Wawaloon (Wild black bird)
Rig: Gaff Schooner
LOA: 42'
LOD: 34'
LWL: 25'
Beam: 9'
Draft: 5'
Built: Big Cove - Big Tancook Island, Nova Scotia - Launched 1946
Designer / Builder: David Mason
Homeport: Armdale Yacht Club, Halifax
WAWALOON was built in 1946 by David Mason at Big Cove, Tancook Island, Nova Scotia. The original configuration was a Tancook fishing schooner, an open cockpit design (no decking) with a small fore cuddy. A 34’ gaff rig schooner with tan sails, she was equipped with a double 6 12 hp engine. Called RUBY B., she was owned by Vernon Boutilier of Spry Bay, Eastern Shore, N.S and fished for 6 years, mainly for herring.
She was purchased in 1953 by Mort Pelham (Later, Secretary of the Nova Scotia Schooner Association). His first task was to get rid of all the herring scales. RUBY B. was converted to a pleasure sailing schooner complete with deck and cabin, and renamed WAWALOON. She set out on her new task, providing Mort with 15 years of enjoyable sailing around the South Shore of Nova Scotia.
When the Nova Scotia Schooner Association (NSSA) was formed in 1961, WAWALOON was there, winning the Association’s first race on corrected time.
WAWALOON was purchased by Bill Forbrigger of Port Hawkesbury, N.S. in 1968. She found her way back to Halifax-Dartmouth in 1981, and was purchased by Francis Forbrigger.
Current owner, Gerry Hayman, purchased her in 1985. Sailing from Armdale Yacht Club, Gerry has made every effort to keep her true to her 1953 conversion. Still very active in the NSSA, WAWALOON has made over ten trips to various South Shore ports for Association events, and rewards Gerry with the constant pleasure of sailing and maintaining a traditional Nova Scotian schooner.
WAWALOON’S history is still being made.
Rig: Gaff Schooner
LOA: 42'
LOD: 34'
LWL: 25'
Beam: 9'
Draft: 5'
Built: Big Cove - Big Tancook Island, Nova Scotia - Launched 1946
Designer / Builder: David Mason
Homeport: Armdale Yacht Club, Halifax
WAWALOON was built in 1946 by David Mason at Big Cove, Tancook Island, Nova Scotia. The original configuration was a Tancook fishing schooner, an open cockpit design (no decking) with a small fore cuddy. A 34’ gaff rig schooner with tan sails, she was equipped with a double 6 12 hp engine. Called RUBY B., she was owned by Vernon Boutilier of Spry Bay, Eastern Shore, N.S and fished for 6 years, mainly for herring.
She was purchased in 1953 by Mort Pelham (Later, Secretary of the Nova Scotia Schooner Association). His first task was to get rid of all the herring scales. RUBY B. was converted to a pleasure sailing schooner complete with deck and cabin, and renamed WAWALOON. She set out on her new task, providing Mort with 15 years of enjoyable sailing around the South Shore of Nova Scotia.
When the Nova Scotia Schooner Association (NSSA) was formed in 1961, WAWALOON was there, winning the Association’s first race on corrected time.
WAWALOON was purchased by Bill Forbrigger of Port Hawkesbury, N.S. in 1968. She found her way back to Halifax-Dartmouth in 1981, and was purchased by Francis Forbrigger.
Current owner, Gerry Hayman, purchased her in 1985. Sailing from Armdale Yacht Club, Gerry has made every effort to keep her true to her 1953 conversion. Still very active in the NSSA, WAWALOON has made over ten trips to various South Shore ports for Association events, and rewards Gerry with the constant pleasure of sailing and maintaining a traditional Nova Scotian schooner.
WAWALOON’S history is still being made.
