The yacht Metung was built for a local doctor at Bull’s shipyard in 1952.
Metung travelled many sea miles including a world circumnavigation, a number of Sydney to Hobart races and many bluewater miles up and down the Australian coast.
Metung was discovered lying in a very neglected state on Sydney Harbour after an eBay advertisement alerted a group of Metung locals to her whereabouts.
A rapidly formed group then purchased the ketch and she was transported to Metung in August 2019.
The renovation of this historic yacht is continuing to progress thanks to a hardworking and enthusiastic local committee. The renovation process was recently significantly enhanced thanks to the generosity of Vicki and Ted Smith who donated space on their property which has enabled the boat to be moved to a more secure long-term location.
This means the committee has been able to build a more secure weather shelter over the yacht which will also enable work to proceed in inclement weather conditions.
Relocating a fragile but heavy vessel was no easy feat and one which involved a significant amount of planning and skilled crane and transport work.
While the transfer was without incident, committee members were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Metung was finally lowered into its new location.
While the project is supervised by an experienced local shipwright, much of the restoration is being carried out by volunteers who are not necessarily required to have any particular skills other than the energy and foresight to see this beautiful local yacht returned to its original condition.
Once completed and launched the Metung will continue to be owned and maintained by a local committee and will be used for specialist outings, promotional events and to demonstrate the skills of the shipbuilders of the time.
People with an interest in joining this project are welcome and can contact the group by email.
