96 Boating New Zealand
WORDS BY LAWRENCE SCHÄFFLER
PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIEDfeature
RepoweringMaritime lore is littered with DIY repower projects that start with zeal and enthusiasm,
only to end with chill pills and high bills. And yet, sometimes the planets align.DIY HEART
TRANSPLANT
hen Auckland’s Paul Leydon bought
his Allan Wright 1280 Sweet Disorder
10 years ago, she met his every need –
spacious, comfortable, easy-to-handle
and a joy to sail. But there was one
niggle – motoring into a feisty sea
quickly reduced things to a crawl.
Her 40hp Volvo diesel was woefully inadequate for
punching through the waves – and that tended to cramp
Leydon’s cruising flexibility. A bigger engine – a 55hp
Volvo – moved to the top of his Christmas wish list. And
the bigger, 120-amp alternator would be a welcome ally in
keeping Sweet Disorder’s batteries ship-shape.
“My wife and I are committed sailors,” says Leydon, “but
as you progress through life you eventually come to accept
that you’re not as fit and strong as you once were. When
you retire, your focus tends to shift away from race-mode.
So there’s more motor-sailing, and extra horsepower is a
significant bonus.”
He had intended to have the transplant tackled
professionally – by Lees Boatbuilders at Sandspit, north
of Auckland – but that idea quickly died when owner Greg
Lees pointed out that the yacht’s 2.2m draught was tooW