Springtime

Vessel numberHV000765

Sail NumberOGA43

Date1936

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 6.96 m × 6.96 m × 1 m, 4.7 tonnes (22.84 ft × 22.84 ft × 3.28 ft, 4.62 tons)

DescriptionThe yacht was built by Vic Mews from the Fremantle branch of the Mews family at their Louisa St Fremantle yard. It was designed by William Maxwell Blake as a Devon class 4 tonner. The Mews family of West Australian boat builders encompasses five generations, and has the longest association in boatbuilding of any West Australian family. They worked at a series of yards and locations around Perth and Fremantle, occasionally in partnership with others.

SPRINGTIME is a carvel planked hull, just under 7 metres long, rigged as a sloop. A novel feature is the saloon table construction, made from planks on which gold was stored in the Dalgety building's Gold Room Fremantle before shipment.

SPRINGTIME was built for Bill Gartrell, a stalwart of the Swan Yacht Club (founded in 1903) and raced by him on the Swan River in the “Cruiser” class, where it had quite a distinguished record. SPRINGTIME has a long history of sailing on the Swan River and other owners recorded are PW Nicholls, Wally Stevens, Bill Banton and Tom Roberts.

The Mews family remain connected to SPRINGTIME, the current owner and his shipwright associates are still able to use Vic Mews wood working machines for repairs to the vessel.

SignificanceSPRINGTIME is a yacht built in Western Australia in 1936. It was built for a private owner by the well-known Mews boatbuilding family, and represents a yacht from one of the last generations of this family involved in boatbuilding in WA since the mid 1800s. It has always been used as a recreational yacht, sailing on the Swan River in Perth.