A SMALL World War I battleship replica appeared on Beechworth’s Lake Sambell on Remembrance Day this week.

Wangaratta’s Joel Iskov with his daughter Skye created a great deal of interest from the community with many people heading to the Lake to have a look.

Mr Iskov said the boat had originally been a small family canoe built in1950 by the late Gordon Gibson in Wangaratta and used throughout the 1950s and 60s.

As a furniture removalist engaged by Mr Gibson’s son for a move, he came across the steel canoe with a timber seat at the front and back four years ago sitting in a paddock.

“I fell in love with it and bought it off him,” he said.

“I’ve kept its name of Ulysses as it was named after the passenger ship Gordon's great uncle, Rowley Jones embarked to England on in 1916 when he enlisted in World War 1.”

Mr Iskov said he delved into the history getting hold of as much information as he could then built the replica based on the World War I Ulysses battleship H61.

Transforming the vessel into the replica using steel and iron scrap metal, it took six months to get the shape while tinkering with the boat for the last four years.

“It became a labour of love, and this is first time showing her off,” he said.

“We go camping and it’s our fishing boat, and we have a gas cooker and all that on it.”

Local Beechworth resident Lyndan Blackman said it was wonderful to see such an interesting boat on Lake Sambell.