Dawn Fraser is being scrapped in February. The ferry Collaroy is on the chopping block too. Why is there no historical significance to the government in regards to these boats? Surely even if owned by a private organisation for historical reasons.
Posted by bobbly_bob_vg
10 Comments
Noooooo I love those weird millipede creatures
I think the issue right now is that the heritage organisations around the harbour can’t even look after the existing heritage stock as it is. Just look at the MV Baragoola, which sank at its berth, and the MV Cape Don, which is threatening to do the same. And there isn’t a lot of private interest in the old ferries either.
What happened to all the hydrofoils? I only got to ride on one once.
And wasn’t there a hovercraft or two at one stage? Missed out on them.
Also, I understand the South Steyne is being restored. Loved watching the pistons gracefully moving up and down as a teenager.
Also, they were brilliant in heavy weather.
Good, horrible. The seating at the front awful with the backrest being a steal beam. Who designs something as shit as that?
I absolutely hate that their replacements have a really shitty outdoor seating area / view. Did whoever approve the design not realise that a good view outdoors is like one of the main drawcards for those riding the ferry who are not commuting? SMH
Maintaining ships costs money. If you leave them by the dock, they will rot and eventually sink at their mooring. If you bring them onto land, it’s less costly in the long run, but it still costs money and if you just leave it, it will rot.
The government would have to pay for it, because no private organisation is going to look after it. Generally a museum ship needs to have historical relevance and be interesting. While it may have some historical relevance, it isn’t interesting. It’s a ferry.
Look at the Oberon Class Submarines. Historically relevant and interesting as submarines.
Onslow was given to the Government to be put on show at the Maritime Museum in Sydney. It’s in a central location, gets plenty of visitors. Still requires maintenance regularly.
Ovens was given to the WA government to be put on show at the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle. It’s in a slip and no longer in the water, because that would be too costly, as well as allowing easier access for the musuem. Still requires maintenance regularly and at least when i’ve visited was in worse condition than Onslow.
Otama was purchased by a private organisation in 2001, they didn’t realise the actual costs of looking after it, and so it lay rotting in Western Port Bay until it was eventually scrapped in 2022.
Otway was sold for scrap, the people of Holbrook bought only the upper casing, fin and stern. Everything that would require any deeper maintenance was scrapped.
So 2 and a bit of the 6 vessels were saved. That is pretty much the best case scenario.
Then you have to look at MV Baragoola. Ex Manly Ferry, was saved and kept to be a museum ship etc. Money just wasn’t there, so it eventually sank at it’s moorings in 2022. That would be the fate of Dawn Fraser.
So first the trains, now the ferries. What next? The busses? Buildings, roads, cars??? History is to be cherished and preserved, not cast aside and forgotten. Why is that so hard for so many to understand?
They were great ferries
People who buy old ships have the best of intentions.
Wow! An old ferry going for a bargain price? What a deal, and so much history. Surely everyone else feels the same as me! I’ll convert it into a floating restaurant/casino/museum.
Then they find out that boats aren’t like historic trains, planes or buses which you can stick in a field or shed for 20 years and tinker away on your passion project whenever you have a couple of hundred bucks from your sausage sizzle at Bunnings. Boats need regular maintenance to stay afloat. That’s tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars (depending on the vessel size) which has to be paid upfront before the vessel can go into dry dock or on the slip.
On top of that you need somewhere to berth the vessel. Somewhere that has access for workers, visitors and emergency services.
What do you do if your boat need to go on a slip to keep it seaworthy, but the nearest slip is up the coast? Do you risk taking it outside?
Soon the dream isn’t what it was and they play the history card hoping for the Govt to bail them out and take control of the vessel.
was just in one yesterday and thinking man this thing is old