A Fruitful Life - Charles Peel:
During the evening of 26th April 1949 the life slowly ebbed away from a man resting in Pambula Hospital on the Far South Coast of N.S.W. He was known all over Australia for his skill and dedication to the enjoyment of others.
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Charles Harold Peel died aged 72 years after a remarkable career designing and building boats, some of them equal to the best, his works included racing yachts, with hulls of near perfect shape and a sail plan to match, fishing boats that soon became cherished possessions, whilst performing as the designer intended.
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As a young man Charles Peel departed his home on the shores of Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay and went to Sydney (around the year 1900) where he served out a boat builder’s apprenticeship. Upon returning Charles continued in his trade, having been inspired with a love of yachts.
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Acrospire III arriving in Melbourne from Sydney aboard Echunga. Inset left shows Charles Peel; inset right shows Joe White.
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It was only a matter of time before Charles Peel would begin a long association with Joe White, a brewer from Ballarat and an avid promoter of yacht racing.
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During 1910/11 Joe White had Charles Peel design and build his Acrospire II. At 25 ft long overall, it was said at the time to be the largest racing yacht designed for use on Victoria’s inland lakes. This yacht carried a total sail area of 503 square feet and soon became scratch boat in competition on Lake Wendouree.
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Next in line was Acrospire III, designed by Charles Peel and built in Sydney by Hayes and Son. This magnificent vessel was carried to Melbourne as deck cargo aboard the steamer Echunga and unloaded into the Yarra River on Monday 24th February 1924. She went on to win the Victorian Yacht Racing Association Cup for the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club in 1927 and again in 1928.
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Acrospire IV was an International 9 metre class yacht designed and built by Charles Peel alongside Joe White’s malt house at Collingwood during 1928. Joe White had her built expressly to challenge for the Sayonara Cup to be contested off Sydney heads. This yacht was launched into the Yarra by a hydraulic crane at North Wharf (near the current docklands complex) on the morning of 17th October 1929. She had
traveled through the night from Collingwood on a
Acrospire IV about to land in the Yarra. Note the horses.
wooden trolley drawn by a team of Milk Cart horses.
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One of the rules stipulated at the time for the Sayonara Cup challenges was that a challenger had to sail on the ocean to contest the cup on its own keel and NOT be carried.
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Acrospire IV departed for Sydney on 3rd January 1930, sheltered at Ulladulla for a day due to bad Nor-East weather and following a few days on Sydney Harbour was defeated by Vanessa in 2 handicap races despite crossing the line 9 minutes ahead of her rival in the second race.
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NINE DECADES later this lovely yacht is still winning races in Western Australia having undergone a huge restoration to put her into almost original condition, as this clip shows:
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During his time associated with the Acrospire challenges Chas Peel also designed numerous boats for use in fishing for Barracouta. One of these, a 30 foot sailing vessel, was designed for Stan Peel of Lakes Entrance. This vessel named Dawn was built at Queenscliff in the 1920s & used in the 1930s by Stan to carry up to 4 ton of fish through Bass Straight from Eden to Lakes Entrance. Eighty years on, and Dawn has been stripped of her sailing rig, converted to a cabin cruiser where she proudly rides at a mooring near Geelong.
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During 1946 Charles Peel, together with son Charlie and his wife Dorothy (Lynn) traveled to Eden to build a 49 foot trawler for Eden Fisherman Neil Buckland. This vessel was one of a number to be constructed at Cattle Bay near the new fish cannery. Mr Buckland’s trawler was christened Gypsywhen she was launched at the AFI shipyard Cattle Bay on the morning of 13th January 1948. All those involved during construction were praised for the standard of workmanship.
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Following the death of his father, Charlie continued as shipwright repairing vessels at Cattle bay prior to becoming a partner at Twofold Bay Marine Services. Charlie’s last creation was the whaleboat Beryl, at the Eden Killer Whale Museum.
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A number of vessels that Charles Peel was associated with have been included on the Australian Historic Vessels Register. These include:
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© Robert Whiter. All rights reserved.
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