The profiles listed in this Register have been documented from the stories and photos contributed by custodians and others who willingly shared information. Readers who have additional information about the history of any Couta Boat are invited to forward it to couta_profile@coutaboat.com.au so that it can be added to the Register.
Higgs Brothers, Geelong.
Planks: Huon Pine
Keel: Jarrah
Early Years
Mimosa is believed to have been built by Higgs Brothers boatbuilders in Geelong, Victoria in the late 1930s or early 1940s, but this information is unverified.
As with the other smaller Couta Boats built in this era, it is likely that at 22 foot in length she was built to fish in Port Phillip and perhaps even further afield out of the fishing ports of Lorne or Apollo Bay on the south-west coast of Victoria. She was built of Huon Pine planks with a Jarrah keel.
Custodian: Graham Launer; Date unknown
There is no trace of the boat until she was acquired by a local Geelong builder Graham Launer who rescued the boat from a creek around Altona, a bayside suburb in western Melbourne, and repaired her to use for fishing on Port Phillip.
In 1996, Graham took the boat to Goolwa, SA where he restored her, adding a half-cabin. A Noelex rig was also added so that he could sail her in the Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic, in the Vintage Division. With Graham at the helm, she sailed in seven Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic races taking out first place on handicap in 2000.
Custodian: Brett Hoppen; 2012 – 2015
Local Goolwa identity Brett Hoppen purchased the boat from Graham Launer. He removed the Noelix rig, cabin and part of the deck.
Custodians: Louise Edwards and Brian Smith; 2015 – Present
The current custodians, Brian Smith and Louise Edwards of Goolwa, undertook significant restoration works. They reribbed, redecked, recaulked and rebuilt the boat from the sheer strake up. Spotted gum from a tree which they selected and felled from the Kuipto Forest, SA was used for most of the work. Powered by a Volvo MD2 circa 1960, the motor was stripped down and completely rebuilt.
Mimosa is being prepared with a traditional gaff rig to race in the Vintage Boat Club and Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club races. She was relaunched in May 2021 and is berthed at Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club in SA.
