W.A.Robinson's VARUA

[Norske3]

Varua..Oh Varua, where "art" thou oh Varua?..anyone know if she still sails?..I'm reading his book "To the Great Southern Ocean" again....interesting sail plan...(may be of some interest to TimothyB) smile.gif
"Varua".. means soul or spirit in Tahitian

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I seem to remember a note in WB, some years ago now, saying that she was being rebuilt. That's as much as I can recall.

[Norske3]

Many moons ago..issue 65....no update since.

[TR]

A group calling itself the "Intersea Foundation" used her for whale research in Alaska until 1988. After that they got a bigger ship, no mention on their site as to what happened with Varua.

Ed Burnett did a nice semi-copy a few years back, apparently not built. I believe his new version is all laminated wood, rather than planking bolted on steel frames as the original was. So the design is available, may as well get started!

Best, Tad

[John Gearing]

Here's a picture of how she looked back in the day.... http://www.mcallen.lib.tx.us/books/circumna/ci_var2.jpg

[Wild Dingo]

ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh now aint she gorgeous?!!! :cool: I love boatporn in the mornin!! :D

[John B]

You need to look well at a boat with that pedigree. Hull by Starling Burgess( to Robinsons brief), rig by LFH.

[David N.]

If I'am correct , Varua is in Friday Harbor , Wa. , or was for a lot of years .
William R. had LFH , draw up plans for a " world crusier " design #81 , and then found Varua . So # 81 was never built . #81 is the plans I have been costing out , and have always found this boat to be my dream boat .

[Thad]

Didn't LFH have some input on the stern configuration too?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

He did'nt find her; he built her! And I think more than one designer was involved - Burgess and LFH and maybe one other as well?

[Norske3]

Thad..pg.50 of WB issue #65, quotes "To The Great Southern Sea" ..Robinson talks about the conventional stern being revised on the board with aid from Stevens Institute testing tank till they had what they called a "double chin" stern...they being he and S. Burgess...no mention of L.F.H. smile.gif
Talking of the model with the conventional stern being tested in the tank...Robinson said ,"Special apparatus had been devised to simulate following seas.At first her stern had been more conventional; but she had a tendency to pull the following seas over on top of her and even to broach to. Little by little the stern was changed and the rest of the underwater lines accordingly, untill one day we had a model that did not disturb the form of the following sea,that did not trip, that ran true before it at all speeds".

[ 05-15-2003, 08:57 PM: Message edited by: Norske3 ]

[S. Russell]

I wish I had current information to offer. I saw Varua being rebuilt at a yard in northern Washington about 12 years ago. I believe it was outside Annecortes (which I'm probably spelling wrong). What happened to her after that I don't know. Beautiful boat. I hope she hasn't fallen on hard times.

Sean

[Thad]

Thanks Ken