 Ena on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Tryphena Dibbs, wife of the first owner |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | W M Ford Boatbuilders, Berrys Bay |
| Cost | A£5,800 |
| Laid down | 1900 |
| Launched | 8 December 1900 |
| Completed | 1901 |
| Identification | Official Number 112529 |
| Status | Active as of 2021 |
| History | |
 Australia | |
| Name | HMAS Sleuth |
| Commissioned | 13 January 1917 |
| Decommissioned | 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steam yacht |
| Tonnage | 65 tons (gross); 44 tons (net) |
| Length | 88 feet (27 m) (minus bowsprit) |
| Beam | 16.5 feet (5.0 m) |
| Depth | 8.1 feet (2.5 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Armament | QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss gun (RAN service only) |
The Steam Yacht Ena is a steam yacht that was built in 1900 for Thomas Dibbs, the commodore of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. It was used as his private vessel for entertaining guests on Sydney Harbour and Pittwater until the beginning of World War I. In 1917 the yacht was purchased by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and used as the auxiliary patrol vessel HMAS Sleuth in the waters around the Torres Strait and Thursday Island, before later being used as a training ship tender based in Sydney.
In early 1920, the RAN disposed of the yacht and it returned to private use until later in the early 1930s when it was sold to Tasmania. Based in Hobart and under different owners SY Ena was used for a number of purposes including transportation of produce and fishing. It was converted to diesel power in the mid-1940s and renamed Aurore.
After sinking in the early 1980s, the yacht was refloated and eventually restored as a steam yacht close to its original configuration. SY Ena subsequently circumnavigated Australia, as part of a visit to Western Australia during the 1987 America's Cup and then served as a private charter vessel.
SY Ena is now based in Sydney at the Australian National Maritime Museum where it is part of the National Maritime Collection, and is also listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.