Online Boat Register

Couta Boat

Name of Boat

Jessie

Owner's Name

Richard Walter and Jock Bromell 

Boat Location

Port Fairy, Victoria 

Registration No.

Sail No.

C78 

Dimensions

Feet & Inches  Outside of stem to outside of transom

Overall Length

19' 6'' 

Maximum Draft

4' 6'' (1.37m) 

Maximum Beam

8' 1.5" 

Centreplate Case Length

5' 2" 

Construction

Planking
Structure
Framing

Rig

Ballast

Weight

1.5 tonnes 

Material

Bitumen coated railway line 

Engine

Make

Kabota 

Horsepower

14 hp 

Heritage

Built

1935 approx 

Builder

Peter Locke, Queenscliff, Victoria 

Designer

Unknown, but I assume Peter Locke, the builder, took the lines from another couta boat he had made. 

History

We understand that after starting life at Queenscliff "Jessie" spent most of her working life operating out of Portland. She was owned by a number of commercial fishermen that we have yet to trace before being used as a recreational fishing boat with motor only in later years. After being damaged in a storm in 1992, which caused the stem to be torn out and the boat to sink, Garry Stewart, Boat Builder of Port Fairy, purchased the hull and worked on it at intervals between other jobs over the next five years. The restoration was finally completed in July 1997. The work involved fitting a new stem, some new ribs, sister ribs, a new Kauri deck from 80 year old timbers taken from the old Ballarat Brewery building in Ballarat, fitting a new centre case where the old motor had been and installing the new motor further aft. A new oregan mast and gaff was made and the old mast converted to the boom. Garry Stewart is a real craftsman who did an excellent job on the restoration. Jessie is a pretty little boat that gives Jock and I and our families a great deal of pleasure. Richard Walter.
 

Race Record

In our dreams.
 

Comments

We would greatly appreciate any further information anyone may have about previous owners/activities of this boat, either from when it was built or subsequently.