Boatie guard of honour at Straddie send-off for young dad, marine mechanic Scott Broadbent

Dozens of boats lined Toondah Harbour to mark the sudden death of a well-known Redland outboard mechanic, who was farewelled at a Straddie service overlooking Moreton Bay. SEE THE VIDEO

The sad service was held on the foreshore at Dunwich. Picture: McCartney Funerals

Dozens of boats formed a flotilla guard of honour around Toondah Harbour at Cleveland as a sign of respect for a well-known boat mechanic and engineer, young dad Scott Broadbent, who died suddenly this month.

The 39-year-old, who grew up at Point Halloran, ran a successful boat repairs and marine engineering business out of his home at Carbrook, Logan.

The bayside boating fraternity followed the car barge with Mr Broadbent’s coffin to Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island, his favourite fishing spot.

Dozens of boats made a guard of honor around the Straddie ferry as it took the body of Scott Broadbent to his funeral service at Little Ship Club at Dunwich. Pictures: Contributed

His grieving wife Julianne, a police officer at Beenleigh, organised a procession to take her husband’s body to the Little Ship Club on Straddie for the service on Friday.

Fittingly, the coffin was wrapped in an image of fish jumping out of a deep lake while an angler caught a fish from a boat.

Scott Broadbent’s children daughter Amity and Tyler in front of his coffin on the foreshore. Picture: McCartney Funerals

Family and friends gathered on the foreshore at Dunwich with the backdrop of Moreton Bay, where Mr Broadbent had spent his childhood crabbing and fishing and skurfing with his mates.

The crowd heard how as a teen, he and his friends from Victoria Point State High would take their tinnies and camp out on Straddie, later picking up buckets of hot chips from the canteen on Coochie.

Stories about his love of driving fast Subaru cars, outboard motors, and even being an Australian Thundercat champion were told along with his double life as a “dance dad”, pony club dad and driving his daughter to school listening to the song “Scotty Poop”.

His love of Straddie was paramount and he named his daughter after the island’s beauty spot, Amity.

Friends of Scott Broadbent at his funeral at North Stradbroke Island. Picture: McCartney Funerals

He was known for being able to strip down a boat engine and rebuild it within minutes along with his knack of making people laugh with his funny voices and catchphrase “Verrry Niiice”.

Friends also recalled with fondness the times spent together, whether it was being towed back to shore in rough weather or sharing laughs over close calls during their island boating escapades.

The couple’s children, son Tyler and daughter Amity, told how their dad had helped shape their lives while busy running his successful marine mechanic business.

One of his greatest joys was being a dedicated member of the Millennium Physie and Dance community for his daughter over the past nine years.

Scott Broadbent with son Tyler and wife Julianne. Picture: Contributed

His wife also told how the pair grew up in the same street at Victoria Point and were later in the same high school class, 8E.

But it was years later, when they met up again at Julianne’s 25th birthday 15 years ago, that they became a couple.

“From that night on, we have never left each other,” Ms Broadbent said.

“He was the best husband and dad any family could have and people can search the entire world and never be as lucky as I was finding him – he was the love of my life.”

Ms Broadbent was at work the day her husband died after leaving him sleeping to start an early shift.

Scott Broadbent with his daughter Amity and wife Julianne. Picture: Contributed

He had started work on June 14 with son Tyler in a shed on their acreage property.

Ms Broadbent received a phone call at 3.30pm to say he had not arrived at their daughter’s school to pick her up at 1pm.

After calling to get her daughter picked up from school, she realised something terrible had happened and started driving home, only to be caught in traffic.

Son Tyler had called an ambulance after finding Mr Broadbent had suffered a stroke at the family home.

Tyler had spent the morning with his dad and had told him how much he had loved him moments before Mr Broadbent had left to do the school pick-up.

Family and friends have started a GoFundMe page to help Ms Broadbent and the children, who are caring for many of the family’s horses.

Originally published as Boatie guard of honour at Straddie send-off for young dad, marine mechanic Scott Broadbent