A Little Bit of History...

Saona was the last boat built by Charles Lucas in his own yard at Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania. She was built to the ‘Saona’ design by Phillip Rhodes who gave permission for the name to be used again in this distant land.  The original Saona was renamed ‘Lady Patty’, is understood to be in Chesapeake Bay.

 Saona was built for Mr Maldon Weston of Austins Ferry, near Hobart.

She was subsequently owned by Mr Len Nettlefold who held the agency for General Motors in Tasmania. He had the quaint dog house build aft of the mizzen mast and it is said that the design for this was drawn from the cab of a Chevrolet truck.  It is a modification which has certainly proved its worth in Southern Ocean waters.

 In 1951 Saona was purchased by Vice Admiral Sir Guy Wyatt, shortly after he had retired as the Royal Navy Hydrographer and moved to Tasmania. Sir Guy, often with his friend Justice Sir Peter Crisp, undertook numerous expeditions around Tasmania. He prepared many beautiful charts of bays and harbours, some of which had not previously been surveyed in detail.

 In 1976 Sir Peter Crisp, with a crew whose average age was 65, cruised Saona to New Zealand, circumnavigating both islands.

 Over the next few years ownership was passed within the family and friends to reside with the Martin and Maddock families who continued to cruise southern Tasmanian waters.

 In 1993 Saona was purchased by her present owners, Ben and Jane Marris of Kettering, Tasmania.  In addition to local cruising and racing she has been on some significant adventures.

In 1998 she participated in the Tall Ships Race from Sydney to Hobart.

In 2001 she circumnavigated Tasmania.

In 2003 she won the cruising division of the Australian Three Peaks Race.

In 2009, Saona sailed in very gusty conditions (~30 - 40 knots) on the Race from Kettering to Cygnet. With Ben on the helm and Michael Short crew, she managed to clean up the fleet winning first on handicap. Combined with a win on the second day of racing at Port Cygnet, Saona took out the Port Cygnet Regatta as well as the best Vintage Boat on the water.