Gil's boat building career
Gil at 17 pictured here with his father, Dolph Allbutt, in his Peter Locke net/couta boat. He was a professional net and hand line fisherman from Portarlington. Gil always wanted to be a boat builder.
One day Peter was visiting Gil's, father in Portarlington and he suggested Gil ride back to Queenscliff in Peter's couta boat. Gil took hold of the tilla and just out of Queenscliff Peter said " Hay Gil what about you come and help me build boat" A boys dream came true.
Peter built couta and netting boats as well as large commercial fishing boats.
Peter Locke slip way in Queenscliff.
Peter built this 70-foot schooner called the Hilda Norling (S-62) of the Small Ships Section, United States Army Services of Supply, Southwest Pacific Area (USA SOS SWPA), docked at an unidentified wharf. The Hilda Norling was acquired from J Norling, Port Welshpool, Vic, on 3 September 1942. On 6 December 1942 during a journey from Oro Bay to Porlock Harbour, Papua New Guinea, the Hilda Norling w
Peter wished to spend more time commercial fishing so he handed the boating building business over to Bob and John Cayzer.
How gilcraft boats started
After working with Bob and John Cayzer for a few years, Gil went out on his own and built his first Gilcraft boat in the garage of the View Grand Hotel Queenscliff.
More and more orders started to flow in so Gil desided it was time to build a factory. Gilcraft Boats Queenscliff 9 Bellarine Hway Queenscliff was up and running.
Gilcraft Boats business card. Note the phone number 291.
In the early 80's Gil could see the decline in the commercial fishing industry so he made a dession to change from timber boats to fibre glass. Over that time Gil designed and built more that 50 boats ranging from this 27-foot motor sailers up to 33-foot cabin cruiser.
Gil closed the fibre glass boat building business down due to poor health. Some years lately David Ramage from Geelong approached Gil to help him design and build this amazing schooner called Metani.
Metani spent 15 years as a family charter boat in Antigua. It won the Concours d'Elegance award in the grand schooner race.