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Seasalter

Vessel numberHV000766

Sail NumberSM 1

Sail NumberHB37

Builder JP Clausen & Sons

Designer Dr T Harrison Butler

Date1937

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 12.19 m × 2.13 m, 12.2 tonnes (40 ft × 7 ft, 12 tons)

DescriptionSEASALTER is a canoe-stern yacht, built on the Port Adelaide waterfront by shipwright Peter Clausen whose Danish father Tonnes (Thomas) Clausen Finnes had jumped ship in Sydney in December of 1860. Peter Clausen, one of 12 children and named for his uncle, another seafarer of Dragør, Denmark, was born about 188. The keel, deadwood and centreline timbers are all Jarrah, Eucalyptus diversicolour. The frames and much of the structural timbers inboard are Spotted Gum. It is planked with Jarrah from the garboard and the first three planks and then with the beautiful Huon Pine above. The frames are steam bent on 225mm (9 inch) centres and the hull was well fastened with copper rivets. Every third frame has an iron floor strap fastened across the keel and up four to five planks each side.

The designer for SEASALTER was Englishman Dr T. Harrison Butler, who was a keen contributor to English yachting magazines and became widely known outside of England. He was respected for his excellent seaworthy designs, and was a proponent of the Metacentric Theory for yacht design. This was a means of calculating the distribution of the hull’s displacement or volume when heeled to give a balanced yacht without weather or lee helm tendencies. The necessary calculations, done by hand, were tedious, but when applied gave the desired outcome.
SEASALTER confirms the principles as the yacht remains well-balanced as it heels in almost all wind speeds

SEASALTER owes its commissioning to the Reverend Guy Pentreath. Born in Bermuda in March 1902, where his father was stationed as an Army Chaplain, he grew up and was educated in England. He gained a First at Cambridge and a distinction in Classical Archaeology and was ordained into the Anglican Church in 1928. He lived for most of his early years in Kent and became familiar with the southern coastline of the Outer Thames Estuary.

In 1934, at the youthful age of 32, his appointment to be Headmaster of St Peter’s College for Boys in Adelaide South Australia was an unusual honour and he became a much revered and respected leader. He was considered to be a progressive Headmaster encouraging the boys to go out into the countryside to broaden their horizons from bookish pursuits. He became passionately interested in South Australia and the 1936 centenary of its settlement, and used the feeling of optimism this opportunity provided to give further support to his ideals of outdoor pursuits for his students by building a yacht.

He chose Clausen as the builder and in consultation with him the Reverend chose an existing design from Harrison Butler for a vessel of heavy build to suited the conditions that can be found around the southern coasts of Australia and particularly in Bass Strait. The fact that Harrison Butler’s designs used the metacentric Theory appealed to the Reverend who had a particular bent towards things technical. He embraced the concept and requested a copy of the plans for the ARISTENE design (a modified QUEEN OF ARDEN).

The plans arrived and in 1935 the keel was laid down. An article in The Advertiser, Adelaide, Friday the 18th of September, 1936 announced its intended launching in an article headed “New Yachts This Season”.

“Among the additions to the South Australian yachting fleet this season, will be two auxiliary cruisers and several new sharpies. Some of the latter will be used by English and Indian yachtsman in the Centenary yachting carnival to be held at the end of this year.

“... The second cruiser will be built for Rev. Guy Pentreath Headmaster of St. Peter’s College and will be built by J.P. Clausen of Birkenhead. The yacht which is from the board of the English designer, Mr. Harrison Butler, will be of solid construction. The keel has been shaped from a single length of 18 in. by 14 in. jarrah. The planking will be 1 ¼ in. Huon pine. The boat which will be of schooner rig will be 38 feet overall length, 10 ft. 3 in. beam and 6 ft. draft. An unusual feature amongst South Australian yachts is that she will have a “cruiser” stern. This style, however, is popular among British and Continental yachtsmen. The power plant will be a 15 h.p. four-cylinder Gray engine. Although the hull is now being built, the boat will not be launched until 1937.”

It was not schooner rigged, although that was the sailplan seen on the original QUEEN OF ARDEN design, instead it was set up as a ketch, then later as a cutter.

The new yacht was named SEASALTER in honour of the small seaside village near The Reverend’s home and near where he retired to in his later years. SEASALTER was launched into the Port River by crane in November 1937 and quickly became a regular contender in the many sailing events run by the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron.

SEASALTER sailed many miles under Pentreath and subsequent owners. However, in 1942 his protests about the war brought about his resignation from the school, and the yact was sold while he retruned to England.

In 1949 it represented SA in the Sydney-to Hobart under its then owner Doug Jarvis and undertook a 3,000 mile venture to sail from Port Adelaide to Sydney, then take part in the race before returning to Port Adelaide.

Amongst its successes were winning in the 1949 Kintore Cup 64 miler and the 1950 Orontes Cup 60 miler races in Adelaide.

Doug Jarvis owned SEASALTER for a couple of years before it was sold on to a series of owners who owned it for four or five years at a time. In 1956, it went to Victoria until being bought in 1991 by Mr Gordon Elcock of Rangiora, New Zealand. It remained there until the passing of its owner in 2007

Amongst the other owners were twins Clarrie and Richard Rule, who attempted a much more ambitious voyage, setting sail in 1980 from Port Phillip to fulfil their ambition of a non-stop circumnavigation, but did not succeed and returned to Australia.

SEASALTER remains in good condition cruising Australia’s coastline widely and regularly.

SignificanceSEASALTER is a wooden yacht built in 1937 in South Australia. It was built by JP Clausen and Sons to a design by the English designer Dr T Harrison Butler. It is an excellent example of a large yacht built by this important SA boatbuilding yard, firm and interprets the variety of craft they built. SEASALTER sailed in the 1949 Sydney Hobart Race, attempted a non-stop circumnavigation, completed many races in Bass Strait waters and is one of those well-known craft where the many who have sailed on-board eagerly recall their experiences when they see the yacht in port.