28' Racing Launch (1903) - FIXITOR

Fixitor, earliest power boat afloat in Europe. Circa 1903 and probably the only Art Nouveau power boat ever. We came across her as a serious hulk for sale at the trad boat rally at Henley, UK in 2009. It was very difficult to make anything of her, of what she had been. The majority of the mahogany was in very good condition and she was plainly very old though the mahogany hull planks were amazingly rot free and of very high quality.
All the fixings on the hull planks under what was left of the paintwork were very carefully doubled up and in line and with no disrespect for boatbuilders, this is not a regular feature unless the boat is of very high quality.
The bronze fittings were custom built in the Art Nouveau style as was the boat. It had not a flat surface on it. As we progressed with the renovation the “Original” seat position in the main cockpit of “Fixitor” was a very positive indicator of her as a racing trials boat, the ribs demonstrating the original set of the turtle deck and the special connection point within the boat for the tow rope (these were not the most reliable boats). We learnt that the boats hull style was state of the art design for racing yachts of the early 1900’s and the turtle back deck typical of the power boats in many of the power boats in the 1908 Olympic games in the UK racing around the Isle of Wight. After purchase the hulk was delivered to Colin and Stephen Messer’s yard at Classic Restorations in Clewer in Windsor,UK for restoration. There was no engine and so bearing in mind that the power plants in these boats changed over the years we built up a BMC MG Magnette engine as this gave the hull the maximum speed she could make. About 16 knots.
After many many hours of careful restoration in order to maintain the delicate shape of the hull and turtle deck woodwork she emerged and has won much admiration and many prizes.