Today in Transportation History – 1988: An Australian Steam Tugboat is Relaunched

After three years of restoration by the South Australian Maritime Museum, the steam tugboat Yelta was relaunched for use as a floating museum for purposes such as sightseeing cruises. Yelta, which had been built in 1948 at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney, operated in the waters of South Australia from 1949 to 1976. The tugboat specifically served in the Port River and the Gulf St Vincent. Yelta helped maneuver other vessels as needed to and from docks in that region of Australia. She also assisted with refloating vessels that had run aground. Yelta is widely considered to be the only Australian steam tugboat still in operation.

Photo Credit: Michał Rosa (licensed under Creative Commons)

For more information about the steam tugboat Yelta, please check out  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelta_(tugboat) and http://sahistoryhub.com.au/things/steam-tug-yelta.