Kellick 33

Clipper-style boats remain a popular choice amongst bay and coastal mariners. Their sharp deadrise at the forequarters and near vertical rise of the keel line to the bowsprit make them smooth craft in the steep chop usually associated with tidal bar crossings and open shallow waters.

The Kellick by Kevin Dick and Sons is one such boat, with a design steeped in the history of south east Queensland, a place that has all of those attributes along its shores.

Kevin Dick was building trawlers on the Brisbane River 40 years ago for Fred Fleming, a well-known boatbuilder of that era. Subsequently, Dick moved to Noosa where up until a decade ago his boats were still being made from timber planking and keenly sought by commercial fishermen.

At about that time, the Noosa council was becoming increasingly environmentally aware and took issue with the fires that were lit to steam and bend the timbers for the hulls of his boats.

Then, a fibreglass boat was built for his son which, once floated, generated such interest that demand outstripped supply. So, as a result of the pressure by the council, Kellick evolved into what it is today.

PRACTICAL MEASURES
The Kellick 33 has a handlaid hull with a sandwich foam fibreglass superstructure. The cabin roof itself is some 40mm thick, which provides the ultimate in insulation from the heat of the day.

The theme throughout this boat is practicality. Down in the cabin, two bunk berths are situated either side with a forward hatch in the bulkhead housing a wardrobe.

 The portside aft bulkhead of the sleeping quarters is home to a library and, moving about in the vee leg well, there’s still plenty of head room to the roof of the cabin.

Exiting the cabin, a deep rebate in the top of the dashboard bulkhead negates the need to stoop and a number of non-slip alloy foot treads were rebated into the polished timber floor to prevent any slipping.

The finish in the living cabin is exquisite, with extensive use of New Guinea rosewood and silver ash on floors and surrounds, and rock maple burl inlays in the doors and tabletop. This dining table is fitted with an electric ram in its pedestal, allowing it to be raised for dining and lowered to the level of the double seats each end to convert the unit into a double berth, all at the flick of a switch.

The helm electronics are neatly laid out. They include an Icom VHF, JRC FF50 depthsounder and 500 plotter with JRC’s 1500 Mk11 radar. An AP55 autopilot was also fitted. A heavy-duty windscreen wiper served the helm well and all of the glass in the wheelhouse was toughened to withstand crashing seas over the foredeck, should one get caught in that type of situation. The luxury did not lapse in the seating department either, with plush leather cushions all around. The seating was backed against the half bulkhead which makes up one wall of the galley, where there’s a refrigerator under a work bench, a sink with a stainless steel, three-burner cooktop, and an oven.

GALLEY GLIMPSE
All stowage cabinets in the galley feature cradles for the cutlery and crockery supplied as standard. Soft blue lighting provides ambience for a romantic evening. The head and shower are combined in a large airy locker with an easy-to-maintain finish.

The galley and kitchen are fed by two freshwater tanks totalling 1600lt.

Out through the lock-up saloon entrance, one finds a large eutectic freezer inside a module attached to the aft bulkhead of the cabin, in between the ladder that leads to the flybridge. Opposite, a similar module features a front-opening hatch giving access to a gas stowage area and a stainless steel gas barbecue mounted on top.

 The rear cockpit offers plenty of room for a small party and it is amply covered by a hardtop, on which a tender was secured. The transom door gives access to a hinged stainless steel and timber marlin board, which can be folded up and secured to prevent banging when running in rough seas.

Scaling the ladder to the flybridge, one finds enough space for a gathering of around six people and, while no overhead shade was fitted, there is a large, heavy-duty targa, which holds the radar scanner and other aeriels. The large seat base, with double seat to the helm and one facing astern, offered bulk stowage for spare ropes and fenders and the like. Further stowage was available inside the flybridge helm bulkhead.

In the running gear department, plenty of thought has gone into looking after the steering. The rudder controls are accessed through a hatch in the deck of the rear cockpit. Inside, the rudder swings in all but a full arc on the hydraulic ram. The arc stops early so that the ram is never fully extended, therefore reducing any ‘bottoming out’ affect.

START YOUR ENGINES
The engine room can be accessed quickly via a hatch in the deck of the galley. One can crawl around the sides and front of the engine, even though it is a little cramped.

Four 100-amp batteries are located against the forward end of the engine room and are covered with soft liners. The stainless steel strainers are located near the entry hatch and an automatic bilge pump is located in the bottom of the bilge, in front of the engine. There’s also a back-up bilge pump.

At service intervals the saloon deck can be removed in three pieces, giving access to the entire length of the Perkins. The 6kVA Kabota gen set is also accessed from the aft end of the long hatch.

This engine room is pressurised with spray-free air blown in from outside. What the engine does not ingest is forced out of the engine room vents, making it difficult for spray to be sucked in and processed through the engine when underway in big seas.

Ground tackle consists of a 30lb Bruce stainless steel anchor running off a three-way control winch via 60m of 8mm galvanised chain. The locker for the chain is monstrous, to say the least, and another vacant locker opposite is available for spare equipment. Thanks to the bowthruster, leaving the mooring at Moreton Bay was easy. The amount of chop in the bay might have kept small trailerboats home in the shed but it couldn’t be felt in the Kellick. Under full throttle and at 19kts, the Perkins Sabre wound out to 2500rpm, but its comfortable cruise speed was between 10 and 15kts, giving it an 800-nautical-mile range with its 1600lt fuel tank.

 The steering on this boat is spot-on and as effective as any I have seen in vessels of this size and weight. It manoeuvred effortlessly and quickly across its speed range and the steering was also positive when throttling astern.

The effect of the sandwich foam superstructure on the amount of noise coming into the saloon was noticeable throughout the rev range of the engine, allowing comfortable conversation when underway.

These boats are supplied as tested and there are no options fitted. Generally, one adds their own extras to taste or removes some of the standard items.

For summer cruising in the breeze, a bimini cover over the flybridge will be high on the list and cheap to install off the standard targa.

HIGHS