Yelta (tugboat) facts for kids
Yelta is a special kind of boat called a steam tug. It worked in South Australia from 1949 to 1976. Its job was to help bigger ships move around the Port River and the nearby waters of Gulf St Vincent. After it stopped working, the Government of South Australia bought it in 1985. Now, Yelta is part of the South Australian Maritime Museum and is a museum ship. Back in 1985, it was thought to be the only steam-powered tug still working in Australia!
ST Yelta
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 Australia |
|
| Name | ST Yelta |
| Owner | Ritch and Smith Ltd |
| Builder | Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company |
| Completed | 1948 |
| Maiden voyage | February 1949 |
| In service | 1949 |
| Out of service | 1976 |
| Homeport | Port Adelaide |
| Fate | Retired; sold 1985 |
| Australia |
|
| Name | Yelta |
| Owner | South Australian Maritime Museum |
| Acquired | 1985 |
| Recommissioned | 1988 |
| Homeport | Port Adelaide |
| Status | Museum Ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 31.47 metres (103.25 ft) |
| Beam | 8.13 metres (26.66 ft) |
| Draught | 4.0 metres (13 ft) |
| Propulsion | steam engine |
| Crew | 6 |
Contents
Building a Strong Tugboat
Yelta was built in 1948 at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney. The company that built it was called the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company. It was made for a company named Ritch & Smith, which was based in Port Adelaide, South Australia.
Hard Work in Port Adelaide
After being built, Yelta had an 11-day journey from Sydney. It arrived in Port Adelaide on February 22, 1949. For many years, until 1976, Yelta had an important job. It helped large ships move safely to and from docks and other places in the Port River.
Yelta also helped ships that got stuck. For example, it helped free the Eastwave in 1950. It also helped the Caltex Bombay in 1952. In 1953, it helped two more ships, the Ulooloo and the Trykori, get unstuck.
From Working Tug to Museum Star
Yelta stopped working in November 1976. The local branch of the National Trust of Australia wanted to buy it. They hoped to make it a main part of a new maritime museum. However, the South Australian government had its own plans for a bigger museum.
In 1985, the National Trust decided to sell Yelta. They wanted to get back some of the money they had spent. The South Australian government bought the tugboat. They added it to the collection of their new maritime museum.
Bringing Yelta Back to Life
The South Australian Maritime Museum worked hard to fix up Yelta. Their goal was to make it both a floating museum and a boat that could carry passengers. A team of volunteers, many of whom had lots of experience in the shipping industry, helped with the restoration. After three years of hard work, Yelta was relaunched on October 5, 1988.
Why Yelta is Special
In 1985, Yelta was known as "Australia's last working steam-powered tug." This means it was the last one of its kind still operating using steam power. Even in 2017, it was still called a "historic vessel." It is the only steam vessel still on the Port River.
In 2017, Yelta was part of a study. This study looked at the best places to keep historic ships in the inner harbor of Port Adelaide.
