Retired Boat Beach boats set to be refurbished
By Glen Davies
FOR some years now the area opposite the fishing sheds and just to the Eastern side of the boat ramp at Boat Beach has been graced by the “Denise” with her white clinker built hull and red gunwhales. Last worked by Bernie King, resident of the Caravan Park and until some years ago a professional fisherman at Seal Rocks, the “Denise” has seen the last of her working days. She joins 3 other smaller boats in various states of disrepair which dot the same site.
One of these smaller craft, and in the best condition, was built in the fishing sheds by Dave Golby, a manager of the Caravan Park for many years. Found at the back of the sheds by Mark Sheriff, she was done up and removed to the Lighthouse forecourt for some years before being returned to the area in front of the sheds where she was first built.
The other three boats, including the “Denise”, were built by Jos Davies., long time professional fisherman, Manager of the fishing sheds and character in his own right. Jos first came from Cessnock to fish at Seal Rocks in 1955, and in 1957 was joined by his wife Marie to live in what is still her home, the last house before the headland, perched above the Eastern end of Boat Beach.
Jos’s first boat was the “Marlin”, bought in 1958 from Jack Carmody who worked at the Lighthouse. In 1960 he decided to build his own boat in the shed behind his house. It was his first so he relied upon the expertise of Tom Palmer, a boat builder in Bungwahl who could neither read nor write. Luckily Tom knew his boats and so soon did Jos. It wasn’t long before the “Dianne” was born, named after Jos and Marie’s first child. She was to be followed over ensuing decades by the “Dianne 2” and the “Dianne 3”.
It is the “Dianne 2” which interests us here. After her time with Jos she was sold to Les Cheers, aka “Coon”, and Bobbie Dee, and was named the “Coondee”.
After that she passed on to Bernie King who renamed her the “Denise”. Upon Jos’s death the oversight of the fishing sheds passed to Bernie, Jos’s present boat the “Dianne 3” was sold to someone on Wallis Lake and the “Denise” became the sole survivor of what had once been up to 8 such boats which stood proudly together on the sands of Boat Beach.
Finally, there are the two net boats floundering amidst the Bitou Bush above the fishing ramp. These were named the “Jill” and the ”Marie” after completion by Jos and, both propelled by oars, have each played their role in abundant years of netting the beach long before the advent of the much zippier motor-propelled net boats of today.
The good news is that all 4 boats are now in the possession of Mark Sheriff, long time resident of the village, former assistant lighthouse keeper and caretaker at Sugarloaf Point, restorer of lighthouses up and down the East coast of Australia and Tasmania, and whose passion it is to collect and care for objects which form part of our maritime history. It is Mark’s intention to lovingly refurbish the boats and to introduce interpretive signage as well as add further examples of objects which will enhance the historical ambience of the site. We wish him well.