POPEYE
Woody Baden Pascoe sent me the above photos of the very salty, 18′ wee ship – Popeye. Baden spotted her on the ramp at Orakei on Sunday morning.
Can anyone tell us more about ?
Input from Peter Mence – Popeye has just been sold by Bruce Whillans (also ex Fortuna). Under Bruce’s care Popeye was treated to a good deal of renovation work by Colin Brown (and son-in-law Josh)
Input & photos ex Ken Ricketts – she is 18 feet long & is powered by a small Yanmar diesel. Pictured below under going a restoration at Colin Brown’s yard.
29-08-2018 Update from Bruce Whillans
I understand Popeye was built as a fishing boat in 1941 for use on the Hokianga Harbour. I purchased Popeye off yachtie Sean Connelly in 1998. He found her in a shed in Hokianga and partially restored her. I had Lees Marine (Greg Lees) at the Sandspit do a full refit just after we bought her. In 2012 we installed a new 10hp Yanmar and then in 2015 I had Colin Brown and Josh re-fasten her. We kept her on a mooring in the Whangateu Harbour
Having purchased another boat she wasn’t getting any use, so a good friend of mine Adrian Howitt has taken her into his custody and following a tidy up put her in the water at Okahu Bay yesterday. She will be moored in Whakatakataka Bay.
Update 31-08-2018 Photo of Popeye below ex Bruce Whillans, on her mooring at Whakatakataka Bay.

New photo added. Alan H
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I’m the new caretaker of Popeye and would love to hear from anybody who has any history on her.
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was moored @ pt wells for some time and loved by all a beautifull boat.
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