DIXIE
Today’s post features a launch by the name of Dixie, I do not know much about her but I have been aboard. I was tipped off early this year that she might be for sale & had been sitting at her Westhaven berth unloved for quite a while – unloved might be the wrong word, maybe unused would be better. What I do know is that she was glassed several years ago by Wayne Olsen & aside from the ‘low maintenance’ angle, this had the added bonus of strengthening her up, her original owner wanted a fast launch & ordered her ‘light’. I was told she was more than capable of hitting 18knts. You will see from the above photos that post glassing the owner did little more e.g. the portholes have not been trimmed out & re-fitted. Her owner has an engineering business & that side of the vessel was very impressive, all she needed was a renovation to bring her back to her finest. In fact most of the hardware was on-board just not fitted. Given the rectangular shaped portholes she could be from the McGeady stable?
I learned recently that she sold for as they say ‘a song’, someone has a acquired at a very low entry point the makings of a nice classic wooden boat. Fingers crossed she gets the time & attention she deserves.
Anyone able to added for details on Dixie?
Harold Kidd Input
She started life as AQUARIUS, built by Owen Woolley in 1966 for motorcycle legend Len Perry. About 1995 Perry sold her to Steve Harris who renamed her DIXIE. She had a Perkins H6 354TD horizontal/slant 354cu in engine, quite a rare beast, introduced in 1960.
Shamus has advised that Adonis is a sister ship built on the same frames but just a wee bit longer.
HDK confirmed that ADONIS was 40ft, built by Owen Woolley for Martyn Uren, a really fine man, in 1965. She had twin 100hp Fordson diesels. She was later owned by Bob Green.
Photo of Len Perry below ex HDK
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Sadly Steve passed away earlier this year doing the the thing he was passionate about, well one of them. His amazing early Yamaha 750 twin after years of fettling hit the track and doing what it should. A very cool guy with the best stories, Dixie was a 20 year project for Steve and will be around for a long time.
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PS. I have gone back to motorcycle racing now i have so much spare time.
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Her other sistership is Taree. Sold for what I paid for her and to the right person, a wood butcher. The engineering was pretty much done by me. Just needed to finish the internal upgrades of the heads and master cabin. When i added up what was spent on her, (the same as what i paid Len) it averaged $2700 per year, not bad for the pure enjoyment that was had, The alcohol bill was probably higher!! I have some interesting stories from Len’s ownership, like the sea trials where she apparently reached 18kts, Len decided without consulting Owen to do a crash stop test, tore the angle iron engine beds out of the hull with some breakage as would be expected, Len wouldn’t make the final payment until it was repaired, Owen and Len never had a good word for each other from that day on. The massive paragon gearbox fitted was up to the job though.
More at a later time
Stephen C Harris
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EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE
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Mmm just as I had suspected – after you telling us of some bionic parts you had to acquire over the years. : /
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Umm….yes, couple of giant prangs (without a helmet those days). Run Honda GB500 and GB400 these days….reasonable facsimile at penny prices.
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That’s right. ADONIS was 40ft, built by Owen Woolley for Martyn Uren, a really fine man, in 1965. She had twin 100hp Fordson diesels. She was later owned by Bob Green.
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Oh that’s why. I figured it was going to be something pretty cool like that.
Did you ever scratch the paint work on your Norton Harold?
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He’s just about to start in the 1951 Isle of Man TT 500cc Senior Race with his really superb state-of-the-art Featherbed frame Manx Norton. He came 9th and was captain of the NZ team of three with Rod Coleman and Ken Mudford.
I think we’d all be pretty smug/proud to be there on such a mount. My first bike was a 1952 Norton Dominator 88 twin with the same frame, now worth moonbeams.
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Why’s Len looking so smug?
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Adonis is a sister ship built on the same frames but just a wee bit longer.
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She had a Perkins H6 354TD horizontal/slant 354cu in engine, quite a rare beast, introduced in 1960.
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Photo of Len Perry / Norton motorcycle added to the post. AH
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The ports are on board, just not re-fitted.
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Hey, I meant in 1966!
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probably used to. Ive been feeling a bit burned there recently. Prices seem to have gone up some 300%
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PS Fosters stocked a good range of rectangular ports.
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Nath’s on the money. She started life as AQUARIUS, built by Owen Woolley in 1966 for motorcycle legend Len Perry. About 1995 Perry sold her to Steve Harris who renamed her DIXIE.
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Looks like a Woolley
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