ABOUT TIENTOS

Any sailor who has cruised the Australian Queensland coast or read sailing magazines and cruising guides over the last five decades will know the name of Alan Lucas OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia). This is the story of our famous Tientos.

Early build days

The cabin is complete

Our girl survived a cyclone

Built by Murray Le Couter in Darwin and after facing the wrath of Cyclone Tracy in 1974, she was bought by Alan and Patricia Lucas in 1980 as a bare hull and deck, with an engine and mast. They set off in 1982 for a circumnavigation lasting five years and, according to Alan, their most memorable moment was when they were “...  fired at by an Ethiopian gunboat, ordered alongside in a three metre swell and interrogated under a row of cocked rifles.”  Tientos featured on the cover of two of his numerous books.

We bought Tientos in 2004 as the sixth owners and have loved every moment aboard (except when cursing those wretched maintenance jobs, even in exotic locations).

Tientos - artwork by Alan Lucas

Although the layout shows the steering wheel amidships, it had been relocated to the starboard side before we became the owners, but we have been happy with this arrangement.

Tientos, an Australian registered ship, is a Wilf O’ Kell (ferro-dynel epoxy). Drawing 2.5m, she is a comfortable LOA 18m cutter rigged yacht, powered by an 80hp 4.236 Perkins and carrying 1000 litres of fuel and 400 litres of water in tanks, but we also have a Rainman desalinator. She weighs in at a hefty 26 tonnes. A serious cruiser, built for comfortable living and long distance passages, she also spends time aground in her search for elusive exotic anchorages. Tientos is equipped with digital radar, AIS, and all modern safety and electronic equipment. The toys include  kayaks, underwater camera and a hooker dive system.   You will also find paper charts and a sextant for those ‘what-if’ moments.

A long way from the backyard

It has long been said that only catamarans have party space. Not so. With a huge foredeck, and Keith flatly forbidding bean bags, another solution had to be found. Enter Kiwi boat builder extraordinaire, Neil, who fibre-glassed on the 'patio'. No nails at all through the deck and it has survived seas boarding back to the cockpit.

Room with a view

Great for entertaining, the table folds down underway, leaving room for the dinghy and the seats are stowage for lines, the lobster pot and other necessities.

View in the Lock

The patio covered up and the other two boxes beside the mast, hold the 4x9kg gas cylinders. The 5th cylinder is attached to the Weber Baby Q.  In 2017 we replaced these with Malaysian cylinders which fit well in the lockers. Although the galley has an oven, we enjoy our BBQs in sunny weather.

The Weber Baby Q

Our saloon is comfortable with TV, stereo, intimate dining and Keith's own chair. Given that Tientos is our home, we have the normal 'rogues gallery' aboard.

The 'rogues gallery' 

Comfortable relaxation