Late this year, Warren (Wazza) Larsen retired from a lifetime dedicated to boatbuilding. We were fortunate to benefit from Wazza’s skills and character at NRW for around 25-30 years in total (records are sketchy!)
Warren started his apprenticeship at NRW in 1969 straight out of year 10 aged 15 and stayed with NRW for about a decade before setting out to learn aluminum building with Striker Boats and eventually went out on his own with Ray Norton building timber boats again.
For the last 17 years we’ve had the absolute pleasure of having him back at NRW. According to Jenny his wife, he had a strong desire to learn boatbuilding from the very beginning and has never lost his love of the trade. (Just recently, approaching 70, he was seen at work, pre-dawn, already in a blue dust suit with head torch on, sanding back new planks on South Pacific II).
Here, Operations Director David Fussell (L) and Managing Director Tony Riek (R) are presenting Warren with his portrait painted by NRW staff member Jacob Riek.
Thanks for everything Wazza and enjoy your well deserved retirement. You will be missed!
