Davie Norris Boatbuilders
Christchurch, New Zealand
American Dream - Page 4
Boating New Zealand Article
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There is a carbon
fibre workbench which folds down like an ironing board and proudly
displays its builder’s name. The hull’s interior is
protected by six to seven layers of hi-based primer.
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Just aft is the
owners’ cabin with double berth to port and a one-person,
park bench seat with wooden slats. Apparently it gets a lot of use;
I can imagine it being a good friend when struggling dozey and grumpy
into wet weather gear for a 2am watch.
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Of the nav station, Gregory
says, “I’m a bit of a gadget guy. I wanted as much interface
with the PC as possible and also the back-up to get where I’m
going. The Raymarine radar and chart plotter are set up so they
can interface with each other and both interface to the PC.”
The instruments are Brookes and Gatehouse.
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| The anchoring
system includes a windlass with a roller, which is removable for
racing. A PVC tube, glassed-in, runs from the anchor locker to another
under the owner’s berth, allowing crew to pull the chain through
and stow it to get weight out of the bow. When ready to anchor,
it is retrieved from the bow — a system designed by Schumacher.
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The family’s
plan is do to a loop through Tonga, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu,
back to New Zealand for the summer and a spot of America’s
Cupping, perhaps skipper an Etchell in the worlds and then head
towards Hawaii and home in March 2003.
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“What’s
great is that we have four people on this boat who think this is
a great idea,” Gregory says. “It’s some thing
we have been planning for years.”
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| So, what does he like most the boat? “I like the way it sails. I should probably say the interior or the beautifully polished cabinet work but... I like the way it sails.” |
Debbie? “I
like the chequerboard.” It was her request. Instead of the
usual boat logo in the middle of the saloon table, there is a chequerboard.
Lift it out, and the chessmen and other pieces are beneath in their
felt lined cubby holes. Flip over the chequerboard and you’re
all set for Backgammon. Presumably it will be secured in rough weather.
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Patrick? This 12-year-old’s
request had been for enough space for his books, which brings us
to the boys’ aft quarter cabins. They each have a one-and-a-half
size bunk but when underway they choose to sleep in the pipe berths
above.
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A desk folds flat
so they can sit on their berths, plug in their PCs and do their
homework. To keep the boys’ cabins light and well ventilated,
a centre part of the cockpit seat hinges up to reveal a Weaver -
hatch installed just above floor level — a secure, watertight
solution.
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Chris? “Everything’s
good,” says the 13-year-old, “but I like the seating.”
He’s referring to the seating in the cock pit and his father
asks if he knows the story. He doesn’t. One day Carl Schumacher
noticed that the park bench on which he was sitting was unusually
comfortable. He returned the next day with his tools and measured
the bench in detail, and has replicated it in his boats. The bench
in the owners’ cabin is to the same measurements.
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Attention to detail
throughout is a feature of Schumacher boats. Soon after she arrived
in Auckland, Morpheus took a jaunt around the America’s Cup
syndicate bases in the Viaduct Harbour. As she passed the Oracle
base, a fellow American sailor rushed out for a closer look: “Is
that a Schumacher?” he shouted. |
"the
dream had come true" |
Morpheus
To those of you who helped to put Morpheus together, a huge thank you!.
She is pretty darn close to perfect in our minds
We've enjoyed meeting all of you and appreciate the effort in getting this boat ready to cross oceans.
Jim, Debbie, Chris & Pat Gregory
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