Alma Doepel Alma Doepel

The Alma Doepel is a three masted topsail schooner, Australian built and operated, with more than a hundred years of history behind her, and with more history yet to be written.

Alma Doepel was built in 1903 in Bellingen, NSW, by Frederik Doepel, and named after his youngest daughter Alma. She sailed mainly around the coast of Australia, carrying goods such as timber, wheat and jam. She was also used in World War II as a supply vessel in Papua New Guinea, before returning to commercial service around Tasmania in 1946. From 1961 to 1975 she was stripped of her rigging and used to carry limestone, before being sold, for the scrap value of her engines, to the Melbourne company Sail & Adventure in 1976. Alma Doepel on custom-made barge undergoing hull work as part of complete restoration.

From 1976 to 1987, Alma Doepel was comprehensively restored and returned to full sail in magnificent style to lead the Parade of Sail in Sydney Harbour in January 1988. She was then used as a sail training ship, based in Melbourne, until 1999 when the need for work on the hull and lack of funds put a stop to this activity.

In April 2001, Alma Doepel was taken to Port Macquarie where she was berthed at Lady Nelson Wharf and open to the public as a static exhibit. In January 2009 the Alma Doepel returned to Melbourne. She is berthed at No 2 Victoria Dock (Melbourne) undergoing an extensive refit to return her to survey so she can recommense sail training.

The Alma Doepel Supporter's Club (ADSC) was founded in 1976 "to provide both physical and monetary assistance to the ship's restoration".

This involved a great many Victorian people who gladly gave countless thousands of hours to their "labour of love", their Alma.When the ship went into the service of youth sail training this valuable support continued in the form of maintenance working bees and as volunteer crew supporting the youth voyages.

❊ Address ❊

 ⊜  Shed 2 North Wharf Road Docklands 3008 View Map
 ✆ Telephone: 0427 829134

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Alma Doepel 

➼ www.almadoepel.com.au






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