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-------------------------- "The There is only one th that Ken Lavalette likes hing shat about boats, and that's vegies Shen, ut warned. When he talks boats, he talks wooden boats, and more specifically classic and antique wooden boats that have character in theirlines. Ken and his wife Deb are the owners/operators of Wood- Both spend countless hours in the workshop. : Ken does the woodwork, re- placing the planks and ribs, while Deb does most of the sanding and the application of the numerous coats of varnish. There are very few wooden boats being made these days, mostly because fibre glass is easier to maintain for boat own- favourite are the 25-foot sloops called "folkboats." - Tucked away in the back corner of the new workshop is a classic that both Ken and Deb can hardly wait to get to work restoring. This boat is the "Elmara- PORT PERRY STAR -- da," a 20-foot mahogany run- about, built in 1935 by the Hunter company of Orillia. Right now, the Elmarada's varnish is long faded and peeled, the motor has been re- moved and there are spots of dry rotin the transom. Tuesday, October 16, 1990 -- 25 business of restoring wooden boats Ken and Deb expect to get to work on this boat over winter, replacing planks, sand- ing and varnishing until it glis- tens and shines. Turn to Page 26 ers. wind Yachts, a business they re- Ken has nothing against fi- cently re-located from Ajax to bre glass, he just prefers wood Nestleton, a few miles east of when it comes to boats. | Port Perry on Highway TA. He likes the look of the ! And simply put, their busi- wood and the classic lines of the ness is the restoration and re- wooden craft that were built in pair of wooden boats. yesteryear. For the past several years, And he claims that wooden they operated from a large and boats seem to sail better. leased workshop in Ajax. He makes no secret that his Ken and Deb Lavalette are the owners of Woodwind Yachts, which recently moved from Ajax to Nestleton. Their business Is the restoration and repair of wooden boats, more specifically classic and antique boats like the one in above photo. It's a very rare 1935 Hunter built in Orillia. Stearn Pick up & Cleaning Delivery LOOSE RUGS A SPECIALTY We also clean Broadloom & Upholstery oh SEND FOR OUR CATALOGUES Exotic Lingerie ....... colour $4.00 WOODCRAFT Lotions, Creams"... colour $4.00 Wood stoves bw $2.00 Adults' Toys & Novelties ... $2 nserts colour $1200 Chimneys Corer i i Certified Installation ; : RA. 1, Oakwood, } BROOKLIN ey Ontario KOM 2M0 or call (705) 374-5477 For information on becoming a home party sales rep. or having a home or warehouse party call (705) 374-5477 ~ (416) 655-8945 'We won't be undersold!' Deb Lavalette beside this beautifully restored Muskoka runabout. She does most of the sanding and varnishing. But they decided it was time "to get out of the city," and find a place to live and work away from the rat race. They bought a house in Nestleton with enough land to put up a brand new 4,000 square foot modern workshop, fully equipped and with ceilings high enough to work on all but the largest of boats. It was a big move and an even bigger investment for this couple, but they are confident it will pay off well in the long run. For Ken (who is called Ken- ny by his friends) working with old wooden boats has been a life-long passion. He built his first one at age nine. A few years later, just as he was getting out of high school, he found "Puff," a 26-foot ma- hogany sailing sloop, and he set to work restoringit. It's a "folkboat," so named for its Scandinavian origins, and once he was finished restor- ing "Puff," he spent 18 months sailing her around the West In- dies. "I've never been able to find a better boat," he said. He and Deb started their restoration and repair business full time eight years ago. And it's a partnership in the truest sense of the word. LE fd SUNROOFS! TRUCK SLIDER! CELLULAR PHONES! BOX LINERS! RUNNING BOARDS! ORT PERRY auto glass & trim Itd, " f- ------ We Now Do Window Tinting! ---------- eT -- Glass * Plexi & Lexan Glass ° Shostery (Restaurant, Chairs, Kitchen, 985-8507 985-0995 985-8507 MOBILE SERVICE GUARANTEED WORKMANSHIP Seta watnte o