On 28 April 1789 Lt William Bligh was startled awake by the presence in his cabin of his first mate, Fletcher Christian, and several other HMS Bounty sailors threatening his life if he did not do as they ordered. He along with 18 members of his crew who wanted nothing to do with the unfoldingContinue reading “Bligh’s Epic Open-Boat Voyage”
Tag Archives: Torres Strait
The Loss of the Enchantress: A first-hand account.
On 24 July 1850, the 146-ton brig Enchantress was wrecked while trying to pass through the Great Barrier Reef using the Raine Island passage. Navigating the tricky passages leading to Torres Strait could prove challenging in those days. Between 1791 and 1887 no less than 37 ships came to grief near Raine Island. Many more wereContinue reading “The Loss of the Enchantress: A first-hand account.”
Loss of La Astrolabe and La Boussole: a 40 Year Mystery
One of the great maritime mysteries of the late 18th and early 19th centuries was the disappearance of the French ships La Astrolabe and La Boussole under the command of La Perouse. They were last sighted leaving Botany Bay in 1788 but it would be another 40 years before the world discovered what became ofContinue reading “Loss of La Astrolabe and La Boussole: a 40 Year Mystery”
The Tragic Loss of RMS Quetta
In 1890 Queensland experienced one of its worst maritime disasters when the passenger steamer Quetta sank in Torres Strait in just three minutes with the loss of 133 lives. The R.M.S. Quetta was a 3,300-ton coal-powered, iron-clad steamer measuring 116 metres (380 feet) in length and could travel at a top speed of 13 knotsContinue reading “The Tragic Loss of RMS Quetta”
The Sapphire and Marina: Three Months in a Leaky Boat
As you sit down to Christmas lunch spare a thought for the Sapphire castaways who spent 25 December 1859 in a struggle for their lives. Theirs is a remarkable story of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardship served with a healthy measure of good luck. Christmas Day saw William Beveridge and his men kedgingContinue reading “The Sapphire and Marina: Three Months in a Leaky Boat”
Tales from the Quarterdeck 