BRIAN FALCONER’S. labor of love will soon be a
~ restored, living piece of British Columbia’s maritime histo-

. ry. And it’s a piece of history visitors to the Vancouver In-
‘ternatic: al Boat Show will havea chance to see.

After over two years of work
and at a cost in excess of $250,000,
Falconer and his wife, Susan
Tweedie, are nearly finished
restoring the 28-metre (92-foot)

_ Maple Leaf.

The. Maple Leaf, an 82-year-old
two-masted sailing yacht, is a
veteran of northern waters, one
that has served as a toy for the

- wealthy and a workhorse. for men
who draw their living from the sea.

With restoration about 80 per
cent’ complete, Falconer plans to
have the Maple Leaf ready for sail-
ing charters this summer.
However, the Maple Leaf will be
on display: for a sneak preview for
the entire nine-day run of the boat

: show, February 1-9, at B.C. Place

Falconer is understandably pro-
ud of the’ “work” he and his wife
‘have done‘ on. the boat. But he
credits: former ~ owner . Harold
Helland, a Prince Rupert fish-

erman, for making the restoration

possible.
‘LEGENDARY CARE

"Falconer says Helland is Jegen-

dary for the care he took of the
., boat that boasts a hull of yellow
‘cedar and fir and shiny Brazilian
mahegany trim.
-» “They . say he (Helland). was
- almost fanatical about
“maintenance of the boat,’’ says
‘Falconer. ‘‘That' care showed.’
When we. got it from another
owner it had some cosmetic pro-

-blems, but the basic structure was-

sound.”
» 5 Falconer bought the boat. in
Q 1980 after she had been purchased
by the Canadian Government in

1979 as part of the halibut boat

- buy-back program.

Before the buy-back program,
Helland spent 30 years fishing nor-
thern B.C. and Alaskan. waters
aboard the Mapte Leaf. But even
by the time Helland had become
her master, the Maple Leaf was a
veteran of the fishing industry.

The Maple Leaf was designed
and built by William Watts of
Vancouver Shipyards for mil-
lionaire Jumberman Alexander
Maclaren. Launched in 1904 at
Coal Harbour, she served as a
cruiser and an ocean racer untifi
Maclaren sold her in 1916. She was
then derigged and converted to a
fish packer and later she acquired
a new name, the Constance B.
Through the years she served pack-
ing salmon and longlining halibut

for a number of owners, including,

B.C. Packers and the Canadian
Fish Co.

RENAMED

During the Second World War
she was renamed the Parma under

a new owner and until Hellum ac- ©

quired her in 1943 she plyed the
waters between Alert Bay and the
Bering Sea. Falconer, of course,
knew nothing of her history when
he first bid for the Maple Leaf in
1980.

“When I started out I was Ieok-
ing for a fairly large sailing vessel

for the charter business,’’ he says.
“When I came across her I could
tell she had been something more
than a halibut boat. After doing
some research into the history of
the boat, I found out what she was
and I didn’t want to quit.”’

When Falconer’s restoration
work is finished he plans to use the

Maple Leaf for corporate charters -

3 - North Shore News - Boating Feature ~ January 31, 1986

NEWS photo Stuart Davis

BRIAN FALCONER and his wife Susan: Tweedie make their 92-foot yacht The Maple Leaf ship shape for the
1986 Vancouver International Boat Show. Falconer spent $250,000 restoring the historic vessel.

and ‘day, evening and overnight
cruises. For something in the

neighborhood of $1,200 a day-

Falconer will be able to take out
30-40 people for day cruises and

. 10-15 people overnight.

“Restordtion is a continuing

HELPING CHILDRENS —

‘thing that has to be paid for .

ultimately,"” he says. ‘it was a

good fish boat; that kept her alive |
for years. If we do well in the
charter business it will be around
for a few more years.”

So far all the work has been pri-

_ CHARITIES |

vately financed, although Falconer
is quick to note that help from his
father, his friend, Jeff Smith, and
-a host of generous companies and
private benefactors has kept the
project afloat. “We've used up a
lot of favors,’ he says.

"$45, 0°

Suggested -
~ “Reta.