On March 31st, 1972, Alan Edenborough, Bill Livingston and Jeff Toghill left Sydney for Dover to join Graham on the Alladin. A small diesel pump had been hired and one of the pump company’s staff joined them. Available time was limited to a full day on the ship. This allowed as detailed a survey as conditions permitted, in particular the location and sizes of holes in the hull plating at the stern, damaged by explosives.
First awakenings as the survey team take their salvage vessel alongside.
An attempt was made to pump out the hull but the available materials were insufficient to adequately patch the holes. However the main aim had been achieved, much information gained, and a better appreciation of the conditions a team would have to contend with if a more ambitious expedition was sent.
Following this visit, the Museum's Board analysed the information gained to date to decide whether it was feasible to proceed on what was obviously going to be the biggest project yet undertaken. There were also the problems of getting legal title to the ship, finding companies willing to repair the ship and tow her to Sydney, and raising finance to pay for it all - a story in itself.
The decision was made to go ahead, and planning was started to send a team of up to ten people and equipment with the aims of:
pumping and clearing the hull for a more detailed survey, and
measuring the ship so that prefabricated bulkheads could be manufactured if it was decided to subdivide the hull prior to towing her away from Recherche Bay.
Up on deck, discussion follows discussion as the possibility of recovery of the ship is examined. Note the lower masts lying on the deck. The timber deck planks were destroyed when the hull was set alight.
The team was assembled gradually. I recall a meeting on 4th September, soon after I had been invited to join the team. After showing his slides of the ship Alan asked me if I thought restoration was feasible. My reply - ‘very difficult but not impossible’ -is an opinion that has not changed. This was the first of many meetings during the six weeks that remained before we departed. There was a lot to be done, and not many people to do it. Equipment had to be obtained, both in Sydney and in Tasmania, plywood patches made, transport arranged for equipment and personnel - the list seemed endless. We could not afford to forget anything, as we would be out of reach of sources of supply. I also had to prepare for measuring the ship (taking off the ‘lines’) as I had devised a new and quick method which was relevant to the condition of the ship.
As much as possible of the equipment to be sent from Sydney was packed in two small containers which, together with coils of wire rope, were sent in advance, by sea.
Graham Turner’s Alladin was again chartered -a thirty-nine foot steel boat, she was very suitable, having been built as a workboat. The small enclosed wheelhouse forward contained a galley and mess and gave access to a four-berth cabin in the focsle. Aft there was a small hold and clear deck protected by bulwarks. As departure date approached, Alan found that he would not be able to go. Instead he continued to control matters from Sydney as the Alladin was fitted with radio.
Eight people from Sydney, and Graham and his deckhand, Norm, made up the team.
