Hay River (July 24/06) - When it comes to hobbies, some are a lot more involved than others.

For Ron Courtoreille, his has been a 16-year adventure.

That's how long the Hay River man has been meticulously working to refurbish an old fishing vessel, transforming it into a pleasure craft that's once again ready to cruise Northern waters.

Ron Courtoreille stands on the bow of the Kimberley Ann III, an old fishing vessel he has been restoring for 16 years. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

His goal was finally realized when the 52-foot Kimberley Ann III was re-launched July 15.

"It was great," Courtoreille said of seeing the vessel finally afloat and, more importantly, not leaking.

"The launch was exceptionally smooth," he says.

Courtoreille worked on and off over the years to restore the boat as it sat on land next to Bassett Petroleum Distributors on Vale Island.

"It's been a hobby," he said, despite the amount of work the project involved.

The Kimberley Ann III was first a fishing vessel and then a fish freighter before Courtoreille bought it. It was built in Yellowknife in the 1970s.

Back when he bought it, the vessel was only marginally seaworthy. Over the years, he has made numerous repairs and changes, including replacing the cabin and the bottom of the steel hull.

There is still lots of work to do, he said, including finishing the electronics and putting a floor in the hold, which will become living quarters.

The vessel is sailable now, but he has no idea when he will take it out onto Great Slave Lake.

"I'm not in any rush," he says.

Courtoreille has no plans to use the vessel for fishing or as a tourism venture.

"I'm just going to motor around with it," he says, adding, "This is my retirement project."

The 61-year-old officially retired as general manager of the NWT Liquor Corporation earlier this year.

Courtoreille declines to say how much he paid for the vessel or how much he invested in it over the years. However, he says the cost is not much different from what other people spend on their toys.