Repaired Sunken Yacht Cost £30

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29724, 18 January 1962, Page 14

Repaired Sunken Yacht Cost £30

(New Zealana Press Association)

WHANGAREI Jan. 17

For a man with no experience of boats or boating to repair a wrecked yacht is quite an achievement.

For a poliomyelitis victim to do the same thing unaided must be almost unique, yet that is just what Mr Peter Rennie, of Onerahl, has done.

Mr Rennie has just refloa’ed the 18ft mullet boat A:ua. now named Santa Maria, which sank in Pania Bay and had a hole torn in its bottom a year ago yesterday Working week-ends and nights. Mr Rennie took nine months to make the vessel seaworthy again. At the time of her loss the damage to the Atua was estimated at £2OO. but Mr Rennie pu* her back in the water for £3O The rebuilt eraft had her first sail over the Christmas period, as did her new owner

He had read all the sailing books he could lay his hands on and “knew all there was to know about sailing—ln theory. “But I found it is all dif-

ferent in practice.” he commented

Mr Rennie, his wife, and their six children are the boat'i crew. Mr Rennie has also taken down and cleaned the 3 h p motor which was in the vessel when she sank, and this has been re-installed Eventually the hull will be fibrerlassed. another job which Mr Rennie intends to do himself Mr Rennie moved to Whangarei from Christchurch a year ago and until he bought the boat had never had anything to do with yachting He intends to use the Santa Maria as a day cruiser,