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Negotiations took place between two broad-visioned and generous people in Melbourne, and the then full owners, Elders IXL (successors to Henry Jones and his companies). The latter undertook to put Alma up on the slipway, then hand her over to Messrs Michael Wood and David Boykett, two of the governors of "Sail and Adventure", who bought her for the price of her two Gardiner engines (one 5-cylinder and the other an 8).Michael had rowed in the Scotch College Centenary Head of the River race in 1950. David Boykett won silver in the 1956 Olympics, and in 1976 was the rowing master at Scotch College.With a small group of friends they brought Alma Doepel under engine power to Melbourne in the latter part of 1976. She was in a mess. The wooden bins and rails were stripped out, the hold cleaned, and in the course of the next few years she was stripped of masts and derricks, her deck houses and her whole main deck. And from there on, a new deck was built (uncaulked for a year or more), a large deckhouse constructed over where the forward cargo hatchway had been, another, smaller deckhouse built over the former after hatchway. A new structure was added over the Captain’s quarters, to serve as chartroom and entry to the Captain’s Cabin.David Boykett had purchased hundreds of superfeet of Huon Pine, and it was used for the superstructures, and varnished. In late 1976 the Alma Doepel Supporters Club was founded. Its support was to provide both physical and monetary assistance to the ship’s restoration.Several major sponsors provided funds, materials and services. A shipwright was employed for some years, Michael Wood himself did a huge amount of work, and gradually the ship took on again her majestic state of a topsail schooner. Behind the scenes, a great deal of office work was done by Mrs Lorraine Wood and David Wilson, along with others. For several years, Alma spent a month at Blairgowrie, with keen Supporters aboard, over the Christmas period, even before the main deck was caulked. In 1987 a firm contract was signed with Elders IXL, who had the ship overhauled, fitted with a bow thruster and put up on a slipway, in Adelaide. Delays over the work caused anxiety, but just in time Alma reached Sydney, to lead the Parade of Sail, with the Young Endeavour, on Bicentenary Day, 25 January 1988. Never before or since has Alma been seen by such an enormous crowd of spectators. She was a splendid sight among a widespread fleet of the world’s sailing vessels.
Last modified:August 5, 2010
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