"Waka Irie"
1972 Mariner 32, Hull# 49
Owners: Peter Deverell - Totara North, New Zealand
February 2019...New Owner.... Peter Deverell:
I bought Waka Irie Hull #49 in March 2015 in a boatyard in
Whangerei, NZ.
I had her Transported to my Family home in Totara North, NZ and
Work on a complete rebuild began in October 2016.
In short, the work completed:
- Removal
of all fittings, port lights, pluming and wiring
- Tearing
out all the rotten wood: 3/4 of the deck, cockpit well, cabin sides, cabin
top under mast step, cabin sole, settees, bunks, lockers, galley, and more
then half of all bulkheads.
- rebuilding
of all the above mentioned woodwork
- reinforcement
of deck-to-hull join(bulwarks fibreglassed and faired into hull)
- A
chain locker under V-berth
- A
holding tank in bilge
- A
starboard quarter berth
- Engine
removal, overhaul and reinstalled
- Teak
deck recaulked, replugged and sanded
- Bowsprit
relaminated and fibreglassed
- Clipper
bow replaced
- bow
roller reengineered and electric windlas installed
- Topsides
spray painted (mountain mist grey)
- All
spars spray painted (gloss white)
- Interior
spray painted (matt white, gloss white and Biege) and some varnish i.e.
cabin sole
- Exterior
brightwork redone using Cetol natural teak
- Bottom
taken back to gelcoat and sealed (not a single osmoses blister discovered)
- Rudder
removed and cutless bearing replaced
- Fittings
and port lights reinstalled
It has taken me over 2 years of almost full time work to get
this far and there has sure been some ups and downs! With a few more things to
do: Wiring, plumbing, building a new rudder, and saloon table, I hope to Launch
Waka Irie at the end of 2019. I know some of you may be sad to see that I have changed her so
much from her original charming look, of a black hull and amount of brightwork!
I too loved the black and the varnish! but practicality and keeping her easy to
maintain won over. Long term plan is to live aboard, cruise New Zealand then the
Pacific!
History
The name ‘Waka Irie’ was formed by joining the Maori (New
Zealand) word for canoe or vessel ‘Waka’ with the Jamaican word ‘Irie’ meaning
powerful and pleasing or excellent and is used in the Rastafarian movement to
denote acceptance, positive feelings, or to describe something that is good. So
basically ‘Waka Irie’ means ‘Good Boat’. ‘Irie’ is also a Japanese word
and a common family name meaning inlet, cove or bay.
Before
being renamed ‘Waka Irie’ she was known as ‘Blues
Traveller’ and had been cruising extensively in Caribbean waters
participating
in various Classic Yacht Regatta’s. Before that she was known as
‘Serena II’
when she was still white and innocent and located on the East Coast of
the US. She’s had lots of blue water miles under her keel and has
successfully crossed the Atlantic twice.
Peter Deverell
www.facebook.com/svwakairie
www.wakairie.weebly.com
peter_nzl@yahoo.co.nz
