Long-lost ‘Beachcombers’ jetboat returns to Gibsons, B.C. for restoration

More than 30 years after The Beachcombers went off the air, a homecoming of sorts is underway for the iconic Canadian TV series.
The show, which followed the adventures of a group of marine log salvagers was filmed in Gibsons on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast for nearly two decades and naturally featured plenty of boats.
One of those boats, the Persephone — operated by protagonist Nick Adonidas (Bruno Gerussi) — has long been a feature of downtown Gibsons.
Now the ‘HiBaller II,’ a jetboat operated by Adonidas’ beachcombing rival and fan favourite character Relic (Robert Clothier) is coming back as well.
When the series ended in 1990, the boat passed through several hands before it simply disappeared.
Sunshine Coast resident and self-described Beachcombers “superfan” Deano Fatovic spent more than a decade searching the coast for the vessel.
“I’d go to all the commercial docks because that’s where the working boats would always be, and I just asked the guys, the old timers that were there, and they’d been there for years with their old fish boats and work boats and stuff like that,” Fatovic told Global News.
“It’s Canadian history, right? And, you know, that’s what I thought all the time … this is too iconic for the West Coast. It has to be brought back and restored.”
Fatovic ultimately located what he believed to be the HiBaller II on Vancouver Island, and taking a chance, he bought it.
He then got in touch with the builder’s son, who confirmed it was the real deal.
“The boat was built to be a Beachcomber. That’s what I did for a living,” N. John Smith, who built the boat, told Global News.
“The television series was only in Gibsons for a few months of the year, but I beachcombed the rest of the year with the boat, so it was my normal workboat.”
Workboat though it may have been, the HiBaller II won fans for its speed and thrilling jumps.
Smith served as a water coordinator and technical advisor on the series and performed many of the stunts.
“There was another episode written where I had to jump over 12 boats and land on the 13th,” he said. “So I just took the boat and measured how far I had to run to get it up to speed to go on certain distance and came down and we did it in one take – got it in the first time.”
In Gibsons, it’s hoped the HiBaller II’s return could help the community cash in on nostalgia and film tourism.
There’s already a Beachcombers section at the local museum, and the Persephone is currently awaiting a restoration of its own.
Molly’s Reach, the restaurant and community hub that served as the venue for many of the show’s scenes, is currently up for lease.
“People can kind of take ownership of the show … The beautiful thing about Gibsons is that it hasn’t changed,” said Jackson Davies, who starred in the series as RCMP Const. John Constable.
“When you have things like the jetboat there and the Persephone and Molly’s Reach, there are memories on every street, it’s not a studio; Gibsons (itself) was a character in the show.”
Fatovic said he plans to restore the boat as closely as possible to its silver-screen form.
He’s hoping it will one day be displayed with the Persephone, though not before he has the chance to “take it for a spin” himself.