Marlena C75

Painted navy grey and known as MARLEENA-AE71 the O’Donnell family kept her penned at Blunt’s jetty in Williamstown for 25 years until 1995 operating as a private schnapper boat.

When the schnapper started disappearing in the early-1990s with increased scallop boat fishing, the O’Donnels’ decided it was time to move to Cairns in Far North Queensland, barramundi territory.

Capt. Christopher M. Will of J.P. Williams & Associates surveyed MARLEENA 8/9/92 and described her thus: “The owner used the boat for fishing in the Altona/Point Wilson area of Port Phillip to a distance of 3 NM offshore. Generally the boat is of proven design and construction. In our opinion the hull is in good condition for the age of the boat. She is a particularly well-presented example of the traditional “couta boat.” From a point of view of soundness of the craft and fittings, we would suggest she represents an acceptable insurance risk.”

MARLEENA was purchased by the Cable family 9/1/95 after
restoring the PORTSEA PEARL (a 16-foot carvel Lacco design owned by the Law family). She was renamed LADY VIRGINIA and refitted in 1996 by Len Dodson with a centreplate casing.
She is Kauri-planked with a fitted sheet fibre-glassed deck (1980) and Spotted Gum frames. Her 4-cylinder diesel is relatively heavy by modern standards, and has 4 mounts, with 2 for the Borg Warner gearbox. An electric harness runs by loom to a mounted control panel. The engine operates comfortably at 2,000 rpm with a cruising hull speed of 7-8 knots. A hand bilge is mounted on the stern deck, and an electric pump in the rear bilge is wired to the battery.

She was sold to Rod Austin and then John Day and renamed MARLENA

TBA

1996 – Graeme Robertson Trophy (most improved boat)

Division 2:

• 2000 -Mazda National Series – 1st on handicap (Div 2)
• Line honours and handicap winner in 2005/06 SSCBC season
• Portsea Cup winner 2007