This was a much tamer festival than most of recent years. Very few private boats participated. There was no street theatre. There was no blessing of the fleet, and no raft-up spanning the river.
Like many other events around the state, patronage was affected by the Australian Football League grand final on Sat.25.9 being a draw (the third such time in over 100 years of the league). At earlier finals, there are rules to cover play to an outcome; they don't apply to a grand final, which was replayed a week later.
I drove up on Sat.2.10 afternoon, collected my prebooked ticket for the evening cruise, then settled into a pub for some laptop time for RNV.
At 17.45, I boarded the port's PS Alexander Arbuthnot for the sailpast cruise and fireworks watching. We cruised up the river to the site of Maiden's punt, then down nearly to the Campaspe junction, then up with the assembling fleet:
PS Emmylou
PS Alexander Arbuthnot
PV Pride of the Murray
PS Canberra
PS Britannia (using the steam for the evening)
PS Perricoota
We got the prime position for the fireworks display, then eased back along the wharf to disembark.
Perricoota returned to its mooring; Britannia stayed out overnight, then used the auxiliary diesel to return to the wet dock in the morning.
Other boats at the port, not moving:
PS Pevensey (regarded as too tricky to handle with the water up)
PS Adelaide (needing survey slipping)
PS Etona
PS Henry Charles
PS Barmah
PV Tooraloora (not yet complete; the owner gave me a tour of inspection)
PS Ranger
PV Billy Tea
PV Struggler
plus a modern sidewheeler, resembling a houseboat.
Echuca was quite busy as a town: there was a local football final, Gunbower Cup (horse race at a nearby town), netball finals, and people who had booked their escape from Melbourne to a lovely river spring break for the week after grand final. All pubs were packed for the afternoon with people watching the repeat match on big-screen tv.
Michael slept aboard his PV Struggler; I slept in my car. On Sunday morning, I was treated to a short test cruise within the confines of the wet dock.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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