It took years of searching, more than a little persistence, and the luck of being in the right place at the right time, but the original jet boat driven by “Relic,” on the beloved TV series The Beachcombers, has been returned to its rightful home — Gibsons, B.C.
Deano Fatovic has been a life-long fan of the beloved CBC series, which ran from 1972 to 1990, and followed the trials and tribulations of “Nick Adonidas” Bruno Gerussi, a Greek Canadian log salvager based out of Gibsons, who with his partner “Jesse Jim” (Pat John), made their living aboard the logging tugboat, the Persephone. But it was the dishevelled and gruff Relic who often stole the show as the competition, stealing logs and business away from Nick whenever he got the chance. Much of the show was filmed in and around Molly’s Reach, the iconic restaurant still located on the Gibson’s waterfront. (The restaurant itself has been closed for the past year.)
Fatovic says after The Beachcombers ended, the boats used in the show over the years, including Relic's HiBaller I and II, were eventually sold and largely forgotten about, with the exception of locals, fans and the many cast and crew members who worked on the series.
“It was the early '90s and things kind of fell off the map,” says Fatovic, who has worked in transportation in the TV and film industry in Vancouver for the past 20 years. “We didn't quite have the internet and nobody knew anything about it. But when my wife [Ingrid Mclaine] and I started looking for a place [on the Sunshine Coast], I started thinking about Relic’s boat.”
That was 10 years ago, but it was in 2020 when the couple decided to get serious with their search by asking questions and scouring the internet. He notes there were several sellers who claimed to have found either the HiBaller I or II, which led to an anticipatory trip to Nanaimo.
“I have relatives in Nanaimo and friends. So, we started asking around there. We got the first lead on that boat and we went and talked to the guy, and he told us he would show it to us.”
The man stopped answering Fatovic's calls, but he had already told them where the boat was.
“So, we went to the boat and we could see where it was in the auto wrecking yard, at the very back. And, it was not the boat. And the reason why I could tell because the steering was actually on the wrong side,” says Fatovic. “That was the instant giveaway. Then I went to analyze the pictures and after I looked at the hull and the way the hull was designed and everything. It definitely wasn't the boat but this guy was convinced it was.”
The couple then started asking about the boat at every commercial harbour they visited along the West Coast of B.C., with the idea someone had to know something about this boat. It was a stop in Secret Cove that got the ball rolling.
“As we pulled in for the evening and we were checking our boat in, I said, ‘You know, this might be off topic, but I'm looking for an old boat. It's the old jet boat off The Beachcombers.’ And he says, the boat’s not here, but the owner is moored right behind yours. That was John Smith's boat.”
Fatovic connected with Smith who told him the boat was in Sointula, a fishing village on Malcolm Island, located between northern Vancouver Island and the mainland. Fatovic was excited with the news, but had to get back to Vancouver for work, so put a visit to the island off for several months and added it as a detour to their upcoming pre-planned vacation. The couple took the ferry from Port McNeil to Sointula and after asking around the coffee shop, they took a slow drive down the roads and back alleys of the village, before heading down to the dock, where they struck up a conversation with two men.
“One of them said, ‘I think that boat actually used to sit up the block here in the back, I do recall that boat,’” says Fatovic. “Then he says, but it hasn’t been here for years, but if you want to talk to the owners, he’s sitting right over there at the burger shack having fish and chips. And, I’m like, 'You’re kidding.'”
Turns out the owner, “Steve,” was only in town for a few hours between fishing trips, so the chances of the couple being there at the same time were minimal. But determined to find the boat, Fatovic introduced himself to the man, who confirmed her did indeed own the Hiballer II but wasn’t interested in selling.
Undeterred, Fatovic got the man’s phone number and called him once a month for the next year. That’s when he saw a Facebook post that the boat had been sold and was going to be moved to Port McNeil. Fatovic contacted Steve, who told him the sale wasn’t a done deal and to make him an offer, which he did.
“And, then I got the phone call, “Do you want to come and get it?”
Turns out the boat had been stored in a yard for 20 years and had to be moved as quickly as possible, so the couple raced up to Black Creek and the deal was done, with the exception of buying a boat trailer and renting a crane.
Fatovic says the first thing they did was look for identifying markers, including its length and width, original dents on the hull, the rear swim grid and some numbers that were welded on the old dashboard of the boat.
“So, I crawled up under the dashboard and, of course, half the dash is missing, right? But then there's a little section on the side that has the last two numbers of the registration numbers still welded into it and I'm thinking, okay, now we’re 100 per cent sure.”
John Smith, who built the boat for the show in 1972, told the Coast Reporter he can confirm it’s the original. In 1987, Smith left The Beachcombers to work on the TV series Sea Hunt.
“And, the boat was sold to a guy over on Vancouver Island. I kind of lost track of it, but I've been trying to buy it back for a few years, but then this other seller bought it.”
As for the future of the boat, Fatovic plans to have it restored to as original as can be, considering a lack of available parts. He has several ideas for its use going forward, but nothing has been decided, except where the boat will be located. A Facebook page dedicated to the boat's restoration has already garnered a lot of attention. The couple plans to keep the page updated as the work is completed.
“It’s staying in Gibsons,” says Fatovic.
