19-05-2025
STS Leeuwin II repairs begin almost a year after it was struck by container ship at Fremantle Port
The journey to repair an iconic West Australian sailing ship has begun, almost a year after it was severely damaged by a container vessel at Fremantle Port.
A large container ship, the Maersk Shekou, was pushed into the STS Leeuwin II after it was struck by a sudden squall when it entered the harbour in August 2024.
The Leeuwin is Australia's largest sail training ship and has earned the love of the community through its programs for young people, which have been running for almost 40 years.
It was extensively damaged after it was hit by the front of the more than 300 metre-long container vessel.
The two crew members on board the Leeuwin at the time of the collision were injured.
An interim report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau revealed the pair only narrowly escaped via the ship's gangway.
On Monday, the Leeuwin left its home berth at the B Shed in Fremantle, escorted by a tugboat.
It travelled south to the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) at Henderson, about 12 kilometres away, where the repair and refitting process will take place.
It was a momentous step for the team behind the beloved vessel, nine months after it was crunched by the container ship.
Amid the long list of repairs, a full set of sails will be sewn, the whole rigging system will be replaced and the sewage upgraded.
"There's no playbook for us on how to come out of a triple dismasting and deal with all of the things that need to be dealt with," Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation CEO Lawson Dickson said.
"There's kilometres and kilometres of rigging that needs to be replaced.
"We've got thousands of metres of decking and things that need cleaning and oiling and painting."
There's no set date for the Leeuwin to return to sea but Mr Dickson said he hoped to set sail towards the end of the year.
The refitting process will be guided by local industry professionals and a committed team of volunteers.
"As it comes to re-rigging, there are certain aspects that volunteers can get involved in and start to learn traditional skills that may have passed by, but we can start to re-employ in the future," Mr Dickson said.
Captain James Rakich said it was hard to articulate what the emotions would be like once the repair process was complete.
"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think what that will feel like, but also it's a long way to that point," he said.
"It will be incredible to share the ship with all the volunteers and the West Australian public again.
"What we're hoping to do is just get back to the program that we were delivering."
