THE RENOVATION

 Joakim saw the boat from the window of his pet-shop while feeding the rabbits. It was loaded onto a trailer and going to a boatbuilder in Gustavsberg to be renovated. Joakim dropped everything, caught up with the trailer and tried to pursuade the owner to sell him the boat. I was preparing for a trip to Uganda and didn t have time to discuss any boats when Joakim called me up. I told him I would go along if he could get the price down. When I returned a month later, we were ²with boat².

 The first time I saw the Loris was on a cold, windy and snowy day in Januari. The boat was covered with heavy tarpaulins and looked terrible; there were big holes in the hull and the wood was broken everywhere. Rumour had it that it once belonged to Ivar Kreuger, but that s the kind of thing one always hears. A visit to Olle Häger at the TV-archives, however, showed that it was indeed the Loris. She even figured in a newsreel with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Greta Garbo in the cockpit. The boat had to be saved - but how? A visit to the curator at the Museum of Marine History in Stockholm resulted in a letter of recommendation, and the boat was declared a cultural heritage that had to be preserved. The jobcenter agreed to turn the renovation into a ALU-projekt at the folk high-school of Skeppsholmen, and before long the first boatbuilders started tearing up the boat. We got the original designes from the constructors son, Sten Ljungberg, and photos from the relatives of Ruben Johansson. Oak for the keel came from Djurgården in Stockholm, and mahogony with the right measures was ordered from Brazil.

 The renovation was soon on it s way. The keel and the boards below the waterline were replaced. All the steel frames had to be rewelded by the keel and new beam stringers and beam ends were fitted. In 1996 we had a small stand at the boat fair in Älvsjö, where we made contact with the real estate company Hufvudstaden (which was founded by Ivar Kreuger in 1915). The project now had a main sponsor. SMA Maskin offered us a good deal on a Cummin diesel engine, and a number of other companies were interested in helping out.

 During 1996 the freeboards were repaired and the boat was decked. New fittings were moulded and a number of other detailes were procured. In Januari 1997 the windshield frame was mended and the cockpit was renovated. In March 1997 we were the main attraction at the boat fair ²Allt för sjön². A large display was built around the boat, including a photo exhibition and a cafe. At the fair we made contact with several companies who provided us with everything from stove, refrigerator and heater, to rape-oil and electrical wiring.

 The work now continues with the interior and the fitting of the engine. The hole for the propeller shaft was drilled in September 1997, and everything indicates that the Loris was launched in 1998. The renovation project has been followed by a film team, who is making a TV-documentary about it.

Our Sponsors

Hufvudstaden, SMA Maskin, Byggförlaget, Båt Doktorn,Ekroths Kapellmakeri, Evenemangsbyrån, Nilssons Trävaror, Gustavsbergs Byggvaruhus, Gustavsbergs Fastigheter, Gustavsbergs Porslinsfabrik, Gylling Energy, Optima, International, JP Larsson Färg, Landvik & Dahl, Marinspecialisten, Nacka Finmekaniska,Ovaco, PropellerTrim, Roslagssegel, Stockholmsmässan, Södra Förnicklingen, Tibnor, Värmdö Biobränsle, West Systems, Fanerbolaget Peter Weil, SEL, Electrolux, Termoprodukter, Svenska Eberspecher, Sifvert, Beckmans Gjuteri, Per Marin, Flimmer AB, Värmdö Plantshop, Winell & Co, Accurat Rostfria AB, Uni Cardan, FOGIA..