No oil or fuel on historic Cartela as experts back efforts to refloat vessel

The Cartela Restoration Trust says the old ferry has no oil or fuel on it. However, a rowing spectator disagrees.

The historic and much-loved Cartela sinking at Franklin.

An oil slick on the Huon River is not from the partly submerged Cartela, the ferry’s restoration trust says.

A spectator at a regional rowers’ regatta at Franklin took photos which he said clearly showed an oil slick on Saturday morning.

The man, who did not want to be named, was confident the oil was from the Cartela which began sinking on Thursday.

“It is not hard to see it and it’s not rocket science it has to be from the Cartela,” he said.

“The community down here is disappointed at this pollution.

“The boom around it is not connected to the shore and is just for show.”

The Cartela has had a boom placed around it but some rowing spectators believe oil on the Huon River at Franklin could be from the ferry. Picture: Supplied.

The Cartela has had a boom placed around it but some rowing spectators believe oil on the Huon River at Franklin could be from the ferry. Picture: Supplied.

However, Cartela Restoration Trust chair George Rance said the boom was designed to stop any oil spill spreading.

“The EPA had a good look at the site and there is no oil or fuel on the Cartela, we had it totally removed a year or two ago,” he said.

“There is a lot of boating activity in this area and the oil slick could have come from some who dropped fuel at any mooring or in the river.”

The Cartela, which was built in 1912, is in the process of being restored and it was hoped it could be moved to slipyards at Battery Point.

Mr Rance said salvage experts were still working on a plan to refloat the old and much-loved ferry.

“They are working on that over the weekend,” he said.

“But, she’s very stable and nestled comfortably there.”

Salvage experts confident on refloating Cartela

Initial: The race continues to save the historic and much loved Tasmanian ferry the Cartela, with salvage experts confident it can be re-floated after sinking in southern Tasmania.

The sinking late on Thursday comes as the Cartela Restoration Trust was hoping the Hobart City Council would allow the Cartela’s hull to be moved from Franklin to the Battery Point slipyard in a major step on its long restoration journey.

Trust chair George Rance said she sank despite being fitted with alarms, pumps, and generators and there was no immediate sign of foul play.

Cartela at Franklin. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

He said salvage experts believed the ferry was “stable” and there were no oil or fuel leaks.

“The salvage team have to work out the options and costs associated with refloating her but she is stable and a year or two ago we drained all the oil and fuel so that is no problem,” Mr Rance said.

He ruled out scuttling the Cartela which was built in Battery Point in 1912 and has been described as “the people’s boat” and used on the Derwent River after the Tasman Bridge collapsed.

“It is a setback but it’s not the end of the world.

“You can’t scuttle her, that’s definitely not an option.

“I nearly broke down in tears because we were in sight of actually doing the grand reveal and starting it.

“We were always going to pull the super structure and all the inside of it off anyway at Franklin and tow what would effectively be a bare hull around to the slipyards.”

Mr Rance, who has been working to save the Cartela for 12 years, said while the state government had contributed $1m towards the ferry’s restoration only $110,000 of the funding had been spent on engineering reports.

“The warning systems failed on this occasion, leading to a race against time to stabilise and protect the vessel,” he said.

Lowering the new crankshaft has been part of the restoration of the steam ferry Cartela. For Hobart Mercury boating page

Incat founder Robert Clifford wrote to the council supporting the Cartela being moved to Battery Point for restoration.

“The heritage slipyards precinct, and Cartela will create a tourism drawcard as seen in places like Mystic Seaport in the US and others in Europe,” he wrote.

In a post on social media, the Trust said the sinking “highlights the urgent need for action to prioritise and protect Tasmania’s maritime heritage”.

“The fight to save the Cartela is not just about preserving a vessel; it is about safeguarding a living link to Tasmania’s seafaring past.

“We call upon the state and federal governments to act immediately to ensure that this priceless piece of history is not lost due to delays and inaction.

“The time for waiting is over. Cartela must be saved — before it is too late.”

Originally published as No oil or fuel on historic Cartela as experts back efforts to refloat vessel