Lovely Anne’s Restoration
Lovely Anne.
Lovely Anne sails into her new home, Port of Galway, after a memorable (re)launch at Black Weir, Oranmore, Galway. 19th April, 2019.
A group of dedicated boat-builders and volunteers spent six-months (November, 2018 - April, 2019) restoring this 137 year old Gleoiteog. To finish the restoration of a traditional wooden boat in such a short time was unprecedented, and required an herculean effort from all our crew members.
The Story of our Lovely Anne
Jim Parkinson
This 137 year-old workboat was built between 1884-1885 (ref: Master Boat-Builder & Hooker Historian, Cóilín Hernon), by Galway boat-wright, Patrick Brannelly who was famous for building An Tónaí & the Morning Star).
She has a fascinating story:
After being part of Galway’s hooker fleet in the early 1900s Lovely Anne was sold over 46 years ago in Spiddal to Jim Parkinson, who used her as a fishing vessel for many years.
Later, Jim relocated to Killybegs, Co. Donegal, with Lovely Anne, where she resided until this new chapter of her life began.
Re-United: Lovely Anne, Ross Forde & Pat Brannelly, with Jim Parkinson at the launch of Lovely Anne, Good Friday, 2019. Photo Credit: Aideen Kilkelly.
her return
After months of negotiation, Ross Forde (Brannelly's Great-Great Grandson) eventually managed to bring the boat back to Galway in 2018. On Good Friday, April 19th, 2019, she officially joined the rest of Galway’s famous hooker fleet.
Not only is Lovely Anne’s restoration an incredibly moving story of bringing an important part of Galway heritage back to life, it is an opportunity to engage a whole new generation of people who love ocean life & traditional sailing.
Lovely Anne is now Galway Hooker 2020’s official training vessel.
Skipper Ciaran Oliver & Ross Forde collecting Lovely Anne from Killybegs, Co. Donegal. Photo Credit: Ross Forde.
BELOW: Lovely anne’s Restoration Process. Photos by Aideen Kilkelly & Jonathan Curran.
Photo captions by Ross Forde.
What can be seen: Lovely Anne’s waterline shown with timber above and blue antifoul below. Her Stem and Keel showing some age.
Larch wooden rubbing band meeting the oak stem of lovely anne showing some age & larch planking or planks meeting the oak stem of held in place by traditional nails.
The shallow keel and wide tumble home body distinctive to Galway Hookers. Keel is made of oak and larch planking, which is steamed into place by a Master Boat builder. Blue antifoul applied to help reduce unwanted growth to the boat inter the waterline.
Teak Transom meeting the larch planking. Showing the unique tumble home belly shape of a Galway Hooker.
Painstaking job of removing the old blue anti-foul, using heat guns and scrapers. Pictured here Keith Lyne, Dan Clabby and Mark Lohan.
Lovely Anne arriving into the workshop for the restoration. Port of Galway. The sanding begins to remove her blue antifoul. Pictured here: Lisa Clancy.
Sanding using a random orbital electric sander. Sanding the larch weatherboard. Pictured here David Oliver
While the old rotten larch planking was removed, the crew started to make a new mast by a process of laminating high grade spruce imported timber. Hooker workshop Crew night.
Old larch floorboards removed from Lovely Anne and laid out to dry before being planned down and being reused.
The old rotten larch planking was removed. Original Oak Ribs can be seen. The old nail holes were filled with timber dowels to prevent water egress which can cause rotting over time.
Slow job of removing the old perished deck joint sealant using a special designed tool. This deck is made of larch, not teak. The sealant was redone using a product commonly used in teak decks called Sikaflex.
Once the larch planking was replaced the joints were caulked traditionally with cotton and finished with filler to provide sealed joints. Pictured: Ross Forde.
Shown here is the beginning of the mast laminating process. Juan Sebastian, from Spain, is sanding two lengths of imported spruce before gluing them together.
Deck restoration of Lovely Anne. This deck is made of larch not teak. The sealant will be redone using a product commonly used in teak decks called Sikaflex. Jonathan Curran hard at work looking in the hatch.
Lovely Anne arriving into the workshop for the restoration. Pictured Matt.
This photo is taken from inside looking under the deck and shows the Oak Ribs and Foot Hooks which make up the frame of a Galway hooker.
Sean Oliver hard at work during the Lamination process making a new mast for Lovely Anne.
The old rotten larch planking was removed, original Oak Ribs can be seen. The old nail holes were filled with timber dowels to prevent water egress which can cause rotting over time.
The old nail holes were filled with these hand made timber dowels to prevent water egress which can cause rotting over time.
The old rotten larch planking was removed, Original Oak Ribs can be seen. The old nail holes were filled with timber dowels to prevent water egress which can cause rotting over time
Larch Planking being held in place with G-Clamps to form the shape after the plank has been steamed.
Larch Weather Boards on Lovely Anne getting some remodelling to help the deck drain better and not to hold water.
Larch Weather Boards on Lovely Anne getting some remodelling to help the deck drain better and not to hold water. Some timber on the deck had rotten due to water sitting on the deck and not draining correctly.
Delivery of Larch timber from the saw mill arrives by truck thanks to Kieran Feeney of Westwide Recovery Galway. These vary in thickness and are used for planking and weather boards.
Raw Materials delivered and drying in the workshop, Larch Trees cut to the desired thickness for planking.
Old larch floor boards removed from Lovely Anne and laid out to dry before being planned down and being reused.
Larch planking steamed and fitted using traditional nails. This shows the Caulking process taking place using caulking irons and cotton.
Once the larch planking was replaced the joints were caulked traditionally with cotton and finished with filler to provide sealed joints. Pictured, Juan Sebastian from Spain and Una O’Donnell.
Using the old rotten plank to shape a replacement plank of Larch for Lovely Anne.
Marking the position of the slot for the Bowsprit Ring. Pictured: Coilin Hernon
Master Boat-builder using a skill saw to shape a replacement plank of Larch for Lovely Anne. Pictured: Coilin Hernon.
Using a rounded chisel to remove the slot for the Bowsprit ring. Pictured: Coilin Hernon.
The rounding process being finished on the new Mast, Boom, Bow Sprit and Gaff using a simple length of 80 grade sandpaper connected to two handles.
After the rounding process was finished on the new mast, imperfections were looked for. Pictured here: Coilin Hernon, Ross Forde, Ciaran Oliver, Coilin Og Hernon.
Various stages of completion, Varnished to perfection to fresh cut cheeks all the rigging blocks were handmade new using traditional wooden skills by Coilin Og Hernon.
Finished product, the Mast was made from laminated spruce, then shaped by Einde Hernon once the stainless steel rings were manufactured next door by Pat Rynn Engineering in the port of Galway. Varnished to perfection. Finally rigged using traditional wooden blocks handmade by Coilin Og Hernon.
Pictured Juan Sabastian , Tim Jones, Simon Wood.
Slow job of removing the old perished deck joint sealant using a special designed tool. This deck is made of larch not teak. The sealant will be redone using a product commonly used in teak decks called Sikaflex. Pictured: Trish Kinneen.
Final preparation to the internal timberwork of lovely Anne ahead of varnishing with marine grade yacht varnish.
Pictured, Lisa McDonagh, Jonathan Curran, Marty Concannon and Ciaran Oliver.
Slow job of removing the old perished deck joint sealant using a special designed tool. This deck is made of larch not teak. The sealant will be redone using a product commonly used in teak decks called Sikaflex.
Finished deck joints made of larch not teak. The sealant used is a product commonly used in teak decks called Sikaflex.
Finished product, the Gaff was made from laminated spruce, then shaped by Einde Hernon once the Elm Gaff Jaws were shaped using a bandsaw.
Lovely Anne structural restoration finished and sitting waiting to get a finishing coat of black paint over the already applied grey primer.
Lovely Anne in the painting workshop getting the first of 3 finishing coats of black paint by Martin Cunningham.
Lovely Anne structural restoration finished and painting complete. The boat was taken next door the be displayed to the local RNLI Crew based at The Port of Galway on their training night.
Ross Forde inspecting Lovely Anne as it was getting some remodelling to help the deck drain better and not to hold water. Some timber on the deck had rotten due to water sitting on the deck and not draining correctly.
The art of cutting and marking the new main sail for lovely Anne using dacron tan sail cloth. This took place in the Claddagh Hall Galway, keeping in the tradition of what the hall was originally built for. Pictured Coilin Og Hernon, Coilin Hernon and Ciaran Oliver sitting down.
The art of cutting and marking the new main sail for lovely Anne using dacron tan sail cloth. This took place in the Claddagh Hall Galway, keeping in the tradition of what the hall was originally built for. Pictured Coilin Og Hernon and Coilin Hernon
The art of cutting and marking the new main sail for lovely Anne using dacron tan sail cloth. This took place in the Claddagh Hall Galway, keeping in the tradition of what the hall was originally built for.
Teak name boards collected for Lovely Anne. They were custom produced and CNC engraved by Dara Cox of Westport Wood Craft.
Launching Lovely Anne in the Claddagh Galway for the first time after a record breaking 5 month restoration. The boat was aloud to swell and seal for a few days in the port of Galway under the watchful eye of Ross Forde and Ciaran Oliver.
A Sequence of Black & White Portraits, by Aideen Kilkelly.
