Picture: Suze Jones/Sorrento News
THE careful salvaging of the Moonraker Dolphin Swims vessel was undertaken over the King’s Birthday weekend, with the owners vowing to not stop working until they are back on the water.
The 20m-long commercial vessel lost its mooring and ran aground near the Sorrento boat ramp on Monday 1 June. It was among twelve vessels that either lost their moorings and drifted ashore or were sunk during the storm.
The removal of the vessel was a multi-day exercise, being readied before finally being lifted by crane onto a waiting barge on Saturday.
A public notice placed at the site said “Moonraker is a locally owned and operated tour vessel owned by Torie and Sandy Mackinnon. Moonraker Charters began in September 1990 and will continue into the future. The family has been local to Sorrento for generations and are on-site today, so please respect that this is an incredibly challenging time for them”.
One of the owners of Moonraker Dolphin Swims, Torie Mackinnon, told The News they’d be back.
“The boat is repairable,” said Mackinnon.
“The main breach is in the forward accommodation area, so it means vital equipment hasn’t been damaged.
“The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has been great, but there is still a long road ahead.”
The vessel has been barged to Melbourne Boat Yard at Appleton Dock where, in the coming days, it will be moved into a shed for further inspection.
“There is quite a process to still go through, even before repairs begin,” said Mackinnon.
“It starts with engine and gearbox preservation work, and then we need to gather quotes for repairs and liaisewith the insurance company.
“We are hoping to have the vessel back into the water by the end of the year, but to a large extent it is out of our hands.”
If there is any silver lining to the loss of their vessel, it is that the loss came at the beginning of their inactive winter season, minimising disruption in the short term.
“By and large, the community support has been phenomenal,” said Mackinnon.
“There was a big crowd assembled for the lifting of the vessel onto the barge. Unbeknown to the crowd, my mother and I were there too, just anonymously standing among the onlookers.
“It was a great comfort hearing what people had to say. Positive comments about people’s experiences they’ve had over the years with Moonraker. It was really what we needed after a very tough week.
“Online there have been some nasty, and wildly inaccurate comments, but mostly the support has been phenomenal.”
Mackinnon said the vessel meant a lot to her family.
“Of course, it is just a boat, and it can be repaired. But we have a strong emotional attachment,” said Mackinnon.
“The boat was designed by my mother and father and built in Freemantle in 1997 to replace our original vessel.
“My dad Marty and a crew sailed it over from Western Australia. We lost my dad to motor neurone disease 12 years ago, so it holds great sentimental value.”
The vessel has been in service since, and underwent a full overhaul in 2018 with new engines and electronics, full paint job and modified interior.
A statement from Park Victoria about the loss of vessels during the 1 June storm said “In its role as local Port Manager for Port Phillip and Western Port, Parks Victoria is working with owners and salvors to ensure the safe and timely removal of the damaged vessels.
“High winds and high swells have continued to affect the local area over the past few days, and vessel owners are urged to check for any damage once it is safe to do so.
“While vessels may be tethered and afloat it’s possible they, or the mooring tackle, have sustained damage and could detach from the mooring or sink in the future.
“Parks Victoria is in contact with mooring holders along the southern end of the Mornington Peninsula and is continuing to monitor the situation.”
Anyone who notices untethered or sinking vessels should call 13 19 63.
First published in the Mornington News – 9 June 2026
