The port is open to the ravages of Bass Strait but is
today a sheltered riverside harbour providing haven to
all manner of vessels from pleasure craft to working
fishing boats and commercial vessels. We were once
again impressed with the maritime atmosphere in
this picturesque town and surrounds, including the
breakwater and historic lighthouse on nearby Griffiths
Island.
The port also has an unbroken tradition of boat
building especially of traditional vessels, often
wooden. So, we were delighted to meet the very
talented Garry Stewart who is a traditional craftsman
there, who was engaged in the construction of an
eye-catching American ‘Beetle’ type design whale
boat in his riverside yard at 39 Gipps Street.
Garry Stewart describes himself as “specialising
in custom built traditional timber boats of high
quality workmanship “and indeed to step inside his
commodious shed is to walk from the 21st Century
into an environment redolent of a more gracious era.
The traditional tang of freshly planed wood,
in this case Huon pine, immediately resets
the senses. Racks of traditional tools, and
all the accoutrements of a true craftsman, an
occasional wooden dinghy, even a beautiful
newly completed launch, its hull gleaming
with a glassy finish, almost provide an
overload for the senses!
With a length of 28’ 9” she has a beam of 6’
6” and drawing 10 to 12” the whale boat is a
tough multi-purpose vessel robust enough to chase
down a whale and tow it back to the beach, yet ideal
for rowing and making a good speed under adverse
seas and conditions. In fair weather it can additionally
be sailed with a following wind.Racks of traditional tools, and
all the accoutrements of a true
craftsman, an occasional wooden
dinghy, even a beautiful newly
completed launch, its hull gleaming
with a glassy finish, almost provide
an overload for the senses!
Port Fairy SR lifeboat. Image Jonathan Wallis