Solilique of Searle

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Parkster said..

does anybody have any history on her?



Regards
Adam

Yes!! The solid dodger, the boom cradle and the aluminium rope basket on the stern are not original and make an otherwise gorgeous yacht look butt ugly.

A pretty boat despite the appendages mentioned. Any interior photos?

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Parkster said..

Could not agree more a fisherman in St Helens was a previous owner,I would say he may have added these beautiful items. These items went in yacht club skip before I brought her home! Would dearly love to find out some history on her we are bringing her back to her former glory, it took 56 hrs to wash the inside of her out and we are about to start exterior. I feel very lucky to have her !!

You obviously have impeccable taste.

Some years ago I had the privilege to be invited aboard a gorgeous raised fore deck timber motor cruiser that was originally built for the Prouds (jewelers) family. The mirrored Lika Loka with original crystal ware was a thing to behold.

My wife is a grand-daughter of RT Searles. We may have some history at home (we're currently in Hobart but live in NSW) and can certainly find some old RTS people for you.

Big live Tassie crays are bad when you find some *&^%$#@ has put them in your sleeping bag when you have been drinking in Wineglass Bay on the way back from the Hobart......

but that's another story.

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timetaxi said..
My wife is a grand-daughter of RT Searles. We may have some history at home (we're currently in Hobart but live in NSW) and can certainly find some old RTS people for you.

Wow timetaxi your wife certainly has the boat blood in her! I can only imagine what her childhood would have been like going to see grandad at the slip yard and soaking up the atmosphere! I don't think my parents would have been able to get me back in the car if it were me! I think the government should be sponsoring and ensuring any existing timber boat shipwrights /boatyards thrive and survive so the older guys share their skills/knowledge and all is not lost! I would love To see some old pics.

Gorgeous boat. You didn't happen to find a few bottles of grange rattling around in the bilge did you?

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andy59 said..
Gorgeous boat. You didn't happen to find a few bottles of grange rattling around in the bilge did you?

Hi Andy you can imagine the look of disappointment when I found six plastic bottles of home brewed cider in the bilge

I have her Older Sister! Pictured here below. I guess by now you know that there were 3 of these, all ketches. Solace from the mid 1930's, "Christine", (been renamed as "Snowgoose" and has been "Setanta" for many years) from 1949 and Soliloquy of Searle" mid 1950's.
Designed by a New Zealander called Charles Bayley. I keep her at the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron, as does the owner of Solace.
Kingsley "Bones" Haskett, who owned Searles Boatyard, carries out a lot of his his business there as well and is a mine of information on the boats built there back in the day, something that I think you would know by now.
This old girl of mine was originally owned by A Doctor Ernest Joske, who , in the process of beginning what has been described as the first Australian Solo round the world circumnavigation, was found mauled to death, though onboard, by what they think was a Tiger Shark. Below is a newspaper report on the incident.
I like your boat by the way, though I am biased....


MANGLED BODY OF MAN FOUNDON KETCH IN FITZROY RIVER "With the right leg completely torn off at the hip and the right portion of the pelvis missing, the body of a middle-aged man was found by the police yesterday after noon lying over the side of the 45ft. ketch Christine, which was aground on Humbug Leads in the Fitzroy River. The man is believed to be Dr Ernest Joske, 56, married, of Adelaide. There was no one else on board. The body was lying amidships and one leg was caught over the guide wire and the upper portion of the body was entangled in the rigging. The left arm and shoulder were partly buried in the mud and the right arm was extended upwards. Where the pelvis was missing there was a cavity in the abdomen. The police do not suspect foul play. When found by the police the boat was lying on its starboard beam on Humbug Lead, 20 miles by water downstream from Rockhampton on the northern bank. The boat was headed downstream. The ketch was flying the signal flag, "I want a pilot." The police believe that, while sailing up the river alone, the engine of his boat cut out and when the boat began to drift the man believed to be Dr Joske, hurried around to the forrard to try to drop anchor. It is thought that, as he hurried around, he injured himself and the boat went ashore on the northern bank. Dr Joske's injury, it is thought, caused a considerable loss of blood. Police believe that the vessel suddenly heeled over and Dr Joske overbalanced and became entangled in the ropes and the guide wires on the side of the boat. While he was over the side of the boat it is believed that a shark took him and inflicted the injuries from which he subsequently died. First news of the Christine was flashed to Rockhampton by a radio message from the SS Caledon, which, at 12.38p.m. informed the police that the Christine was aground and that the master apparently was injured. The ketch was not seen entering the river yesterday morning and it is believed that her master brought her in before or about daylight. Detective-Sergeant H. G. Cook and Constable J. P. Peoples, together with Mr. J. L. McMaster (ambulance bearer). Mr Donovan (Department of Harbours and Marine) and Mr. H. Rittmeir, hastened to the grounded ketch in the launches Ursula and Sylvia. The party left Rockhampton shortly after 2 p.m. Constable Peoples brought the body to Rockhampton in the Ursula, arriving between8.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. A postmortem examination was held later. VESSEL REFLOATED Detective-Sergeant Cook remained with the Christine, and when the tide began to rise the vessel was refloated. She was refloated at 9.10 p.m. under the direction of Pilot P.C. Gibson, who was assisted by Mr. R. F. Pope, of the pilot station, and Mr. Rittmeir. Mr.Donovan, who skilfully manoeuvred the Sylvia, made the task of refloating the ketch much easier. Detective-Sergeant Cook said that the ketch was ashore between some fallen trees and the bank and this made refloating her a fairly hazardous operation. The Sylvia then towed the Christine to Rockhampton, where she berthed at 12.20 a.m. today. Dr. Joske left Brisbane in the ketch last Saturday week alone for Bowen. His wife flew from Brisbane to Adelaide last night to attend the funeral of her brother. The Brisbane C.I.B. last night asked the Adelaide police to interview her. Dr. Joske's boat was berthed in Brisbane for two months before he left alone to sail to Bowen. He gave up his medical practice to undertake a world trip. He said he wanted to do cancer research in the United States and Great Britain and that the Federal Government had accepted his offer to investigate prepaid medical insurance. He expected to be away for two years. His intention was to sail singlehanded from Adelaide to Lakes Entrance (New South Wales), and then to New Zealand, Panama, Florida, New York, across the Atlantic to England and then cruise in European waters before returning to Australia. He left Port Adelaide at the end of September last year. after engine trouble he was still battling storms in the Bass Strait in January. Misfortune continued to dog him up the eastern coast.

TerryOz,
What an interesting story.
If the incident happened in the manner that the police think it did he would have to be the unluckiest man on earth at the time.

Great looking yacht Parkster!

Stunning classical beauty