John Kemister

My first little boat, 'Whimbrel', a 1930's 11ft 6 inch King Billy pine clinker boat that came from Tasmania to Sydney on a coastal freighter, and finally ended up at Sussex Inlet, NSW. It was refitted with a 2 3/4 HP Vinco single cylinder inboard two stroke engine, as the original Chapman engine was beyond repair. It was stripped of many layers of paint and varnished.

The second bigger one is 'Cormorant', a 16 foot Chapman clinker launch, made from Meranti around the 1950's. It had been stored out in the weather for 10 years at Wagga after being at Broulee, NSW. Six planks were badly split and the engine was a box of bits. It had six new planks fitted and was rerivetted, paint removed, cleaned and varnished. It is fitted with the original 5/7HP twin cylinder Blaxland inboard two stroke engine.
This boat has recently sailed 1200km on the River Murray.