Looking for Love Afloat?
Love is life’s sweetest reward, says Helen Flanagan, especially when it floats your boat.
Come aboard for a romantic tale of wooden boats and a couple who set a course for adventure cruising Sydney’s Hawkesbury River on a Halvorsen for their honeymoon. After long fantasying about living on a boat, Carla and Ian Wilson turned their dream into reality, selling up in Sydney, finding a 1974, 53’ wooden Alaskan trawler-style motor cruiser on the Gold Coast, and cruising the waters around Southport before a year-long total restoration, albeit a labour of love. It was then time to venture north, spent time at the Mooloolaba Marina, explore their new found favourite Sunny Coast by road, before heading to the Whitsunday Islands for winter, and later to Sydney Harbour for summer. It proved an idyllic lifestyle, but after seven years, it was time for another project – on land.
“We stumbled upon 6.9 perfect hectares in Verrierdale and built a beautiful pavilion-style home fusing Eastern and Australian design,” explains Carla.
“It won the Master Builders Award for the best use of timber for our builder, Neil Steffensen. But after 10 years, it was time to move to acreage in Lake Macdonald with a boat launch ramp and pontoon are only 50 metres from the border of our property, perfect.
“It ticked all the boxes, had the illusion of seclusion, was a short drive to the Noosa River. And it resonated with our sustainability ethos, carried forward from our dropout hippie days – but that’s another story…”
With fabulous native forest surrounds, Carla and Ian commissioned rammed earth house guru John Oliver.
“It was totally off-grid with solar panels, batteries, and many features to reduce our ecological footprint, once again, winning a Queensland Master Builders Excellence Award, this time in sustainability for builder, Josh Martin,” Carla said.
Meanwhile, Carla and Ian knew it was time to reignite their passion for a dream boat and, thanks to the internet, Ian found it in Melbourne – a unique boat built in Victoria in the 1940s The hull was Tasmanian Huon Pine, one of the best boat-building timbers, but it was tired and languishing in a backyard – aka the too-hard basket.
“Again, it was love at first sight for both of us, the shape of the hull sealed the deal, and next thing it was on its way to Kellick Marine Concepts in Noosaville, owned by Kevin Dick,” Carla recalls.
“His initial jocular reaction was ‘so it’s going on your property as a garden ornament’ followed by ‘it’s going to be an expensive rebuild’. Unfazed, we said ‘let’s do it’. Yes, love is blind!”
It was a year-long fastidious restoration and rebuilding project. Ian and Carla were there almost every day, assisting and decision-making. Kevin handled the finer side of the restoration and rebuild, and Ian, the painting; while Carla sourced the items needed and steered the finances – a losing battle. Wooden boats are inherently romantic, therefore, only the best would do.
“We decided on electric power for our boat as fuel-powered boats are not permissible on Lake Macdonald, plus it is in keeping with our sustainability viewpoint,” she said. “The repowering was designed and installed by Chris Baker of Eco Boats, experts in electric boating; with the drive motor and controller imported from Bellmarine in the Netherlands and the power supplied by batteries. The wonderful thing about electric boats is they are silent. Bliss!”
No expense was spared overall including the timberwork such as table, tiller, canvas awning posts, seating console, anchor locker and more, all handcrafted. Marine-grade canvas was used for the awning, known as a surrey; and comfy seats were the final step. Carlia, a blend of their names, and an exceptional example of classic lines and contemporary technology, was complete.
In early 2018, Carlia had a successful trial cruise with friends, followed by a champagne lunch which turned into a sundowner cruise with more champagne. Of course! Carla seats six comfortably with plenty of storage for food and cool drinks.
She is the perfect day boat for adventuring along the Noosa River to the Everglades or the other way to the Sofitel stopping on the way for lunch at a riverside restaurant; perhaps cruising along the Noosa Sound waterways, and let’s face it, pretty-as-a-postcard Carlia could be perfectly at home at Noosa Waters.
BUY THE BOAT!
Does this sound like a pristine absolute sparkling treasure? The one-of-a-kind, fully restored, classic timber, all-electric love boat you’ve been looking for?
If Carlia floats your boat, she is for sale, and extensive details including every step of the restoration process are available. Visit the Carlia Electric Boat facebook page or email
carla@carlia-ent.com
