Opening Hours
10am to 4pm daily
Closed Xmas Day

399 Low Head Road
Low Head
Tasmania 7253
Australia

Phone: 03 63821143

E-mail
 
museum@lowhead.com

Facebook
 

website design software

Low Head Pilot Station Maritime Museum

Redpa - One Hundred Years Old 2008

Donation

Sydney yachtsman Tony Tyson who is a descendant of Low Head’s Perrin and Tyson families has donated his grandfather Stan Perrin’s thirty one foot historic yacht Redpa to the Museum. Redpa is one hundred years old this year (2008) and was designed and built to the twenty one foot rule by legendary Launceston boat builder Ned Jack at his boat yard which is now operated by Tamar Marine. To our knowledge this is the oldest surviving yacht that was both designed and built by Ned Jack.

Tony found Redpa in Hobart a number of years ago and took it to Sydney where with the assistance of a professional boat builder and friends restored it to its original configuration. It is fully operational and last year got second place in the historic division of the Volvo Regatta on Sydney Harbour.

It is a very significant donation and we are very indebted to Tony for his generosity.

We also acknowledge the help of the Lions Club of George Town and Gunns Limited, who contributed to the cost of bringing Redpa down from Sydney.

Redpa can be found in the Pilot Station Boat Harbour.



Redpa as she looked after she was brought to Sydney, sitting on the slipway at
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, Newport, Sydney - prior to restoration.

History

Redpa was designed and built in Launceston, Tasmania in 1908 by E.A. (Ned) Jack for Stanley Tasman Perrin who at the time lived with his parents at “Goorak”, 16 York Street, Launceston. Perrin had been elected Secretary of the Tamar Yacht Club at the annual general meeting in September 1908. Redpa's exact launch date is not known, but it was just prior to the opening of the 1908/9 season, so probably in October. Over the following four years, she raced successfully on the Tamar.

Apparently it was common at this time for yachts to cruise down the Tamar some weekends and many families took up residence at Low Head at the mouth of the Tamar for the summer holidays, the Perrins among them. On one of these down river jaunts in 1912, Stan in Redpa was accompanied by his mate J. L. (Jack) Tyson in his yacht Ventura. Someone reported to Stan's father Walter that there was beer and tobacco aboard Redpa. Walter was a devout Methodist and whilst he used to import gin for his wife and scotch for himself he did not condone such behaviour in his offspring. He disinherited Stan and ordered him to leave Tasmania. Stan made his way to Sydney and Redpa was sold in Hobart.

REDPA's Technical Specifications

Length overall:  30 feet 10 3/4 inches
Length waterline:  23 feet 4 inches
Draft:   3 feet 11 inches
Mast head above deck: 29 feet
Working sail area: 579 square feet
Extras:  Parachute spinnaker and ring tail.
Construction:  Carvel planked in Huon Pine over spotted gum frames with a plywood deck, coachhouse, coamings and topsides glass sheathed, bottom caulked and puttied.

 

[Home] [About Us] [Find Us] [News Page] [Museum] [Boat Shed] [Foghorn] [Redpa] [Ponrabbel] [Hebe Reef] [Eden Holme] [Research] [Related Links]