Majestic: From Fishing Boat To Pleasure Launch Via World War Two
1937
Build date
Ronnie Wells, Gordon Wells, Maurice Wells
Boat Builder
45 Feet later lengthened to 47 Feet
Length
Beam
Boat Build
Ronnie and Gordon Wells built the main structure of the Majestic but Ronnie then swapped his half of the Majestic with Maurice Wells. In return Ronnie gained Mauric’e’s launch, Silver Dawn. Maurice and Gordon finished the build and launched the Majestic as a commercial fishing vessel in 1937 with a 3 cylinder Lister engine.
Commercial Fishing Vessel
Maurice and Gordon Wells fished with the Majestic for one year using Marurice’s quota. Maurice then sold his half to Lionel Wells. One of the early catches the Majestic did was pilchards which they caught in fine mesh nets and packed in brine in barrels. These pilchards were then taken to the Picton Company at Te Rawa.
World War Two
During World War Two both the Majestic and Lionel Wells had a change of career as they were employed to deliver mail, freight and personnel to Maude Island and Post Office Point gun emplacements in the Marlborough Sounds. Deliveries were needed everyday. Lionel started his work day at a reasonable time of 9am in Portage. He would then make the 3 hour journey to Post Office Point with whatever was needed that day.
Lionel Wells
Gordon Wells owned the Majestic until 1958 when Lionel Wells became the sole owner of the Majestic. He continued fishing until his retirement. In 1978 Wells sold the Majestic and built the Onedin in his backyard in Monaco. The Majestic continued fishing from Greymouth with its new owners before returning to Nelson. After Lionel sold the Majestic the boat had its side engine removed.
Today
Around 2013 Lynn Cotton saved the Majestic from being towed to Hira and broken up by purchasing the boat for $7,000. Cotton moved the Majestic to the yard of his Cotton Heavy Haulage business, in Richmond, for restoration work. He employed Gordon Wells son Gavin Wells and grandsons Nick Wells and Zander Gifford to complete some of this work.
The restoration included changing the fish hold into accommodation, work on the hull and fitting out the interior with specially milled rimu and macrocarpa. Surprisingly given how long the Majestic was lying in disrepair there were no rotten planks in her. But the biggest change was the removal of the old wheel house to be replaced by a new aluminum one. This wasn’t the first time the Majestic had its wheelhouse changed. Her original wheelhouse is sitting on the grass at Wakatahuri.
Around 2021 Gavin Wells and Zander Gifford were employed by Lynn Cotton again. This time the Majestic went up on the slip in Nelson and had a new side engine installed.
References
To research The Majestic we used the book Boats For A Lifetime by Yvonne M Fell and the Nelson Mail.
Related Posts
Valmarie – The largest boat built at Wakatahuri
Silver Dawn – A 37ft passenger boat built in 1927
Southern Isles – Built in 1950 at Wakatahuri by Tom Wells
Winsome – Pleasure launch built by Wells brothers Gordon, Norman and Lionel