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The profiles listed in this Register have been documented from the stories and photos contributed by custodians and others who willingly shared information. Readers who have additional information about the history of any Couta Boat are invited to forward it to couta_profile@coutaboat.com.au so that it can be added to the Register.

Aliscia C33

Boat Details

Sail Number:
C33
Boat Location:
Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club, Sorrento, Victoria
Current Custodian:
Fred Haig, James Mighell and Andrew Skinner
Year Built:
Circa Late 1930s - Early 1940s
Designer & Builder:

Peter Locke, Queenscliff, Victoria

Timbers Used:

Frame: Blackwood with New Zealand Kauri and Celery Top Pine clenched and fastened

Dimensions:
Length: 24 ft. 6 in.

History

Early Years
Built at 24 foot 6 inches, Aliscia was constructed by Queenscliff boatbuilder Peter Locke, circa late 1930s – early 1940s. In the era of the 1930s and 1940s, a number of Locke’s boats were built with the distinctive feature of lifting hooks installed and extra ribs for additional strength, so they could be lifted onto the Lorne Pier. Lorne was one of the fishing ports along the south-west coast of Victoria where, due to exposed seas, the smaller fishing vessels were hoisted out of the water to be stored on the pier overnight. Aliscia still has the lifting hooks in her stern.

Along with many other Couta Boats built in this period, Aliscia worked as a fishing vessel following the barracouta along the Victorian coast. At Lorne, hearsay says she was known by reputation as ‘fast and black’. By all accounts, the ‘black’ related to traditional paint used by Ports and Harbours.

In addition to fishing out of Lorne, she fished out of Apollo Bay when she was owned by a local fisherman, Harrison. However, other than these two accounts, no other details on her location are available, until the late 1970s.

In the late 1970s, Sorrento boatbuilder Tim Phillips found Aliscia on one of his numerous trips along Victoria’s south-west coast when he was looking for traditional Queenscliff fishing boats to revive. At the time, she was owned by Ken Whistler in Portland, an ex-Harbour master. Ken had traded a caravan for Aliscia, the intention being to restore her. She was badly damaged on one side, as battery acid had eaten a hole in her timber; she also had a plywood cabin. However, given the extent of the damage, Ken lost his enthusiasm for the project.

Custodian: John Harris; late 1970s – 1996
Tim Phillips purchased Aliscia, on behalf of John Harris, from Ken Whistler. The boat was then transported to Tim’s shed in Delgany Avenue in Portsea for a complete restoration. The restoration included fitting a new deck and replacing many of her ribs, also installing a new but fire damaged Yanmar 2QM20 engine.

After Aliscia was launched, she became part of the emerging Couta Boat fleet that regularly sailed out of Portsea and Sorrento during the 1980s. John successfully raced Aliscia in the fleet for six years until a back condition prevented him from helming. So he assigned well-known Melbourne sailmaker Col Anderson to campaign her for a few seasons, and who did so with considerable success, winning the Lacco Shield (season aggregate) in 1993.

In this period, Aliscia was moored off Lentell Avenue, Sorrento.

Custodian: Shane Priest; 1996 – 2014
Aliscia was next purchased by Shane Priest in 1996. After acquiring her, she was moored off Lentell Ave., Sorrento then had several spells at the Blairgowrie Marina and finally at her own mooring at Camerons Bight.

Aliscia spent many a winter side-by-side her sister ship Regina in the Wooden Boat Shop yard, soaking up hours of labour and gallons of paint. Orbital sanders became throw away items; paints and materials were in endless demand, but all the effort was repaid when she slipped back into the water looking fabulous!

During this period, Aliscia was sailed for recreational pleasure, more often used as a motor boat for fishing; she always turned heads with her timeless lines.

Custodian: Nathan Waterson; 2014 – 2018
In 2014, Nathan Waterson purchased Aliscia. His intention was to transport her to the family’s holiday house on the South coast of NSW but with a young family at the time, he found it difficult to juggle his commitments. So Aliscia remained on her mooring at Camerons Bight, Sorrento for three years until she was sold.

Custodian: Michael Cantwell; 2018 – 2022
In November 2018, Aliscia was purchased by Couta Boat enthusiast Michael Cantwell. At the time of her purchase, Michael noted that Aliscia had a complete suite of Hood sails: main, No. 1, No. 2 and storm jibs. Surprisingly, all were in serviceable or good condition.

Michael tells that his young children had already named Aliscia the ‘ghost’ boat’ as they had seen her deteriorating on a mooring off Camerons Bight, east of Sorrento. She was in need of repair, but with a few weeks of work she was back in the water and ready for a season of racing.

A keen sailor, Michael competitively sails Aliscia in the Division 2 fleet at Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club, on Port Phillip. Aliscia quickly established her status as one of the lead boats in the Division, claiming Line Honours in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 CBA National Titles, the 2019 and 2021 Portsea Cup, the 2020 CBA Victorian State Titles, and the 2021 Club Aggregate Race Series. She also won 1st Handicap in the 2021 CBA National Titles.

In addition to racing, Aliscia is used by the Cantwell family for recreational sailing. The children are budding dinghy sailors and so derive as much pleasure from sailing her, as does their father. Occasionally they are on board for some of the scheduled races.

Custodians: Fred Haig, James Mighell and Andrew Skinner; 2022 – Present
In June 2022, a syndicate was formed to purchase Aliscia from Michael’s family.

The syndicate members are not new to the Couta Boat family, being Fred Haig, current CBA President James Mighell and Andrew Skinner.

They plan to campaign Aliscia in Division 2 at SSCBC and to involve their families more. As Andrew said,

The 26 footers are quite powerful and not so easy to manage when short-handed or with young inexperienced kids, but the Div 2 boats are very manageable.

The syndicate is thrilled to get its hands on one of the oldest boats in the fleet and hope to sail her as well as the previous custodians.

 

Race Record

2019: Line Honours, Division 2, Portsea Cup, Couta Boat Association, Portsea, Vic.
2019: Line Honours, Division 2, National Titles, Couta Boat Association, Sorrento, Vic.
2020: Line Honours, Division 2, Victorian State Titles, Couta Boat Association, Sorrento, Vic.
2020: Line Honours, Division 2, National Titles, Couta Boat Association, Sorrento, Vic.
2020: 1st Handicap, Division 2, National Titles, Couta Boat Association, Sorrento, Vic.
2021: Line Honours, Division 2, Portsea Cup, Couta Boat Association, Portsea, Vic.

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