WAIONE – Shed Visit

Back in late December 2023 we reported on the 28’, Lanes (Picton) built woody – Waione that had been in storage in a shed in Mapu, Nelson for 50+ years – link here to that story https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/12/21/waione-2/

At the time John Burland had promised to track her down, which he did with his friend Patrick. The above photos come to us from that days outing. 

Patrick also included his observations from the visit: 

“Well I went to inspect the Waione a few days ago and she’s securely parked in a shed and you know it’s been well covered, out of the water for a long period I think 30 years and the paint basically has all been stripped off so it’s a bare hull. Construction is kauri and seems to be double skinned, the inner skin is diagonal and the outer planking is end to end or a longitude carvel arrangement, she has a long keel and  a counter stern,  quite a small volume boat. I think built by Lanes in Picton, so she would’ve been designed for the Marlborough Sounds before there was much access via road so would’ve been designed to to operate pretty economically with a small 5 to 10 hp engine, some sail arrangement plus large oars or sweeps as they called them in those days to propel the boat and manoeuvre it should the engine fail or docking or whatever. Some of the first engines didn’t even have a reverse gear so you were up against it a bit for manoeuvrability, but it would’ve been a very easily driven boat being quite narrow and very fuel economic and quite fast for the time. That sort of a classic early 20th century design with tram cab arrangement in the higher part of the cabin and then a curved front to the the cabin not a lot of room inside it but a very sweet little boat and seems to be in reasonably sound condition. And I would say a relatively easy restoration as far as restorations go, a little bit of dry rot on the cabin top and things around some of the work around the hatch at the companion way probably a little bit not keeping with the times made of not solid timber, but overall it’s amazingly original and so I think it would be a very worthwhile and enjoyable project for anyone who who was keen to take something of that nature on. The caulking that would all need to be redone, it’ll all need to be re-caulked and primed and painted and possibly refastened, no doubt and just a good going over really, but there didn’t appear to be any worm in the keel or or anything. The propeller shaft, propeller and rudder are all in place. The oval portholes and the fore cabin were still serviceable and able to be to be restored to their former glory I would say and it’ll be a lovely little craft once it was operating again and quite practical and useful for you in sheltered waters so I would recommend anyone that was interested in that sort of boat and had the desire to keep a little bit of our maritime history going would be well worth a look at.”

Don’t normally link to tme listings but this one deserves to be saved + a $1 starting bid  https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/listing/4475286531