Donate
Give
search-icon
High and Dry in Sydney, Part 2
  • , Captain Steve Breen

We don’t often update and reissue a blog, but we felt that the journey that the Golden Shadow has undergone in dry dock is really cool.  Since we last put out this blog, the Golden Shadow has finished its repairs and been refloated.  To see the new things that have happened, check out the new extended photo gallery with captions that describe the finishing of the dry dock process.

Our Global Reef Expedition is one of the largest coral reef studies ever undertaken. Throughout the entire mission all our research is supported by the research vessel M/Y Golden Shadow. Now at 20 years old, Golden Shadow is required to undergo a series of inspections, surveys and thorough maintenance to ensure that the ship and machinery are in good condition. This detailed survey requires the vessel to be out of the water for just over a month.

Why is Golden Shadow Dry Docked?

And so that is why Shadow, as she is affectionately known, is in the Captain Cook Graving Dock in Sydney Australia, near the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge. There are only a few places in Australia that have the specialized facilities for a ship to be taken out of the water and dry docked. http://www.gardenisland.info/1-02-010.html

Over the coming weeks, the painting of the hull will be completed, the shafts and propellers will be fitted and the ship will be floated once more. The engines will be rebuilt and then the ship will be taken out for a day to conduct sea trials to ensure everything still works. Take a look at the photo gallery and captions to see exactly what is going on.

no images were found

Related Posts

2025-2026 B.A.M. Student Voices

Throughout the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) and Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) programs, we evaluate each phase of the mangrove education and restoration process to better understand how students are learning, growing, and connecting with their coastal environments.

Before the programs begin, students share what they already know about mangroves and how they feel about them. As the program progresses, we continue to gather feedback to see how their knowledge evolves from identifying mangrove species and understanding food webs to recognizing the role mangroves play in coastal protection and climate change mitigation.

But the surveys go beyond science content.

We also ask students…

Read More

Ten Years of B.A.M.: Rooted in Partnership, Growing in Purpose

Ten years ago, the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) program began with a simple but meaningful commitment: to connect Bahamian students with the mangrove ecosystems that shape and protect their island home.

Since 2015, B.A.M. has been implemented in partnership with Friends of the Environment, whose dedication to environmental stewardship in Abaco has made this program possible year after year. Together, we have worked alongside Patrick J. Bethel High School and Forest Heights Academy to bring hands-on mangrove science into classrooms and out into the field.

What makes ten years remarkable is not just longevity — it is consistency…

Read More