Kevin Waters, of Dunedin, aboard his restored 1947 launch 'Mistral' in Deborah Bay. Photo by James Boucher.

For North East Valley man Kevin Waters, restoring a classic launch was a ‘‘labour of love'' - the benefits of which have far outweighed the costs.

Mr Waters, a small-engine mechanic who runs a trailer refurbishment business as well as a mooring lift and repair service, has spent nearly three years restoring the boat which was built in Riverton in 1947.

He first encountered the 20ft launch in 2003 after returning to Dunedin from the North Island, where he spent 23 years.

‘‘I saw this launch sitting out in Deborah Bay and just loved the shape of it - I love classic things,'' Mr Waters said.

‘‘But then I just forgot about it for a while and nothing moved on it until I tracked down its owner, who was in Tonga at the time, and said I was interested in buying it.''

Mr Waters said the more than $4000 he paid for it three years ago was ‘‘way too much'' for what it was. ‘‘It was floating at the time, but just barely - it turned out to be a complete rebuild from the keel up.

‘‘I replaced the rudder, shaft, engine and three quarters of the keel itself - the cabin's roof frames are virtually the only original pieces left, but it's now exactly as it would have been when it was first built.''

Mr Waters said the restoration, which was carried out at his North East Valley home, was a lengthy process of trial and error.

‘‘To be honest, if I'd known how much work it was going to be I might not have even started it.

‘‘I thought I'd have the whole thing done in six months, but eventually realised I needed to slow it down and do things properly - teaking the decks alone took almost three months.''

Despite three years of labour and more than $20,000 worth of materials required for the restoration, Mr Waters said he quickly fell in love with the project.

‘‘My wife knew it would be an expensive project, but she was very supportive of it all the way through.

‘‘I think she realised I needed to keep at it. It really was a labour of love in the end - it was a kind of therapy.''

- Kevin Waters and his restored 1947 launch will be at the Port Chalmers Yacht Club Classic Boat Day on Sunday, February 22.

 

By .