The steamer Meeinderry towed the salvage hulk Endeavour from Williamstown. Salvaged items were loaded onto the Meeinderry and secured against any illegal removal. The hulk Endeavour was to serve as living quarters for the salvage crew.

By the end of December the Meeinderry had removed to Melbourne quite a quantity of the cargo including a good deal of the alcohol. Early in the new year the two pianos were rescued, and later various items belonging to the ship. Things such as the medicine chest, a chest of charts, 10 ships buckets, four life buoys, three tea chests, two steam anchors, six five-gallon drums of paints and oils, mooring chains, flags, fog horns and compass stand, along with a quantity of ships stores.

By this time holes had opened up and there was an estimated 18 feet of water in the hold. There were fears that if the vessel broke up the pickings on the beach would be very attractive to any local beachcombers or souvenir hunters.

The next reports allude to "a very strong lookout being kept against pillaging"; but stories were still rife about whiskey being buried on the beach.

The next task was to remove the 10 miles of tramway cable, and divers went below to prepare for the removal. This brought fresh fears about the stability of the Inverlochy when the 51 tons of cable were removed. It was believed that this had been acting as ballast and holding the vessel on the reef. Maybe she would break up when this weight was removed.

The Customs Department was determined that there would be no wreckage floating ashore and sent extra officers to be on guard. However the elements proved to be a stronger power than the resolve of the Customs Officer. During the first week of February 1903, only parts of the bow and stern could be seen in the water. Now doors, fittings, spars, barrels of whiskey, cases of bottled stout, and large quantities of II Hudson's Extract of Soap" were washed ashore, which greatly pleased the eager beach combers.