20ft Couta Boat "Spitfire"

Will you continue Spitfire’s Story?

 
Spitfire is a boat with a rich history. She was built by Alex Lacco in 1951 for a pilot who flew Spitfires during the war. Later she was sailed by fisherman Dugga Beazley of Port Melbourne for many years and has quite a story to tell.
 
In 1984 she was renamed Rose and entered a ‘colourful’ time... she capsized and sank near the Portsea Hole in 1986. Luckily, her crew of five were rescued but the boat couldn’t be found. After four years divers found her and incredibly, the gear including the fire extinguisher was fully operational. She was beautifully restored by the team at Wooden Boat Shop. In 1991 she was sold, became Spitfire again and her number changed to C666. She won the Portsea Cup in 1998. In 1999 she was purchased by the current owner, David Barnes who, besides loving the boat, was attracted to the name as his father had built Spitfires in the UK. David and his crew have raced Spitfire in the Second Division out of Sorrento for many years. During that time she has won some prestigious races and is a regular handicap winner in Division Two. Spitfire is annually maintained to the highest standard by the crew (two members have built their own boats) and by Wooden Boat Shop. So she’s been well cared for and is in great shape – come and see for yourself. Boat measurements can be found here
 
Mooring also for sale if needed.
 
Click here to download a PDF version of this ad
 
Click here to download article from Yanmar Scope August 1990 about salvage of Rose