Restoration

In 2006, Windward II was given a significant restoration which literally started by accident.

In the first week of February 2006, 150 classic boats gathered in Melbourne’s Docklands precinct for a classic yacht regatta over four days coinciding with the stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race.

On Thursday 3 February 2006, the owner James Woods skippered the boat to a mediocre result in the first day’s racing. However, on the Friday, he was called away to attend the birth of his son Max and the crew took Windward out for the second day’s racing. The large number of boats and reasonably breezy conditions contributed to a port / starboard incident just before the start in which Windward II lost her back stay. This set off a chain of events which resulted in the loss of the mast, loss of the bowsprit and significant damage to the forward part of the boat including the loss of the top half of the stem. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the boat eventually limped back to the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria where an assessment of the damage was made.

Assessors were appointed by Club Marine, the insurer of the vessel. The Club Marine assessors made a realistic assessment of the cost of repairs and gave the proper allowance for the replacement of the top half of the stem and deck areas. The owner and the repairer had sought a new mast but the assessors determined that the old mast was repairable and gave a fair allowance for the repair costs rather than a replacement.

The owner determined that replacement of the old mast was a preferable option and Club Marine agreed to provide a cash settlement to the repairer to allow him to extend the scope of works which have been authorised as part of the Club Marine insurance process. What then ensued was a familiar tale to anyone who has attempted to restore or rebuild something old but of value. The phrase “while we are doing this, you might as well have a look at that” was repeated in various forms and, in the end, it was decided to give the vessel a thorough going over as a part of the repair process.

Following the haul out and positioning in the King Lizard Yachts Shed, the first task was to strip out the interior entirely. With the interior out, the major task of replacing the top half of the stem commenced. As the works progressed, it became obvious that the bottom half of the stem was beginning to show its age with small areas of softness appearing in the timber. Rather than fix these on a piecemeal basis, it was decided to replace the entire stem. Dan Atkins from King Lizard Yachts laminated the stem using the old piece as a pattern and shaped the entire piece of more than five metres so well that it fitted back into place perfectly. The bow section was further strengthened by the addition of two knees and a bronze tie rod.

At the same time, the forward section of the deck and toe rail were repaired and refastened.

Checks were made of all other structural members including frames and deck beams. Some fastenings were removed. All were found to be in perfect condition. The removal of the paint from the planking showed the planking also to be perfect which is in itself is not so unusual for the quality Australian timbers that were used.

Small repairs to a few of the frames were the only structural rectification work found to be necessary.

With the fitout removed, the opportunity to repaint the interior of the hull and deck head was irresistible. This was done with a traditional white oil based paint finish. The interior fit out was varnished.

The old marine head dating back to the 30’s was discarded for a modern pump but the original porcelain bowl and seat were retained and refurbished. The boat was rewired and clever use was made of 12 volt LED lighting which was incorporated almost invisibly along the side of the hull.

The interior joinder was reinstalled and a new icebox fitted seamlessly into an existing locker. All seacocks were checked and a couple replaced.

Whilst all of this work was being done on the hull and below decks, serious consideration was being given to how the hull should be powered. The general consensus was that the original rig being a substantial schooner rig was not a practical option. This was obviously the same decision made by previous owners who had discarded it for a more sensible masthead rig. The difficulty with the existing rig design in the present owner’s eyes was that, whilst that it was an eminently sensible and safe rig, it was probably a little small for the yacht in lighter airs. Additionally, the rectangular box construction did not lend itself to a high level of aesthetic appeal.

Much research was done to determine a rig that would be both practical and have sufficient power to keep the boat competitive in the classic boat fleet whilst maintaining the appeal of a classic yacht. Sets of plans were required from Sparkman and Stevens for an 8 metre rig dating back to the early 1930’s. From these plans, a three quarter rig was drawn by the Wooden Boat Shop at Sorrento with input from the sailmaker Col Anderson.

The construction detail was added by Dan Atkins of King Lizard Yachts whose task it was to turn the drawings into reality.

About two metres was added to the original rig and, as the new mast was to be keel stepped rather than deck stepped, the entire mast length was a little over 70 feet.

The rig drawing called for an additional two feet to be added to the boom which provided for a significant increase to the total sail area. As a part of the new rig design, the inner forestay was fixed about a metre and a half back from the stem so new fittings needed to be cast from aluminium bronze for this purpose. At the same time, additional strengthening was added below decks to ensure that the load was properly distributed through the forward section of the hull.

A new suit of narrow panel sails in a traditional design were made by Col Anderson. The hull was freshly painted and antifouled before returning to the water in December 2006.