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The journey of Vlaming’s rebirth in the mid 1990’s was a quest for unparalleled perfection, a commitment to pristine workmanship and a breathtaking tribute to quality.
The 20-month process, which cost more than $315,000, was carried out on the very North Fremantle site the boat was built on decades earlier by the Back Brothers.
This is the remarkable story of how Vlaming was transformed from a hardworking Fisheries Department patrol vessel to an iconic wooden charter vessel brimming with history and elegance.
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When a mystery Perth buyer snapped up Vlaming in 1994, it would change the course of the vessel’s future forever.
The buyer, so it is said, years earlier witnessed Vlaming brave a stormy ocean – the only boat that could leave the safety of Rottnest Island in such turbulent conditions – and resolved to one day buy the impressive sea vessel for himself. Purchasing it for $35,000 when the opportunity next arose (without even stepping foot onto her decks), the wealthy vintage car and motorbike collector then set about finding the best person to undertake the boat’s immaculate restoration.
Built in 1962, Vlaming was badly deteriorated when Portsmouth-born shipwright Mark Payne was engaged to give it a new lease on life. He was under strict instructions from its Rolls-Royce driving owner to bring it back to a "perfect and absolutely faultless condition", but Mark wasn’t left to his own devices to complete the project. He and Vlaming’s new owner, who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty in the shipyard, would be partners in restoration precision.
Seeking a hull that was 100% sound in order to build his masterpiece, Vlaming’s owner oversaw its total stripping out. Every inch of the hull – including strakes, fastenings and copper roves – was inspected and replaced or rebuilt as required, and the vessel was completely re-caulked in oakum and cotton.
Next, the engine room was stripped and overhauled. When veteran marine engineer Wayne Hayley looked over the 2:1 Borg Warner gearboxes, he discovered them in “a sorry state” and expertly reconditioned them. The vessel’s twin 90HP Detroit engines were entirely brought back to better than new.
Each piece of teak used to return Vlaming to her former glory – all $40,000 of it – was hand selected by Mark. It had to be knot free, quarter sawn dead straight grain, and below 6% moisture.
Vlaming’s owner desired the vessel’s instrument panel to match the dash of his Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow 2, and so it was crafted from English Elm wood. Similarly, all new switches installed were of the push-pull type, as in the Rolls-Royce.
Vlaming’s owner desired the vessel’s instrument panel to match the dash of his Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow 2, and so it was crafted from English Elm wood. Similarly, all new switches installed were of the push-pull type, as in the Rolls-Royce.
When it came to revitalising Vlaming, no expense was spared; customisation was the norm and excellence was a must.
All stainless steel brightwork was made-to-order and highly polished. Silicon bronze wood screws were utilised throughout the vessel and all copper nails used were twisted, just like the originals.
The interior roof beams are made of Western Red Cedar and cambered perfectly to Vlaming’s original lines. The hawse pipes are manufactured with chrome-plated copper and feature solid teak hand-cut dovetailed dorade boxes.
The grain on the hatches in the afterdeck exactly match the surrounding deck; the hatch sits exactly on the vessel's centreline and each piece of timber to port matches it's opposite piece to starboard, not only in size and shape but right down to the way the grain curves, its texture and shading.
Even as the project drew closer to completion, no corners were cut. Mark tracked down the perfect timber for the bowsprit in Kalgoorlie, just shy of 600 km from Perth. It was hewn from a 50-year-old Jarrah mine shaft.
Towards the end of the restoration, as costs mounted, Vlaming’s owner negotiated a deal with his appointed shipwright to achieve his dream of perfection. Mark was given an old mooring in the Swan River, close to Fremantle, in return for handcrafting a teak toilet seat and cover. In keeping with the project’s quality, the grain on both seat and cover was matching and faultless.
Not long after her glorious transformation was complete, Vlaming’s mystery buyer realised he could not spend as much time on the vessel as he’d planned and sold it on to Mark.
Not long after her glorious transformation was complete, Vlaming’s mystery buyer realised he could not spend as much time on the vessel as he’d planned and sold it on to Mark..