Tamima was designed by W D Bailey of Como NSW in 1929, a 30 ft canoe-sterned enlargement of the 27 ft transom-sterned Albatross he designed in 1927. The name Tamima means Albatross in Bruny Island native tongue. Her lines were published in Australian Motor Boat and Yachting during 1929.
Tamima was built as a cruiser but intended to do some club racing. In the 1930s were only three “racing” classes recognised by the Greater Hobart clubs, A, B and D. Everything else – like Tamima – went into a catch-all C-Class for cruisers (sail number C12) and she did some racing in that class.
(Click on the above image for a full sized drawing.)
From 1950 Tamima raced regularly and was moved up to the new Division III as H12, from 1962 down to Division IV as X12, and by the 1970s was 112 in a new numbering system that (whether intended or not) let boats swap around the racing and cruiser classes without renumbering (Opening of Season Programs in the 1970s sometimes show Tamima racing in Division III but more often as a cruiser). She kept that number into the 1990s.
Dave O’May (1908-1976) was trained as carpenter, a skill required within the family ferry business, and built Tamima while still very young. He built the much larger replacement Moorina in the late 1950s. He also built two Tamar dinghies in 1951 (#8 Tarinna and #25 Swift). From late 1930s to his retirement he was manager of the Derwent ferry fleet for Hobart Bridge Company and later the Tasmanian Transport commission, and no doubt did not have much time for boatbuilding.
Jonathan Davis owned Tamima 1988-c1992. WBGT member, Allister Martin then, in the late 1990's, owned Tamima and more recently she has been purchased by Amos Wherret who plans to restore her.
Animated visualisation of Tamima
