Janace Anne History

Janace Anne was built at Alan Williams’s yard in Milford during 1955 – 56. She was a typical Alan Williams with narrow planking with the added advantage of the hull timber being handpicked by the intended owner’s father who was in the timber trade. Ray Hodge was the fellow that placed the order. It seems that he may have worked in the yard or was apprenticed of plans during the build. Hodge senior probably decided that Philippine mahogany that was used for the trim. This time Ghost had returned from one of her pacific voyages and tales of the island maiden’s etc. fitting fired young yachtsman and 8 Ghosts were built at this time. Perhaps Ray had ambitions in this direction as Janace Anne had the heavier of two keels in the design. She was launched rigged as a Cutter with a suit of sails by Frank Warnock in 10oz canvas. The rig was typical Bert Woollacott style where tow stays on shrouds stopped 6ft from the top of the mast. She was fitted with an 8hp Stuart Turner engine with a centrifugal clutch. The Stuart Turner ping pong but folding propeller with little pitch. The engine was under the cockpit installed facing forward driving backwards (side wards) on a Reynolds duplex chain to the prop shaft on the starboard side. This was all direct drive with the clutch just forward of the motor. There was a small three bladed propeller which was limited in dia by the closeness of the shaft to the hull. T his meant that the big shaft was wasted, and the 8HP motor was slow. After I bought Janace Anne of Hodge in May 1958 as Ray and his fiancé Janace need money for a section.

We sailed for June, which was pulling out time in those days and then moved the sheeting angles and the run of the sheets to get the sails to sit better. Having come from a Frostbite and a small keeler we used to sail Janace Anne with the fish going past the cabin windows until in a screaming sou-westerly dad and my brother sailed the stick out of her, the lower crosstree broke and the mast broke just above it coming down and tearing the bronze track off the mast and showering the pair of them with all the screws. Franks mainsail didn’t tear. For a replacement mast dad went to Jack Brooke who scaled down a K class mast which is still with her. Six feet was taken off the boom at the same time. Frank’s main was cut down to fit and became an excellent trysail which reached just above the cross trees. Dad and his mate Alan White from Lyttleton used to cruise up north for 6 weeks annually. Bill Puskter ?? and he used to cruise locally and a quick weekend to Islington Bay was highlighted by an unscheduled storm on Saturday night. The crew, dad and Bill had lights out but were awakened by later by a launch bumping against Janace Anne. On deck to fend off they found that the easterly wind had increased more than somewhat so they put out another anchor as the launches ground tackle had upset Janace Anne’s. They sat up and watched other launch drag hers. At this they started the motor to ease the strain on the tackle. Dawn was a long time coming but eventually they could see the white of the batches on the shore and were relieved to find they still had sea room. When it got really light the white on the shore was not batches but boats on Rangitoto’s rocky shore. On the following Monday dad went into Fosters to order another 27lb pick. The assistant wanted to know why such a heavy anchor. Dad replied that if he had been with him on Saturday night he would have wanted a sack full, as the wind reached 86kts. The problem after a gale with two anchors out is was the job of washing and drying the heavy manila warps. It usually took 3 days to dry them before you could put them away.

The Stuart Turner lasted 13 years after which salt water in the crankcase amongst the needle rollers etc. became a bit of a pain. Norm Adams at Putiki Bay was our engineer and knew how to tackle the 3Deg taper and separate webs and journals, all the same as a Bugatti or Scott motorbike. Eventually it was got out for the final time, ¾ hours’ work and we sailed motor less. All sorts of adventures, 5 hours to Browns Island and no wind Sunday afternoon in Tamaki Strait, till along came a thunder storm with wind and rain. Hot coffee for the helmsman and great sailing to the mooring when the rain turned off and the sun came out. It was realised during this time what a drag the prop was. So next motor a 10Hp Briggs and Stratton with a 2:1 gearbox, electric start, dual charging circuits, electronic ignition, air cooled and no pumps. 3600 revs and water cooled exhausts that worked like magic. A sprocket change in the shaft was 12” dia. This new motor relieved the stern of 1 ½ cwt. All this and the motor cycle battery that you could pick up in one hand. This motor lasted 25 years.

Malcolm Dickens