An assessment revealed the vessel needed a full rebuild of its electrics and cladding as a result of being underwater.
It has led to the heartbreaking decision for Tim Mills to sell the boat.
“It’s disappointing we have to pass the boat on to someone else,” he said.
“We’ve exercised our right to allow the insurance company to sell it for us. Unfortunately, it was going to be too difficult to oversee the restoration process.
“Because I live in South Australia it meant dealing with the salvage operation was hard enough.
“The border restrictions in place played a large part in reaching this decision.
“If the world wasn’t the way it is right now, we probably would have kept it and restored it ourselves.”
Tim was the owner of the PV Amphibious for five years and said he enjoyed many great moments with the boat.
But returning it to Echuca after 143 years remained his greatest achievement.
“It was something we always wanted to do after we purchased the vessel,” he said.
“Bringing it back to Echuca was definitely a highlight and something I will always remember.
“I understand there is someone who might be interested, so I'll be keen to see how it plays out in the coming weeks and months.
“It would be fantastic if it could stay on display in Echuca once the restoration was complete.”
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