OLLIE IRENE

Over the past couple of weeks I have been chatting online with woody from over the ditch – Keith Glover is well known to some of us in the classic wooden boat community having competed in several Auckland classic yachting regattas as crew on Auckland classics. Unlike most Keith has even gone as far as to sail his 1949/50 Alden ketch ‘WRAITH OF ODIN’ (photo below) from Brisbane to Auckland to compete in the 2010/11 regatta.

Todays WW story is based on Keith’s launch – OLLIE IRENE, that Keith has been restoring/rebuilding//recommissioning/rebirthing (multi-choice) for the last few years as he says “out in the back paddock’Probably best if I let Keith tell us about OLLIE IRENE:

* LOA 32’x Beam 9.3″‘x Draft est 3’ x Displacement est 5.5 Ton

* Original Iron bark keel, Spotted gum frames and hull planking, new sheathed ply deck, house, and laid teak cockpit sole

* Little is known of history or providence (long story of how it finished in my hands) other than to say it was a completely stripped-out mildly hogged hull, with a rebuilt deck, and bare house structure. No engine, gearbox, drive train, prop or rudder, although you could see from remaining engine beds it would appear at least 3 different power plants had made an appearance over time!  However there was a fuel tank of unknown age or condition totally built-in positioned aft between floor plates and captured by custom deck beams prior to the teak cockpit sole being laid  BONUS!!….it was sport but suffice to say it turned out to be new SS which now has better baffles, removable and the cockpit structure remains intact!

* De hogged (adjustable steel cradle)  and Splined hull, installed a 80HP  motor with hydraulic box ,bow thruster pressure hot water, head etc etc etc

*The complete fit-out has been built, dry fitted, finish coated  including upholstery ,basic electrical systems and switchboard etc etc and are in storage awaiting installation whilst we finish painting stuff.

* Limited research suggests Ollie was built in Brisbane during the 1920s as a spec (launched as Irene) built by a yard long since gone and appears to have a close design reference to Blanchard Lake Union Dream Boats of the 1920s from the NW coast USA.

Along the way, I have managed to repurpose many orphan genuine classic bronze bibs and bobs boat bits including some from my original restoration of Wraith of Odin, and targeting a Wooden Boat show in Pittwater November this year.

The purpose of Ollie is to explore some Australian East Coast river systems for which Wraith is unsuitable.

WRAITH of ODIN