I'm here

[piquet95971]

After being a lurker and a spy on the board for a number of years I have finally decided that I probably have something to offer. So thought that I might introduce my self.
My name is Peter Sneddon,
I live in Forest Hill, Melbourne and am curently self employed. My previous carreer was as a Shipwright in the RAN. I served a total of 24 years and worked on small boats right the way through plastic boats to bloody big Steel things.

I did my training as a Naval Shipwright with the RAN out past Blacktown in Sydney and in those days the RAN had a lot of wooden boats. So we did a fair bit of training and work on clinker, carvel and double diagonal boats from 12 'dinghys to 27' whalers and motor cutters etc.

Whilst I was posted to the Naval Base at Port Melbourne I was responsible for the maintenance on one of the last WW2 wooden fighting boats that was still in the NAVY. This was a 80' HDML (Harbour Duties Motor Launch). Foot for foot and pound for pound a formidable thing with 2 twin vickers machine guns, 8 depth charges and a couple of orelikin guns on the fore and after decks in 1943. no armament in the late 70's though.

Later I was I/C of the slipway at HMAS Cerberus slipping all the yachts, work boats and many other assorted craft.
So if there are some questions on construction types I would be only too willing to help.
My email direct if any one wants is....... psneddon@bigpond.net.au
I have quite a few reference books including one from 1907 called the Motor Boat Manual it describes some realy old speed boats including table of offsets and construction materials required.
I also have a Hartleys boat plan book from the 1970's, i think, so that could be useful to help identify older style ply boats.


cheers for now
peter sneddon

[Greg]

Peter and his family dropped by at the Melbourne Wooden Boat Festival and we had a great chat about all things to do with wood and water, BMW's motor cars and a few other topics for good measure. Pete is a great bloke and a fantastic resource and is only too happy to help anyone after some information, direction or assistance, so if you're stuck, give him a call.

Greg