History of “Tribute”
Author: Bryan Beutel
Design: 38′ Mango
Tribute earned her name as a result of the inspiration that my father, Gerry, and father-in-law, John, engrained in me from their own boating pursuits.
My father was born 100 km from the ocean but a move to farm on the shore line of glorious Moreton Bay in 1943 saw him develop a keen interest in fishing and boating. During my early years I was to experience a wide range of power boating and fishing experiences. Over a period of 40 years or so my father build several fishing boats and dinghies from scratch including a 23 foot Hartley which still sees service around Moreton Bay today. He built his boats because that was the only way he could afford to pursue his passion but I also suspect that the build was as fulfilling as the end result, something I was to discover myself latter in life.
It has only been as passing years have bought me some wisdom, that I can reflect on the influence of having a boat or dinghy being built in the farm shed, of nets hanging out to dry under the farm house, of endless feeds of fresh fish and crabs and the view of Moreton Bay from the Sand Hills to Coochie Mudlo from our house, that I realize how lucky I was and how much I took for granted.
Gerry has been dead for nearly 10 years now but his memory lives on in Tribute.
My father-in-law to be, came on the scene when I was smitten with his daughter at quite a young age. At just short of 15, I was introduced to the family and sailing in a big way. John was a sailor, amateur boat builder and projects man. When I first meet John he had already built 2 Hartley 16s and rigged and restored a sabot for his kids and was fitting out an Aquarius 23. My first outing in a Sabot and I had found love (second only to his daughter of course, as we married some 5 years later). Subsequently over the years I was to help John in his projects which included his own designed 25′ plate aluminum trailer sailor, an 18′ performance cat of his design, built in thin marine grade sheet and featuring foam bulkheads and several thousand aircraft grade sealed pop rivets. Amongst this he found time to restore an old ply 30′ bridgedeck cat of indeterminate heritage. And in his seventies he was to design and build a 10′ demountable trimaran.
John has taken a keen interest in my projects and has had many outings on Tribute including 9 days away cruising with 6 of us on board.
As you can see I had little chance but to be a boat builder and sailor.
Over the years I have sailed competitively in Sabots, Flying Elevens, Fourteen foot skiffs, various catamaran classes, wind surfers, trailer sailors and Tribute. My most notable successes have been a National Handicap win in Arrow Cats, a Nationals win in a borrowed Windrush 14 and a win in the Dock Side race in Tribute.
My first personal building experiences involved refits and retrofits of various sailing dinghies and off the beach catamarans. Followed by a stint in windsurfing where I built several slalom boards. The next step to a complete boat build came when my own kids got heavily involved in sailing Arafura Cadets. As there were few good boats around. I built one, then two and eventually stopped at seven, along the way a learned the techniques needed to build strong, light, fast boats. My children were to see success in my boats as the girls won three national titles between them and numerous school regattas. My boats continue to sail competitively some 10 years down the track.
A Dudley Dix Dinghy next for a tender and then the step to Tribute. After all Orams are simple stitch and glue construction just much bigger.
Why an Oram?
Needs:
- It had to sail well, and that meant to windward as well as off the breeze.
- It had to have a simple, strong light build and practical layout.
- It had to be time and cost effective to build.
- It had to house our kids and friends occasionally.
My wife and I had spent some time looking at all the usual designs at boat shows and through contact with designers. We also had friends building a Schionning cosmos 11.6.( took over 7 years to build). We had seen various Simpsons, Easys, Schionnings, Graingers, Crowthers and at one stage I was well down the track of considering a Farrier F9AX.
We then meet Bob.
We arrived at Bob’s previous abode in Maryborough to see his Mango design taking shape. We were both instantly impressed with the simple usable layout , flat decks huge bunks and rear verandah to die for. I was also impressed with Bob’s extensive knowledge and simple philosophy, “long is good”. This was a sailor’s boat, light, long, good foils and minimal weight in the ends. It had the ability to go to 15″ draught and motor in 2′ of water. We had to have one.
The rest is history.
Tributes Build
The raw facts are:
Two years 10 months to launch, About 2 years of this part time.
A lot of help and advice freely given from Bob.
Bob is helpful in discussing changes and all of his boats are a collaboration of his and the various owners and builders ideas and feed back.
Tribute’s hull and decks are Duflex, the cabin roof top is foam sandwich and most of the bulkhead and beams are 400 gram glass over ply. The whole build is in West System resins and powders.
The rig is slightly over size in both size and section and I believe it to be bullet proof.
All reefing, genoa controls and furling is done from the cockpit walkways and with auto pilot the boat is easily sailed single handedly.
Boat Facts:
Note! all speeds are gps not lying log.
- The one dagger board works. 11 knots to windward at 27ยบ apparent, and 30 knots true, in flat water up the Brisbane River pulling away from Mumm 36s with 10 bums on the rail. We had one reef in and full genoa. And yes we flew a hull, in a 34 knot true gust, sorry Bob. As you can see the rig is small and robust but works really well and gives you good reserves of righting moment.
- Tribute sails at or close to wind speed up to 9 Knots.
- It is a joy to be able to do 8 knots in 8 knots of breeze between 60 true and 130 true (screecher or asymmetric).
- Tribute reaches in Moreton Bay chop at 11 to 13 knots in 20 true on main and Jib.
- I have surfed past 17 knots.
- My mother-in-law, a keen smooth to slight sailor has now been aboard several times in 30 knot breezes and 2 metres of chop sailing leisurely downwind at 8 to 14 knots and not batted a eyelid. She loves it.
- For cruising we reef early, this leaves large reserves of righting moment and the boat doesn’t slow much.
- The 25 hp four stroke pushes us at 8 knots fully laden at 6 litres per hour and has a top speed of 8.8 knots.
- Drying out for days on end up a creek on Fraser Is in total solitude, fantastic.
- The back verandah and deck areas have no peers from other designs. They are just so good for getting on and off the boat and for sundowners with several neighbours. No other design has a built-in dock.
Why did we sell Tribute?
To build a bigger Oram of course, a modified 44c.
We didn’t even consider another designer, Bob’s boats work so well.
Remember I’m a project man and for me the build and launch are as much of the enjoyment as sailing and cruising.
Besides bigger is better.
Photographs of “Tribute”
