Armfield Wooden Boats in Goolwa, South Australia | Non-profit organisation

Armfield Wooden Boats

Locality: Goolwa, South Australia

Phone: +61 429 161 535

Address: 56 Riverside Drive 5214 Goolwa, SA, Australia

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• Non-profit organisation

25.01.2022 We have projects galore occupying our members at the moment. The latest if construction work on a new rudder for the paddle steamer Oscar W. Last week we had the timber delivered to Armfield. 220mm x 97mm Spotted Gum which has been thicknessed and bored to receive 22mm tie rods. We need to finish the timber to size, cut the profile of the rudder and thin the faces before fitting the steel work which will suspend the new rudder on the Oscar stern when she is slipped in Augu...st. The timber is mounted on trestles and the work team, Neil and Don are checking the next steps. Second photo shows Armfield members viewing Neil and Don's work in deburring the holes bored to receive the tie rods (now in place). Next step is to make fine adjustments to the edges of planks to produce a good fit. Watch this space for developments.

24.01.2022 Wanderer is in the water at last. At least for a little while. She had her actual water line marked on Friday. "Three Men in a Boat" rowed out to her location afloat in our slip cradle, and moved around the hull, marking the line for anti-fouling application. She is now back on the slip, masked up and with her cream topcoat applied. Anti-foul will go on this week.... W

23.01.2022 Here's one for the kids! Armfield Slip responded to a request from the Goolwa Community Centre for a boat in which children could play. So here she is, painted up and installed on a bed of concrete pavers at the front of the Centre in Cadell Street, Goolwa. Deane Leicester with the aid of a few helpers was responsible for converting the donated punt to a colorful craft for kids and yesterday another squad of volunteers headed by Lawrie Phillips and Ron Bastik dug out a section of lawn, lined the area with rubble, topped it with builders plastic, and then laid concrete pavers (which had been donated to Armfield also). The boat now sits solidly on its base and is now ready for customers!

22.01.2022 THREE of Armfield’s boats took part in yesterday’s successful, and lucky, Vogalonga regatta at Goolwa. Vogalonga Down Unda was an ambitious local reprise of the famed Vogalonga regatta in Venice. Similar to that event, the Goolwa regatta wa open to all forms of people-powered craft and yestersday about 140 people turned up with craft ranging from rowing sculls to dragon boats to stand-up paddle boards. the weather forecasts were dismal. Rain and 20+ knot winds were predicte...d but fortunately didn’t kick in until the afternoon by which time all people were safely ashore. Lotus headed the long course fleet upstream to Reedy Island and backwhile Meralte, the boat used in the second Storm Boy film, brought up the rear. HideAway, the fishing boat from the 1976 Storm Boy film, accompanied the short course boats in and around the Coorong Quays Marina. the outing gave about 20 Armfield members and their partners the opportunity for a pleasant Sunday morning outing and the chance to be involved in the inaugural local Vogalonga event. See more

22.01.2022 Wanderer, our motor-sailer which is being converted to a river cruiser, is fast taking shape. The cabin roof is on and fibre-glassed, the window frames have been made and the interior fit-out is well under way. Caulking has been completed and an undercoat applied above the waterline. A window of opportunity was found to begin fibre-glassing the decks. The next major job is re-fitting the four-cylinder diesel engine and gearbox, which will probably involve hiring a crane!... The crew is confident the craft will be finished and handed over to its new owner by Christmas. See more

20.01.2022 Here's a chance top snaffle a bargain! Tomorrow morning (Sunday, November 1) Armfield Slip will combine with the Wooden Boat Association of SA in a garage/workshop sale at the Armfield premises at Riverside Road, Goolwa. Starting at 8.30am, on offer will be old boat fittings, old tools, various bits of surplus workshop equipment and boating paraphernalia as well as our in-house model paddle-steamer kits, especially that of the century old local boat, the Oscar W. WBASA members will have a tasty selection of boating-orientated stuff. There's even a chance some of the Armfield members might be convinced to bring along some of their classic motor vehicles for display.

18.01.2022 Big lift day at Armfield Slip today. Goolwa Cranes arrived to lift the old Oscar W rudder from a truck to a supporting framework outside the Armfield shed at Goolwa. The Oscar is on the slip at Hindmarsh Island and an Armfield crew has been working flat out for more than a month building a new rudder - the old one is suffering from some severe wood rot, fortunately not in a critical area. The move went without a hitch and an Oscar gang quickly set about removing the ironmonge...ry from the old rudder so that it can be fitted up to the new one. The lifting job wasn't easy. The old rudder weighed in at around 480kg so its setting up at Armfield involved some critical manoeuvring. Already the Armfield crew is fitting ironwork to the new rudder. I See more

18.01.2022 Members of the Murray River boating community were saddened to hear of the death of Mannum Dock Museum chairman Rob Bowering at the weekend. A memorial flotilla of paddle boats, led by Goolwa's Oscar W. took part in a sail past of his home. Armfield Slip had two boats in the flotilla; here is Meralte, the Storm Boy film boat, with the William Randell in the background.

18.01.2022 After rather a long spell on the slip trolley undergoing some emergency hull repairs, we have refitted the Kitchen rudder, with its newly manufactured shell for its unique steering system. The cutter is now back in its element and in operating condition. Later in the year she will be up again for more hull refurbishment.

16.01.2022 The Oscar Rudder project continues to make good progress. After setting up on trestles, the next task was to mark out the profile of the rudder to accept the iron work which will be fitted later. Each of the plank ends was then sawn (on our large band saw) to establish the "horn" profile on the top and sizing on the bottom. Neil and Don then re-aligned the planks and bolted them into place. The tapering to the rear of the rudder was marked and is in the process of being f...ormed. Once side one is completed, the rudder will be dis-assembled, turned over and re-assembled to allow the shaping of the taper on the other side. This must all be completed by mid August so that the metal work can be removed from the existing rudder when the Oscar is slipped and then be re-installed on this new one. Then the tedious task of re-fitting the metalwork must take place so that the new rudder to be swung before Oscar goes back into the water.

15.01.2022 Since the last Oscar rudder update, the team has been working overtime to complete the new rudder shaping and fitting the iron work ready for re-installation. Armfield members have been supplemented by Oscar W volunteers. The job was completed last Tuesday in readiness for transporting to the slip on Hindmarsh Island. We had a small set-back on Wednesday due to overnight rain and high winds which caused the vertically braced rudder to become horizontal only damage was a sm...all surface gouge to one side. All into action on Friday, with Goolwa Cranes back on site to lift the rudder onto the Oscar truck for the journey to Hindmarsh Island. The rudder is now back on the Oscar and swing freely as planned, and ready for final painting. This was a very taxing, but rewarding experience for the Armfield team Neil, Don and Colin. We very much enjoyed working with Wayne and his engineering team from Oscar W to achieve the outcome.

14.01.2022 The previous post about Ocean Skye did not show Peter Olds with his motor - here it is.

14.01.2022 Armfield Slip has played a minor role in wildlife welfare.... This week an Australian darter was released back into the water at Armfield Beach after having being rescued from one of our pontoons by a lady from the Animal Welfare Organisation. She had noticed the darter in a distressed state and called Armfield member Rick Eylward to open our security gate so that she could investigate. Armed with a catch net, she managed to secure the bird which had string wrapped around it...s beak, preventing it from feeding. The bird was starving and was so weak the capture was comparatively easy. The darter was hand-fed during the week and by Thursday had gained sufficient strength to be released, as near as possible to where it had been captured. After some initial hesitation it took to the water, swimming with just its neck and slim head above the surface, which, our Wildlife lady said gave rise to its nickname the Snake Bird. Looking and acting similar to a cormorant, it dived a couple of times and resurfaced by the pontoon and used a bracing bar of the jetty to climb out of the water, hanging its wings out to dry in similar fashion to a cormorant. We were told the way to tell the difference is that a cormorant's beak is hooked at the end, while the darter's beak finishes in a point. The lesson is - let's do our best to keep rubbish out of the water where it can have a disastrous effect on our wildlife. At last sighting, Armfield's resident darter seems to be doing well. See more

13.01.2022 Wanderer is back out of the water with her hull top-coat done and masked off in preparation for the anti-fouling. She's looking better all the time. (That's her proud owner at the stern, having a hand in the finishing touches).

13.01.2022 A quiet day in the Armfield shed is a chance to tour the boat projects on the go. We begin with Ocean Skye our David Payne design putt-putt which we are building from scratch. The motor mounts are in place and we are working on the propellor shaft and internal fit out, prior to turning over to complete the keel. Moving on to Ruby Murray which is a restored carvel boat. This is nearing completion after a long process of planking and ribbing. The motor box at the front o...f Ruby Murray is for another restoration job - Wanderer -taking place outside the shed. This too is nearing completion. Garry is the one only working in the shed today, and he is working on seat brackets for Wanderer. Finally the Guilemot which we raffle in conjunction with the SA Wooden Boat Festival is nearly ready for painting. This boat will go "on ice" for now due to the fact that there will be no Festival in 2021. All in all a very satisfactory year's work for the men, given the loss of time due to Covid 19 restrictions. See more

13.01.2022 Work continues on the Oscar W rudder. Neil and Don have now completed the tapering of the blade edge on one side of the rudder and have now turned it over ready to tapare the other side. The old fellas at Armfield decided to "get on top of things"with a drone, to show the process of sawing and chiseling the taper on the rudder. The drone view gives a good idea of the rudder profile. we are well on track to have the new rudder ready when the Oscar is slipped for maintenance in mid August.

12.01.2022 Armfield Slip is cautiously resuming operations with small teams working on a temporary, five day a week roster. covid-19 precautions are being applied regarding cleanliness and personal spacing. it’s nice to see our projects once more making progress!

11.01.2022 The Ocean Skye project reached another milestone today, with the last of the sixteen planks glued in place. We are now changing gear to commence work on the solid timber parts of the boat. Today we prepared the plank which will become the keel. This large piece of Merbau must be cut, shaped and glued to allow the propeller shaft to be accommodated, the propeller housed and the rudder swung in place. Once this has all happened, we will turn the boat over and begin work on the fitting out of the interior, including motor mounts, seats, deck and curved coaming.

11.01.2022 Our naval cutter is up on the slip for assessment and organisation prior to a major refurbishment. This is an opportunity to refit the kitchen rudder (see earlier posts) which was damaged a couple of years ago. There are now only minor adjustments to be done to have this unique steering gear back in operation.

10.01.2022 Yesterday was a big day at Armfield Slip. Wanderer, the motor-sailer which has been converted to a river cruiser, entered the water. She has been under intensive restoration and fit-out for more than two years by a diverse and dedicated bunch of Armfield volunteers. Goolwa Cranes did a brilliant job of lifting the boat from her hard stand restoration site on to our slipway trolley. Watched by a large crowd of members, friends and fascinated passers-by Wanderer was hoisted int...o the air, on to the trolley and then rolled back into the water where she sat comfortably and rode nicely - although she stayed within the confines of the trolley's uprights. She took a little water, as is expected with an old wooden boat but the timbers are expected to take up and seal the leaks. Wanderer will be brought back out of the water for final trim finishing and for the fuel tank to be installed before her "sea" trials. She'll then be handed over to her new owner, who not only was on hand to watch the exercise, but he rode in her during the short journey into the water. See more

10.01.2022 The Armfield contract job, a 14-ft Yellowtail dinghy to be named Ocean Skye, is beginning to show her lines. Six of the eight planks on each side have been glued in place and the seventh is shown here being clamped in place for final trimming before glueing. The planks are made to the required length by scarfing two standard marine-ply sheets together. Teasing the planks to the required compound-curve shape over the frames is a painstaking business, but we're getting the hang of it! Once the planking is completed the next major job is fitting the keel into which a propeller shaft tube must be inserted, yet another precision job to test our mettle.

08.01.2022 The Ocean Skye project has reached another milestone, with the last of the sixteen planks glued in place. We are now changing gear to commence work on the solid timber parts of the boat. We have prepared the plank which will become the keel. This large piece of Merbau will be cut, shaped and glued to accommodate the propeller shaft. The last photo shows the three keel pieces rough cut to fit. Fine fitting to go, then cutting the hole for the propeller shaft tube to fit. Shaping the profile of the keel around the prop tube and from hull downwards will follow. Once this has all happened, we will turn the boat over and begin work on the fitting out of the interior, including motor mounts, seats, deck and curved coaming.

08.01.2022 Armfield Slip members were saddened to hear of the recent death of Peter Reedman. Peter joined Armfield in 1994 after attending an open day. In 1998 he became chairman and treasurer He served on the committee of the Goolwa Wooden Boat Festival, but his lasting Legacy is Armfield’s flagship, Lotus. Peter discovered Lotus languishing on the banks of the River Murray during one of his many boat trips on the river. His enthusiasm led to the boat’s relocation and restoration in Go...olwa, thanks to the generous help and assistance of the Robertson family of Chowilla Station. Peter was also a treasurer of the SA Wooden Boat Association and retired as Armfield chairman to concentrate on his duties as a local government councillor. He wrote two books while at Armfield, one on the restoration of Lotus, and the other a short history of the Armfield Slipway. He is fondly remembered. See more

05.01.2022 Good progress this week on Ocean Skye. We have "turned the corner" with the planking. The photo shows the second side (port) no 5 plank glued in position. There are only three more planks on each side. We expect planking complete by the end of July. Meanwhile progress on rudder construction too.

04.01.2022 COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS. Due to the outbreak in SA of the Covid 19 virus, and to comply with State Government requirements , Armfield Wooden Boats will halt all activities at its slipway premises for the next six days and until further notice.

04.01.2022 There are some bad days, and some good days... Much drama at Armfield Slip on Tuesday when we discovered Miss Adriann had sunk. She was still floating, but with... her decks awash - and this was after she'd been checked and found OK during the usual weekly moorings and motors check on Monday. This brought the Armfield Recovery Squad into action. A borrowed inflatable buoy was deflated and with the aid of Garry Coombes in a wet suit, was pushed under the foredeck. The buoy was connected to the "blow" side of Armfield's wet and dry vacuum cleaner. The bag inflated and provided sufficient buoyancy to bring Miss Adriann's coamings above the water line. Rags were stuffed into the top of the centreboard casing, and a high-flow, 240v submersible pump was lowered into the cockpit. After about 15 minutes and once the centreboard casing was above the water level (and water stopped flowing in) we could see headway was being made. Another 45 minutes and the water was out and Miss Adriann was floating nicely, although there is still a bit of a leak from the base of the centreboard casing where there is some rotted timber. The sinking was possibly due to a combination of causes; muck was partially blocking the automatic bilge pump filter which in turn would have caused the pump to run longer than it should have. (Miss Adriann, like most old wooden boats, takes in some water.) The battery terminals for the pump were a bit corroded, which might have affected the input from the solar panel which normally keeps the battery fully charged. Miss Adriann has now been fitted with a fresh battery and has been moved to a shallow berth. If the worst happens, she'll only sink 20 or 30cm... Many thanks to Rick Eylward for sourcing equipment and Garry Coombes for wet suit activities and fabricating suitable air line to air bag adaptors! See more

03.01.2022 Here are some more photos of the Miss Adriann recovery this morning.

03.01.2022 Work on our 14 foot Payne design putt-putt, Ocean Skye is reaching the detail stage. Internal fittings are being trial fitted and the motor box constructed. Soon she will be turned over to affix the keel and paint the outside of the hull. We are racing to a conclusion some time in April.... The motor we are fitting is a single cylinder overhead valve Olds built in Maryborough, Queensland. One of the photos shows the manufacturer Mr Peter Olds with one of the motors.

03.01.2022 With Goolwa Cranes on hand for the lifting of the Oscar W rudder into place at Armfield Slip, it was an opportune moment to use the lifting rig to move the engine for the refurbished Wanderer into place. So after having been pushed from the shed, the four-cylinder engine on its frame it was hooked up to the crane and skillfully moved across to Wanderer. First the engine needed to be separated from its frame, then dropped into place in the boat. The job went well and now the business of setting the engine on its bed and connecting it up can begin.

01.01.2022 The combined Armfield Wooden Boats and Wooden Boat Association garage sale attracted plenty of attention today. Held in glorious Spring weather the crowd started coming early and picking up some early bargains. Our volunteer photographer Carol Coventry was on hand to capture the atmosphere. Not for sale were the MG TF 1500, the Triumph TR3A, the Porsche 356C and the 10 litre, single cylinder Lanz tractor...

01.01.2022 Ocean Skye is now off the building frame and the right way up. We have been cleaning up the glue joints inside the hull and have now used the inwhale timbers to set the sheer on the top plank. The next step is to remove the clamped inwhale pieces, then cut and glue them into place on the inside of the hull, and fit the breasthook pieces. We will probably do some other work inside the hull before turning her back over to fit the keel.