MV Eva Blanche
from David Conway RG289, March 2019
David Conway (RG289) is one of Tas Maritime Radio's newer members. In February he sailed his vessel, the MV Eva Blanche from Franklin to Constitution Dock in Hobart to participate in the Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
When we asked David to provide some history of this historic vessel for our website, he readily agreed and provided the following story.
The main sources of information for this brief history are May, N (in draft), Industrious, Innovative and Altruistic: The 20th Century Boat Builders of Battery Point, and Broxham, G (2006), Those That Survive.
Photo: unknown
Eva Blanche is believed to be the sole remaining member of the RBML still afloat.
Eva Blanche was launched on 18 October 1910 according to the 24 October 1910 edition of the Daily Post, a Hobart newspaper. The article describes her as
one of the finest of its kind. Is built especially for tourist and pleasure parties by the ownser, Mr A Abel.
The article goes on describing Eva Blanche as being
built of Huon pine, copper fastened with kauri decking. Her length ove all is 34 foot and beam 8 foot. Her cabin is glassed in and she has an open cockpit of 20 feet which is the largest of any boat in the river leaving ample room for large fishing parties. She is fitted woth an 8 BHP Frisco Standard engine and has an estimated speed of 8 knots. The new craftwill be an ideal vessel for the purpose for which she is intended.
Eva Blanche was to be
moored with the rest of her line at the new ferry wharf now under construction
This is presumed to be Waterman's Dock. Her first trial was to be the following week.
Photo: Hammond family album
From then until the present time Eva Blanche has been in the Rodway , Coad, and Conway families as a pleasure craft. During this period her foredeck was raised to make her more commodious.
Photo: David Conway
Photos: David Conway
Photos: David Conway
Photo: David Conway
Eva Blanche was relaunched at Port Huon on 26 March 2018 and currently resides at Franklin Marina.

Source: Unknown