Students restore sunken ketch at Kapiti College

‘‘[The motivation was] to get kids inspired by something other than a TV screen or their phones, to get them to appreciate fine, hand-built things.’’

A group of Kapiti students are working to restore a boat to its former glory, a year after it sunk in a Wellington storm.

Kapiti College purchased Rakino, a nine-metre wooden ketch, for $1200 after it sunk near Evans Bay last April.

Now the Rakino Pirates, a group of about 90 students, meet twice each week to work on the boat, with the view to launching it again within two years.

Martin Vieregg and Clive Stephenson, teachers and keen boaties, are spearheading the project.

Vieregg said he did not know of a school attempting a similar project.

‘‘New Zealand’s got quite a rich maritime history. There are a lot of boat restorers who I think would really appreciate that a school was attempting this.

‘‘[The motivation was] to get kids inspired by something other than a TV screen or their phones, to get them to appreciate fine, hand-built things.’’

About a third of the group turned up for every session, and ‘‘it’s quite amazing how much work 30 kids can do in an hour’’, Vieregg said.

They did not know who owned the boat before it sunk. ’’It’d be really cool if we could get in touch with the guy.’’

The boat was bought from the Greater Wellington Regional Council, and transported to Kapiti College’s grounds on the last day of the 2016 school year. Work began when students returned.

They started by cleaning out the boat, which still contained letters, jars of food, broken glasses and more from before it was damaged.

‘‘It was quite weird and quite sad too, seeing this guy’s home destroyed ... that’s a feeling we want the students to understand, that it’s more than just a boat.’’

They have started sanding the masts and the hull, and Vieregg said the first aim was to have the masts complete, so there was an early tangible reward for the student’s efforts.

‘‘It’ll look incredible when finished. I’ve seen versions of this boat restored and they look amazing.’’

The project is more than just a restoration. The process is being filmed, with the view to making a feature-length documentary, and Rakino Pirates t-shirts have been designed.

The project has secured a $2000 Think BIG grant from the Kapiti Coast District Council, but Vieregg said he was unsure how much it would cost to restore the boat.

Vieregg said he wanted students to sail the boat when complete, but was unsure exactly what the school wanted to do with it.

Rakino Pirates Givealittle and Facebook pages have been set up. The group is having a community day on April 1, to work on the boat and raise funds.

Rakino was launched in 1953, and built by Auckland man Bert Woollacott.