Fury sails past the Wright boatyard on the Brisbane River in 1997. Photo Tricia Smith.
The 16-ft skiff Fury is now on display in the Brisbane Maritime Museum, and has been since the late 1990's. But the boat actually spent more than 50 years in the USA before being returned to Australia in 1997.
In her second race on Anniversary Day 1939, Fury (right) got a good start and gained a placing on handicap . Brisbane Telegraph 31 January 1939.
Fury was built in late 1938 by Norman Wright Jnr in Brisbane for Vic Dixon and had her first race on Saturday 21 January 1939 on the River in a fresh Nor’Easter. They were unplaced in the race, but were second in a handicap race a week or so later, and second in a Championship race out of Sandgate on 11 February. Dixon raced Fury for 3 seasons with mixed success, getting to out to mid-field in handicap in late 1939, but winning a Championship (Wide Bay Championship out of Maryborough) at Easter 1940, and often placing in handicap races on the Brisbane River. In early 1942 the 18-footers and 12-footers stopped sailing for the duration of the War, but apparently the 16’s kept racing although there is no newspaper reporting of the races until March 1945.
Fury (left) running home for 2nd place in the Championship race at Sandgate on 11 February 1939. Brisbane Telegraph Mon 13 February 1939.
Fury (left) running home for 2nd place in the Championship race at Sandgate on 11 February 1939. Brisbane Telegraph Mon 13 February 1939.
Two images of Fury from the wall of the Brisbane Sailing Squadron at Bulimba.
During the War many US servicemen were in Brisbane, and at the end of the War both Fury and another Wright boat Joyce were purchased by US servicemen and shipped to the USA. The Brisbane Telegraph of 11 September 1945 reported the shipping of the boats, and said that there was hope that 16’s would take off in the USA and there would be a good chance of International competition in the future.
Unfortunately this did not eventuate, and little is known of the history of Fury in the States until a sailor named Annie Kohls bought the boat from a chap who had stored it in his garage for 20 years, and began to sail it in the mid-1990’s in San Diego with the Southern California Small Boat Messabout Society (SCSBMS, known as “Scuzbums”), of which she was a leading light. She tracked down the fact that Fury was an Australian 16-foot skiff, and made contact with the Queensland Maritime Museum and indicated she would like to donate the boat to the Museum. Museum volunteer, legendary sailor and AHSSA Life Member Jack Hamilton remembered the boat, and arranged a trip to San Diego to meet Annie, along with Pat Collis. Jack sailed on the boat in one of the club’s Messabouts, and arranged to transport Fury back to Brisbane.
Left: Annie Kohls
Unfortunately this did not eventuate, and little is known of the history of Fury in the States until a sailor named Annie Kohls bought the boat from a chap who had stored it in his garage for 20 years, and began to sail it in the mid-1990’s in San Diego with the Southern California Small Boat Messabout Society (SCSBMS, known as “Scuzbums”), of which she was a leading light. She tracked down the fact that Fury was an Australian 16-foot skiff, and made contact with the Queensland Maritime Museum and indicated she would like to donate the boat to the Museum. Museum volunteer, legendary sailor and AHSSA Life Member Jack Hamilton remembered the boat, and arranged a trip to San Diego to meet Annie, along with Pat Collis. Jack sailed on the boat in one of the club’s Messabouts, and arranged to transport Fury back to Brisbane.
Left: Annie Kohls
Annie and Fury arrived in Brisbane in early 1997, and Annie steered the boat for an exhibition sail with Jack Hamilton, Pat Collis and Sydney 16-ft historian Jack Ray as crew at the Australian 16-ft Skiff Championships soon after arriving. They also spent an afternoon sailing on the River being filmed for Channel 7 with 2 chase boats and a helicopter. The boat was then placed in the boatshed of Roy Bliss at Bulimba on the River (Roy had worked for Norman Wright) just 5 minutes walk from Jack Hamilton’s place, and Jack began working on the boat to delete various alterations that had been made over the years, and take it back to nearer original condition.
Right: Jack Hamilton prepares Fury for re-launch.
Right: Jack Hamilton prepares Fury for re-launch.
Fury was officially re-launched at the Brisbane 18-Footers Club at Bulimba on the weekend of the Australian Historical 10-Footers Championship in May 1997, and sailed out with the fleet of 10- footers. After that, the boat was taken to the Queensland Maritime Museum at Southbank where it now sits on display, as one of only a handful of 16-foot skiffs from that era that have survived. Bill Wright has since located the other boat that left in 1945, Joyce in San Francisco, but there are no current plans to bring it back (anyone need a project?).
The two photos above are of Fury on the Brisbane River in May 1997. Photos Tricia Smith.