Who is Athol Burns?

Cruising on a Athol Burns Yacht 43'x13'x6'6"x45,000lb

 

Athol Burns Boats

There is nearly an Athol Burns Design in every port in New Zealand

 

A damn fine looking ship. Very much the Athol Burns style, I like.

 

Many years ago, I owned Tairoa; my first Athol Burns boat. She was a gorgeous 25' cutter built in the early '50s in Auckland. She sailed very well. I regretfully sold her to a man from Wellington. Quite recently, she went walkabouts from her mooring n Evans Bay and, sadly, did herself a lot of damage on the bund wall in a howling gale. A lesser boat would have died, but not a Burns boat. She is, happily, being loved and is being rebuilt on the hard at Evans Bay.

 

BTW I bubbled away about Tairoa in 2011 in this forum. Ever in my dreams, that one.

 

Just thought I would add to the Athol Burns archive.
This is Renaissance11 a 45' ketch Athol Burns design. 1940 designed hull but launched in 1985. Complete with 5LW garnder. She is currently our home for the past 3.5 years.

 

Few more

 

view from the bowsprit.

 

For those wondering about the 'Dawn Lady' She is parked up in Motueka marina, South island. Recently sold. Good condition and beautiful boat!

 

Love this boat! Used to go look at her in nelson. Great to hear youve been nearly everywhere with her!

 

Hi there
The last photo is Athol Burns "Judith " design. We bought her from Jan and Annemarie in March/April this year. Jan and Annemarie had owned her for a number of years she, was lying in Oamaru Harbour. Since then she has carefully steamed South to Port Charlmers in the hands of Eldon and Phil of Careys Bay Maine. They have been getting stuck into her and you can spot pictures of "Judith being stripped" by the boys at Careys Bay Marine . We will post snaps of her when she is looking more sorted. Thanks for posting the photo.
Regards
Mike

 

Great to see Judith has gone to a good home Lynda and I are cruising on Windora around Ireland. Scotland and Norway next year

 

I know this is an old thread but I can fill in the details of West Wind V.
The yacht was built and owned by Bill Lowe who finished it in 1966. He owned the yacht until about 1980 when it was bought by Ralph Taigel. Mr Taigel kept the yacht firstly at Mana Marina in Wellington then later at Seaview Marina. Taigel "lost" West Wind off the west coast of the north island in the 1980's. He and his family were helicoptered off after smoke was found coming from the engine room. The yacht was found about 8 weeks later by a fisherman from New Plymouth. Taigel did not get the yacht back for 4 years because of a dispute about salvage value. After that the yacht had an extensive refit. In 2004 it was sold to Eric Sanderson who relocated West Wind to Napier and later to the Bay of Islands. In 2021 I bought West Wind and retuned her to Seaview Marina in Wellington. It was the 4th time I looked at West Wind with the thought of buying. 2004 was the first time, while Taigel was selling her. West Wind is currently undergoing another refit in order to turn her into a "modern" (internally) yacht. This includes an extension to the wheelhouse which purists may disagree with.
The vessel is actually 13.6m on the deck with the bowsprit taking it to 16m. The kauri hull is in very good condition. A teak deck was put over the original kauri decking in the 1980's and this saved the yacht from top side leaks. There was too much caulking in the original deck for the yacht to remain sealed. Bill Lowe the builder did a magnificient job on the hull. I have arranged to meet his son early next year to show him the updated yacht. He sailed around the Pacific Islands for 4 years before the Lowe's sold West Wind. I intend to take West Wind offshore again as long as my health holds up. My refit is intended to create a yacht which we can live on for 4 or 5 years, in reasonable comfort.