He's made a cuppa for the PM, been accidentally sunk by a customer and often keeps nude sunbathers caffeinated, but some still find the appearance of “the Mr Whippy of the waves” a little difficult to fathom.

“There are those who are convinced I must be an illusion and are quite intrigued by the whole concept,” says Garry White, who has been floating around Sydney Harbour serving freshly brewed coffee to boaties, fisherman, beachgoers and kayakers since 2001.

Garry White has made coffee for everyone from PMs to nudists.

Putting around in his 5.8 metre runabout, which he built from a converted army boat, the owner of Harbour Cafe Craft has undergone quite the career change. White was an agricultural economist and a one-time political lobbyist in Canberra before retiring – allegedly.

But his mind started ticking while watching his son at a Little Athletics, where a bloke was doing a roaring trade selling coffee from a trailer.