25 Mar Pilot Boat Makes One FInal Voyage
A new Mavis has arrived in Queenscliff and she’s set to turn people’s heads – all 43 feet of her.
The 30-year old pilot boat Mavis III is the latest donation to land at one of the region’s most hostoric museums.
Port Phillip Sea Pilots were behind the two-day project that lifted Mavis III into the Queenscliff Maritime Museum last week.
PPS Captain Dean Zanoni said the boat had served its purpose and was crowding the harbour facilities.
“We had to get rid of it, but we didn’t know what to do with it,” Captain Zanoni said.
“The word from the board here was that they were thinking of scraping it.”
Keen to find a use for the old boat, the Queenscliff local put an idea to the board.
“I thoight, why don’t we just donate it to the museum?’ It would be a great thing for them, plus it means it won’t end up in landfill,” he said.
Six months later the boat finally reached the museum’s grounds with the help of many people an dlocal businesses who donated their time, resources and services.
“It took two days to get it in there, but we got there in the end,” Capt Zanoni said. “It’s going to be a beautiful exhibition piece.”
Fitted out by shipwrights at Port Phillip Sea Pilots, the boat previously helped transport pilots off and on the ships across Port Phillip Heads, Geelong and Westernport Bay.
Capt Zanoni said he felt proud to donate another item to the volunteer-run museum.
“Over the years we’ve worked with the museum on a few things, but not as big as this,” Capt Zanoni said. “Also, personally, there is a lo of my family \’s history in the museum. “Being a fifth generation pilot, to do something like that is really special.”