Andrew can be reached at andrew.lelievre@gs.com
The sale was as is where is for US$72,500. This was around $10,000 more than monetary cost of the boat. I contracted with Andrew to do some additional work to finish up the rudders and engine installation and a few other details. I also organized and participated in the launching, though the responsibility was strictly with the trucking firm hired. Total costs for launch were around US$4000.
The boat was christened 'Oinako' and Andrew provided the following describtion for the name.
'Oinako' was the name of my granddad's 50 ft wood boat that I spent many pleasureable summers on as a kid. The name is Maori for 'home' or 'place to return to'. The Le Lievre clan were some of the first settlers to the South island of New Zealand. My great great grandfather had visited on a whaling vessel and decided to emigrate when he returned to France. They settled in a beautiful town called Akaroa and lived fairly peaceably with the local Maori community.
The preparations for and the launch itself was quite an undertaking. When I designed the boat I measured the route to launch for minimum width. I took off 6 inches and came up with a beam of 26' 3". One area was very close with a tree and a power on opposite sides of the road. Hopefully the tree had not grown to much bigger in 4 years. Here the mast is being lowered in preparation for the move.
Loading the mast on the boat. Mast and wires weigh about 500 lbs.
Blocking up the boat to get the trailer under had a few interesting moments like when the blocking vectored out.
Loaded up. That is my niece Lisa from the Yukon resting on the truck. The boat is supported by a bunch of wood 2x6 spanning the flatbed trailer.
Moving up the temporary road to the edge of the 5 acre build site. The 2x6 are visible in this shot with a nice bow in them.
The truck has unloaded and the move will be made the next day. My sister Gigi and daughter Lisa
give a bit of scale.
Late October. It is a nightime move with three pilot vehicles all in radio communication. We have the road from 0200 until 0500. Notice and permits from everyone and their dog. Hydro, phone, police, fire, highways, cable. My sister and I ride up on the deck one on each side with a radio to talk to the truck guys. The decisions are theirs and I am just making suggestions. This is made really clear as I do not own the boat and they are working for the new owners.
On the road. It is a nice cool night with a moon and lots of stars. ( no rain ). The only sounds are the idleing truck and occasional crackle on the radios. My sister and I line up on the trees and power poles comming our way at 2 or 3 miles and hour and we sort of sail through the forest. Often the tree branches are right over the boat.
Well we make it all the way to the launch site just at 0500. Branches litter the deck. It has been a magical trip through the forest. The crane comes back and we hoist the mast. We back down over the bank as far as the driver dares and jack the boat off the trailer. The truck and pilot cars all head for the ferry at 0600.
On the beach at the brick yard. Had a bit of a problem with the boat dropping off the blocks about a foot onto the beach due to the steep slope of the beach. The sacrifical rudder sections get to make their sacrifice. Getting the boat down the last 40 feet will take several days. It has been a year as a write this but I recall it was a real pain the last 40 feet. Andrew the new owner arrives the first morning on the beach and we all pitch in.
Another shot of her on the beach before moving down the slope. This area used to be a brick factory and there are tons of bricks on the beach.
We are about to float off and Andrew christens her 'Oinako'.
A couple of photos of the new owner. These were actually shot the day before she floated off.
Andrew and I powered around to the marina about 5 miles away. With just the Yanamha 9.9 speed topped out at 6.5kn allowing for current and what not. We did a little manouvering outside the harbour to see how she handled. Andrew made the dock in a single pass despite a considerable breeze.
She is the largest boat in the marina which speaks a bit to the sanity of building such a large boat...
Andrew hired Gray Switzer on Gabriola Island to do the interior and Jan's welding to make the changes he wanted. He went for a sail in December and sent the following description and photo:
Sunday the 17th was a beautiful day after a period of rain and snow so we went out for a sail with just the main. Conditions were just right for the trial with about 5-7 knots of breeze. We motored out Silva bay and sailed around for about two hours. We saw 4 kts of boat speed beam reaching under main alone in the light conditions. The boat tracks beautifully with the repaired rudders. Gray and I left the helm for 15 minutes chatting on the front hulls, while it maintained course.
Andrew has added a bunk in the bridge deck in one of the sail lockers and opened up the forward cabins a bit. He has added more vents and hatches and will be putting in a diesel electric hybrid with twin sail drives. He has also added lots of conventional winches and pulley systems as well as a prod to suit his style of sailing. The spirt of the boat and her performance will not be affected unduly by these carefull changes.
The photos below show some of the work in progress. I Last saw the boat in October and met with Andrew and Gray and Jay. She was out on the hard in Sylvia bay and as fortune would have it Osram V my 23' cat built in 1978 was just 75' away accross the parking lot. Small world. Osram V has been heavily modified and I cannot imagine she performs at all well with all the extra cabins and weight.
A 'dry' locker in the back steps.
Out on the hard as Sylvia bay.
Welding modifications to the net support structure.
A new fordeck hatch built just like the others.
Various bits and pieces.
Details of the Dorade vents.
Details of boom at gooseneck.
Details of boom outhaul.
New aft cabin hatch.
Foredeck webbing and new prod.
Prod side view.
Old Osram V in forground ( much modified ) with Osram VII mast at right rear. These boats were built about 20 years apart and found each other.
Osram V with modified everything. Must be a bit of a pig now with all that extra cabin and weight.
Copyright © 2001, 2002 Tony Bigras.