Rick Stout comments (Mar. 12, 2017): I spent many childhood years aboard the Kimcee. Bob Porter bought it from Harold Oatt's estate in about 1975 (Harold owned Owen Sound Die and Engineering in around the 1400 block on 2nd ave east). The Kimcee went to its death in about 1978 under Porter's ownership in Bradford at Albert's Marina. Oatt bought the boat from Jim Hicks in 1974.
Jim was my father's life long best friend from childhood as well as neighbour on the east hill. We boated everywhere together with the Kimcee and my father's Rayn Bow II built by Jim Dowkes in Owen Sound. The Christian Island story about the name was actually Jim Hick's story as we went every summer with the two boats to Beausoliel Island. My father and Jim's schedule was always to stop for the night at either Christian Island Dock or at mainland Cedar Point dock to split the trip up to and from Owen Sound.
Bob is right to the fact that the Christian Island people would make a big deal over the Kimcee but they remembered the Kimcee and Rayn Bow II from year to year. Once a small group of Islanders missed the RA Hoey ferry to the mainland and they came to Jim and the Kimcee to take them across. Jim and my dad took them aboard the Kimcee while the women and us kids stayed behind on the Rayn Bow II. Those Islanders always remembered the name Kimcee as the boat that took them across. I remember one guy would come down the Christian Island dock and in a deep voice all he'd say is "KIMCEE KIMCEE". In a small community like Christian Island the name Kimcee spread as a good boat and the boat that helped their friends.
However one night Jim did catch a couple of guys taking the lines off both boats to set them adrift. Jim's wife Lola now 90 yrs old next month lives with daughter Debbie here in Midland and are still like family to me. Jim always figured the name Kimcee came from the Kimberly-Clark Company.
Jim bought the Kimcee from Orv Moore in about 1958-59 who owned it when the 1957 bay swim picture (top) was taken. In the early 60's Jim built a raised wheelhouse over the aft cockpit as well as extending the hull. Jim's brother John was a welder at Russel Brothers in the 50's and early 60's but in 1965 both brothers bought the Cliff Budge property next to the Georgian Yacht Club and started The Owen Sound Marina. John built three steel boats on the property, The 45 ft Brookholm for Earl Taylor in 1967, the 28 ft Duffy III for Harold Smith in 1969 and one last 36 ft hull for resale.
As said in 1974 Jim Hick's sold the Kimcee to finish the 36ft hull for himself and named it Debbie Anne after daughter Debbie. Here is a picture of the Kimcee taken from the Rayn Bow II as we were departing Christian Island in the summer of 1967.
http://marinerail.com
