Michael Minogue, who worked for Halvorsen Boats for 25 years, gave evidence at the inquest into the death of Alan Beeby at the Newcastle Coroners Court on Wednesday,

Mr Beeby was 74 years old when he died after his Halvorsen cruiser rolled and sank in a marine accident off Seal Rocks on New South Wales' Mid North Coast at about 2am on January 26, 2020.

He had bought the Eliza 1 on the Gold Coast and he and his son Scott, both experienced sailors, were bringing it back to Lake Macquarie.

Deputy State Coroner Erin Kennedy was told Mr Beeby most likely had a heart attack after falling into the sea.

Counsel Assisting Callan O'Neill said a design defect made the cruiser "top heavy" when it overturned at sea on its way from the Gold Coast to Lake Macquarie.  

Quality 'disappeared':

Mr Minogue said the Halvorsen brand was iconic.

"Halverson started in Australia in 1933, building timber boats on Sydney harbour, and they probably were on their own a little bit in the quality and design of the boats," he said.

Mr Minogue told the inquest the Eliza 1, which cost Mr Beeby $199,000, was built in 2008 at a time when Halvorsen had moved operations to Southern China.

"These were fibre glass boats that they started building … these boats were moulded and they all come out of the same mould."

Mr Minogue said the boats' quality had "disappeared" and their roll resistance to wind and waves had changed.

He left Halvorsen in 2006 and has been a state government ship surveyor in New South Wales since.

In 2020, Mr Minogue was called in to assess a Halvorsen vessel he said was "identical" to the Eliza 1 that had washed ashore at Balmoral Beach. 

The inquest was told the cruiser was written off and then sold for scrap, before being bought and refurbished.

That cruiser is now for sale for $669,000.

Concerns about 'other boat':

Counsel Assisting Callan O'Neill told the deputy state coroner he was worried that any prospective buyer of the boat wrecked at Balmoral could face a safety risk, given a lack of regulation in terms of disclosures.

"This other boat we know is unstable, and unsuitable for use for coastal cruising, and it doesn't appear in any way that this broker could even be aware of that fact," he said.

Nik Parker from the Boating Industry Association told the inquest he was also concerned.

"We have not taken any action so far. We have not have time to sort anything, we haven't engaged with them, but someone will now engage with them for sure," he said.

The ABC spoke to and emailed the broker, who said he did not want to comment, but said it was up to the owner to disclose the history of the boat.

Family calls for broker licences:

Mr Parker said he was worried maritime officials looked at documentation without physically inspecting imported recreational charter boats.

"A boat arrives at a border and a boat comes in on a ship or under its own steam but nobody inspects it," he said.

In a statement read to the court, the Beeby family said they too were concerned about the wrecked boat.

"As a family we would hate to see this vessel repeat the horrible tragedy that happened to the Beeby family," it said. 

The Beeby family told the coroner they wanted a recommendation that "marine brokers should be licensed, just like car dealers, selling a product that is complicated and that can take lives".

"Alan would never be forgotten," their statement said.

"His talent and heart lay on the water. He bought Eliza 1 as a reward for his hard working life, but instead it took his life."

Recommendations are due tomorrow and formal findings are set to be handed down next week.

Videos | Old Halvorsen boats where made in Australia & built of wood!

Original Story By | Giselle Wakatama