Andy McCutcheon100 Years of Wooden Glory - Frecheville Heaney
September 6th 2007 11:41
Rosita - 1920's John Hacker Design
Frecheville Heaney Boatbuilders
At age 50 James Frecheville fondly looks back on a 30 year love affair with classically styled wooden boats and while getting into boat building at a later age than most through an adult apprenticeship in boat building, he has never looked back since.
As an avid sailor, James recounts life aboard his restored1928 Herreschoff H-28 sailboat and the many memories developed over years of cruising throughout the coastal waters of Australia and beyond. After construction of a classically styled gaff cutter sailboat, he and his wife sailed from Australia to Europe, where James worked in the U.K. for Freebody’s Rivercraft restoring numerous vessels.
He has an affinity and appreciation, like many of the ageing “Baby Boomers” for a quality and style inherent in wooden boats that is unique, yet quite simply uncommon in today’s market.
He attributes the resurgence of classically styled boats to several things including an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, longevity and a quality of life that is difficult to match in today’s fibreglass boats. Wooden boats he claims, “have a life of their own” and he is sensitive to both an owners needs as well as a commitment to preserve the spirit of the vessels he restores and admits that, “restoring boats of historical or nostalgic significance is both an investment of time, money and emotions and while part of that equation is easy to quantify, the emotional attachment is something that drives our business.”
The other half of the Frecheville – Heaney name is comprised of partner Tim Heaney, a relative newcomer to boat building, but no less passionate about the business of building wooden boats.
Tim has had boats in his blood for as long as he can remember and started young in dinghy sailing as a boy. Nearly twenty years ago now, he recalls vividly crewing aboard the Australian Flying Fifteens team that competed in the World Championships in the U.K. A carpenter / joiner by trade, Tim worked for many years in the building industry before approaching James about the possibility of working alongside him in the venture of building boats.
Having both woodworking and joinery skills in his back pocket, it was a relatively smooth transition to apply those skills - and others to complete an adult apprenticeship which now sees him as a fully quality boat builder utilizing many of his transferable skills. His passion and dedication to the craft caught the eye of then owner James and their ongoing friendship has led to a partnership where Tim in addition to imparting his boat building skills, also oversees several management functions including marketing and operations.
I suppose when you first open the doors to any business, it is a welcome sight to have anyone express interest in your services and looking back some sixteen years now there have been too many memorable moments to express in a single chapter of a book.
In the early days, much of the work that found its way to what James describes as the “Victorian Riviera” along the foreshores of the Gippsland Lakes region in rural Victoria was restoration work. The significance of the fishing industry and vessels built for the war effort that saw service in Port Phillip Bay have all found their way to their Paynesville shop at some point.
The pair fondly recalls the oldest and perhaps most historically significant boat ever restored at Frecheville – Heaney’s, as a stunning 30’ fantail launch built here in Australia in 1886 and many hours were involved in this labour of love in bringing it back to its former glory.
Notoriety over the years and a strict attention to detail has seen other boats from as far away as Europe and the America’s make their way into the skilled hands of the Victorian craftsmen for restoration.
Michigan built Chris-Crafts from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s that remain an icon of American ingenuity and craftsmanship seldom make their way to Australian shores due in part to the cost prohibitive shipping costs involved in getting them here but when they do, their splendour and graceful appearance are a welcome addition to any marina or waterway and their unique and rare blend of style and panache turn heads wherever they go.
Such was the case with the 1941 Chris-Craft Sportsman Utility “Silver Gull”, whose owner had enjoyed a remarkable 50 year relationship with. At the conclusion of the 1999 Sydney Boat Show, a discussion had ensued between the owner and the team at Frecheville -Heaney about restoring the vessel to its former glory and giving it a new lease on life.
Having seen recent photos of a Riva Ariston that had gone through the same process, tireless hours were spent in evaluating what the owner wanted as changes, versus completing a technically correct restoration, but the finished product spoke for itself and both parties could be extremely proud of the final outcome.
Over the years, several Riva’s have seen their way into the shop and restoration of these Italian sport boats is certainly a benchmark in the ability of Frecheville – Heaney to take on complex jobs. With numbers dwindling worldwide, these iconic symbols that epitomize glamour on the French Riviera are now approaching million dollar price tags and are amongst the most prized of all wooden classics – so being involved in the restoration of one is certainly not an undertaking to be viewed lightly, yet for James and Tim it’s another day at the office and they have currently restored three different models of Riva’s to their credit.
As time went on and perhaps necessity being the mother of invention James and Tim looked for new ways to add value to their business. While it was clear that they were competent in the area of restoration work, it came time to put their creative genius to work to develop new products that would stir the hearts of a new generation of boat buyer – enter Rosita.
As part of a component of research into plausible designs for future construction projects, James spent hours on the internet and in libraries and bookstores trying to find that perfect project. As he muses, “Ironically, I came across a 1938 US Motor Boating magazine – and in it there was the blueprint for a 1924 John L. Hacker designed gentlemen’s racer.”
“I could hardly believe my eyes and immediately made an A3 copy of the blueprint before returning the fragile magazine to the library shelves.” Not only did the design incorporate the shape and design of the boat, but also the lines, table of offsets and the scantlings.
Work began immediately and what couldn’t be deciphered from the ageing blueprint was lofted out and transferred onto MDF sheets for use in subsequent builds. Rosita was the start of an entirely new direction for Frecheville – Heaney and use by both James and Tim on the Gippsland Lakes as well as showcasing it at various boat shows turned more than a few heads. Suddenly the availability to have a hand crafted version of the romantic endeavours of John L. Hacker was possible – without having the added costs of shipping to Australia.
Additionally, use of modern boat building methods, epoxy resins and modern power-plants ensures that Rosita and other vessels built like her would be a fixture on the “Victorian Riviera” for the next hundred years.
After the completion of Rosita, the design and development of an extremely charming fishing vessel named “Toonalook” began. Modified in part, to suit the current needs of boaters, the use of epoxy resins and lightweight but strong building materials preserved its classic clinker style hull while adding longevity and reduced maintenance related issues normally associated with wooden boats. In many ways this has gone a long way towards fueling the resurgence in classically styled boats of the twenty first century.
Today, Frecheville – Heaney continue the tradition of wooden boat building and the preservation of our nautical history through museum quality restorations and new builds. When asked about price, James was quick to point out that a wooden boat is priced more than the equivalent sized fibreglass boat – but on the other hand, these boats are built to last 50 - 100 years and when you have the ability to amortize the cost of a boat over that length of time while having something you can easily pass down through the generations of your family, the price of ownership in addition to the way it makes you feel when you are in it becomes infinitely cheaper.
For those who appreciate style, quality and beauty in all things, whether you have a nostalgic attachment to the boat or not – it is difficult to argue that wooden boats contain an inherent spirit that simply cannot be found in boats made from any other material.
Andy McCutcheon, 100 Years of Wooden Glory. Copyright 2006
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