Loch Vennachar

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Loch Vennachar
Career
Name: Loch Vennachar
Builder: Thomson's on the Clyde
Launched: August 1875
In service: 1875
Out of service: September 1905
Fate: Wrecked September 1905
Status: Registered historic site
General characteristics
Class and type: Clipper
Tons burthen: 1,485 tons
Length: 250 ft 1 in (76.2 m)
Beam: 38 ft 3 in (11.7 m)
Depth of hold: 22 ft 4 in (6.8 m)
Propulsion: Sail
Sail plan: Clipper

Loch Vennachar was a three-masted iron sailing ship (clipper) that operated between Great Britain and Australia between the late 1800s and 1905. The name was drawn from Loch Venachar, a lake which lies to the south-west of the burgh of Callander, in the Stirling region of Scotland. It is understood to mean "most beautiful lady" in Scottish Gaelic.[1]

In September 1905, she sank without trace and with all hands. In 1976, her extensively damaged remains were discovered in approximately 20 meters of water in West Bay, Kangaroo Island by the Society for Underwater Historical Research.[2][3]

Contents

[edit] History and description

Loch Vennachar was built in 1875 by Thomson's on the Clyde for the Glasgow Shipping Company. She was one of a fleet of iron wool clippers of the well-known Loch Line.[4] Her registered tonnage and dimensions were: 1,552 tons gross, 1,485 tons net; length, 250 feet 1 inch; breadth, 38 feet 3 inches; depth of hold, 22 feet 4 inches. Her usual cargo was usually about 5,500 bales of wool. She was first rigged with fidded royal masts, but this proved to interfere with her stability as there was too much weight aloft. She was then given topgallant and royal masts in one with crossed royal yards over double-topgallants. Loch Vennachar was always in the wool trade to Adelaide and Melbourne, but when an out wool clipper, she also carried passengers and other cargo.[5]

On her maiden voyage, she was commanded by Captain Wagstaff, leaving Inishtrahull on 6 September 1875. In early 1876, Wagstaff was replaced by Captain Robertson, who died in 1878 after only making two voyages on the vessel. The command was then given to her first officer, J.S. Ozanne, but in 1884, Captain Ozanne handed over command to Captain W.H. Bennett. Following Bennett's retirement in 1904, Captain W.S. Hawkins took command until her final voyage in 1905.[6]

Loch Vennachar arriving at Port Louis after cyclone damage
Loch Vennachar arriving at Port Louis after cyclone damage

Loch Vennachar was considered an unlucky ship narrowly surviving a cyclone in the Indian Ocean in June 1892.[7] Around 8 pm on the evening of 3 June, the barometer began to fall ominously and the sail was promptly shortened. At approximately 5.00 am as darkness lifted it showed terrific head seas that swept down upon the vessel, lashed by the North-East gale. Two large waves approached the ship. Loch Vennachar rode the first wave and sank into the trough at the other side. While in this position, the second wave came on and broke on deck with such force that it broke the foremast, mainmast and the mizzen topmast. Without her masts to steady her, the Loch Vennachar rolled dangerously in heavy seas. After 9 days, the weather eased and the crew were able to rig a spar forward and sail on the damaged mizzen. After 5 weeks of sailing, she arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius. Although her stay lasted 5 months while new spars were sent from England, repairs only took 10 days to complete.[5][6] Captain Bennett was awarded the Lloyd's Medal for his leadership and bravery at sea.[8]

Loch Vennachar suffered another serious accident on 12 November 1901, after a collision with the SS Cato, in the Thames Estuary. After arriving in the Thames, she anchored off the Mucking Light. Just before dawn, she was cut down and holed on the starboard bow by Cato, with one hand being seriously injured. She rapidly sank in 40 feet of water, but all hands, along with the parrot and cat, got clear safely. She rested on the bottom of the Thames for a month before being raised and repaired at considerable cost, and again put back into service in the Adelaide and Melbourne trade.[5][9][10][11]

Despite her unlucky reputation, she sailed between Great Britain and Australia for 30 years without further incident, until her final voyage.[12]

[edit] Final voyage

Captain W. Hawkins and Chief Officer James Priest
Captain W. Hawkins and Chief Officer James Priest
From left: D.S.M. Thompson, T. Pearce (apprentice) and J. Hadley
From left: D.S.M. Thompson, T. Pearce (apprentice) and J. Hadley

Under the command of Captain W.S. Hawkins, Loch Vennachar departed Glasgow in late June 1905 on a routine voyage to Adelaide. She was carrying a crew of 26 (some reports say 27) and laden with general cargo and a consignment of 20,000 bricks. On 6 September 1905, Loch Vennachar was overtaken by SS Yongala about 160 miles west of Neptune Island and the captains exchanged "all's well" signals. The Captain of the Yongala recorded that Loch Vennachar presented a pretty sight with her sails in full standing, she sped along with every apparent prospect of reaching her port safely.[13] It was the last known sighting of Loch Vennachar.

On 29 September, the ketch Annie Watt arrived in Adelaide and her captain reported picking up a reel of blue printing paper 18 miles North-West of Kangaroo Island. The paper was identified as part of Loch Vennachar's cargo.[8] Three weeks later, the sea began delivering scraps of her cargo to the jagged coast of Kangaroo Island which confirmed the disaster. The steamer Governor Musgrave was sent on two separate occasions to search for the wreck and any survivors. Weeks of searching by government and local fishing boats produced only flotsam and the body of a young seaman, who was never identified. He was buried in the sand hills of West Bay.[13] The search was eventually abandoned on 12 October.[4] Divers eventually discovered the wreck at West Bay, Kangaroo Island in 1976.[14]

The hero of the Loch Ard disaster, Tom Pearce, lost one of his sons when the Loch Vennachar was wrecked.[15][8][7]

At the time, it was incorrectly concluded that Loch Vennachar was wrecked on Young Rocks, a granite outcrop about 20 miles S.S.W. of Cape Gantheaume, trying to make the Backstairs Passage.[8]

[edit] Present day

Loch Vennachar last sighted by SS Yongala
Loch Vennachar last sighted by SS Yongala

Vennachar Point, located on the extreme west coast of Kangaroo Island, was named after the ship. Loch Vennachar Historic Reserve was also named after the ship. The reserve, including the shipwreck, is a registered historic site (place ID #7455) under the National Estate.[16]

The grave and wooden cross (made from the wreckage) of the unidentified seaman can still be seen to this day at Vennachar Point.[17]

Loch Vennachar's official location is defined as the area of seabed enclosed by a circle of radius 250m, centred at latitude 35deg 53` 05" south and longitude 136deg 32` East.

In 1980, the bower anchor was raised and put on display in the Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island.[18]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ De Quincey, T., & Groves, D. (2000). Articles from the Edinburgh Evening Post, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine and the Edinburgh Literary Gazette 1826 - 1829. London: Pickering and Chatto. OCLC: 174783948.
  2. ^ Christopher, Peter (1990). South Australian shipwrecks, 1802-1989. Society for Underwater Historical Research. North Adelaide, SA. ISBN 0958800618. OCLC: 25914190.
  3. ^ Council for Nautical Archaeology (1979). International journal of nautical archaeology and underwater exploration. London; Volume 8 Issue 2 Page 169-178, May 1979. ISSN: 0305-7445. OCLC: 1037043.
  4. ^ a b Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2003). Shipwrecks: Loch Vennachar. Retrieved online 22 March 2008.
  5. ^ a b c Loch Vennachar expedition report (1977). Society for Underwater Historical Research. Kent Town, South Australia. ISBN 0959750010. OCLC: 27625714.
  6. ^ a b Ship Modelers Association (1997). The "Loch Vennachar". Retrieved online 22 March 2008.
  7. ^ a b The New York Times (1911). Wrecks that mark the seven seas from Glasgow to Australia. Retrieved online 23 March 2008.
  8. ^ a b c d Lubbock, Basil (1948). The colonial clippers. Brown, Son & Ferguson, Glasgow. OCLC: 185535859.
  9. ^ The Ship Lists (2006).Glasgow Shipping Company. Retrieved online 21 March 2008.
  10. ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2003). Shipwrecks Audio Transcript > Vennachar Point. Retrieved online 22 March 2008.
  11. ^ Art Fact (2008). Lot 625: Derek George Montague Gardner. Retrieved online 21 March 2008.
  12. ^ Australian Government (2006). EMA Disasters Database: Kangaroo Island. Retrieved online 21 March 2008.
  13. ^ a b Gleeson, Max (1987, p. 19). S.S. Yongala: dive to the past. Turton & Armstrong Publishers, Sydney. ISBN 0908031319. OCLC: 27579405
  14. ^ Kangaroo Island Wrecks (2008). Kangaroo Island Shipwrecks: Loch Vennacher. Retrieved online 21 March 2008.
  15. ^ Encyclopedia of Australian Shipwrecks (2008). South Australian Shipwrecks: Loch Vennacher. Retrieved online 21 March 2008.
  16. ^ Loch Vennachar Historic Reserve (2007). Aussie Heritage: Loch Vennachar Historic Reserve. Retrieved online 22 March 2008.
  17. ^ SA Maritime Museum (2008). Wrecked! Tragedy and the Southern Seas. Retrieved online 23 March 2008.
  18. ^ ABC Online (2008). Shipwrecks - Vennachar. Retrieved online 22 March 2008.