Winsome: 49 Foot Wells Launch

Build

There is some mystery around the build of the Winsome. Built by Gordon, Lionel and Norman Wells it is the only pleasure boat built by the Wells brothers and one of only a few not built at Wakatahuri. It is believed their brother Francis Wells knew the Bradey family and they asked him to build the Winsome. He couldn’t build the boat and instead suggested they employ Gordon.

However it came about, Gordon and Lionel traveled to the North Island and spent 10 months in Paremata building the Winsome for Philip Bradey and his family.

The Winsome was built on the site of the Bradey family’s sawmill. This mill provided all the white pine timber needed which was milled and dried on site before the boat build started.

Once Gordon and Lionel Wells had mainly completed the planking of the hull, Norman Wells joined them to complete the boat. Then Doug and Paul Bradey also helped to finish the interiors of the boat.

With the Winsome completed just after World War Two, it is said the New Zealand government was suspicious of how Bradey could afford such a vessel. He was audited but was able to prove that he had been keeping the timber and copper needed in store ready for the boat for years.

Engines

When the winsome was launched it had a 4 cylinder 80 hp Paxman Riccardo diesel. In 1955 the Paxman was replaced with a 100 hp Leyland diesel engine. Then in 1978 a auxiliary Lees marine side motor was installed in preparation for a trip around the South Island which Francis Wells joined Bradey for. There is also a story that the side engine was needed for the Winsome to take Bradey and Francis Wells to Raratonga. The plan was to collect Wells engines for his new boat the Valmarie and bring them back to NZ. But the dates don’t seem to add up for this and they didn’t make the trip anyway. In 2021 the main Leyland engine was replaced with a Perkins 6354.