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Sail Plan, 38.4M Schooner Yacht, John K Griffin designer
Sail Plan, 38.4M Schooner Yacht, John K Griffin designer

Sail Plan, 38.4M Schooner Yacht, John K Griffin designer

Designer (1936 - 1988)
Date1 November 1985
Object numberANMS1543[149]
NamePlan
MediumPaper
Dimensions745 x 870
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionAn original design work by John K. Griffin, dated 1st November 1985 showing the hand-drawn sail-plan and sail areas for a 38.4 (126’) three masted sailing schooner. It is an early drawing in the design process, showing the sail centres and areas. Possiblely used to calculate the ‘centre of effort’ of the sails and used with the underwater ‘centre of lateral resistance’ to establish the balance on the yacht under sail.HistoryThe Griffin family were very well known in Sydney for their boat building and yacht charter business. Two brothers, Joe and Harold Griffen started their boatyard 1928 and the operation continued up 1979. During this time the yard built a large number of wooden yachts, boats and commercial vessels. Harold designed and built a very fast 16-foot racing skiff called RIVAL in 1928. The company moved from their original Church Point boatyard to a new purpose built faciality at Mona Vale in 1962. Harold’s son, John K. Griffin, worked as young boatbuilder and later naval architect at the yard designing and building many well-known wooden yachts in the 1950’s 60’. The yard built the 65-foot motor yacht SUNDONER for Sir Theo Kelly and Alan Bond’s APOLLO, designed by Ben Lexcen. John K. Griffin designed and built many yachts, motor yacht and boats in his long career. This included the wooden Griffin 34-foot and Whirlwind 29-foot racing boats as well as a 17-foot production GRP boat. John K. Griffin took over the yard from his farther and continued running it up to 1979 when pressure from glass fibre-built production yachts (GRP), made hand crafted wooded yachts uncompetitive. New orders at the yard dwindled and John closed the yard in 1979. He continued working as a production manager and naval architect at ‘Olsen Yachts’ in South Korea and later in Taiwan building a series of motor yachts. He also helped set up and manage a yacht building yard in Indonesia. His son David Griffin, was an apprentice boatbuilder at the old Griffin yard in 1969 and continued building yachts in Australia and Malaysia and later as a technical consultant and marine surveyor in Sydney. This John K. Griffin design work, showing the sail-plan of a 38.4-meter (126-foot) sailing schooner is dated November 1985. It may have been made after he returned home to Australia follow years working in Asia. The drawing style and quality, suggests it may have been drawn earlier, or perhaps by an assistant, outside of Australia. A 38.4-meter (126’) sailing schooner, with thirty berths for guest plus more for the crew, represents a considerable cost to build at the time. With his hands-on knowledge of a naval architect and boatbuilding and with years of experience operating in SE Asia, it may have been intended to build this yacht there. To date, no records or information have been found if it was built.SignificanceThis John K. Griffin design work is a photo copy of the original hand drawing, which would have been on water-proof draughting paper. The design is unusual, as at 38.4 metre (126-feet) shows a considerably large yacht for 1985 with a three-mast schooner rig. This work, dated November 1985, may be from the period after he returned to Australia from setting up and managing new yacht building facilities in Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia. However, the drawing style, suggest it may have been made by an assistant draughtsman, under the guidance of the naval architect at another location.