sydney to hobart yacht washed up

Sydney to Hobart yacht washes up on remote island

Cultural and environmental concerns after a yacht washed up on a remote island in Tasmania. (Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania Twitter)

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Other ways to listen, huntress yacht has been washed ashore on a remote tasmanian beach on aboriginal land. there are cultural and environmental concerns the yacht will break up before it can be salvaged, due to the remoteness of its location. sbs news reporter aymen baghdadi speaks to vica bayley from the state's aboriginal land council who says there are concerns about the yacht breaking up and damaging the land., recommended for you.

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Sydney-Hobart yacht washes up on island

A yacht abandoned at sea after suffering damage in the Sydney to Hobart race has washed up on a remote Tasmanian island, where a salvage mission will be attempted.

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Water police rescued the crew of Huntress on December 28 after the 40-foot vessel struck an unidentified object that sheared off part of its rudder.

The yacht was left to drift at sea and has washed up near Christmas Beach on Cape Barren Island in Bass Strait.

Marine and Safety Tasmania earlier this week issued an alert saying the yacht was 15 nautical miles off the state's northeast coast and salvage operations were expected to start on Wednesday.

It confirmed on Wednesday the yacht had beached on Cape Barren Island and salvage attempts would be made on Saturday.

A spokesman for Marine and Safety Tasmania said the salvage operation was a matter for the yacht's owners and insurers.

The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania posted images on social media of the vessel washed ashore.

"We're hoping salvage is swift, safe and successful as she poses a risk (to) remote and pristine country," the organisation said.

Huntress was forced to retire from the Sydney to Hobart race after setting off from the NSW capital on Boxing Day.

Skipper and owner Victoria Logan and her seven crewmates suffered a mishap 80 nautical miles east of Flinders Island on the morning of December 28.

She told AAP last week she was downstairs when the yacht's driver, her partner Brent, felt a thud through the steering as the vessel was riding a wave.

"The wheel got ripped out of his hand and the boat started breaching violently. It took a few minutes to work out, but we realised we lost steerage," she said.

"We realised the rudder had sheared off and we could see it floating next to the boat, off into the distance."

Logan said Huntress likely hit a sunfish. The yacht attempted the Sydney to Hobart in 2021 but failed to finish because of mainsail damage.

Logan has been contacted for comment.

Australian Associated Press

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Sydney-Hobart yacht washes up on island

A yacht abandoned at sea after suffering damage in the Sydney to Hobart race has washed up on a remote Tasmanian island, where a salvage mission will be attempted.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

(min cost $ 0 )

Login or signup to continue reading

Water police rescued the crew of Huntress on December 28 after the 40-foot vessel struck an unidentified object that sheared off part of its rudder.

The yacht was left to drift at sea and has washed up near Christmas Beach on Cape Barren Island in Bass Strait.

Marine and Safety Tasmania earlier this week issued an alert saying the yacht was 15 nautical miles off the state's northeast coast and salvage operations were expected to start on Wednesday.

It confirmed on Wednesday the yacht had beached on Cape Barren Island and salvage attempts would be made on Saturday.

A spokesman for Marine and Safety Tasmania said the salvage operation was a matter for the yacht's owners and insurers.

The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania posted images on social media of the vessel washed ashore.

"We're hoping salvage is swift, safe and successful as she poses a risk (to) remote and pristine country," the organisation said.

Huntress was forced to retire from the Sydney to Hobart race after setting off from the NSW capital on Boxing Day.

Skipper and owner Victoria Logan and her seven crewmates suffered a mishap 80 nautical miles east of Flinders Island on the morning of December 28.

She told AAP last week she was downstairs when the yacht's driver, her partner Brent, felt a thud through the steering as the vessel was riding a wave.

"The wheel got ripped out of his hand and the boat started breaching violently. It took a few minutes to work out, but we realised we lost steerage," she said.

"We realised the rudder had sheared off and we could see it floating next to the boat, off into the distance."

Logan said Huntress likely hit a sunfish. The yacht attempted the Sydney to Hobart in 2021 but failed to finish because of mainsail damage.

Logan has been contacted for comment.

Australian Associated Press

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• Travel Updates

Former Sydney to Hobart yacht, Helsal II, sinks metres away from Grange Jetty in Adelaide

Crowds have flocked to see the famous yacht, which previously competed in the Sydney to Hobart race, after it capsized near a popular beach.

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Salvage efforts are ongoing after a former yacht, which competed in the prestigious Sydney to Hobart race, capsized in Adelaide.

The 70ft Helsal II vessel capsized just metres from the Grange Jetty on Saturday evening.

A Marine Safety team from South Australia’s Department of Infrastructure and Transport were able to secure the boat to prevent it from moving.

A continuously-flashing battery light was quickly installed to ensure the yacht could be identified, however swimmers and boaties have been asked to avoid the area since the weekend.

On Wednesday, another attempt was made to retrieve the yacht, which is stuck on a sandbar.

Some locals feared the mast could be at risk of impacting the jetty if strong winds or tides were to sway the vessel.

Despite calls from the City Of Charles Sturt local council for people to stay away from the area, the submerged yacht has become a tourist attraction in itself.

Currently on school holidays, families swarmed the jetty this week, in the hopes of catching a successful rescue attempt.

On Tuesday, local man Phil Burton took his four grandchildren to see the large vessel.

“The kids were hoping that it was going to be successful, and they said it was a pity that the nice boat was washed up on the beach,” Mr Burton told the Adelaide Advertiser .

“They wanted to know whether anyone on that board had been hurt or anything like that, but I assured them that, that wasn’t the case. They just wanted to know how they were doing to get it.”

The Helsal II has competed in a number of prestigious races, including the annual Sydney to Hobart Boxing Day competition in 2004, and the Phuket Kings Cup and the Hong Kong China Sea Race.

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Sydney-Hobart yacht washes up on island

A yacht abandoned at sea after suffering damage in the Sydney to Hobart race has washed up on a remote Tasmanian island, where a salvage mission will be attempted.

Water police rescued the crew of Huntress on December 28 after the 40-foot vessel struck an unidentified object that sheared off part of its rudder.

The yacht was left to drift at sea and has washed up near Christmas Beach on Cape Barren Island in Bass Strait.

Marine and Safety Tasmania earlier this week issued an alert saying the yacht was 15 nautical miles off the state's northeast coast and salvage operations were expected to start on Wednesday.

It confirmed on Wednesday the yacht had beached on Cape Barren Island and salvage attempts would be made on Saturday.

A spokesman for Marine and Safety Tasmania said the salvage operation was a matter for the yacht's owners and insurers.

The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania posted images on social media of the vessel washed ashore.

"We're hoping salvage is swift, safe and successful as she poses a risk (to) remote and pristine country," the organisation said.

Huntress was forced to retire from the Sydney to Hobart race after setting off from the NSW capital on Boxing Day.

Skipper and owner Victoria Logan and her seven crewmates suffered a mishap 80 nautical miles east of Flinders Island on the morning of December 28.

She told AAP last week she was downstairs when the yacht's driver, her partner Brent, felt a thud through the steering as the vessel was riding a wave.

"The wheel got ripped out of his hand and the boat started breaching violently. It took a few minutes to work out, but we realised we lost steerage," she said.

"We realised the rudder had sheared off and we could see it floating next to the boat, off into the distance."

Logan said Huntress likely hit a sunfish. The yacht attempted the Sydney to Hobart in 2021 but failed to finish because of mainsail damage.

Logan has been contacted for comment.

Australian Associated Press

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• Insights And Analysis

Bizarre Indigenous claim over Sydney to Hobart yacht a disturbing insight into those with most to gain from a Voice to Parliament

Reports that an Aboriginal land council are laying claim to a race yacht which washed up on a Tasmanian island gives me cause for concern about where Australia is heading, writes Caroline Di Russo.

I thought Prince Harry regaling the world about how he lost his virginity was the most ridiculous thing to hit the news this week.

I was wrong.

Earlier in the week, the ABC reported that a yacht which broke its rudder during the Sydney to Hobart race last month had washed up on the shores of Tasmania’s Cape Barren Island and was then salvaged on behalf of the owners.

Sounds like standard operating procedure, right?

Apparently, Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania chairman Michael Mansell said the yacht shouldn’t have been salvaged because “any vessels wrecked or washed up on the shores of Aboriginal land belong to Aborigines”.

He added “white man’s salvage laws do not apply because this is sovereign Aboriginal territory”.

To the ABC’s credit, they reported the opinion of maritime lawyer John Kavanagh, who said that he would be “surprised if there was any legal substance” to the claims and that “the common law of salvage doesn’t change the underlying title to the vessel”.

That is, the title to the yacht remains with the original owners and it doesn’t pass to whoever salvaged it.

Nevertheless, the attitude of the land council is concerning.

Imagine thinking you were entitled to ownership of the yacht simply because it accidently landed in your backyard.

Picture the neighbourhood friction if every sourpuss kept tennis balls which settled on their back lawn.

Thankfully, that doesn’t really happen because the great Australian tradition is to throw tennis balls back over the fence.

That’s just who we are.

It’s important to remember that private property rights, and mutual respect for those rights, is part of what makes our society tick; the idea of reward for effort motivates us to improve our lot in life, gives us something to conserve and encourages us to invest in the future.

They are rights which Aristotle spoke fervently about 2,400 years ago when he said that “such kindness and help becomes possible only when property is privately owned’.  

And while the recent use of words like “equality” and “justice” seem warm and fuzzy, they have been readily used to interfere with and denigrate private property rights.

An everyday example is the move by some state governments to deny a property owner the ability to retake possession of a house at the end of a rental agreement in circumstances where they have “no reason” to ask the tenant to leave.

It is justified as a way of protecting vulnerable tenants but in reality it tramples on the property owner’s right to use their private property as they wish to after a contract has expired.

This is unacceptable.

If governments want vulnerable renters protected, then they should provide adequate social housing.

They should not quasi-nationalise private property whereby they essentially commandeer the use of the property and leave the owners to carry the risk. 

I’m not suggesting we don’t help vulnerable people.

Quite the contrary.

We should help them, but it must remain the responsibility of the government to do that without hijacking private interests to do the work for them.

Given the prevailing trend towards this distorted notion of justice, it does make me wonder where we are headed.  

In an interview by David Speers with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the Voice, Speers asked Albanese, by way of example, how a government would respond to advice from the Voice that the Northern Territory alcohol ban should remain in place.

“Well, it would be a very brave government that said it shouldn’t,” Albanese replied.

Does it mean the alcohol ban is a good idea and it would be unwise to remove it?

Or does this mean in practice, a government wouldn’t be “brave” enough to defy advice from the Voice?

I have no issue with local Indigenous communities providing advice to government.

However, if there is influence in the consultation and a creeping attitude that “white man’s laws don’t apply”, then there is going to be a broader issue for government in how it manages this advice.

If the Voice advises something which is patently ridiculous or seeks to corrode the basic rights of the broader community, then any government needs to retain the moral authority to defy that advice.

While we all want to see the circumstances of Indigenous Australians improve, it must be in a way which still protects the fundamental rights of other Australians.    

The “white man’s laws” can’t just be disregarded when it’s convenient.

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Sydney to hobart yacht race 2023: rolling updates, latest news, favourites, weather, drama, tracker.

By amanda lulham

• News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
• 3:03PM December 26, 2023

The 78th edition of the Sydney to Hobart shapes as one of its most memorable, with an ominous weather forecast set to wreak havoc on the 103-strong fleet.

The four supermaxis Andoo Comanche, the defending champion, Scallywag, LawConnect and Wild Thing 100 are the big contenders for the line win - but the overall corrected time victory is anyone’s guess.

Follow our live coverage of the race below.

2.30PM: SCALLYWAG CONFIRMS PENALTY

Skipper David Witt has confirmed he has done two 360 degree penalty turns to exonerate Scallywag from a potential issue at race end arising from close combat with arch rivals Andoo Comanche just after the start of the Sydney to Hobart.

“We just did circles,’’ Witt told The Daily Telegraph around 2.20pm.

Andoo Comanche sailing master Iain Murray indicated he was unhappy with an incident not long after the start where they and Scallywag came close after Scallywag tacked in front of them.

If Scallywag had not done her penalty turns and was found at race end to have infringed in the incident they could have been slugged with a time penalty or worse.

1.30PM: DRAMA AS YACHTS BEGIN CLEARING THE HEADS

Christian Beck’s LawConnect has claimed the honour of being the first yacht to Sydney Heads and out to sea after a thrilling start of the 78th race.

But the yacht then caused confusion when she did a 360 degree turn.

It was unclear at first if this was to sort an issue with the furler or for a penalty.

But soon after the yacht had more issues with their furler in a major early drama for the supermaxi.

Meanwhile Defending champion Andoo Comanche has claimed Scallywag has tacked too close to them in an hair-raising incident soon after the start which will require the later to do a penalty turn or potentially face a protest.

Comanche sailing master Iain Murray said the incident between the pair was a “classic port and starboard” with Scallywag tacking too close to Comanche.

It is unclear if Witt and his team on Scallywag agree or if they will do exonerating turns at a later date.

The drama happened in the opening 20 minutes of the 628nm race.

1.00PM: 78TH SYDNEY TO HOBART UNDERWAY

The 78th Sydney to Hobart has begun under ominous skies, in light winds and with a strange forecast hanging over the heads of the 103 starters who set sail at 1pm in a spectacular sight on Sydney Harbour

The fleet, slammed by a violent downpour before the start, set off in sunshine from four start lines with defending champion Andoo Comanche and her rivals for line honours - Scallywag, LawConnext and Wild Thing - all in pole position.

Spectator fleet numbers were down but anticipation high as the yachts jockeyed for the bets position at the start.

On the front line, that honour went to LawConnect on one end Scallywag on the other end of the line.

12.45PM: FREAK STORM HITS RACE START

A torrential downpour just before the start of the Sydney to Hobart was a preview of what is to come in the 78th race south.

As nervous crews prepared for the action-packed start they were hit by a violent rain cell which also packed some thunder and lightning.

More of the same is forecast for the first afternoon and night at sea.

Yachts left the dock early on Tuesday to check the conditions and do practice runs at the four start lines being used.

This year’s fleet boasts both the line honours and overall winners from a year ago in Andoo Comanche and Celestial.

11AM: SAILORS ‘NERVOUS’ AMID OMINOUS FORECAST

The fleet has started to leave the dock at the CYCA well in advance of the 1pm start with some nervous sailors aboard the 103 starters.

A forecast with everything and anything - including electrical storms, rain, erratic winds and a big bash - has sailors a little nervous and apprehensive.

“You’d think after so many races you wouldn’t be nervous but you are,’’ said Alive navigator Adrienne Cahalan, preparing for her 31st race south as the most capped woman in the race.

“This forecast is a tough one. It will be like a chess game.’’

Prior to the start sailors must parade by race officials to show they have their storm jibs, the smallest sails on a boat and bright orange - aboard.

And they may need them with wild winds forecast for most of the fleet in Bass Strait later in the race, along with 3m seas.

It’s plainer sailing for the line honours contenders who may sidestep almost all of the upwind on the menu for the majority.

The 2023 Sydney to Hobart fleet are on alert for things that go bump in the night and halt boats dead in their track in the light as they prepare for the start of the famous ocean race on Sydney Harbour at 1pm today.

Race management has warned sailors to watch out for sunfish and other obstacle in the water which have over the years included submerged containers, debris, sharks, whales and most commonly sunfish.

These speed bumps have ripped off keels, holed yachts and sheered rudder off, triggering major rescues at sea.

Just a year ago Huntress lost her rudder after hitting a sunfish. DRAMA AT SEA

Numerous line honours contenders, including yachts steered by Grant Wharington, aboard Wild Thing 100 in this race, have had their rudders, daggerboards or keels torn off, ending their races and victory dreams.

“Be conscious there are a lot of wildlife out there,’’ said had of the race committee,’’ Lee Goddard at the race briefing.

“There are large concentrations for this race.’’ RACE GUIDE

SYDNEY TO HOBART FAVOURITES

The two major awards are the line honour win and the overall corrected time victory.

The four supermaxis Andoo Comanche, the defending champion, Scallywag, LawConnect and Wild Thing 100 are the big contenders for the line win.

The overall is still very much in the air but the likes of URM and Monneypenny and an assortment of TP52s are considered movers and shakers in this race. There’s also some hope for the two-handed boats in this class.

The defending overall champion is Celestial owned by Sydney sailor Sam Haynes.

The weather forecast for the Sydney to Hobart is one of the most unusual in years.

Rather than being firmed up days in advance, it has kept sailors guessing right until the last minute - with potentially more changes ahead.

The good news is there isn't any indication of severe weather like the low which exploded over the fleet back in 1998 triggering mass search and rescue missions and claiming the lives of six men.

However the smaller boats in the fleet can still expect a torrid time at sea. WEATHER AND

INSIDE 1998 RACE

FAMILY TIES

There are numerous family connections in the 2023 race with one skipper sailing with his daughter for the first time and a sister joining her father and brother at sea.

Grand Wharington’s daughter Georgia is jumping aboard his 100-footer Wild Thing while Jamie Winning-Kermond is aboard for her first race south on Andoo Comanche.

Her brother John “Herman’’ Winning is the skipper an her father John Senior, or Woody as he is known in sailing circles, is back after racing the supermaxi to victory in 2022.

Amanda Lulham

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Sydney-Hobart yacht washes up on island

A yacht abandoned at sea after suffering damage in the Sydney to Hobart race has washed up on a remote Tasmanian island, where a salvage mission will be attempted.

Water police rescued the crew of Huntress on December 28 after the 40-foot vessel struck an unidentified object that sheared off part of its rudder.

The yacht was left to drift at sea and has washed up near Christmas Beach on Cape Barren Island in Bass Strait.

Marine and Safety Tasmania earlier this week issued an alert saying the yacht was 15 nautical miles off the state's northeast coast and salvage operations were expected to start on Wednesday.

It confirmed on Wednesday the yacht had beached on Cape Barren Island and salvage attempts would be made on Saturday.

A spokesman for Marine and Safety Tasmania said the salvage operation was a matter for the yacht's owners and insurers.

The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania posted images on social media of the vessel washed ashore.

"We're hoping salvage is swift, safe and successful as she poses a risk (to) remote and pristine country," the organisation said.

Huntress was forced to retire from the Sydney to Hobart race after setting off from the NSW capital on Boxing Day.

Skipper and owner Victoria Logan and her seven crewmates suffered a mishap 80 nautical miles east of Flinders Island on the morning of December 28.

She told AAP last week she was downstairs when the yacht's driver, her partner Brent, felt a thud through the steering as the vessel was riding a wave.

"The wheel got ripped out of his hand and the boat started breaching violently. It took a few minutes to work out, but we realised we lost steerage," she said.

"We realised the rudder had sheared off and we could see it floating next to the boat, off into the distance."

Logan said Huntress likely hit a sunfish. The yacht attempted the Sydney to Hobart in 2021 but failed to finish because of mainsail damage.

Logan has been contacted for comment.

Australian Associated Press

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Sydney-Hobart yacht washes up on island

A yacht abandoned at sea after suffering damage in the Sydney to Hobart race has washed up on a remote […]

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Sydney-Hobart yacht washes up on island

A yacht abandoned at sea after suffering damage in the Sydney to Hobart race has washed up on a remote Tasmanian island, where a salvage mission will be attempted.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

(min cost $ 0 )

Login or signup to continue reading

Water police rescued the crew of Huntress on December 28 after the 40-foot vessel struck an unidentified object that sheared off part of its rudder.

The yacht was left to drift at sea and has washed up near Christmas Beach on Cape Barren Island in Bass Strait.

Marine and Safety Tasmania earlier this week issued an alert saying the yacht was 15 nautical miles off the state's northeast coast and salvage operations were expected to start on Wednesday.

It confirmed on Wednesday the yacht had beached on Cape Barren Island and salvage attempts would be made on Saturday.

A spokesman for Marine and Safety Tasmania said the salvage operation was a matter for the yacht's owners and insurers.

The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania posted images on social media of the vessel washed ashore.

"We're hoping salvage is swift, safe and successful as she poses a risk (to) remote and pristine country," the organisation said.

Huntress was forced to retire from the Sydney to Hobart race after setting off from the NSW capital on Boxing Day.

Skipper and owner Victoria Logan and her seven crewmates suffered a mishap 80 nautical miles east of Flinders Island on the morning of December 28.

She told AAP last week she was downstairs when the yacht's driver, her partner Brent, felt a thud through the steering as the vessel was riding a wave.

"The wheel got ripped out of his hand and the boat started breaching violently. It took a few minutes to work out, but we realised we lost steerage," she said.

"We realised the rudder had sheared off and we could see it floating next to the boat, off into the distance."

Logan said Huntress likely hit a sunfish. The yacht attempted the Sydney to Hobart in 2021 but failed to finish because of mainsail damage.

Logan has been contacted for comment.

Australian Associated Press

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Sydney-Hobart yacht washes up on island

A yacht abandoned at sea after suffering damage in the Sydney to Hobart race has washed up on a remote Tasmanian island, where a salvage mission will be attempted.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

(min cost $ 0 )

Login or signup to continue reading

Water police rescued the crew of Huntress on December 28 after the 40-foot vessel struck an unidentified object that sheared off part of its rudder.

The yacht was left to drift at sea and has washed up near Christmas Beach on Cape Barren Island in Bass Strait.

Marine and Safety Tasmania earlier this week issued an alert saying the yacht was 15 nautical miles off the state's northeast coast and salvage operations were expected to start on Wednesday.

It confirmed on Wednesday the yacht had beached on Cape Barren Island and salvage attempts would be made on Saturday.

A spokesman for Marine and Safety Tasmania said the salvage operation was a matter for the yacht's owners and insurers.

The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania posted images on social media of the vessel washed ashore.

"We're hoping salvage is swift, safe and successful as she poses a risk (to) remote and pristine country," the organisation said.

Huntress was forced to retire from the Sydney to Hobart race after setting off from the NSW capital on Boxing Day.

Skipper and owner Victoria Logan and her seven crewmates suffered a mishap 80 nautical miles east of Flinders Island on the morning of December 28.

She told AAP last week she was downstairs when the yacht's driver, her partner Brent, felt a thud through the steering as the vessel was riding a wave.

"The wheel got ripped out of his hand and the boat started breaching violently. It took a few minutes to work out, but we realised we lost steerage," she said.

"We realised the rudder had sheared off and we could see it floating next to the boat, off into the distance."

Logan said Huntress likely hit a sunfish. The yacht attempted the Sydney to Hobart in 2021 but failed to finish because of mainsail damage.

Logan has been contacted for comment.

Australian Associated Press

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The SS Nemesis is one of thousands of shipwrecks along the Australian coastline.

The 73-metre iron-hulled vessel was carrying coal when it disappeared in a storm 120 years ago, resulting in the tragic loss of all 32 people onboard.

While fragments of the ship and some bodies washed ashore — the hull was never found, and its location remained a mystery until Subsea professional marine services discovered it by chance while searching for lost shipping containers off Sydney.

One of the technicians onboard saw an anomaly appear on his screen at about 1am. It prompted further investigations using a remote-operated vehicle in challenging conditions.

"Our eyes lit up because we could see the height and that it was quite a significant vessel," Subsea managing director Ed Korber said.

"A few minutes into the footage we could see the anchor which was the jackpot for us, and that's when we knew we were onto something significant."

So you think you've found a shipwreck — what happens next?

The CSIRO's RV Investigator conducted detailed mapping of the sea floor and a systematic visual inspection of the entire SS Nemesis wreck using specialised underwater cameras.

It found that while the bow and stern were significantly damaged, other structures belonging to the vessel were still intact and identifiable, including two of the ship's anchors.

"The camera investigation is really important for determining a positive identification of the wreck," CSIRO group leader Matt Kimber said.

That information, along with previous footage collected by Subsea, was passed onto Heritage NSW maritime archaeology experts who were able to identify the wreck as the SS Nemesis, finally solving the 120-year-old mystery.

Several identifying features included the ship's unique hull, the apparent cargo of coal, the number of ventilators, and engine type.

"You have to figure out which shipwreck you've found by comparing the images of the site against historical records," Emily Jateff, from the Australian National Maritime Museum, said.

"Each little piece of the site that's uncovered and understood gives us more of a picture of what happened in the past."

The wreck of the SS Nemesis is protected as a historic shipwreck under the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018.

What do these underwater remains tell us?

Many maritime archaeologists describe shipwrecks as "underwater museums" or "time capsules" because of the important information they provide.

"It's incredibly important to identify a shipwreck because it helps us to better understand Australia and the world's maritime history," Ms Jateff said.

Maritime Museum of Tasmania curator Camille Reynes said shipwrecks contain "an incredible amount of information".

"They tell us what people were eating, and give us an insight into boat building techniques, trading routes or what cargo was being transported," Ms Reynes said.

"They are a capsule and you can discover all sorts of information if you study shipwrecks or the objects onboard."

Efforts to find objects taken from shipwrecks

It is understood that items belonging to the crew onboard SS Nemesis are contained within the wreck and will be protected from disturbance or damage under the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018.

Before these laws came into effect, it was common for curious divers or deep-sea "treasure hunters" to take objects or fragments from shipwrecks.

The Maritime Museum of Tasmania has embarked on a new scientific project which aims to find objects taken from sunken shipwrecks.

"Lots of pieces have been recovered and are dispersed across the state in different museums or in private collections, but it means we don't have a compressive understanding of what's out there," Ms Reynes said.

"We are trying to find these objects and fragments and put them in a database because it would be valuable for researchers."

Some of the items that have been found include everyday objects such as cutlery, toothbrushes, shavers, pottery, and metal plates.

"It was another era and people were interested in history and loved treasure hunting because it was exciting," Ms Reynes said.

"We are not judging anyone, we are just wanting to make a big list and catalogue these items so the data can be preserved."

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