​Bill is a local businessman and grandfather who has had a project in mind that is finally coming to fruition.

A man with an eye for detail, fastidious in his craftsmanship and a significant amount of sawdust in his blood, Bill has combined two goals that we can all understand.

1: Build the wooden boat of his dreams;

Also 1: Take his grandchildren for a ride on his boat.

The boat is the David Payne designed ‘Rocks River Skiff’ for either clinker or strip-plank construction, LOA of 4.7 metres and a Beam of 1.2 metres.

Bill says about his search for details on the design:

 

“Plans were hard to find. Although listed at Boatcraft Pacific they had no stock. I finally tracked down a set of plans through Sydney Wooden Boat School. One of the members recalled seeing a set squirreled away somewhere and managed to dig them out for me.

 

I don't know how old the design is. I tried to track down David Payne but he has gone to ground, possibly literally.”

 

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