SMV Geranium

Geranium SMV 1393 was designed and built at the Garden Island Dockyard in Sydney NSW as a 34 ft full timber teak motorboat. Commissioned by the Royal Australian Navy Gernamium was launched in 1950. She was used as a survey vessel, built with the ability to be lifted onto larger ships and was in service with the navy between 1950 to 1972.  She then spent time as a private launch before being purchased back by the navy in 2015 as part of their historic fleet.

Between 1950 and 1972 she was attached to the River-class frigate HMAS Barcoo (1951-56 and 1956-64) and the sloop HMAS Warrego (1956 - 59). She is still used today by the Navy as both a workboat and a crew transfer vessel operating within Sydney Harbour.

After almost sinking on her mooring in 2020 and being saved by Dave “Dog Boat” Glasson, she was slipped, stripped to bare timber, and an extensive survey carried out under the watchful eye of Shipwright Trent Wildman. 

The restoration

Major structural repairs were required including removal of numerous sister frames, broken frames, and deteriorated planking.

A jig was set up to reform her original hull shape, distorted in the turn of bilge on the port side.

More than a dozen frames were replaced along with some 6 teak planks of varying lengths.

A large section of worm affected keel forward of the lifting bracket was replaced and copper sheathing reinstated.

Broken frames and sister frames on the starboard side aft were also removed and replaced along with 2 deteriorated hull planks

The entire hull was recaulked, puttied, and repainted in the original survey colour scheme.

The entire aft cockpit was reframed and a tongue and groove sole fitted and secured, again repainting was carried out in the original colour scheme.

After launching Geranium was once again a “dry ship” with not enough leakage to activate the bilge pump.