AQUALEDA
photos & details ex Graham Jefferys. edited by Alan H
Last month I asked on ww if any of the Southern woodys knew the history of Aqualeda. Yesterday I achieved an email from her owner Graham Jefferys who advised he had just sold Aqualeda after the privilege of owning her for 13.5 years.
Graham commented that she will be in good hands, the new owner has been in boats all his life & is known for maintaining any boats he has owned. She will be staying in Nelson.
Graham was able to research the Aqualeda’s history & was fortunate enough to have meet the youngest son of her builder, George English, the son Noel was 82 years old at the time. Noel had a raft of information, including photos of the Aqualeda’s construction, and it was Noel, as a cabinet maker, who fitted the cabin out.
Graham had been made aware it was George English who built her by Eric Wilkes, whom he entertained along with his wife at his Picton home some 12 years ago and shared many a tale of his pleasure in owning this lovely boat. Both Eric & Noel visited the Aqualeda at the Nelson Marina about 10 years ago.
Graham sent me a selection of photos of Aqualeda during construction, launching & later years, the colour photo shows Noel English [son of the builder] & his wife alongside Aqualeda.
Photos of Aqualeda as she is today can be viewed here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/03/17/aqualeda/
The holes in the transom are cockpit drains. Too small for V-8 exhausts, eh? 😀
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I wonder if the holes in the tuck are exhaust pipes & if so, wonder if she had a Ford V8 originally… – Naughty me!!!, not checking the previous data, re build date. KEN R
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Ken – use the system. At the bottom of the post in the summary section it says 1940 & if you clicked on the link in the post to the previous posting you would see she was launched in 1948.
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It would seem to me, that the pics was taken in the mid 1940s or earlier 1950s era, because there is a Bradford van in the background, that appears fairly “newish” & they were produced from 1946 to 1953.- Great pics & history — KEN R
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