Boating New Zealand — December 2017

134 Boating New Zealand

strength. These supported the new mahogany engine beds.

New stainless-steel keel bolts were fitted. While the original

‘V’ brackets were used, new shaft holes were bored and all

the hardware fitted. Summers recalls that crucial stage of the

project with emblematic words: “At this point I started to sleep

at night again.”

The vessel’s forward cabin – a poor 1950s retrofit – was

removed and a new cabin designed. After an extensive

overhaul the original head was replumbed for modern waste

disposal. The superstructure was redesigned to incorporate a

mahogany skylight.

Refitting the deck was particularly challenging, with the

vessel’s steel deck beams. In the end Summers had to do this

the old-fashioned way – drawing out every deck beam to

ensure it fitted the hull. Following this, a teak deck was laid on

top of the plywood sub deck.

A new, cold-moulded cabin roof was laid over a MDF former.

Finding period hardware involved plenty of sleuth-work, and

many pieces were purchased from specialist UK companies,

including the windlass from Deep Blue Engineering.

Sadly, many of the original pieces had been looted, leading to

lots of guesswork that complicated the team’s job. Fortunately,

among other parts, two original brass fishes came with the boat

and were fitted back into the new mahogany cabin.

Maid of Honour did her sea trials in the Sea of Marmara in

August this year and performed well, her twin 130hp Detroit

diesels (retrofitted when she was in the US) powering her to a

speed of 14 knots.

Ironically, Maid of Honour’s future belongs in the museum

and it’s unlikely that she’ll sail again. You might wonder why

someone would fund such an extensive restoration, only for

the boat to remain on dry land? For Koç, it’s simple. A desire

to preserve the marine heritage – and an unwritten rule which

specifies that any object on display at his museum will be in

perfect working order.

So be it. BNZ

Year of build 1927

Shipyard J. Samuel White & Co.,

East Cowes (UK)

Type picket boat 1694

Length over deck 15.24m

Beam 3.17m

Draft 0.92m

Keel (original) oak

Frames steel

Planking double-layer mahogany

Deck teak

Displacement 15 tons

Engines 2x130hp Detroit diesels

SPECIFICATIONS

Maid of Honour

Koç at the wheel of the restored Maid of Honour.

His jumper carries the Royal New Zealand

Yacht Squadron’s burgee on the left sleeve. It

appears he visited the club six years ago during a

circumnavigation on his 52m ketch, Nazenin IV.