PS ''Curlip'' was a

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses we ...

built in a Tabbara sawmill in 1889 by Samuel Richardson and his sons. It was operated along the

Snowy River The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It originates on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mainland peak, draining the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, before flowing through the ...

in Australia's

Gippsland Gippsland is a rural region that makes up the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains to the rainward (southern) side of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It cove ...

region between 1890 and 1919, before being washed out to sea, and broken on

Marlo Marlo is a name which may refer to: People Given name or nickname Notable people with the given name or nickname include: *Marlo Dahl (born 1972), Canadian curler *Marlo Hoogstraten (also known as MaRLo), Dutch DJ * Martin "Marlo" Hyland (1969–2 ...

beach, by a flash flood.

2008 Replica

The

Orbost Orbost is a historic early settlers town in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, east of Melbourne and south of Canberra where the Princes Highway crosses the Snowy River. It is about from the surf and fishing seaside town of Marlo on th ...

and district community started a project in 2002 to construct a live steam-powered replica, albeit somewhat larger than the original to meet safety regulations and carry additional passengers for commercial reasons, the paddle steamer ''Curlip II'' with the assistance of grants from the Federal and Victorian State Governments. Construction was started in earnest by shipwright Bill Jones in August 2006, and with the assistance of roughly 200 volunteers (a core group of 10 performing the majority of the work), she was finally completed and launched on the Snowy River in late November 2008. The vessel is operated by a not for profit organisation, P S Curlip Inc, who offered regular cruises and private charters on the lower reaches of the river and its

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

, until 2015. Paddle steamer ''Curlip'' had its survey status revoked in 2015–16 due to the inability of the management to provide regular slipping and maintenance, compounded by the infestation and attack by ''

Teredo navalis ''Teredo navalis'', commonly called the naval shipworm or turu, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family ''Teredinidae''. This species is the type species of the genus '' Teredo''. Like other species in this family, ...

'', the marine shipworm, that attached to and bored holes in the vessel's underwater hull. A new board of management took over custodial care and maintenance of paddle steamer ''Curlip'' in October 2016. The

not for profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

management team is made up from members of the Gippsland Lakes Classic Boat Club, who took up office, as the new board of P.S.Curlip Inc, with the express purpose of relocating the vessel to the Gippsland Lakes at Paynesville, where the vessel is now located on leased hardstand facilities, in anticipation of a crowd funded campaign to rebuild the underwater hull of the vessel. Paddle steamer ''Curlip'' will also be fitted with a renewable and sustainable solar-powered and fresh-water regeneration plant to enable her self-sufficiency in her new area of eco tourism operation within the world listed, Ramsar Wetlands of the Mitchell River Delta and the Gippsland Lakes, between Bairnsdale and Paynesville, in East Gippsland, Victoria Australia. Paddle steamer ''Curlip'' was given permission from the government marine regulatory authority, AMSA, to make the historic open ocean voyage, crossing the Snowy River Bar, along Bass Strait, entering the Gippsland Lakes via the Lakes Entrance bar. Paddle steamer ''Curlip'' became the first paddle steamer to make an open ocean voyage since World War II.

References

External links

Official PS Curlip II website

- ABC TV Landline report on progress in 2006

ABC TV Landline report on the replica project (April 2009) {{coord missing, Victoria (state) Paddle steamers Ships built in Victoria (state) Shipwrecks of Victoria (state) 1889 ships 2008 ships