Bon Voyage from us all at the Compound
Artist
Jack Earl
(Australian, died 1994)
Date1987
Object number00048232
NamePainting
MediumWatercolour, ink, pencil, paper, string
DimensionsOverall (framed): 350 x 404 x 23 mm
Sight: 232 x 285 mm
Sight: 232 x 285 mm
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Ian Kiernan AO, OAM
DescriptionThis watercolour was a farewell gift to Ian Kiernan from the artist Jack Earl along with clew rings from KATHLEEN GILLETT and a bottle of cognac. It was presented to Kiernan before his departure from Sydney to Newport Rhode Island to compete in the 1986/87 BOC Solo Around Alone event with the request from Jack Earl that Kiernan cast the clew ting and thimbles over the side when he reached cape Horn and drink the Cognac. Kiernan recorded carry out the request in his log of the voyage.HistoryIan Kiernan purchased the yawl MARIS from Jack Earl in 1970. The yacht was named after Jack and Kathleen Earl's daughter. Kiernan sought Earl's advice on how best to cross oceans in MARIS - the beginning of a remarkable friendship with Jack and the Earl family.
Kiernan's first ocean crossing with Jack Earl was to Lord Howe Island in 1970 where Earl left. Kiernan returned to Sydney as skipper of his new yacht. Kiernan then sailed to New Zealand followed a few months later by a series of voyages that took him to 36 islands in the North and South Pacific. While in Tahiti two of Kiernan's crew had to b expatriated due to illness which prompted his interest in solo sailing adventures.
On his return to Sydney Kiernan entered the 1977 Trans Tasman Solo Race winning the first division line honours. In 1979 he competed in the Trans Pacific Solo Race out of San Francisco with an eleventh placing out of 25 boats. Numerous other solo events and voyages followed.
Through all of this time he maintained correspondence with Jack Earl. Prior to Kiernan's departure from Sydney to Newport Rhode Island to compete in the 1986/87 BOC Solo Around Alone event, Jack Earl gave him this watercolour painting with the clew rings from KATHLEEN GILLETT together with a bottle of Cognac. Kiernan recorded the dispatch of the clew rings at Cape Horn in his log book for the race.
SignificanceThis watercolour reflects the closed friendship between the artsit Jack Earl, former owner and skipper of the yacht KATHLLEN GILLETT which is now in the ANMM Collection, and Ian Kiernan AO who purchasedthe yacht MARIS from Jack Earl.
