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American designer George Stadel was largely self-taught
and launched his career in 1928. He also worked as a
boatbuilder, boatyard manager and surveyor. In 1978
Stadel, along with sons George III and William, founded
George H Stadel and Sons, a company noted for its
diversity of work.
Stadel’s best-known designs were his Pilot series
ranging in lengths from six to 12m. He designed the Pilot
26 in 1939 but very few have been built.
When building Ta r a, Herbert Krumm-Gartner of Classic
Boats followed Stadel’s hull lines, but made changes to the
sheer, cabin profile, construction and ballast.
Ta r a was planked with edged-glued kauri, glued
and screwed to laminated frames. Teak was used for the
transom and cabin sides, with plywood for the decks and
cabin top. The spars are all Oregon, while the ballast is lead.GEORGE H STADEL JR (1905 – 1988)FAR LEFT Lucky the
possum is happy sharing
the boat with four humans
and a cat.
BELOW LEFT The dinghy
with its 5hp outboard
becomes the propulsion
for Tara.bucket beneath a seat with a curtain for privacy. The
bucket’s contents are taken ashore to a DoC toilet.
Largely because of the lack of refrigeration, the
family mostly eats a vegetarian diet, along with eggs,
beans and occasional wild meat obtained from hunting.
Kerstin makes light of the undoubted difficulties.
“We usually moor up or anchor and go ashore.
It’s only on the rainy days when it gets a bit hard; I
struggle where to put the wet weather gear, the wet
towels, the pots and pans.”
She’s also a passionate believer in keeping things
simple.
“I like the simple, off-grid lifestyle. Once you have
more and more systems on a boat you’re spending
forever fixing them.”
Kerstin has obtained an exemption to home-
educate her children, meaning she’s responsible for