CUTTY SARK

RUSSELL ISLAND’S TOM SAWYER COMPLETES MODEL OF FAMOUS SHIP

Remember the Russell Island man with the famous name, Tom Sawyer?

We told his story a couple of years ago about how he came to have a name associated with one of the great tales in American literature featuring Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

Apparently he wasn’t supposed to ‘make it’ at birth, and so the Matron at the hospital gave Tom his name in an act of ‘flippancy’.

Growing up in Melbourne, at 15 he became and apprentice boat builder and to later become a shipwright.

The move to Russell Island came just over 22 years ago.

He built his own home on the island and it is a true testament to his craftsmanship. 

He still dabbles in boat building, and has recently finally completed a two metre model of the famous clipper Cutty Sark. 

He obtained the rare plans to the famous ship years ago whilst visiting London, and for the past seven years has progressively working on the model, to exact specifications using traditional ship building methods.

So why the Cutty Sark?

It was the first of the super fast sailing ships that cut the return to Australia from the UK to just 60 days, helping to transform the fledgling, but very old country.

To prove the point, that in full flight, the Cutty Sark could reach a top speed of 17.5 knots generating 2000 hp when under its massive compliment of sails fully loaded.

Tom says Captain Cook’s Endeavour averaged about 1.5 knots!

Fully completed, the beautiful model won’t be seen on our island because it is on its way to a new marine museum at the prestigious Scotts College in Melbourne, where it will be on permanent exhibition.

• Tom Sawyer today with the completed Cutty Sark under full sail.