St Kilda Boat Sales -
4 May 2008
Maiden Voyage Becomes A Day Of Hell
TRAGEDY struck the new owners of the Leda II hours after they took delivery of the veteran cruiser from a Williamstown boat broker yesterday.
The owners — whose names had not been released last night — told the proprietor of Aussie Boat Sales they were heading across the lower Yarra to Pier 35 to fuel the boat.
That was just before lunch. By 2pm, two people were dead and four were injured, including the couple who had bought the boat.
Boat broker Terry O'Hare said the new owner and her partner had been keen to get on the water after clinching the sale about a week ago.
"They were in great spirits," he said. "They were obviously excited about taking the boat out."
The 11-metre cruiser, built in 1955, had gone smoothly when sales staff had taken the couple for test runs before the sale.
"It was an old boat but it was in good condition for its age," Mr O'Hare said last night. "We have nothing to hide. The police have been here and discussed it."
The boat had been equipped with old flares, a problem he said he fixed by lending a new safety kit containing new flares, lifejackets and a first-aid kit.
"We knew the flares would be right up to date, not that they'd need the flares because they were only going up the river. But if they got picked up by the water police they had the safety gear on board."
Aussie Boat Sales does not own boats it sells but arranges sales for owners, much like a real estate agent.
Mr O'Hare would not name the boat's previous owner but said he had given the details to police. He did not know if the buyers had organised an independent inspection by a marine engineer, but he believed they had had some work done to the boat before taking delivery.
Boats sold in Victoria do not require safety inspections before a sale is finalised, but many owners obtain them, anyway.
He said everyone assumed the fatal explosion was petrol-related "but there was gas on board, too".
On their website, the brokers still carried an advertisement for the boat yesterday afternoon.
For $29,000 the buyer would get a "Classic Halvorsen 36 cruiser, restored approx. 10 years ago in great condition", the advertisement read. "This boat is in excellent condition for age, and although she is in need of some TLC, she is very seaworthy, has heaps … of character and is well below normal market price for any boat of this size."
Story and Pictures by: Reid Sexton reprinted from: www.theage.com.au