Back in 1972 I bought my first sailing dinghy. This is a Q Class, an unrestricted 12 foot skiff, a class still active in New Zealand today. I sailed it single handed most of the time which involved a complex range of control skills to keep it upright, everything done from a trapeze wire. Even my brothers were too scared of it to help me out!
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| Waikiwi the day I launched her as my own at Waiake Beach Auckland 1972. |
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| Typical Torbay Boating Club fleet of Paper Tiger catamarans. Waikiwi (foreground) was very competitive against these boats in light airs. |
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1973 I'm pictured here with my Father Roelof and my brother Marten in the driveway of our family home in Waiake, Auckland.
I had repainted Waikiwi over winter, replacing the yellow and white to a royal blue and white colour scheme. |
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| I have no sailing images of Waikiwi. This is another 12 foot skiff from the same era, a Des Townson design. |
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| Waikiwi at Waiake Beach Auckland. I'm adjusting the sail batten tension to create extra draught into the sail for light airs. |
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Waikiwi fresh out of the workshop after a new paint job.
Picture taken at our family home in Waiake, Auckland.
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15 - 20 knots of breeze and little Salty woke up to who she really was!
A good day for me too. A brisk Northeasterly is not uncommon on our harbour. When it encounters the incoming tide it sets up a nasty short chop in mid channel, Salty has relatively high freeboard but not enough to keep her dry. I was forced to make landfall on the far shore and bail her out befor reaching back to the boat haul out ramp.
Note to self: remember to peel of those irrelevant sail numbers.
Photos by Julie Holton
Man I'm impressed with this little boat. Salty rows exceptionally well. There was not much breeze today
however we still made way, well under control and surprisingly slippery.
My latest project has been the restoration of a little 10 foot replica of a New Zealand made 19th. Century dinghy known locally as an Okura Gig. This GRP hull was made during the 1980's by Dinghy Development in Auckland. It was hand laid in a two piece mould.
I found it in dilapidated condition with a bad crack in the hull and rotting timber work.
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| Okura Gig. After some time this is the result of my efforts. |
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| Okura Gig |
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| Okura Gig. |
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| Okura Gig |
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| Preliminary rigging on the front lawn with my son Robert. |
Toroa by Harmen Hielkema & Mike Toy.
Header Photo: Toroa at Rawene by Julie Holton.
This blog is dedicated to the memory of my father Roelof Hielkema who instilled in me the willingness to learn.
These pages are intended to inform and add to the growing body of knowledge concerning the Canoe Culture of the Pacific, past, present & future, from the Tupuna, the Ancestors of the Pacific cultures to the people of the world.
These pages contain Images and text relating to our two proas, Toroa & Takapu, some history relating to our experiments & experiences.
The dissertation that I posted on this blog in April 2008 "Takapu The Proa" was written by me in 1997 in response to an assignment that I was set whilst studying for my design degree. The dissertation covers many issues that a proa enthusiast may benefit from reading about.
Waka define culture as culture defines waka
Waka reflect the individuality and uniqueness of a society which in turn is governed by the geography, geology, topography, climate, location, resources, isolation, origin, flora, fauna, flotsam, jetsam, etc.
Waka are our link to the past, they have shaped our present and define our future.
Waka are the vessels of knowledge, physical and mental development, freedom of bondage to the land, key to our inquisitiveness, expressions of our ingenuity and courage, our love of shape and form, the seat of our power.
Waka are the source of our material culture, from which all processes are derived.
Waka are who and what we are.
