STS Leeuwin II Charting a New Course for a Massive Refit

STS Leeuwin II is all set for her journey from her quayside berth at B Shed in Fremantle Port to the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) at Henderson, on Monday morning at 7am, Monday 19 May 2025.

Can you believe it’s nine months since the fabulous three-masted sail training ship was catastrophically damaged during a collision with the 333-metre Singapore flagged container ship Maersk Shekou while moored at Victoria Quay?

Despite loosing her rigging, the ship’s steel hull remains structurally sound. Repairs and refitting are about to begin and will return the iconic tall ship to service. Jetwave Marine will provide an escort tug vessel to ensure the ship and crew arrive safely at the Henderson facility.

Phil Reynolds aboard STS Leeuwin II yesterday

Phil Reynolds, one of Leeuwin’s dedicated crew volunteers, kindly gave Fremantle Shipping News a private tour of the Leeuwin above and below decks. Phil and a team of volunteers will be aboard the vessel for the voyage, along with Leeuwin’s professional crew including Master, Captain James Rakich, said “I’m excited for this next chapter of Leeuwin’s history where we have the opportunity to restore the vessel while creating new maritime skills and technical capabilities for our crew and volunteers.”

CEO of the Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation, Lawson Dixon, said a vast team of crew, volunteers and specialist trades will be involved in getting Leeuwin back into action, with support from the community key to its successful return. “Many of the skills that are required in re-rigging the vessel are available here in WA, including riggers, sail makers and spar makers, so we are confident STS Leeuwin II will be back on the water as soon as possible,” he said.

At the AMC, Leeuwin will be manoeuvred into the facilities floating dock. The dock will then lift the 344-tonne vessel from the water. Once the dock is alongside the wharf the Self Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT’s) will drive onto the dock to then transfer the ship to a work area hosted by maritime maintenance company Seaready.

This site will host all work to restore the vessel’s masts, sails, rigging, running gear and all other necessary repairs, aiming to have Leeuwin back in the water for the start of the summer sailing season.

Leeuwin’s voyage from Fremantle Port to the AMC at Henderson comes after a successful shakedown cruise in October last year, which confirmed the ship’s marine diesel engine and steering gear are functional and that the vessel is seaworthy.

Key components of the rebuild include:
• 3000 lineal metres of Douglas Fir timber for the yards, topmasts, booms and gaffs. The wood is being shipped to Fremantle from British Columbia, Canada in sea containers.
• A full set of replacement sails are currently being sewn by Peter Ripley and his team in North Fremantle. The ship carries 810 square metres across 16 sails.
• New wiring.
• New sewage system
• Full safety check

We at the Fremantle Shipping News wish her well and can’t wait to sail on her next season.

Why don’t you head on down to Victoria Quay Monday morning at 7am and give Leeuwin a big send off? It will be a moving occasion – excusing the pun.

* Words and photographs by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey.

Jean is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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