MV Nelcebee facts for kids
MV Nelcebee
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Australia |
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| Name | MV Nelcebee |
| Namesake | Nelcebee after the Aboriginal name for a spring at Port Pirie |
| Owner | Captain Williams of Port Adelaide (1983-unknown), unknown (-1962), R Fricker and Company (1962-1982) |
| Builder | Thomas Seath at Rutherglen, Scotland |
| Cost | £7,000 |
| Commissioned | 1883 |
| Decommissioned | 1982 |
| Fate | To South Australian Maritime Museum |
| Status | Museum Ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steam tug and lighter (1883-1927) Motor ketch (1927-) |
| Length | 32.61 metres |
| Beam | 5.69 metres |
| Draft | 2.79 metres |
| Installed power | Steam (1883-1827) Diesel (1927-) |
| Sail plan | Ketch (1927-) |
The MV Nelcebee is a special type of ship called an auxiliary schooner. It worked along the coast of South Australia for a very long time, from 1883 all the way to 1982!
Contents
A Ship's Long Journey: The Nelcebee Story
Building a Ship Far Away
The Nelcebee was first built in a place called Rutherglen in Scotland. A company named Thomas Seath built it. Imagine this: the ship was put together and tested in Scotland. Then, it was taken apart into many pieces! These pieces were shipped all the way to South Australia. Once there, a person named Thomas Cruickshank put it back together again in Port Adelaide.
Working as a Tug and Lighter
When the Nelcebee first started working in 1883, it was a tug and a lighter at Port Pirie. A tugboat pulls other ships, and a lighter is a type of barge that carries goods. Over time, newer and better tugboats were built. So, the Nelcebee was sold in 1927.
A New Life as a Motor Ketch
After being sold, the Nelcebee got a big makeover! It was given a new diesel engine and two tall masts. This changed it into a motor ketch, which is a sailing ship that also has an engine.
From 1928, the Nelcebee started working in the coastal trade of South Australia. It sailed to ports in Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent. It carried important goods like wheat, gypsum, and minerals.
In 1962, the ship was sold again to R Fricker and Company. It then helped supply goods to Kangaroo Island. The Nelcebee worked hard until it finally retired in 1982.
A Historic Ship
When the Nelcebee retired, it was one of the last two ketches still working along the South Australian coast. The other was the Falie. It was also the third oldest ship listed on the Lloyds Register of Shipping at that time.
Today, the Nelcebee is a very important part of history. It is kept at the South Australian Maritime Museum. You can visit it there and learn more about its long and busy life!
