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"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, November 22, 1994 - 5 OMMUNITY ['O1RT 1' RIRY STAR Nestleton company's 'loving restoration' has sloop once more plying the waves By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star A year and a half of loving and painstaking labor has breathed new life into a sailing craft that was rescued from demolition by a Nestleton craftsman. When The Star first reported on the Chimaera in March of 1993, it was a rotting shell of a boat. Today, Ken Lavalette of Woodwind Yachts proudly displays a sleek, immaculate Dragon class racing sloop, which once again cut through the waves of Lake Ontario late this summer. Mr. Lavalette and his three associates at Woodwind have spent countless hours rebuilding and restoring the craft, originally built in Germany around 1960 and based on a Norwegian design first manufactured in the 1920's. He first encountered the sloop at a marina in Pickering a couple of years ago. "They had a Dragon sitting there, covered in fiber- glass," Mr. Lavalette recalled. "And it had been patched and patched, and raced to death." The boat's owner was behind in his yard dues and wanted just to dispose of the sloop. Management at the marina were preparing to cut it up when Mr. Lavalette intervened. He paid the yard dues, and towed the wreck away to Nestleton. Primary investigation after removal of the fiberglass revealed extensive rotting in the hull; Mr. Lavalette put the boat in the yard at his Hwy. 7 shop for storage. Some time later he was approached by a dental surgeon from Toronto who wanted a Dragon. He had been fascinated with the sleek lines of the quick sloops since boyhood, and had waited years for the opportunity to buy one. "What he was looking for was a perfect antique Dragon," said Mr. Lavalette. "This was his dream at." He had Mr. Lavalette check out a number of sloops at marinas, but none of them proved to be promising candidates for restoration. Then Mr. Lavalette looked at the Dragon sitting in his lot. "At that point, I figured we could save probably a dozen pieces from this boat," he said. International standards dictate that a craft will be considered genuine if its restoration includes 10 per cent original parts. The huge keel of the Dragon was fit to use, as were a few other pieces. "I said, 'I think we've got the boat you want right in my driveway.' " The dentist, upon examining the aged Dragon, was nonplussed. But Mr. Lavalette explained the potential for restoration, and the customer agreed. Then the rebuilding of the Chimaera began. Mr. Lavalette began the enormous task of rebuilding the Dragon by obtain- ing original plans for the craft, in an effort to be faithful to its design. A huge mold was built, and the wood- en frame of the sloop was built around it. The keel was installed, decks put on. Along the way the workers at Woodwind painstaking sealed each and every piece they installed with lacquer, applying several coats before installation and then seyeral more when they were pieced together. The result is an absolutely watertight craft; even the bilge, after a few initial sails on Lake Ontario, is shining and clean. The restoration was costly, amounting to $80,000. But Mr. Lavalette points out that the job entailed more than a year's labor, and the cost is still $30,000 lower than a Dragon with no outfitting and cov- ered with fiberglass -- he calls it tupper- ware -- and far less than a fully rigged craft. "So that's a good deal," he said. To da the Chimaera sits gleam- ing in the shop at Woodwind Yachts, a testament to craftsmanship and care. The sloop has been a star attraction at | the past two Toronto International Boat | Shows, where spectators have gazed in | admiration and amazement at the glis- tening hull, the perfectly appointed cock- pit, and the attractive lines of the vessel. "It blows everybody away," said Mr. Lavalette. The Chimaera is 29 feet long and 6 and a half feet in the beam, with a draft | of three feet, 11 inches. It hasn't been raced yet, but Mr. Lavalette had the pleasure of sailing the craft for the first } time after this year's boat show, launch- ing into Lake Ontario and sailing east. She sails like a dream. "It's like sailing with power steering," said Mr. Lavalette. "Next year we're going to practice with her, and the year after that, we're going to race her. "It takes a season to get to know a boat." The competition will be ultra-quick fiberglass ves- sels, which will be tough, but Mr. Lavalette is confid- ent the craft will meet the challenge. The Chimaera plies the waves of Lake Ontario this summer after restoration was completed. The 29-foot sloop sails "like a dream", says Ken Lavalette. "I think we're going to do well," he said. "We're scene." going to open a lot of eyes. 'We' re trying to bring real boats back onto the Scugog shores Museum plans tons of fun for Christmas time This Christmas, Scugog ner, there will be a chance to Chamber of Commerce store Shores Museum has a number of different events and pro- grams planned. The museum's village is such a wonderful place to experience the tradition and warmth of Christmas; be sure not to miss out on the experience. Here's a list of what's happen- ing. Victorian Christmas Dinner and Village Tour Saturday, Dec. 3 or Sunday, Dec. 4 6-9 p.m. Enjoy a delicious traditional Christmas dinner in the tea room consisting of home-made soup, bread, ham, mashed pota- toes, glazed yams, harvard beets and squash. During dinner enjoy instru- mental Christmas music by lo- cal musicians. Following din- sing Christmas carols and lis- ten to carollers as they stroll through the village. You are invited to tour the vil- lage, which will be decorated for Christmas. Enjoy hot apple cider in the Lee house as you listen to sto- ries about Christmas in the past and Victorian Christmas traditions. Purchase bake items in the log cabin by the warmth of the stove and view the out- door nativity scene, complete with live animals. Cuddle under a blanket and take a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the museum grounds. It promises to be an evening fit- ted with joy. Festivity and good cheer. Tickets are only $15 for adults and $10 for children. Tickets are available at the front office on Queen St. or at the museum. Only 40 tickets will be available for each eve- ning, so get them early. If you would like to donate goods to our bake sale please call the museum at 985-3589. Christmas Carol Service Sunday, Dec. 11 - 7:30 p.m. Enjoy a traditional Christ- mas service in the historic church, complete with carols, candle lighting ceremony and snacks afterwards. Children's Christmas Craft Session Saturday, Dec. 17 9:30 a.m. «3:30 p.m. Your child will experience the traditions of Pioneer and Victe- rian Christmas. Let us enter- tain the kids while you com- plete some holiday shopping or bake the time to relax. Presentation Thursday night Lake Scugog Historical So- ciety will host John Scott and Jerry West at its November meeting this Thursday. John and Jerry have just returned from Africa where they climbed to the top of Mount Killimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Mount Killimanjaro has been the subject of many sto- ries and movies. It will now be the subject of a slide show and talk by Jerry West, for- mer head of Geography at Port Perry High School and John Scott, former head of Languages at Port Perry High School. Adventurers to tell tale of scaling African peak In addition to their climb up Africa's highest peak, they toured Tanzania and Kenya, enjoying sights of the scenery and wildlife. John and Jerry returned to Port Perry less than a month ago. With the memories of this epic journey still fresh in their minds, they will pro- vide an interesting and en- tertaining evening for those who attend. The meeting is open to the ublic and is to be held at the ead Church on the museum grounds on Scugog Island on ursday, Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. in the evening.