One example of his restoring skills is on display at the Outrigger Reef. "The Ilima was once owned by David Nottage," Perry explained. "It is a rare two-man koa once common, but only a handful remain. When it was originally built, there were hundreds of similar canoes of this type. It came to Oahu in the 1950s, probably from the Big Island because of the abundance of koa, before Nottage acquired it in extremely poor condition from a kama'aina family in the late 1960s."
The Ilima is 15 feet long and weighs approximately 150 pounds and was primarily used for inshore fishing. "Termite damage was extensive," Perry said. "Before I finished, I had replaced the bottom and mo'o with koa. The new ama is wiliwili, and the i'akos hau; new seats and wae were installed. My past experience in canoe restoration dates this canoe between 1920 and 1925. Because this type of canoe was numerous and unimportant, no one kept records of the builder; nor is the given name known. Nottage named it Ilima for the flower of Ohau."
Perry finished restoration in February 2012, and David Nottage was able to enjoy Ilima until he passed away later that same year, after which his family placed the custody of Ilima with Tay Perry and Friends of Hokule'a and Hawai'iloa for charitable purposes.