As quoted in Garry Kerr's book : " Craft and Craftsmen of Australian Fishing," she was said to be the last [fishingl boat to be built in Australia on the solid frame principle. Keith Wilson said: "The Donita's frames were cut out of four inch thick flitches giving an eight by four frame at l8-inch centres... we'd cut the frames out on the big band saw and chop the bevel on after with the adze." The Muir-designed fishing boats and those built at Muir's boatyard were mostly of Huon pine and all showed the same attributes as Jock's ocean-going yachts - easily handled, sea-kindly and safe: 'I approached fishing boats in the same way as I approached building yachts, incorporating what the individual owner wanted. This was most important - like being a good architect of a house." The six fishing boats built at Battery point were:
Marie Laure
She was a 28-foot craft designed by Jock and built for William Dunbabin of Dunalley in the late 1940s. "I've seen her many times since near the Denison canal and she looks very good. She was built before we started splining the hull."
Evelyn
A 25-foot boat built for Alf Barnett of Binalong Bay in the early 1950s and a few years later the Gurynne-B, also designed by Jock and built for Mr Barnett. He has since retired and sold both the boats which are still working in Southern Tasmanian waters.
Blue Seabird (see Page 46)
Dorothy Fay
This well-known 43-foot fishing boat was designed and built for Arnold White of Bicheno in 1964, and is now based in Nubeena, Tasmania.