Portland scow owner Karl Hishon said yesterday although the prominent Pounawea feature, which sits on a bend of the Owaka River, would never sail again, scow restoration groups in Canterbury had shown interest in salvaging parts of the vessel for use in their own projects.
Mr Hishon said groups from Kaiapoi and Christchurch had visited the scow this spring to assess parts for possible salvage and removal, although nothing had yet been removed.
He said although it was sad his dreams of restoring the boat would not be realised, he was pleased it might prove useful for other conservationists.
"It’s not salvageable now, so the next best thing is to let other groups benefit. Unfortunately, one of the brass propellers has been stolen during the past year, so the sooner other elements are removed the better."
He said one of the groups was interested in taking the engines.
"That would be good from an environmental point of view, although there’s no evidence anything has been leaking. But it would be nice to make it secure, and then we can think about finding a home for the hull, or disposing of it in some other way."
Otago Regional Council harbourmaster Steve Rushbrook said there had been no recent complaints regarding the scow.
"The ORC has not received any recent complaints and we are not aware of any pollution incidents relating to this vessel," he said.
Locals and visitors spoken to by the Otago Daily Times yesterday appeared fond of the historic scow, citing its picturesque nature.
Holidaymaker Campbell Brinsdon, of Christchurch, said the vessel "fit in".
"I like seeing historic things in the landscape, like old timber mills or broken-down wharves ... It makes for a great photograph."
Pounawea resident Willy Dennison said locals "didn’t seem too bothered" by the scow.
"My granddaughter sketched it for our family calendar, so it’s definitely a part of the local landscape."
The Portland
— Records at the Owaka Museum show the 23m, flat-bottomed scow was built by George T Niccol, of Auckland, in 1910.
— Originally owned by Wilsons (NZ) Portland Cement, she traded in the Auckland area until 1932. In 1934, she went to Nelson and traded between the Tasman Bay harbours and Wellington for more than 40 years.
— The Portland arrived in Pounawea as a houseboat in 1979, and is one of a very few surviving hold scows in New Zealand. Many of these ships were taken to the Pacific for war use and never came back.
— Originally powered by sail, she was later fitted with diesel engines.
