No Ticket For Old Boat (the Ferry Jenner)

[mrmoshe]

Anyone want to pick up an old ferry??? Coupla downriggers on the stern..make for a nice Biiiig family fishing boat.

No ticket for old boat

AN important part of Manly's maritime history is for sale because the operators of the Quarantine Station cannot get permission to use it to ferry people to and from Manly.

The historic Jenner was bought by Mawland in 2001 to ferry visitors between Manly and the Quarantine Station but NSW Maritime has ruled the wooden boat cannot be used for a commercial purpose on the exposed waters of North Harbour.

The Jenner was built as a tug, but for many years ferried people to and from the station, when it had dispensation from the Federal Government to operate.

When Mawland took over the Quarantine Station, they tracked down the Jenner and bought it but now NSW Maritime says the Jenner cannot be registered for commercial use in the Manly area because the area is so exposed to ocean swells.

Mawland Quarantine Station general manager Simon McArthur said the decision was disappointing.

``We thought we'd get a full survey for the Jenner because we weren't going to take it anywhere near the Heads and would keep it in calmer waters,'' he said.

``We're not bitching about it - we understand the first and foremost need is safety.

``But financially, culturally and spiritually, it's a bummer.

``We would have been putting a piece of the Quarantine Station jigsaw back in place.''

Mr McArthur said a larger vessel would now be used, for which a new environmental assessment would be required because the area off the station is designated a critical habitat to fairy penguins.

Conservation work on the wharf at the station began early this month to replace old timbers that made the wharf unsafe.

Anyone interested in buying the Jenner can contact the Quarantine Station on 9977 5145.