Echuca news

[ljhall]

Yeah Michael mentioned a few new people at the Port, - that's often a good thing.
Apparently Frank Ryan has left and has been replaced by a lady from QLD called Kelly Sampson, Mesh is still working there along with a girl called Annita, - I've never heard of her so she must have been appointed sometime in the last year or so.
Do you happen to know if Rhiannon Mahony is still working there ?

[ljhall]

Gee Sean the 2 capstans look a bit crooked don't they - any ideas what happened there ?

[paddlesteamerman1]

Rhiannon Mahony has left the Port of Echuca and is now in Melbourne IIRC, but Anita has been there ever since I first went up in June 2006 and maybe a bit before that. I think she has been around for a little bit, because I remember Rhiannon speaking about her to me at one stage early on in the piece.

[thewharfonline]

I know the front Capstan was broken- actually I witnessed awhile ago some people spinning around on it, one fell off and knocked himself out, they had to get an ambulance down there. The rear one works as far as I'm aware, it's probably an old age thing though, might need a bit of TLC. As far as I'm aware the whole barge needs tlc, the nice paint job is just that- a paint job, no repairs.

Sean

[michael]

Adelaide and D:26 have been moved so work can be done to the walkway done to Adelaides mooring. D:26 has had its logs removed as half of them were broken and were dangling in the river.
Pevensey was towed up there aswell so it could have its new ash pan placed onboard, and it was fitted today.
Work is being done to the retaining walls below the 'smokeo shed' (where A.A wood is dumped), not seen from the web cam. Then once that is done work will happen on the existing south section of the wharf where pilons will be replaced, no wharf extensions etc, way too expensive, costs nearly 3/4 million dollars just to fix up the existing parts.
Sean there's a rumour D:26 to get towed to Barham to get logs, don't get your hopes up tho!!

[Roderick Smith]

A glimpse of the outrigger system on barge D26 can be seen in the thread
Echuca heritage festival, 7 & 8.10 [Australia] , also in this Preserved Paddle Ships forum.

Here is a better view, taken on Sat.7.10.06 at the heritage festival.  Riverman Sean is wading via D26 to board PS Ranger.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[thewharfonline]

That was the first time I've stepped in that water- very muddy.

Then I jumped onto Ranger, went for a drive and worried James on the Adelaide.

I loooove the rumour Michael- you thinking of taking part?

Maybe they'll have a film crew on board again.

Sean

[ljhall]

Sean, it looks like the logs were taken off the D26 late last week, the is an article in Monday's Riv. Herald, and in the photo, the logs are still on board, it says that the photo was taken on the Wednesday.
Today the A.A. has moored just in behind the Pevensey, the Adelaide is still rafted off the Pev.
M.V. Mary Ann is currently on the Slipway.

[michael]

Echuca wharf will be closed to all visitors and port authority from Wednesday 5th March - Tuesday 11th March while work is done to it.
Port boats will be out of action unless there has been school bookings or weddings where they will loaded at the onion patch. Otherwise boats will be tied up away from the wharf and the rosterd crew will do maintenance including Painting PS Adelaide, working on the steam display and cleaning Pevenseys bildge!! Very yuck!
There will be a sailpast and fireworks Easter Sunday night

[thewharfonline]

Wow can anyone work out a previous event where such a large scale working bee has ever happened at the Port?

Sean

[michael]

Well after a week away in Melbourne i finally got down the port to see what was happening, as most may find the webcam isn't working, argh!
PS James Maiden had just towed Etona to the onion patch behind Pevensey as there is some religion thing happening there tomorrow, so Rob was finally cleaning her up, a little!
PS Adelaide has had some painting done, not as much as I'd expected, mostly the sunken cabin had a undercoat, I hope Pev's bildges are sparkling clean!
As you can see the wharf platform is totally gone and I'm not sure what pilons will be replaced, the wharf will re-open and paddlesteamer trips begin tomorrow 12th.

[ljhall]

Thanks for the update Michael !
Yeah, I noticed the webcam was out of action, then it was re-connected, now it's off again.
There sure are some changes happening at the moment, with the Wharf being partially re-built etc. - though even at the current rate, I can't see it being finished by the end of May.

I'd like to make the trip down for Steam Fest in October, but still not sure on whether I'll be able to make it.

Cheers,

[Roderick Smith]

I have just cruised Jessie II from Deep Creek (1660 km) nearly to Cape Horn Winery (1736 km) and return, aborting a planned Barmah journey when we got stuck in 30 cm depth with no time to search for a channel.

Sightings:
Sat.29.3: PV Sundowner at Michael's marina in Merrigum.  PV Cameron of Lochiel still at the engineering yard on the Echuca fringe.  PV Florence Annie on the hard at Deep Creek Marina.  (See extra note).

Sun.30.3:
PV Colonial Lass near 1674 km.  It looks top heavy, but doesn't have outrigger floats, and hasn't fallen over yet.
PS Barmah, now with the shortened name mounted prominently on the paddleboxes, between the Campaspe junction and the port of Echuca.
All the Echuca boats: Michael or Leith can list the positions.  I was too busy steering in congested water to take notes.
The slip had a barge (which isn't D26).
Etona is on the Victorian bank.
The wet dock held PS/V Britannia (dual powered), PS Henry Charles, possibly more but I couldn't see, and didn't have even 30 cm of water to sneak in and look.
Nothing between there and Cape Horn.
Work was in progress on rebuilding the upriver end of the historic wharf.

Mon.31.3.  The new owner of Florence Annie was aboard and invited me to inspect his work and discuss his plans (he had come round to inspect my boat, recognising it at a distance as a Tennessee).
The hull was holed when the river dropped, and the 12 t boat settled onto a stump.  That didn't cause a significant leak: the bilge pump could cope, and the boat paddled from Perricoota Homestead to Deep Creek for slipping.
The new owner plans to live aboard, at a mooring near Waikerie (SA).
He realises that it may take many months to voyage all the way through.
I was surprised how spacious the interior is.
The hull below the main deck provides about 1.2 m clearance for the diesel engine, and nearly full headroom for the lower forecabin, which the new owner will use as his main bedroom.  The wheelhouse above the forecabin is sufficiently spacious to be a day lounge / dining saloon too.
Behind this, on the main deck: a galley kitchen with full size stove/oven, and room opposite for a full size fridge and a pot-belly stove.
Next: a toilet opposite a shower.
Next: the main bedroom, which will be used as a music studio by the new owner.
He is recladding the deckhouses and roof with hardiflex (a cement-sheet product); the framing is good.

Tuesday update: judging from the photos which my deckie was taking with my camera, working upriver:
Below the commercial wharves: PV Amelia Jane.
On the slip: a barge
Commercial wharves: PS Emmylou, PS Canberra, PV Pride of the Murray in some order (but we crossed all three out on the water), also MV Mary Ann.
Between the commercial wharves and the historic wharf: PS Hero, PS Perricoota, PS James Maiden, PS Ranger, PS Etona, PS Alexander Arbuthnot.
At the historic wharf: PS Pevensey.
Wet dock: PS/PV Britannia, PS Henry Charles, possibly P Billy Tea (no propulsion), possibly SWPS Adventurous: these two weren't seen.
Onion Patch, above the wet dock: PS Adelaide, barge D26.

Have an April Fool joke: PS Britannia has sunk to the bottom.  [Also have the punchline: conceivably it is sitting on the bottom with perhaps 40 cm, maybe less, water just now].

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[michael]

Here's Florence Annie at Deep Creek, note the brown sky, had gale force winds whipping up the bare land.

[ljhall]

Hi Michael,

Yeah, I heard about the wild weather on Wednesday, hope everything is OK !
The 'Florence Annie' moving on to S.A. seems to be in-line with the current trend doesn't it...
There's a whole heap of boats from the VIC./N.S.W. Section that have moved down to S.A.
For example;
P.V. Matilda - Red Cliffs / Mildura to Tailem Bend ?
S.W.P.V. Gypsy Ellen - Barmah to Nor-West Bend / Cadell - sometime in 2004
P.V. Lady Rae - Heathcote to Echuca to Murray Bridge
S.W.P.V. Waradgery - (Possibly still at Colignan, but to be moved down to Murray Bridge)
P.V. Black Shag - Murray Downs Marina to S.A. - (NOT SURE WHERE EXACTLY)
S.W.P.V. Tamara Rae - Wemen to Moorook
P.V. Ronald Henry - Bruce's Bend near Mildura to Lyrup
Andrew Cook's Sternwheeler - Swan Hill/Murray Downs to Mildura to Cadell

It might eventually even things up a bit as I did a rough calculation and counted about 100 or so boats from Albury to Wentworth inclusive and only about 52 or 53 in the S.A. Section.

I splitted the VIC./N.S.W. Section up and counted;
 
5 or 6 from Albury to Undera (where the 'Bull Frog' sits.)
30 in the Echuca / Moama District (including the Hulls of the 'Australien' & 'Edwards'.)
16 from the Thule - Wakool - Barham / Koondrook - Swan Hill / Murray Downs - Dingwall - Ultima &
Robinvale / Euston areas.
And a record breaking 52 or 53 boats from Colignan to Wentworth inclusive, some of which haven't even been launched yet.

Roderick, the boats in the Wet Dock behind the 'Britannia' & 'Henry Charles' are the 'Billy Tea' still without an engine and the 'Tooraloora', still very much under construction and of course the 'B22' Barge - largely exposed and sitting on the left hand side.
I think the 'Adventurous' is still on the owners property being re-built, - I haven't heard otherwise !

Did you happen to see the 'Ivy May', moored up near the Abbatoirs ? - she's the newish one that had her Sternwheel removed sometime last year.

Cheers,