By Emma Sun
A WORLD War II patrol boat belonging to a Cranbourne East man has been accepted into the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.
The boat, called ‘Action’ will join the likes of notable vessels such as ‘Alma Doepel’, ‘Australia 2’ and Australia’s oldest surviving sailing vessel ‘The City of Adelaide’.
Action is currently being used as the primary search vessel by the Southern Ocean Explorers to find shipwrecks, and recently discovered Australia’s most searched for shipwreck, the TSS Coramba off Victoria’s coast.
Owner Justin McCarthy, a sailor and diver, said he was very pleased that his boat has been listed in the register.
“The boat is a direct link to our wartime efforts during the war, and it’s a living piece of history for Australia,” he said.
“The boat was built in 1942, and it was originally built for the Royal Australian Air Force as an air and sea rescue boat.”
While the boat is a Victorian boat, it spent 15 years at a marina in South Australia before Mr McCarthy bought it.
He said the register acts as a form of protection for the vehicle, which is similar to heritage listing for properties.
“Part of the reason that it has been put on the register is because it is quite unique, in that it is one of the last of the 48 foot series that were built,” Mr McCarthy said.
