Port Lincoln’s historic tuna boat the Tacoma has delivered many items over the years, but it has just dropped its first load of water to a remote island sheep farm amid extremely dry conditions.
Members of the Tacoma Preservation Society, which looks after the boat that pioneered Port Lincoln’s tuna industry, delivered 12,000 litres of water from the mainland for Taylor Island’s 550 sheep last week.
The island off the end of the Eyre Peninsula has been in Ray Watherston’s family for more than 60 years.
Ray Watherston took his tinny to the Tacoma to hook up the hose to the island. (Supplied: Tacoma Preservation Society)
Mr Watherston said he had never seen his land so dry.
“We have never experienced an 18 months like this,”
the farmer said.
“It has certainly tested us this year, because usually we would have about 380–400 millimetres of rain and last year we were about 160mm for the year, so you can see why we were in trouble with it.”
He thought he was going to have to get rid of all his sheep on the island, but made the decision to go from 700 to about 550 at the end of last year.
Improvised pumping system
The Tacoma team used a smaller boat to tow poly-piping to the island and then used the Tacoma’s pumps, as well as an extra rigged-up system, to pump the water to the island.
Tacoma Preservation Society president and skipper Ross Haldane said the 73-year-old boat had transported tuna, tourists, patients, wool, fuel and sheep in the past, but never water.
The Tacoma sat about 300 metres off shore with the hose brought to the island. (Supplied: Ray Watherston)
“We get up to all sorts of things, but this particular adventure was to deliver water to the island, which is about three hours [sailing] from Port Lincoln,” he said.
“The rain gods have not been kind to them and so we were asked to be the water truck — or the water boat.”
The historic Tacoma tuna fishing boat was first launched in 1951. (Supplied: Tacoma Preservation Society)
Mr Haldane said it was an anxious moment as they waited for the water to pop out at the other end of the pipe on the island, but it worked out well.
“We could see Ray and the others through the binoculars from the boat and they were jumping up and down and doing a bit of an ‘it has finally arrived’ dance,” he said.
Ray Watherston was pleased to see the water arrive on Taylor Island. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton)
Rain real solution for sheep
Mr Watherston said it was an interesting exercise and worthwhile doing.
“It was more or less making sure we had enough back up with pumps once it got to the island and then getting it through the 300 metres of poly-pipe,” he said.
“In the end, it was pretty good and it was pumping about 1,000L in about 26 minutes, so we were pretty happy with that.”
Tacoma volunteer Dion LeBrun helped with getting the hose and water across. (Supplied: Tacoma Preservation Society)
Mr Watherston had previously considered a desalination plant, but after speaking with Mr Haldane, they decided to give the water delivery option a go.
“We’ve been pretty self-sufficient our whole time we have been there,” Mr Watherstone said.
“I had a barge that I could take water on back in the day and then we have springs on the island, which keep us going for the sheep.
“The Tacoma has helped us with taking wool back to the mainland for about 10 years, so instead of taking something back for us they have brought something over.”
He said the water delivery would last the sheep for about two or three weeks.
Another delivery is panned for this weekend to get the animals through until it rains.
