PETROL ALTERNATIVE
Not long after I'd started working as boating writer in 1983, Harvey Halvorsen of Lars Halvorsen and Sons employed me as a casual charter boat skipper on Sydney Harbour. The regular charter boat was being re-fitted, so Harvey supplied his own Halvorsen 40 Kirribilli, originally launched in July 1967.
Kirribilli was a masterpiece of construction, with beautiful joinery work and completely dry bilges, not expected in a 16-year-old timber hull. Though getting a little tired, the twin big block 7.2L Chrysler 300 brake horsepower V8 Golden Lion inboards were perfectly matched to the hull. And the exhaust burble at low rpm was music to my ears.
Starting the carbie engines involved the usual
