| Launched | 1970 |
| Owner | H Paul Simons, A.M |
| Purchased | 1980 |
| Contact | hpaulsimons@bigpond.com |
| Configuration | Cruising |
| Colour | |
| Berthed | |
| Sail Number | 3118 |
| Australian Registration | |
| State Registration | |
| Call Sign | |
| Builder | Swarbricks |
| Hull Number | 2 |
| Fit Out | |
| Previous Owners | AG Neate (original owner), Richard Purcell |
| Previous Names | Nil |
About the Owners
From Paul Simons, Feb 2010:
FYI, I purchased “Morning Mist” in 1980 from Richard Purcell, a well-known racing skipper, who had sailed her in two Sydney-Hobarts in the ’70s. He was selling in order to purchase a larger vessel and continued to compete in major races.
We shall be sailing “Morning Mist” to Tasmania in late summer, after installing a new mast and rigging, and 35 horsepower Yanmar. In my early years, I served in both the British and Australian Merchant Navies (1944 to 1954), settling in Australia in 1949. My business career was in retailing and prior to my retirement in 1995, I had served as Executive Chairman of Woolworths Limited from 1987. In my retirement, I have devoted myself to running “Euralie”, a 1,000-hectare fine wool sheep property in Southern Tablelands of NSW, with all-too brief spells of sailing in NSW coastal waters.
If you are thinking of selling l would appreciate the first opportunity to view have admired for many years sincerely Callum Boyd wr2.cb7@gmail.com.au
I did my first offshore race on Morning Mist with Alf Neate out of Mornington Yacht Club in Port Phillip. The race was the 1972 Melbourne to Apollo Bay race. In those days, S & S 34s were the HOT boat to race and I loved the experience.
I was a teenager when I first saw ‘Morning Mist’ at Mornington Yacht Club in the 1970’s and I admired her from that moment.
My family owned ‘Janessa’, an H28 and thereafter ‘Seasalter’, and while both were honest yachts in their own right, it was Morning Mist that I admired most.
I had the privilege of sailing on Morning Mist with Mr Neate one afternoon, only around the sticks, but that moment stayed with me as one of the highlights of my sailing life. I still have a photo of her to this day.
Hello Cal
I found your comment re Janessa and wondered if you could fill me in with some history
I see it is up for sale at the moment but being based in New Zealand I am a little hamstrung
I have copies of three articles in Sea Craft from the 70s re Janessa’s trips over Bass Strait…..
Clearly today it does not resemble the yacht that the Rule Bros. built but it appears from the pics and the little detail I have gleaned so far to have been well looked after
Any comments you have would be very welcome
Kind regards
Bob M
Hello Bob,
I can give you some early history of this beautiful H28 ketch. My twin brother, Richard, and I bought this boat from ‘Rolly’ Morris, year?, Mornington YC, and we continued sailing with the Mornington YC for several years. We did not build it. In that time, we raced it and it was quite fast on a reach. Annually, we would sail in Bass Strait to Refuge Cove, and Deal Island, and also explore Tasmania’s waterways. In our experience, Bass Strait was a stretch of water that demanded respect; the weather would change very quickly, so we tried to be ready for anything, like shortening sail at night. We found Janessa to be a wonderful, sea-kindly boat. A doghouse was badly needed for freezing Tassie. We also joined Sandringham YC, because Mornington was no place to be after April – the northerlies were too severe. So she travelled back and forth. We did our best to give her lots of TLC.
Her engine was 4-cylinder petrol – only strong enough for ‘not much.’ Very traditional, so we were at a disadvantage when we had to shift our anchorage at night when behind Bass Strait islands, like Goose Island – five times, one night, because of the violent wind shifts. We had an array of anchors – all big, including a 30-lb Fisherman to break through kelp beds. Years before we owned Janessa, we saw an H28 at Geelong. Didn’t know the design (we were sailing an off-the-beach yacht at the time), but decided there and then that THIS was the design of the boat we wanted – and started looking. We found one at Mornington YC – with a mooring. And ‘Rolly’ Morris became a good friend to us. Incidentally, Mornington YC was a great family club. The members gave us lots of advice on how to handle a keelboat, and a ketch, at that. We had no concerns with her woodwork, it had been kept in good shape. We have fond memories of Janessa. We sold her to move onto ‘Seasalter’, a 39-foot Harrison-Butler sloop, but have never forgotten Janessa. She taught us to sail. I hope this has been of interest to you.
Regards. Clarry Rule.