Owners Liz and Brian Brawley documented Bekita for the original bolinder-engines.info site from Mount Compass, South Australia. The boat carries a Bolinder 1052 — the twin-cylinder four-stroke family familiar to UK canal enthusiasts, here at work on a different continent.
Hull and use
Bekita is built of thick jarrah hardwood (owners estimated 25 mm-plus planking, a heavier transom and substantial keel, about 3.5 tonnes all-up). Based at Goolwa on the River Murray, she has been used for overnight trips on narrow freshwater channels such as the Finniss River and for voyages into the Coorong saltwater lagoon system beyond the river mouth locks.
In their first months of ownership the Brawleys refitted cabin and systems extensively: stove and galley, berth arrangements, electrics, LPG lines, steering, and a small solar panel on a new forward hatch — while still covering hundreds of kilometres under way.
The 1052 installation
Practical notes from the owners include dealing with cabin oil fumes by routing sump and rocker breather hoses to the air intake; frequent oil changes on a motor without a filter; a belt-driven Jabsco pump replacing the original water pump; a 35 A alternator in place of the old generator; and a rebuilt gearbox running automatic transmission fluid. These are period owner practices, not factory prescriptions.
