RQYS MAINSHEET 2025

Feature: Finn’s Boat Shed

“But,” he says, shooting me a glance which brooks no argument, “there’s three special ‘shout-outs’ that really deserve to be made. Until we can get a welder and gear of our own, Sea Dog Marine has been a huge help (Matty’s awesome!) to us. Y’know Des from AA Composites over at Hemmant? That bloke’s expertise is only an arm’s-length away to ask for advice and help us out with supplies. And, talking of having a ‘mini-chandlery’ here, we’ve also got a very good relationship with Jason at Muir Marine , who helps us out big-time.

“We’re very, very fortunate — as is the Squadron — to have this kind of support.”

How to help

As might be imagined, the Optimists in the Tackers fleet incur the heaviest knocks and rougher wear’n’tear, as young little sailors begin their journies of discovery afloat: busted booms, cracked centreboards and ‘rooted rudders’ are par for the course but, as every mariner should be acutely aware, no-one is immune from the capricious whims of the sea, so the asks of the Finn’s Shed crew are as diverse as the 90-odd watercraft in the RQYS fleets.

FINN’S SHED ‘WISH-LIST’ • Cordless power tools, such as drills, power saws, drop saws, blowers, etc • Hot knives • Fibreglass supplies: polyester resin, epoxy resin, various fibreglass, chopped strand, woven rovings, various tapes, acetone, etc • Painting supplies: various size brushes, paint trays (plastic), various rollers, sandpapers, etc • Various timbers: 90 x 35/45, 70 x 35, marine ply, structural ply, etc • Chandlery items –— mostly for dinghies: shackles, pulleys, 316 stainless hose clamps and fixings, screws, bolts and nuts, etc • Various ropes (marine), mostly dinghy size; polyester mooring line (say, 12–14 mm), etc HOW TO DONATE Please, first text a pic or two of your item/s, along with brief description/s of condition, quantity, etc to Patto on 0413 739 058 and let him know a good time for a call-back to chat about your kind offer.

“Crikey, we chew through a mountain of 316 [stainless-steel] fittings,” muses Patto, “of all kinds, for all manner of rigs and boats; can never have too many.”

He gestures over his shoulder towards the (strangely) embarrassingly ‘naked’ aluminium shell of a trailered RhIB devoid of its inflatable tubes. “RQ came by two of these second-hand; number five has been done up and is back in the water and on duty, but we’ve still got a way to go with number six, as you can see here — and that’s everything from metal / bonds to tubes / seals and the instrumentation, electrics and so on … not a small job, but we can do it if we’ve got the right gear.” If you’ve passed it on the water — or it’s passed you — then there’s a better-than fair chance you’ve just seen some Finn’s Shed experience, craftsmanship and TLC in action go by. If you want to help these blokes (and Donna!) help keep RQYS assets in the best of nick for the smallest of costs, then check out Patto’s key list of asks here and see what might be sitting spare in your shed. “Actually,” Patto added, “quite often there can be a lot of really valuable leftovers after someone’s been hauled-out — surplus paint or resin, unused brushes or mixing trays and tools, masking tape, that sort of stuff — which would come in very handy, if owners were to think of us.” n

Graham Early in “Harp’s Corner” is the devoted custodian of the grinders and other bench tools needed to keep the Shed’s equipment in top condition. Pic: MT

Mainsheet 2025

17

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Yearbook