Restoring steamship Cartela would be just part of a grand plan

Restoration of Cartela could be a major drawcard and the nucleus to build success and prosperity for the Huon region, writes George Rance

IT was pleasing and heartening to read recent letters supporting the importance of restoring the heritage vessel, Cartela.

It is, as JPD Hodgman points out in his letter (The Mercury April 22) “... a vital part of our maritime heritage, and restoration of Cartela represents an investment opportunity for both the private sector and the public sector in support of our maritime heritage, skills base and tourism sector…”.

These are important points, as they apply not only to restoration of the Cartela, but also to other heritage vessels. And in doing so, offers the opportunity for an ongoing precinct that specialises in this work – building skills through training in ship-wrighting and related “lost skills and trades”; attracting and supporting new commercial business opportunities; and building a vibrant tourism hub.

In fact, there is a bigger picture in play here that has important implications for our endangered maritime heritage, offering benefits to tourism, the commercial sector and for training. Imagine a “centre of excellence” that is recognised at national and international level, attracting students and tourists (and perhaps commercial interest) from around the world.

This is not a vision too far – indications are that it is very feasible and enjoys considerable support. In fact, this opportunity has been recognised for some time, with the idea canvassed in Tourism Tasmania publications, “Reimagining Our Regions – Tasmania’s Far South”, and “Huon Valley Destination Action Plan 2017-19”.

For example, the Reimagining Our Regions document outlines the case for the Franklin foreshore to become a hub for lost trades and cites the skills in wooden boat building as a solid base to achieve a status similar to the successful Seattle Centre for Wooden Boats in Washington state, and mirrored in other locations such as Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, and Port Townsend, also in Washington state.

A hub of this nature, that can undertake restoration and maintenance of heritage vessels such as Cartela on an ongoing basis, will indeed allow Franklin to become the “… Gateway to the South with the Franklin foreshore becoming a globally

significant lost trades hub for boatbuilding …” as imagined by the Tourism Tasmania’s documents.

Given the scarcity and cost of facilities around Australia capable of undertaking restoration work on larger heritage vessels such as the Cartela, the ability to do so at the Franklin hub will attract an ongoing customer base, particularly given the already national and international profile the Australian Wooden Boat Festival held in Hobart brings to the world of heritage and contemporary wooden boats.

So, let’s build the hub that Tourism Tasmania imagines, and as Max Knight says in his letter (Mercury, April 18) “let’s pitch in to save the Cartela”, and make her the first large heritage vessel to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

George Rance is chairperson of the Steamship Cartela Restoration Trust