Captain and Splash the Dog
Captain Anthony Turner
The Captain – Anthony
Owner / Builder / Co Designer / Skipper
I was born in Melbourne, Australia and grew up in a small country town called Warragul. The family interest was in waterskiing and fishing and nearly every spare chance we had was spent on the water somewhere. There were some great camping trips with the boat full with gear and supplies with 2 weeks or up to 3 months away. Skiing first thing in the morning on a glassy Murry river or weeks spent at Lakes Entrance boating, spear fishing and beach combing. My father and I would occasionally venture out the treacherous bar and drift for flathead in Bass Straight. My first Blue water experience’s.
After studying Phys Ed at College I really started to travel, and ended up 8 months later 3000 mile north teaching water skiing etc at a beach resort in the Whitsunday’s. Then scored a Sports Master job in Arusha Tanzania. This led to a 3-year stint in Africa and 2 years as a camping guide for a safari company. The job was amazing with many camping trips through the Serengeti, but I missed the Ocean and left for Australia and ended up back at the same Island resort.
Windsurfing was big in those days and a few of us spent hours back and forward in the channel, it was a perfect speed run at low tide and my first real experience sailing. One day I noticed a few Hobie cat’s sail past and camp on a near by Carlyle Island. After finding out there itinary of 3 weeks cruising through the island’s I was hooked. It was possible to go cruising on a small cat and a small budget. Within a month a purchased my first Sail Cat, a hobie 18. Two yeas later I had sailed up the east coast apron 2000nm with some great friends and family. We lived a comfy yet simple life, camp in tents, cook on the fire, catching or spearing seafood. It was a great life and we really explored the coast and people’s all the way to Cape York.
My second boat was a 26-foot Wharram I found in the Cape York area and promptly sold the Hobie and rebuilt the Wharram. Two years later we had sailed and explored the vast, wild country between Cape York and Broome, including 2 months in the Kimberly. Luck was with me and I sold up for a good price and jumped on a 40 foot Adams for a trip across the Indian Ocean to Africa.
After backpacking around a bit in East Africa I returned home a built with my father and partner at the time a 38 foot Wharram. Two years later we were sailing up the east coast again and spent 8 wonderful years aboard including 4 years in Kavieng PNG running sail trip and surf safaris.
Having gained my commercial tickets I ventured off to the Caribbean / Europe / Asia / Africa working along the way on various boat in varying rolls. Sometimes chief toilet cleaner sometime Captain. After brewing for years the dream started taking place on a trip from the Maldives to Turley on an amazing, inspiring sail yacht called Silvertip. Dreamboat drawings were sketched and ideas exchanged. Eventually I made it back to Australia and worked for some time with a company the catered to the Hollywood moviemakers aqua requirements. Good money and a great job with everyday a different experience. I met some interesting crew and once again swapped ideas about building a 50-foot sail cat.
After another stint teaching in Zanzibar my father and I built the moulds and laid the first WRC timber plank in what became a 4 year painful slog, mixed with lots of pain killers, a touch of complete madness, and at all times a creative and inspiring boat building project.
Without my father Bob and Jacquey’s support, assistance, tolerance and understanding this project would of remained a dream.
The result is a strong , fast , comfortable ocean passage maker. A dream come true.
For the record – current tickets include.
- Bachelor of Education Majoring in Outdoor Ed, Recreation and Health, Melbourne 1988
- MCA 200 tone Ocean Yacht Masters / GMDSS / STCW 95, Cairns TAFE 2004
- Master 5 Skippers ticket / Grade 3 Commercial fishing ticket, Cairns TAFE 1999
- Marine Engineering 3 ticket, Cairns TAFE 2001
- AYF Offshore Yacht master, Melbourne 1998
