Ship’s home needs repairs

convicts to Australia.

Marlborough Heritage Trust executive director Steve Austin said Marlborough was lucky to have the ship, but it was time to ‘‘step up’’ and invest in it.

Austin said the Edwin Fox was at the ‘‘centrepiece of international globalisation’’.

‘‘I think if Picton is going to put its best foot forward, then its maritime heritage is really going to be the key brand for Picton into the future, and of course, the Edwin Fox is the hero item.

‘‘We are very, very lucky to have it here in Marlborough. We just need to be able to step up and really take ownership of everything it can be and really see the investment because we are going to reap the rewards eventually.’’

The Marlborough Heritage Trust has asked the council in an annual plan submission for just over $30,000 to help fund a third of the total cost of bringing the ship and its dry dock up to spec. They needed a third in order to apply for funding through the Significant Lotteries

Fund.

‘‘The Edwin Fox is no longer in a state to be refloated and any water in the dry dock represents potential irreparable damage,’’ the submission said.

‘‘The dry dock maintenance has been an ongoing concern since it was built in 1999.’’

The trust’s submission outlined the various repair and maintenance works needed to bring the centre up to scratch.

The roof over the dry dock, built in 2000, had leaking panels that meant water was hitting the structure of the ship. It required replacing the panels and their fastenings and improving the downpipes.

The trust was also seeking to update the large signwriting on the roof, which was peeling, faded and ‘‘generally looking tired’’. The trust argued it would be ‘‘most prudent’’ to do the sign at the same time as the roof.

The submission also said the steel dry dock gate needed a concrete and epoxy wall to properly keep seawater out. A concrete wall would help