PS Canally (Australia)

[Roderick Smith]

The work proceeded faster than expected.  I visited on Tues.6.1.
By the end of Thurs.8.1, Canally was floating to coaming level.
By Fri.9.1, it was floating properly.
To avoid a repetition, it is to be shifted to a shallow side creek.
Any drop of water would leave it stranded, but not sunk, and the water would rise again in another season.
The level here is governed by Euston Weir, and is usually at pool level.

I have yet to hear if any damage was sustained (unlikely), or how tricky the job will be to pump out remaining mud.
One casualty: the bilge pump.  It went down fighting; the water damage to the generator motor may be irreparable, and it isn't a cheap item to replace.  It had been retrieved only the day before I arrived, so the condition was still being assessed.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

There are several ways of spreading news: telephone, television, and tel a Mike.  This time, I am first.
Canally is being relocated to a new base, which I understand will be Morgan (SA).
The tow from Robinvale to Colignan was troublefree.
The journey contines for another 2 weeks.  From the people involved, I am guessing that the tow vessel is PV Impulse.
I am not sure what the new source of funding will be, or the source of the new labour pool.
The Robinvale team had dwindled, and was growing older, and was becoming increasingly disillusioned after the sinking, and more recent theft/vandalism.
Euston Club, which had been a major financial supporter, had had to cut back with money to ride through the global financial crisis, and local lack of money after successive drought years.

A photo in the new creek site was attached to
www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2475.msg29349#msg29349
With the river way up, the creek was almost as large as the river is normally.

Attached is another on that day.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[michael]

They have so far made it to Mildura, estimating about 9km/hr heading downstream. No snags hit yet!!

[michael]

Canally always seems to invloved in tandem towing!!

[Roderick Smith]

Both of the progress photos are microscopic: possibly sent to Michael from a mobile phone via an ipod.
Is the leading vessel in this second photo PV Matthew James?
Is the coming together for a purpose, or just an opportunity to voyage with friends?

Is there any way of getting larger views?

Apart from my magazine running late, this is now ski season, when I explore the uppermost reaches of the Murray (Howqua, Delatite, Ovens, Kiewa, and Snowy above the diversion point, which includes Thredbo River).  I can't drop everything and scoot to SA.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

There is now a PS Canally page on facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/PS-Canally-Port-of-Morgan-a-new-begining/164385143629337?ref=nf
In the perpetual fragmentation of internet information (the medium has long since ceased to spread or share news, it buries news), I was forced to join.
I did so by anonymising every aspect which I could.  Even so, I get messages from facebook 'you may like to make these people your facebook friends'.  Frighteningly, they are people whom I know, and who don't know that I am a member.
Hence, when I clicked on the link I could get straight in, but others may not.  There are perhaps 100 photos up: a couple of historical ones (Canally was the first boat through new lock 11, Mildura, in 1927); lots on stages of restoration in Robinvale, and about 25 of the current move.
Everything is anonymous, but almost certainly I do know both posters in real life.
One is using 'PS Canally Port of Morgan a new begining' as a posting name; the other is using 'Wall'.

I am reposting the larger version of the two which Michael posted.  I could post the whole lot (can anonymous people claim copyright?), but it is too much work.

Here is a hard-work condensation of unreadable facebook, in reverse time sequence.

I don't know which world clock facebook uses: Aha there is one clue: the 16.30 Mon.27.6 lockage was reported at 2.21 Monday, which certainly was not 14 h premature, more like 10 h behind.
added 35 new photos to the album 2009 the Refloat.
Yesterday [ie Tues.5.7?] added 16 new photos to the album Sunk at its mooring.
Yesterday added 36 new photos to the album Rebuilding a great vessel.
Yesterday 26 new photos to the album The restoring goes on by the dedicated team.
added 14 new photos to the album Junction Rally trip a few years back.
added 35 new photos to the album The Restoration by the Friends of Canally.
added 13 new photos to the album Paddle Shaft Bearings.
PV Mathew James tows Impulse and Canally at Red Cliffs.
Sat.2.7 added 16 new photos to the album 1998 Canally is raised from Boundary Bend.
PS Canally was raised from the mud by the Rivers and Riverboat Historical and Preservation Society, Port of Mildura.
Saturday added 10 new photos to the album CANALLY the Early days.
Sat.2.7 at 18.53 (Victoria or USA?)
Impulse has a breakdown, broken drive chain, will re-access the Canally tow on Mon.4.7. PV Mathew James came to assist.
Take a virtual tour of Mildura's history and river www.murrayriver.com.au
Morgan SA www.youtube.com
20hp Marshall portable steam engine made in 1913 in Gainsborough England will go in the Canally. It came from the Edward River Sawmill NSW and was use up until 1967.
Canally was the first boat to go through Lock 11 Mildura in 1927
84 years later it will again go into the lock next Sunday, 3.7.
Thurs.30.6 at 1.43 added 18 new photos to the album Canally Euston to Colignan.
Wed.29.6 at 22.05 PS Canally is now at Colignan, not taking much water and will continue to Mildura on the weekend.
Day 2,  Canally is leaving Wemen, and all is going well.
Sat.25.6, 21.25. Paddle wheels loaded on the Canally by crane
Mon.27.6, 17.14 Impulse arriving to take up the tow to SA.
Mon.27.6 at 2.21.  Canally has started its trip to Morgan SA. It passed through lock 15 at 16.30 on Mon.27.6 on its way to SA.
It will go on the slipway in Berri for the month of August for repairs and will be in Morgan for the October long weekend

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[thewharfonline]

What a great facebook page, a lot of photos. Someone's doing a good job at getting that material online, which is great.

If they utilise their social media marketing well they could try and grab some additional funding from members of the public. There are some great 'crowd funding' websites popping up, it's the latest fad for raising money for projects (usually artistic, but now more areas are jumping on board) we're trying to raise money for a show through a website called Indiegogo but there's no reason why some of these restorations couldn't use it as well, and start grabbing some funding from visiting tourists, and the rest of the internet that would be interested in seeing these boats back on the water.

They're more than welcome to employ me to set it up for them, so if any of you pass on this information, feel free to pass on my details too! 

[Roderick Smith]

I was emailed on Sunday night: with PV Impulse now repaired, the tow was resuming from Mildura on Mon.11.7.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

It is hard to double-guess the progress, but from a Mon.11.7 start, Impulse should be able to achieve the drop off at Berri, and be back at Wentworth for the Sat.23 & Sun.24.7 Ferguson tractor rally.  I am having to skip that.  I have a club 50th anniversary event in Ballarat, which could fit with a continuing drive for the Sunday, but I am doing four issues in 9 weeks before heading to China.

Possible progress:
Mon.11.7: Mildura - Abbotsford bridge (afternoon opening), but too late for lock 10.
Tues.12.7: 8.00 lock 10; 16.00 lock 9 and camp out.
Wed.13.7: lock 8 before the lunch break; lock 7 late afternoon; camp out.
Thurs.14.7: Border Cliffs, or a little below.
Fri.15.7: lock 6 at 8.00; Paringa bridge for the afternoon opening (probably too tight), then lock 5 and camp out.
Sat.16.7: Berri early afternoon, or Paringa bridge for the morning, lock 5 and Berri for the late afternoon.

Return
Sun.17.7: Berri in the morning, for lock 5 in the afternoon and the afternoon bridge opening.  Overnight Renmark, or push on.
Mon.18.7: lock 6 before lunch, push on.
Tues.19.7: lock 7 in the morning; lock 8 in the afternoon.
Wed.20.7: lock 9 in the morning; lock 10 in the afternoon.  Goal achieved, with 2 days in hand.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

I didn't get to Wentworth, but I do have an email stating that Impulse was there, so the tow must have been completed successfully.
I guess that the skipper also had to get back to his farm and collect his own entry for the rally.

I am waiting for a list of all the paddleboats which attended.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[kpmyers]

Just a quick intro/ i am Kevin Myers from Cadell the person behind the relocation to Morgan of PS Canally.
I am also responsible for the Facebook sight and website  http://pscanally.net78.net/
Canally is currently waiting to go on the slip at Berri (15th August) to have 20 new planks in the bottom and be totally re-caulked.  All entries on the facebook page by "PS Canally Port of Morgan a new begining" are mine.
The Mid Murray Council ( PS Marion) has backed the move of Canally to Morgan with $120,000
Feel free to ask any questions regarding the re-location.
regards
Kevin Myers
Deputy Mayor
Mid Murray Council
(the WALL is a facebook page not a person)

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's & welcome Kevin...........we have many OZ members here & great detail of our heritage paddling the rivers..... ...we look forward to reading & viewing the progress in the restoration of PS Canally & many more  on http://pscanally.net78.net/

Derek 

[Roderick Smith]

Welcome Kevin, you did an excellent job with the coverage of the first-stage of the Canally delivery.
Which vessel will do the Berri - Morgan tow? PV Hebe?  One of the privatised government workboats?

I will be in China, and will miss the Industry Berri voyage, and the Canally tow to Morgan, and the long weekend in Morgan.
I guess that you will cover two of the three, possibly three of the three?

SA does a much better job than NSW of having the Murray as a tourist trail: water which is navigable, riverside towns (with that wonderful SA limestone architecture, and great pubs) with boat-friendly moorings, the cliffs sections, and now a judicious sprinkling of preserved steam boats on which an overseas or interstate visitor could base a program: Oscar W at Goolwa; Marion at Mannum; Canally at Morgan and Industry at Renmark.  Toss in commercial voyages (sleep aboard and day vessels) and Murray River Queen b&b, and the ability to hire your own houseboat and explore the lot, plus photographing the private vessels: a paddleboater's paradise.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

On Fri.8.3.13, PS Oscar W (which had come from Goolwa) set forth towing PS Canally's decked hull from Morgan to Berri.
River gossip at Goolwa was that the professional shipwright working on the hull (who is based in Echuca) preferred Berri as a work location.
The hull had been slipped in 2011; I don't know if this round of work requires slipping again.

The news comes from member Bruce Perrott (builder of PV Chloe, which is nearly ready to launch).  He is having trouble logging on: he can view as a guest, but can't post.
In recent times we have met aboard a PS Marion voyage to Berri, at the PS Melbourne centenary, and at Goolwa Wooden Boat Festival.  We'll catch up again at Wentworth Junction Rally, although with no promise that that will be Chloe's maiden voyage.

PS Oscar W towed the Canally hull to Berri, starting off on 8.3, and arriving on 11.3.  Crew on Canally comprised the guys involved on the restoration; most swagged it on the deck as the weather was a scorcher with  temperate in the mid 40s (deg C) with the nights cooling down to mid 20s.  The river  was great for an evening tub.  Heaps of pics floating around; everybody had a camera on board...being a long weekend the banks of the Murray were lined with campers all busy taking pics.  It was quite a sight and a first for me being towed along, waiting for some pics of the whole flotilla.

[stephenf10]

I'm wondering why PS Oscar had to come all the way from Goolwa to do this job. Were there no other boats closer to that part of the river that could have done it, e.g. PS Industry or a private boat?

Stephen.