VALERIE – Gets A Birthday
During my recent trip up north, aboard Lady Crossley I visited the Opua Marina to attend the launch of Lady Ellen. While mooching around the hard-stand I spotted the 1929, Lane Motor Boat Co. built, 35’ launch Valerie. I last saw her in early 2018 in Whangaroa.
Valerie has had a change of ownership and is getting a ‘make-over’. When I spotted her at Opua , boatbuilder Ian Wood was hard at work getting her ready for a pre-xmas re-launch. The work would be best described as a ‘rollin restoration’. Included in the work to date is a re-power – out with the 65hp Ford and in with the 115hp Yanmar, check out her new prop – me thinks his old lady will be able to lift her skirt and dance 🙂
Read / see more on Valerie here:
Pingback: Valerie | waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news – updated daily
Only way the modern lightweight marine engine can turn a decent size prop is to chuck a big ratio behind it.
They don’t have any grunt at the lower rpms of the older engines. Most have hairdryers and intercooler etc to get max power out of the smallest footprint.
(The saying we use is modern engines no longer rotate they vibrate)
LikeLike
it is starting to appear more common to fitting late model high rev engines on big reductions I guess there is some merit in it, deffinatly more torgue less slip at prop.
LikeLike
2.6 to 1
LikeLike
looks like a rather large prop for high rev 115hp. it must be 2.5:1 ratio minimum.
LikeLike