THE wooden handles on the wheel of the paddlesteamer PS Ruby are polished smooth from decades of hands hauling the ship around the bends of the Murray River.
The wheel, more than three metres wide, pulls a long metal cable through a series of pullies along the length of the boat to turn the rudder.
It’s a complicated, manual system that was carefully restored through the hard work of volunteers for the ship’s centenary in 2007.
But now the team of volunteers is ageing, Friends of the Ruby president Tony Messman says, and more hands are needed to keep it afloat.
In a normal year, Friends of the Ruby would open the ship to the public once a week at Wentworth, inviting a steady stream of visitors who leave donations and occasionally offer their time to repair and maintain it.
But the coronavirus pandemic has left the ship’s floors and corridors empty, the piano on the ground floor hidden under a cover to protect it from the elements.
While the steamer would technically be able to operate under current coronavirus restrictions, requirements for monitors to maintain social distancing on each floor mean the volunteers would be stretched beyond their capacity.
Mr Messman, who is struggling with ill-health, is working hard to stop the Ruby becoming a “static museum”.
The ship is not only an important part of the region’s history but a tourism drawcard, he says.
“It would be really popular if it was running,” he says, leaning against the recently painted back wall of the ship, and scuffing his shoe against a section of floor that needs repair.
There is still “a lot of work to do”.
But Mr Messman says the demand is there for when the Ruby can open up again.
“There are so many people who say, ‘Let me know when the boat’s running, because I want to go (on it)’,” Mr Messman says.
On a short tour of the three public floors, it’s not hard to see the work that has gone into maintenance.
And when the ship is running, volunteers spend long days getting everything in order — firing up the engine about 4am to allow the network of pipes and chambers to warm up gradually.
For Mr Messman, it’s all worth it.
“It brings a lot to the town,” he says.
Anyone interested in volunteering will be trained free and can receive qualifications including a first aid certificate, responsible service of alcohol certificate and a permit to work in confined spaces.
To express interest, contact Janette at riverjunction@iinet.net.au.
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