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ARIEL under full sail in 2006
Ariel
ARIEL under full sail in 2006
ARIEL under full sail in 2006
Private collection

Ariel

Vessel numberHV000040
Sail NumberC23
Builder
Vessel type
Date1927
DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 7.92 m x 7.92 m x 2.74 m x 1.07 m (26 ft x 26 ft x 9 ft x 3.5 ft)
DescriptionARIEL is one of a small number of boats still extant that was built by JB Jones, son of JR Jones who was one of the original couta boat builders. It was made for the Keillor Brothers, Charles and Andrew. They were stevedores and used the boat mostly for day trips and excursions on the bay with passengers visiting from the country, rather than for fishing.

Jack Arkell bought ARIEL in 1933, and changed the gunter rig to the original couta boat lug-rigged main with its single halyard. This enabled him to work the boat single-handed which he did until he retired in 1973, one of the last fisherman to still use a couta boat under sail. He worked cray pots as well as fishing for barracouta, and did everything as he was first taught, not moving with the times. He was always hauling the pots by hand and took the hooks off the barracouta by "arming" them, putting them under one arm and unhooking with the other hand. He did not bother to use an unhooking rail, or any other improvements. Jack changed the topsides colour from white to black to hide the smudges that came off his tarred dinghy.

ARIEL reverted to being a pleasure boat after Jack Arkell sold the vessel in 1979, and in 2006 it is again rigged with a gunter mainsail yard, the original sailplan.

Update May 2023: The topsides on ARIEL have been repainted white in recent years.
SignificanceARIEL is a wooden couta boat from Victoria built in 1927. It was designed and built by JB Jones who was the sone one of the early builders of couta boats JR JOnes and maintains the traditions established by his father and other couta boat builders. It is also an example of an auxiliary powered couta boat that retained the sailing rig for fishing purposes and primary propulsion.
Vessel Highlights
VIATOR at Flagstaff Hill Warrnambool in 2010
J R Jones
1900s
PATSY on display at Museum Victoria
JB Jones
c1920
STORM BAY in Hobart.
Percy Coverdale
1925
ARIEL date unknown, racing in Queensland
Don Piper (1920-1985)
1950
THISTLE under sail in 2005.
J R Jones
c 1903
NYMPHAEA at the Geelong Wooden Boat Festival in 2016
C Blunt
1946
AMY CHRISTINA in 2009 shortly after being relaunched.
Alex Lacco
1946
EVA slipped at WIlliamstown
Frederick Blunt
1910
KALINDA on Cowan Creek, NSW in 2011, restored to its original condition.
Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd
1950
SEA  HAWK in 1968
J R Jones
1920
MAY QUEEN, June 2012
Alexander Lawson
1867