ALAN PAYNE 20FT KETCH RIG CENTREBOARD SHARPIE SHALLOW DRAFT  

Built as and started off life as a Coorong Outdoor Bound expedition boat in Goolwa SA. I bought her in South Australia to get her in use in Tasmania as a sail trainer, but the associated bureaucracy is far too time consuming to make it worthwhile.

When she got to Tas it became obvious there was rot in the plywood seats, so the cockpit was stripped out and a false floor laid over closed cell foam, with enormous buoyancy. The cockpit is now self draining and huge lockers added under the seats with waterproof hatches. This has made her a much safer boat, and after a capsize test very little water remains in the boat, it all streams out through the vent in the bottom of the boat, whereas previously, there would have been tons of water to bucket out with considerable difficulty.

She is an excellent river expedition boat, and has explored the Scamander River, the lower Pieman and the Huon.

All the work in the cockpit was done with foam composite and epoxy/glass, the hull is solid glass so the boat is pretty well unrottable, and light. The original fore and aft decks are plywood, but there is no evidence of rot there.

The boat has recently been repainted with two pack polyurethane and Kiwigrip deck paint.

The trailer has just been completely refurbished. It ran out of rego a few years ago and I have just stripped the trailer right back, anti-rusted it, repainted and laid new decks and carpet, also new bearings and springs. It is now registered till April 2025.

There is a Suzuki 4 hp 4 stroke outboard with the boat but I am about to trial it with an 1kW electric Spirit Evo this next week.

Also a full cover to keep leaves and dirt out, I used water resistant shade cloth which it is not waterproof, but any water drains out anyway through the permanent drain in the bottom of the boat, and there is nothing to rot in the boat.

I am open to transporting it to the mainland as I am keen to give it a final cruise on a mainland river or two.