Wyuna

"Wyuna" is a former Port Phillip pilot tender and Australian Maritime College training vessel currently laid up.

History

The ship was built in 1953 by Ferguson Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow, Scotlandcite web |url=http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=359 |title=de Wyuna built by Ferguson Shipbuilders Port Glasgow |accessdate=2008-03-04 |author=Clydebuilt Ships Database ] for the Port Phillip Sea Pilots organisation as a pilot cutter. She is propelled by a diesel-electric power plant consisting of diesel generators powering electric motors coupled to the propellor shafts. Consequently she may use the ship prefix "de" and be referred to as de "Wyuna". Her role as a pilot cutter was to sail with pilots on board to meet ships entering Port Phillip bay. Pilots would be transferred by the "Wyuna"'s workboat to the vessel requiring pilotage while it was stopped dead in the water , with shelter provided by the vessel itself. In the early 1970s the pilot service started using fast launches to allow pilots to board while ships were still underway, and in 1979 the "Wyuna" was sold to the Australian Maritime College in Launceston, Tasmania as a training vessel [cite web |url=http://www.ppsp.com.au/Basic_Hist.htm |title=Port Phillip Sea Pilots History |accessdate=2008-03-04 |author=Port Phillip Sea Pilots ] . She continued in that role until 2004 when sold to Mineralogy Pty Ltd as an accommodation vessel [cite web |url=http://www.mhav.net/activities.html |title=Maritime Heritage Association of Victoria Activities|accessdate=2008-03-04 |author=Maritime Heritage Association of Victoria ] . She is currently laid up with an uncertain future, with a possible role as a museum ship or conversion to a luxury yacht [cite web |url=http://www.mhav.net/Newsletters/News12.doc |title=Maritime Heritage Association of Victoria Newsletter No.12 |accessdate=2008-03-04 |author=Lindsay Rex |date=2006-10 ] .

=Statistics [cite web |url=http://www.hugohein.com/other/wyuna/wayuna.specs.htm |title=Cadet Training Vessel "Wyuna" |accessdate=2008-03-04 |author=www.hugohein.com | ] =

*Builder: Ferguson Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow, Scotland
*Port of Registry: Melbourne
*Propulsion: 3 x English Electric 380kw diesel generators, 400v dc connected to 2 electric motors each 700shp
*Launched: Thursday, 16/04/1953
*Built: 1953
*Ship Type: Pilot Tender
*Tonnage: 1304 grt
*Length: 63.58m
*Breadth: 11.91m
*Draught: 4.57m
*Owner History:
**1953- 1979 Port Philip Sea Pilots
**1979- 2004 Australian Maritime College
**2004: Mineralogy Pty Ltd of Brisbane

References