Thursday 23 April 2015

The Brigantine Eyola, information required please.

We know where the boat was built and also when the boat was finished,what we do not know is anything about those who built her and what became of them?


 Seen here in her glory days this was a super sight to witness, I have been asked to try and find out more about the boat, can anyone assist with information please.



Built in ferro cement and in Durban, South Africa,circa 1970 to 1977 I would think?

Below is a message from a yachtsman who is asking me about the boat, he knows where she is now.

Do you know W. A. Robinson and his book "To the great southern sea“? The „Eyola“ is clearly a replica of his Brigantine „Varua“. Designed by W. Starling Burgess. The rigging was designed by L. Francis Herreshoff. He wanted to combine two riggs: A Schooner-Rig for courses close to the wind and a square-rig for the trades. He did a great voyage through the southern ocean.

So I wonder how it came that „Eyola“ was built in South Africa. I would love to know a bit more about her History.

..............................



This boat will have sailed to Cape Town when I was either in Brasil on Brer Terrapin, or in the islands of the West Indies, USA, UK or later in the Sudan for a years work stint, so I would not have had the chance to view the boat.

http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=70219

There is a picture of Hennie Page and a story about himself and the boat in the link above, you may have to copy and paste it?

Johannes (Hennie) Page died on Sept. 2, at Signature Hospice. He was 78.
He was born in the town of Reitz in the Orange Free State, South Africa, on June 23, 1930.
At an early age he was destined to become an adventurer. After finishing school, he moved to the coastal city of Durban, where he became a lifeguard and loved to surf.
Mr. Page married Johanna Lotter in 1954.
During the 1960s and '70s, he and a partner owned one of the big clothing manufacturing companies in South Africa. His main love was for the sea and in the late '60s he fell in love with sailing and took part in numerous international sailing events.
In 1971 Mr. Page started building his boat the Eyola, a 90-foot brigantine yacht, which he completed in 1977.
Mr. Page set sail for the Caribbean in 1978. He spent many years there chartering among beautiful islands.
After many years in the Caribbean, he went on to Caracas, Venezuela, where he started a factory, building store displays.
In 1995 he left Venezuela with his then wife Shari, and moved to the United States, which he always felt was the greatest country in the world. He moved to Portland where he sold boats for a local company.

Portland Tribune report.

Angelo Lavranos was one of those I asked if he had ever seen the boat?

He lives in New Zealand now, we offer his Proteus 106 catamaran kit.

Hello Roy,

I saw a large Peter Strong boat in late stages of construction in Durban (near/ in the docks)  in  1977.  At that time she had a black hull.  I remember thinking the hull  had it’s “own” (Peter Strong) style.   Varua’s bow did not have as much  flare in the bow, and that feature is possibly  not “characteristic” of Burgess (eg Nina, Ranger, etc have spoon bows).   See attached photo.  “Off the cuff” I can’t find any drawings, except her predecessor from L Francis H’s book, see attached.  WA Robinson’s first boat, (Svaap) was an Alden design.

Regards,
Angelo




Roy

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