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| 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.
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| 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'.
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| 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".
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| 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
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| Utiekah III as she appeared on the Paint Label for Intergrain. This verbal agreement lasted for 7 years. |
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.
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| 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.
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| Utiekah III having her ballwalks and decking replaced after being hit in a collision with another yacht in The Tall Ships |
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.
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| Utiekah III with her full wardrobe of sails competing in the Tall Ships in 1988 - `ATS 27' (Australian Tall Ships Flag No 27) |
