Ellas Pink Lady to go on display

Hartley18 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011

It seems Jessica Watson's yacht is to go on display at the Queensland Maritime Museum after being bought by the government for a tidy sum - which I assume includes installation costs.

Still, I guess at least that means people will be able to see it:

Ella's Pink Lady finds a way home | Sunshine Coast News | Local News in Sunshine Coast | Sunshine Coast Daily

Sublime · #2 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

Kind of bitter sweet IMO. She'll be looked after but she won't be sailing anymore.

I'm a bit of a sap so I doubt I could sell a boat which took me around the world.

casey1999 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sublime

Kind of bitter sweet IMO. She'll be looked after but she won't be sailing anymore.

I'm a bit of a sap so I doubt I could sell a boat which took me around the world.

Jon Sanders sold his S&S 34 (same make as Pink Lady) to a museum in Perth (the boat took him around the world twice non-stop via cape horn in 1987). The boat is still in storage after many years. Maybe Pink Lady will fare better.

casey1999 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hartley18

It seems Jessica Watson's yacht is to go on display at the Queensland Maritime Museum after being bought by the government for a tidy sum - which I assume includes installation costs.

Still, I guess at least that means people will be able to see it:

Ella's Pink Lady finds a way home | Sunshine Coast News | Local News in Sunshine Coast | Sunshine Coast Daily

Looks like they paid $300,000. That is about the value of the boat considering all the equipment and strengthening that went into the boat.

tdw · #5 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

JW didn't actually own EPL did she ? The boat was lent to her for the voyage.

I'm uncertain about this kind of thing. Gypsy Moth IV was put on permanent display and the resultant neglect nearly killed her. Would she have fared any better if she was left afloat ? The second (what was the first ?) Australian boat to circumnavigate, the Kathleen Gillette, is on permanent floating exhibition at the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney where Kay Cottee's boat is exhibited out of the water.

Hey Casey .. if you are prepared to pay AUD300.000 for an S&S 34 speak to me. Have I got a deal for you.

casey1999 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdw

Hey Casey .. if you are prepared to pay AUD300.000 for an S&S 34 speak to me. Have I got a deal for you.

If I needed a boat in short order capable of a non-stop single handed around the world sail that was ready to go AND I had $300k, I would seriously consider Pink Lady.

tdw · #7 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by casey1999

If I needed a boat in short order capable of a non-stop single handed around the world sail that was ready to go AND I had $300k, I would seriously consider Pink Lady.

Perhaps in very short order but given that you can pick up a decent S&S34 for well under AUD100.000 and I doubt you could spend more than that updating and refitting AUS$300K seems well over the odds to me.

casey1999 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdw

Perhaps in very short order but given that you can pick up a decent S&S34 for well under AUD100.000 and I doubt you could spend more than that updating and refitting AUS$300K seems well over the odds to me.

I agree for say $200K you could have an equivalent boat but that is assuming everyone does what they say and you do not have any problems getting the boat to its completed stage. With boat overhauling that is a huge risk. Also, one would need to hire a project manager for say up to one year and that could add a significant amount of money. Pink Lady had a treamendous amount of volunteer labor to get her to what she is. So if you want an equivalent boat do you try to save a few tens of thousands of dollars and risk ending up with somthing less or do you purchase the real thing? I would spend a little more (if I had the cash) and get what I was expecting rather than take the risk along with all of the headaches that would go with an overhaul.

casey1999 · #9 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdw

Hey Casey .. if you are prepared to pay AUD300.000 for an S&S 34 speak to me. Have I got a deal for you.

I have an S&S 34 and I love her. And I paid a small fraction of $300K. I would love to fit her out like Pink Lady.

Hartley18 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-04-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdw

Perhaps in very short order but given that you can pick up a decent S&S34 for well under AUD100.000 and I doubt you could spend more than that updating and refitting AUS$300K seems well over the odds to me.

I'd reckon that a goodly portion of the $300k is going into relocation and presentation costs: I'm assuming she'll be displayed out of the water, hence will need a cradle, for example, but inside or outside? Who knows??

From what I remember of QMM last I was up there, they didn't have a lot of room inside for the display of something this big, and were still dealing with the aftermath of the recent floods which filled the drydock rather quickly and, in the process, nearly destroyed the Lightship they had on display. Fortunately the extra mooring lines on the Tug and HMAS Diamantina held!..

Now that the floodwaters have gone down and washed away all the "junk", perhaps they've got more space for outside exhibits..