Yesterday I had the privelege of sharing a day sail on Ceramco, the legendary N.Z round the world racer sailed by Sir Peter Blake.
A friend of mine bought her from U.S. Customs a year and a bit ago for a bargain price and sailed her from Florida to Bundaberg where she now lives. Google Ceramco for some interesting history.

Looks like a great day out !

Wow, so exactly how many winches excluding that Gorilla crank handle.

You are not getting any funny ideas like putting the Lotus back in the water?

She looks purty Cisco!
Keerist, a winch service must take a week!
On boats that big, my attention is always first and foremost drawn to the size of the blocks on the runners. I have respect for those bastard things, I've seen enough people knocked out from the block on the lazy sheet to treat them with a healthy dose of suspicion!
Looks like a great sail, congrats to your mate!
SB

She is in surprisingly good condition given her age and history. Aluminium construction with plenty of ribs and stringers and purposely designed and built to be a southern ocean streaker by Bruce Farr and others.

I did not count the winches but I think 20 something would be about right and I also think a $20 something K spend on her would not go astray either. The owner is the most unlikely looking guy to own a yacht like that too.

At the moment he has not figured out how to engage the coffee grinder handles to the main genoa sheet winches. We didn't have the full genoa rolled out and had to use a winch handle in the top of the winches. Even in low gear it was bloody hard work to get it sheeted right.

There are actually some winches on her that were custom made by Lewmar for that boat.

What she really needs is a paid and highly skilled boat nigger to work his way from stem to stern and get every inch of her up to full scratch. Like you say shaggy, she has some heavy duty gear on her and a failure could seriously hurt or kill someone.

The Bundaberg Port Marina mongrels wont give him an end or outside berth which makes it difficult to get in or out of the pen in a southerly or northerly especially if there is a boat on the other side of the pen.

It was a great day out yesterday, three hours out and three in with the most breeze about 15 knots from the east. Down to Elliot Heads and back and I think we got 7.5 knots speed at one point. Looking forward to going out on her again some time.

Did you lose my phone number that day?

My father was md of one of the companies owned by Ceramco which helped finance Ceramco NZ (he was ex RNZN and needed no persuading) back in its hey day and in around 1980 I was lucky enough to go out on her one day as a teenager. Thats was when she won both line honours and handicap honours in the s2h. It was magic for me. I followed her adventures everywhere, One of my favorite sailing books was given to me by Sir Peter back then, signed by him in the front, its still in my bookshelf. I had no idea what Kiwi royalty they were!! Great photos Cisco, thanks. I would love to go to Bundaberg and step onboard again one day

I was parked next to Ceramco for a few days in Bundaberg not long ago. A bit tired in a few areas that no doubt a couple of boat dollars will fix, but a very, very impressive boat. I don't doubt that she would get up and boogie when let off the leash.

Select to expand quote

Wander66 said..
Did you lose my phone number that day?

No, but the invitation came on short notice the night before. I did go down Mariner's Way on Sunday and saw that Itchy Feet was looking a bit lonely.

Could have done with your help on the genoa sheet winch. It should have a sign on it saying "Heart Attack Territory".

@ Trek and EC31
You guys know the yacht and what I am talking about.
The owners are a really great couple who bought a real estate agency here in Bundy and are really keen on taking her out sailing.
If any Seabreezers are visiting Bundy, I am sure I could wrangle you a day out on her on a Sat or Sun.

They are planning on a Melbourne-Osaka with a Bris-Gladdy as a work up.

The yacht needs more competent crew so there could be something happening here.

What an opportunity for the right boat manager.

Great old warhorse, but in my opinion not great for M2O without major rig & deck redesign & modification.

Not spewing - really happy to see Ceramco out in her element, no matter what number of Ockers are clambering all over her ..

JR

Select to expand quote

cisco said..

Wander66 said..
Did you lose my phone number that day?

No, but the invitation came on short notice the night before. I did go down Mariner's Way on Sunday and saw that Itchy Feet was looking a bit lonely.

Could have done with your help on the genoa sheet winch. It should have a sign on it saying "Heart Attack Territory".

No worries, not having a car has even stopped me doing the floating man cave thing for now. Managed to hijack the wife's car for a quick visit on Sunday afternoon around high tide, just in time to see a trawler brush past with a mooring block hanging from the bow. They turned around, stopped just in front of Itchy and dropped the block with no float attached just a rope that promptly disappeared, thought it was hilarious until I realised that now there is a new submerged hazard right in front of my way out of the mooring .

Perhaps the winch should be labelled to be operated by under 60's only .

if the M2O is on the agenda they had better start planning the re-rigging and refitting . The average prep time is two years .

She's a magnificent boat. I did my first Hobart the year she won at 17 years of age, and still have clear memories of being allowed to check her out on NYE; the image of Peter and Pippa Blake standing near the centreline of the saloon while I talked to one of the crew on the starboard side are burned into my brain.