Lynne Mowbray|

After three year restoring his old timber boat, Brushgrove resident Bill Gleeson has just relaunched the historical Clarence River fishing boat.

Bill said that he purchased the old vessel 10 years ago from former Oyster Channel professional fisherman Ted Want, before he passed away.

“Ted and his uncle built the boat in 1934, from Australian Beech timber which was grown at Shark Creek,” Bill said.

“The timber was milled at Maclean’s timber mill, which was located near to where the new IGA supermarket is located.

“The vessel was launched on 5 October 1935, 84 years ago and Ted fished in it for 75 years.

“The timber boat was never named; it was always referred to as just ‘the boat’, he said.

After purchasing the historic boat, Bill set about restoring it to bring it back to its former glory.

Out of respect for its former owner who loved eating wild duck with his mates on the river bank, Bill has named the boat ‘Ducksoup’.

Bill re-launched the beautifully restored vessel, at Cowper on Thursday afternoon last week and he would love to hear from any of Ted Wants family who may have information or photographs, of the old boat’s early days on the Clarence River.

Bill Gleeson can be contacted on 0438 461 861.