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REMARKABLE SCULLING '
FEAT
? ? ? ?
GEELONG TO PORT MELB0UENE IN
, NINE HOURS. . : -
RECORD PERFORMANCE BY MR F.
L. ARMYTAGE.
A splendid performance has. been ac
complished by, Mr Fred...L.. Arruytage,
late of Jesns College, Oifoidj whose resi
dence is in the north of Tasmania. ; Mr
Armytage has accomplished thereat of
rowing from Geelong, up Port -, 'Philip
Bay, to Port Melbourne,, a distance of.
about 45 miles. . , ...' - '.,,-.-,,-.
Mr Armytage went down to Geelong
-on Saturday in the Courier, taking with
him the boat in .which he -intended nrafc
ing his remarkable journey. He left
the Geeleng pier at half past 6 o'clock
yesterday morning, and was aided by *;
-slight breeze until he passed Eortarung
ton, when it veered round to the south
east. A better day ; could TiardlyJiaTe
been selected for the.feat.-the -iyater, be-
ing remarkably smooth, all the ^way: -Mr:
Armytage sculled' steadily, and -when
about half way on his journeyf.was passed
by the Courier, the excursionists on
'board taking a keen interest, in .the
sculler's performance.. He reached the
Port Melbourne Town Pier at. half ?past
3 o'clock in the afternoon, having ac
complished, his wonderful performance
in nine hours. Mr Armytage, whe iwas
not in the least distressed by. iis ??exer-
tions, Left for Sandringham immediately,
on his arrival. A singulat feature jof tljei
performance is that Mr Armytage *elied:
Bolely upon the seaworthiness of his -p^
culiar craft, and did: not taka'jthe prer
caution of being accompanied by. a launch
so that he might.be picked up, in the,
event of the boat capsizing, or -any acci
dent occurring which might be totally
'iinuforeseen. Under the circumstances,
the feat must be regarded as a remark
able exhibition of physical endurance and
pluck, which is not likely to be often
emulated. ???.:?
Mr Armytage has now established a
record for Jong distance rowing, in Aus
tralia. He conceived the idea of rowing
up Hobson's Bay from Geelong to Port
Melbourne, and with that object in view
-came to Melbourne, and commiaioned .
Messrs. James Edwards and Sons, -of
Prihce's-bridge. to build him two boats
one of his own designing, in which he
accomplished his long row, and. another
on similar -lines to the Esquimaux kayak.
The former; which is: built -on lines in
some respects entirely hew, is 21ft long,
23in beam, 18in forward, 15in aft, and
8in amidships. She is fitted with- a
cover like a Rob Roy canoe, with an open
well, to permit of either paddling or.
rowing. She has large axle-wheel roller
slides, 27in tracks, fastened to her
frame, which lift out. The riggers are
?fastened to an ash. piece, and.iare;..ae
tached by undoing two wing screws. -She.
has a small hatchway to cover the after
part of the centre pit, and has an apron
forward, to use when- the boat is being
paddled: A distinct novelty, in connec--.
tion with the boat (and Mr. Armytage's
own idea) is that the boat was designed
with the object of enabling the oarsman
should he be capsized in rough water, to
easily get back into her. . The oarsman,
after being thrown into the. water, seizes
the side of. the boat, which 'tnrns -ovBr, to
him, when he instantly lays his head *ad
shoulders in the centre : pit,- iand thel
boat rights herself immediately, with'
the oarsman upright, ready to go on row-'
The steering gear is adaptable tot
either rowing or paddling; . the redder
can be raised -at the will of the oarsman
in shallow water, by pulling a cord. The
appearance of the boat as she rides' the
water is very attractive. Mr Amytage
may well be proud of his craft.-;--*The
other boat, which the Messrs; Edwards,
and Sons .built, and which they claim is.
the first of its class built in* Australia,-!
is nothing more -or lessHhan -an.EsqtuV
maux kayak, which, although averyjn-,
teresting boat, has naturally ? not- the
graceful lines nor the speed;' which the
other boat has: While the boats were in
course of construction, -Mr Armytage un
derwent a careful preparation, without
assistance, on the Albertrpark Lake.
There in a skiff he rowed for hours at a
time. The lake, is approximately three'
miles round, and he zraduallv worke-
up his condition until he could scull,
round the lake a dozen or fifteen times,
the equivalent of the task which he set
himself.
The journey from Geelong is a record,
for although it has often been proposed
to endeavour to 'coyer the distance in an
eight-oared boat by some of our .senior'
oarsmen, the attempt has never been
made. On one occasion it was proposed
that the Yarra Yarra senior four, the
premiers for jnany seasons, Ehould at
tempt the journey, but the idea was not
acted upon. Mr Annytage may now
carry out his intention of going to ^ngr
land, and essaying the passage of the
English Channel, in this boat of his own
designing. He is passionately fond of
boats and has a varied collection of
them 'at George Town, on the Tamar,
Tasmania.
$