PORT FAIRY sailing off its home port after restoration in 1996, with a new lug rig.

Images(6)

The original shed for the Port Fairy lifeboat, now heritage listed in Victoria.

PORT FAIRY after being restored in 1996, and being rowed toward its slipway and shed upriver fr…

The arrangement plan of PORT FAiRY drawn by Garry Stewart during his restoration work in 1996.

A wonderful portrait of the PORT FAIRY after restoration in 1996, sitting on its original cradl…

A view from the bow showing PORT FAIRY under restoration in 1996, with the original diagonal pl…

Port Fairy Lifeboat

Vessel numberHV000045

Designer James Peake

Previous owner Ports and Harbours, Port of Portland Authority

Designer William White

Builder William White

Date1857

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 9.22 m x 2.36 m x 0.46 m, 3.94 tonnes (30.25 ft x 7.75 ft x 1.5 ft, 4 tons)

DescriptionPORT FAIRY is a 9.2 metre long open boat that was manned by ten oarsmen, steered by rudder and tiller and also controlled with two sweep oars. There was a dipping-lug rig for sailing. It was built in Williamstown and uses the double diagonal planked method common to English lifeboat construction. This keeps the hull watertight despite it being out of the water for long periods.

The design came from the builder, William White who built the craft with improvements over the standard design it was based on. These plans were prepared by James Peake, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The improvements such as more sheer, a slight rocker to the keel profile and more robust construction made PORT FAIRY a better hull to survive in the Southern Ocean and Bass Strait waters off the Victorian coastline. The craft was self righting and self draining.

PORT FAIRY remained in service for a long period, from 1857 until 1941. From 1956 until 1975 it served as a dredge for the Moyne River in Port Fairy. It was restored to operating condition in 1996, and in 2006 it remains housed in its original shed and slipway. These structures are heritage listed in Victoria.
SignificancePORT FAIRY is a wooden lifeboat built in 1857 in Victoria . PORT FAIRY is an example of one of the very early land based lifeboats that operated on the rough coastline of South West Victoria. They were a vital part of local communities around the coast and a focal point of community service as the local fishermen also manned the craft as volunteers. It is an Australian adaptation of an English design.