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If you’ve been down Port Lincoln’s front Street over the last few weeks, you may have noticed something different… Adventure Bay’s “floating ad”!
The Orao was first built in the early ‘60s by Tuna polling pioneer, Dinko Lukan. Dinko arrived in Melbourne in 1956 from Croatia and built himself the Orao (name meaning EAGLE) and used it as one of THE FIRST Tuna polling boats in the Great Australian Bight.
Orao Sinks in Marina Berth
After retiring from her fishing days and being purchased for just AU$1.00 by the previous owner, the Orao settled in to its berth at the Lincoln Cove Marina quite nicely until earlier this year. In January 2011, the Orao sunk to the bottom of its berth in the Marina. It was quoted that the boat was likely to be unsalvageable, especially since this wasn’t the first (there have been at least 3 different occasions that the Orao has gone down!!) and wouldn’t be the last time the Orao would sink!
Nothing is “unsalvageable” for Captain Matt!! For weeks the Orao was brought back to life with the help of our resident Frenchies, who spent days standing alongside the boat sanding back the old paint and giving her a fresh coat of paint (even in the rain!!)… Finishing off the product with appropriate signage!
All was looking good for the launch of the “new & improved” Orao when tragedy struck. Whilst being towed around to the front beach, the Orao slowly started going down until it found itself stranded on the beach in front of Sapphire Waters – Old timber boats like the Orao, which has a rich tuna fishing history, dry out, which means the planking shrinks and they are more likely to take on water… 3 days of dives, tows, 3am starts and much appreciated help from friends and family, the Orao FINALLY made its way to its new mooring in Boston Bay – out the front of the Pier Hotel, where it can be seen throughout the day and lit up at night!!
With the Orao’s rich local history and exciting new location, it’s no wonder the locals have had something to say:
Orao in the bay
- “I think that is the most awesome piece of Advertising I have seen! First time i saw it was on the way home from a trip to town and saw it all lit up……………….just ingenious and all the knockers need to stop and realize that in business you have to always think outside the square and find that original idea! Just love it, great work Matt and your team”.
- “Love it, much prefer to see that than signs plastered all over the town. It is far more appropriate to advertise sea adventures on a boat in the bay than on trucks, planes and takeaway shops. Keep up the great work; SO many people are behind you”.
- “A great original approach. An appropriate water based advertisement for water based adventure tours. The complete opposite of some other tacky business signage. And as for this supposed “eye sore” I believe the posters, billboards and other advertising signs that are in countless places around town as opposed to 1 are the eye sores of the town. An innovative initiative that brings something new and unique to Port Lincoln”.
Thanks for all the support everyone!!
