The fair yacht Nirimba. I know a bit of her history but not recent background events.
The hull was inverted and under construction at Nirimba June '66 when I joined up. The last of the boilermaker/welder apprentices were building it and probably the more senior fitter/machinist apprentices did the mechanical fit out with the shipwright apprentices doing the painting and timberwork fit out.
Then she disappeared from Nirimba and I next encountered her during my last 6 months at Nirimba when I was sent to Spectacle Island for on the job training part of which was servicing the engine on her.
She was built using money from the Apprentices Fund but I doubt any apprentice ever got to go sailing on her as she was commandeered by the officers as their play thing. The old English Navy hierarchy model was alive and well even then.
The next I heard of her was about 5 years ago when she was up for sale by the private owner at Raby Bay, Brisbane. I got an email from I think Rick Pengilly inviting me to jion and contribute financially in the association of ex apprentices who wanted to buy her and bring her back to Sydney. I was tempted but I did not figure I would be getting to Sydney very often to go sailing on her so I declined.
Details of her more recent history can be found on these web pages.
http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/5008/features/feature11.htmwww.ran-skilledhands.org/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=15www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-10061-0-0-0&sID=300755&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=25737101Bit of an interesting note here.
Built at the former Royal Australian Navy Apprentice Training Establishment (RANATE) HMAS Nirimba, Quakers Hill, NSW, The MOBI Yacht ‘Nirimba’ was launched as ‘Nirimba II’, she is the only operational ocean-going steel vessel, built entirely by uniformed personnel, (teenaged Naval Apprentices,) in the entire history of the Royal Australian Navy. She sailed in seven Sydney to Hobart races as ‘Nirimba’ in the late ‘70s, before being sold off by the RAN in 1987. Through the efforts and generosity of 120 ExNaval Apprentices, The MOBI Yacht ‘Nirimba’ was purchased from her former owner (and restorer) and proudly brought back to her new home at RANSA…
www.navyhistory.org.au/nirimba-apprentices-masters-of-their-craft/www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Navy_News-November-25-1966.pdfSo it seems a group of 10 ex apprentices are the current owners and one can only surmise what the reason/s are for selling her. I think she will fare better in the hands of one dedicated and one would hope, rich owner.
Fare thee well Nirimba!!
