 Years Young and Still So Alive

It is with emotion that I (Captain, Skipper and Care-taker) have come to realise that the time spent with my beloved yacht is coming to an end.  When I purchased Utiekah III back some 35 years ago, I made a private pact with myself that when the time came that I was unable to monkey-climb the rigging was the time that I was too old to protect her like she has protected me in many oceans for many years.  Saddened that my back and body are telling me `user friendly' is the way I must now sail, I am excited for the new owner who will take over the reigns of this magnificant `lady' but I must warn that this vintage yacht is not for the faint hearted but one who is passionate about the sea and the pure love of sailing.  She is capable, big and powerful and if respected she will reward you.

 

A BIT ABOUT HER:

Utiekah III is a unique sailing yacht for a niche buyer. She has a history that goes back to the time she was first built in 1924, completed in January, 1925 in Tasmania, Australia. She was the first privately owned Australian Yacht to enter a foreign port when she sailed to Fiji in 1927 and was also used as a patrol vessel in Port Philip Bay, Victoria during World War II.  She is 85 years young and has experienced many journeys with her 7 owners and her diversity during her life is worth a listen. She has endured Bass Straight too many times to remember and defies this mysterious, angry ocean with courage and ownership because that is what she was built for.


A BIT ABOUT HER OWNERS (past and present)

Utiekah III was built by the Wilson Bros and assisted by 2 other men and a boy for her first owner, Mr Ireton Elliot (Spuddo) Giles.  Constructed on a river bank in a makeshift yard, she was started and completed in only 10 months, a very short time, considering she was build by hand as there were no such luxury as power tools in Port Cygnet back in those days.  She is magnificantly put together with particular attention paid to her fastenings, along with concrete ballast under her springers up to the waterline.  She had 5 tons of lead placed in her keel and 7 tons of internal ballast that ensured she had a wonderful and kind movement whilst on the water and in the open sea. 

Along with Jack Savage, Skipper (Spuddo) Giles designed this boat for the purpose to teach students at Melbourne Grammer the art of seamanship, blue water sailing and understanding the elements of the ocean, and all that goes with it.  It has been said that over 4,300 young children had the pleasure of adding this skill to their knowledge of schooling and recall the times spent on the decks of Utiekah III amongst their most memorable.  Spuddo managed over 50 crossings of Bass Strait during his years as a teacher and when he retired, he moved to Hobart, Tasmania where he continued to use Utiekah III to teach sailing to the local boys from The Hutchins School.  In many ports and marinas within the confines of Australian waters and sometimes out, men will come and enquire if this is the Utiekah III that their fathers or themselves learnt to sail on.     

A Bronze Bust of Ireton Elliot (Spuddo) Giles was designed in honour of the dedication given to his students at Melbourne Grammer.  A reunion was held at the School in 1996 where Johnny Mahoney spoke to 150 ex-students.  He was amazed at the size of the patronage and recalled there was not a dry eye in the auditorium.  Along with his past-wife Carolyn, they sailed Utiekah III from Tassie to Melbourne at attend this ceremony   





The new `Dog House' being framed allowing those on
board the comforts of staying dry and warm during the times
Utiekah III was plowing through the ocean.




Spuddo sold her at age 90 (died at 92) and in the mid 1960's she became the property of the Fowler Family in Tasmania.  This family fitted her with a deck house and a 1958 Ford Thames diesel motor which still prides itself in the engine room to this day.  The same cannot be said for the deck house that was replaced by her current owner and now protects and shelters the occupants from wet seas and ugly weather. 

When Fowler Senior died in 1972, a syndicate purchased her for the purpose of charter work on the Great Barrier Reef where she founded on a reef somewhere off Mackay in 1974 losing her rudder, lead keel and most of her sails and written off and abandoned to Underwriters.  Nature moved in with a storm and subsequently she was safely washed across a reef in a southerly gale and found floating in a small lagoon to her anchor.  Surprisingly little damage was done and a young Gary Underwood who was visiting in a 36 ft yacht did a swap.  Interestly the rudder was salvaged by a fisherman, replaced and she was then taken to Russel Island, New Zealand mainly under power.  There she was re-fitted with another 3.5 tonne of reinforced concrete keel.  Unfortunately this owner soon discovered he did not have the resources nor initiative to recondition Utiekah III properly so brought her back to Australia for resale on the secondhand market which was thought to bring him a better price than NZ.  She headed off for Brisbane, Queensland but ended up on the East Coast of Tasmania so Hobart became her port of call.  Sold, she then became the property of two friends who later disagreed and to Utiekah III's fortune, John and Carolyn Mahoney saw the potential of her beauty, timber and solid frame structure so a new era in her life began.  The owners were determined to rebuilt this grand lady keeping the appearance in line with the era in which she was constructed so that her history and glory would never be lost. 



Pictures of the old galley as she was
when purchased
by Johnny & Carolyn Mahoney 







Work in progress of the latter stage of the
new galley to become part of Johnny
and Carolyn's new home on board Utiekah III 













In the 35 years of ownership, she has traveled to New Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand, East and West Malaysia, The Philippines and Borneo but is happiest with winds aplenty thrusting her 38 tons of might through the ocean with gustro and class.

Utiekah III in Bagaman Island, Papua New Guinea with
the entire village of approx 50 men, women and children
on board her deck.

Mr John Mahoney has treasured, loved and lived for keeping Utiekah III in a responsible, safe and sound condition appropriate to sea-worthiness.  To this day he maintains that he is only her `keeper' and she will out-live him which is a testamant to the way ships were built back in the good old days and especially by The Wilson Bros.

CONSTRUCTION:

Utiekah III is built of a rare Tasmanian timber called `Huon Pine' in a small village named Cygnet, Tasmania.  Huon Pine in many ways is superior to teak for yacht construction being light, durable, and resistant to rot and worm. It is a very slow growing tree indeed. A Huon Pine tree grows an average of 120mm diameter every one hundred years and amazingly some trees have been found growing for over 2100 years.  The timber is fine-textured with a delightful fragrance.  Utiekah III has 50 mm planks over 100 x 75 mm frames on 275mm centres in addition to her stringers and shelves of spotted blue gum.  Strong she is.




Her lines and shape are as good
today as when she was first built in 1925.



Her lines and planing are as perfect as the day she was launched 85 years ago. She has a spirit that arises from the hundreds of thousand of tree years necessary to produce her amazingly fast yet moderate lines.  She is 56 ft on deck, 15 ft 9 in beam, 7 ft 2 in draft and a gaffed cutter rigged ketch. With bow sprit and bumkin she is a magnificant 70ft creature of the wind and sea from a past era.

Utiekah III under sail coming 6th our of 60 yachts racing from
 Airlie Beach to  Earlando Bay, North Queensland.





Expressions of Interest in Utiekah III can be emailed to utiekahiii@yahoo.com with your name and particulars.  She is presently sailing in the waters of Malaysia.