Popeye

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.