Purchase of tender vessel to maintain our onwater assets

As an operator of a maritime museum we have two on water displays, the submarine HMAS Otama and the former pilot ship Wyuna. These vessel have to be inspected regularly to ensure watertight integrity. A critical task for the safety of the environment and for the port. Members transfer by tender to the vessels to carry out essential maintenance. We accommodate special inspection tours such as members of the government and or their staff. Previously we have been able to rely on borrowed vessels. This is a most unsatisfactory arrangement as many times the tender boat is unavailable when required.

By maintaining these vessels, which are to be the main attractions of a large scale tourism facility, we aim to provide a World Class viable maritime attraction for visitors to the Mornington Peninsula featuring the submarine HMAS Otama and the former Port Phillip pilot ship Wyuna as the centre piece. This project is run by the community for the community, will create 25-35 direct jobs, and 170 indirect jobs with training opportunities within the local community, create commercial viability for the local business community, deliver seed funding to support other community projects, and preserve our maritime history for the future.