THE SAILING SCOW RIPPLE – CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT HER

WW has been contacted by James McLaren who recently was mooching around the riverside docks at Warkworth and noticed a scow named – RIPPLE keeping the JANE GIFFORD company.

James and myself were unaware of RIPPLE and would love to learn more.

So today  a question today for the Mahurangi River woodys – tell us what you know – old/new, wood?, builder, engine etc 🙂

INPUT FROM JOHN WICKS – Ralph Sewell’s Ripple. Not a scow – she has round bilges, though she has very shoal draft and a centreboard.

INPUT ex PETER MENCE – Ralph Sewell referred to her as a round bilge scow. Ralph designed and with Alison and Peter built her – launched on the beach at Okura in the 70s I think.
INPUT ex PAUL BARLOW – Ripple is a round bilge,drop centre board vessel.I owned her for several years when I was based in Coromandel town.She was built by Ralph Sewell (who also built the Breeze).Ralph used her as his family boat when he lived in Coromandel Town.Her shallow draft allowed her to be berthed in the creek at the end of the 309 road /Waiau river. Similarly,I had a jetty berth in Furey’s creek where she was berthed.
INPUT ex ROSS DAWSON – Yes, Ralph Sewell’s replica NZ trading ketch, according to Bill McCarthy little book “Blokes & Boats”, he notes..”built of Californian Redwood in just nine months, without any plans, by a guy who hated school and had no formal boat-building or engineering training, it’s a pretty impressive achievement.” He says that vessels like this were common at the turn of the century carting everything from livestock to gravel and timber all round the northern coastline. In later years Ralph built the brigantine Breeze now in the Maritime Museum…no plans, “a case of a great eye coupled with a natural talent.” “If it looks good from any angle, it’s a good boat, says Ralph.” (Ralph died 1999)