Known as “Charles Abel’s Memorial Piner Punt and Fazackerly, Cray Pot pulling race.”
Background
This race honours the legacy of West Coast Piners who used their iconic Piner Punts to fish for cray off Edwards and other West Coast locations. Inspired by Charles Abels’ later years and corroborated by Richard Flanagan’s “A Terrible Beauty” and historian Don Grining, whose family built Abels’ punts, this event is a living tribute to Tasmania’s rich maritime traditions.
Convened by Peter Higgs and David Edwards of the Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania (WBGT), the inaugural Piner Punt and Fazackerley Race debuted at the 2023 Australian Wooden Boat Festival, blending history, craftsmanship, and competition into an unforgettable spectacle.
Join the AWBF 2025 Piner Punt & Fazackerley Race!
When: 9:00 AM, riverside of Kings Pier attenuator
This year, the race expands to include Fazackerley dinghies, celebrating their long history with Tasmanian amateur cray fishers. Sponsored by Norglass and Garry Kerr, the event offers exciting prizes:
– 1st Prize (Piner Punt & Fazackerley): $100 Norglass marine paint voucher
– 2nd & 3rd Prizes: Garry Kerr’s renowned Tasmanian Cray Fishing video
Crews will race to haul non-baited cray pots and row back to the start line with the pots safely aboard.
Details:
– Entry: Free via AWBF Eventbrite. Click on the button below too register.
– Crew: Two members per boat.
– Arrival: Boats must be ready at the start line by 8:40 AM.
Registrations close January 24, 2025. Following registration, WBGT’s Peter Higgs will be in contact via email within 1-3 days.
For further information or queries please contact the Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania here.
This is a test of skill and endurance—don’t miss this thrilling celebration of Tasmanian maritime heritage!
Exciting Recap of the 2023 Piner Punt Race
In 2023, three punts joined the thrilling Piner Punt Race:
Teepookana: Built by the Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania (WBGT) to Adrian Deans’ design, with crew members Mat Conboy and David Edwards from WBGT.
Freddie B: Built by Grinings of Strahan, crewed by father-daughter duo Kerry and Karen Watson.
Bob’s Punt: Crafted by Bob Wakefield and Hooky Nielson of Strahan, skippered by Jon Wakefield, who unfortunately had to withdraw.
The Race
The competition kicked off at 9:00 AM from Kings Pier, where crews raced to retrieve non-baited cray pots positioned at the pier’s northern end. Around 30 spectators cheered as the punts rowed neck-and-neck. Teepookana clinched victory when Mat Conboy secured the pot first, earning the crew a special DVD from Garry Kerr’s renowned Tasmanian fishing and Piner Punt collection.
Celebrating Maritime History
On Monday morning at Kings Pier, Garry Kerr interviewed veteran cray fishermen Wayne Norling and Dennis MacQueen, capturing their stories of cray fishing and dinghy use for his ongoing documentation of Tasmania’s rich maritime history. David Kesson’s cray dinghy, Misu, was also featured in this project.
This exciting event blended tradition, competition, and storytelling, keeping Tasmania’s maritime legacy alive!
