The original and staying FREE! *Within Australia* 34th Edition Jan. - Feb. 2009 The voice of the Boating Community! Vanda lll at Yellow Patch, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Kay Ezzy Rolex Sydney Hobart 08 What’s your story??? It can’t be about you without you! www.thecoastalpassage.com Saving Steel Daniel Forster photo Reflections by Alan Lucas Gold Coast Mystery The case of the disappearing galleon With my yacht anchored stern up to a Considering Portugal's lovely protected beach (long since pre-eminent position as a Forgotten by most modern Gold Coasters replaced with a concrete wall) in the seafaring nation in those is the once persistent rumour of a Spanish Southport Yacht Basin I spent a few days, it is reasonable to galleon lying at their doorstep. It was months odd jobbing in the area, one of presume that probes from reputed to be in the North Stradbroke which was the delivery of a 60-foot ketch their enclave in Timor swamp, not far from Jumpin Pin Bar. The from Gladstone to the Gold Coast where would have been subject grabbed my attention in 1965 my employment continued as her commonplace. Almost whilst employed to leak-proof an old temporary caretaker along with the owner's certainly, they sailed launch at Southport. Her elderly owner had other boat, a diesel-powered Bar Tender. south to the Kimberly spent his entire life in the area, sailing a He insisted that I use the latter whenever I coast where two cannons variety of boats around the Broadwater felt like it a welcome gesture to a person were placed in the ground and Moreton Bay, farming and developing mild galleon fever. as possible survey marks. bushwalking the islands and gathering These were discovered in historical oddities along the way. His A friend and I steamed the Bar Tender 1916 when HMAS oddest story told of an ancient 'Spanish' north into Swan Bay (the southern end of Encounter entered Napier galleon in the swamp at the southern end the swamp and long since a closed fish Broome Bay on a routine of North Stradbroke Island. habitat) where hopes were soon crushed - World War One patrol. at first by mangroves then a swamp too Commander C.W.Stevens Years ago, he said, walking along the shallow for navigation at high tide and too and Surgeon-Lieutenant edge of the swamp between the island's soft for walking at low tide. We considered W. Roberts landed on coastal dunes and its high country, he entering Canaipa Passage then walking (now) Carronade Island sighted a mast stump and ornate taffrail across the island via its many sand mining where they found two standing proud from the reeds, just beyond roads, but recognised the futility of such an bronze cannons The author aboard Soleares the dry land. He knew of a large schooner attempt without proper equipment and projecting vertically from that had been lost 60 years earlier, but supplies. We shelved our galleon the island's summit six as proof of Chinese visitation in his highly correctly reasoned that it couldn't possibly ambitions and gave up. feet apart. Immediate excavation of the contentious book 1421. Having run my have gravitated so far inland. It had to be a area added only a portion of a brass-bound untrained eyes over these ruins, I suspect vessel driven ashore centuries ago when In my ship's library was a 1907 book by chest, but the engravings on the cannons writers who cling to such theories are the island's coastline was a mile further Portuguese linguist George Collingridge were indisputable, one showing the clutching at straws, but the amazing west (this is fair logic considering that the claiming that Australia's east coast had Portuguese Crown and Rose and both mystery of the Mahogany Ship takes a lot ruins of Rome's ancient port city of Ostia been partially charted two and a half indicating that they had been forged in of explaining. now lie two miles inland). centuries before James Cook's visit. He Seville, Spain, where many European suggested that in 1521 Portuguese nations sourced their artillery pieces in The Mahogany Sip ranks as one of So intrigued was he that in the late 1930s navigator Cristovao de Mendonca, with a those days. Australia's greatest unsolved mysteries, he organised an expedition to attempt a fleet of three caravels, was ordered to involving, as it does, a well-documented partial salvage: Unhappily, World War Two head east from Portugal's Spice Islands to A 1970s book, The Secret Discovery of wreck on a Victorian beach between intervened and decimated the group, but defend her monopoly against possible Australia by Kenneth Gordon McIntyre, Warrnambool and Port Fairy. A scene he returned alone in 1946 and found no Spanish attack spearheaded by Ferdinand fine- tuned Collingridge's theories and painted by teacher Thomas Clark, circa sign of the wreck despite other persons Magellan, then thought to be in the Pacific linked the disappearance of the expedition 1860, features ship's timbers projecting claiming to have sighted the taffrail around after rounding Cape Horn. to a number of other mysteries, including from the dunes that were claimed to be of the same period. the Geelong Keys and the Mahogany Ship. European mahogany, a fact that diminished later claims that it might have The case of the Geelong Keys revolves been an American whaler. around the 1847 discovery of a set of European keys in a lime pit at Limeburners The wreck was first discovered in 1836 by Point, Corio Bay, Victoria. Their discovery shipwrecked sealers Gibbs and Wilson was witnessed by no lesser person than while walking along the beach to Port Charles Joseph La Trobe, Superintendent Fairy. Their discovery set off speculation of the Port Phillip District and soon to be that rages to this day about it being a pre- Governor of Victoria after Separation from colonial Portuguese ship, possibly one of New South Wales. The depth at which the Mendonca's flotilla that unwittingly keys were found geologically suggested discovered Australia's east and south that they must have been lost long before coasts while searching for Magellan. the British discovered Corio Bay in 1802. The Mahogany Ship has inspired It is vaguely possible, I suppose, that the archaeological digs right up to modern keys were lost by a Dutch sailor who had times, but it seems to have disappeared 787 somehow walked across the Nullarbor forever. However, rumours of 'Spanish Plains after being shipwrecked on the west th galleon' wrecks along the Queensland coast during the 17 century, but the theory coast abounded until recent times, most of it being dropped by a Portuguese officer such rumours remaining speculative with of Mendonca's flotilla is more probable. no supportive evidence. But if the conviction of that elderly fellow back in The relics of a stone building in isolated 1965 means anything, then his 'Spanish' Bittangabee Creek, south coast New South galleon may well have been Portuguese; Wales, has encouraged speculation that perhaps one of Mendonca's ships that the Portuguese spent some time there, crashed onto a North Stradbroke beach perhaps careening their ships, but the from which extrication proved impossible. sameSTITCH argument is used by Gavin Menzies IT AWL More products available from Sani-loo: THE HAND SEWING TOOL FOR MEDIUM TO HEAVY MATERIALS SANI-LOO AQUA-T TOILETS Sailcloth, Canvas, Webbing, Leather, Awnings.... • Whisper quiet operation A MUST FOR ANY CRUISING YACHT! • Self-priming pump • Easy to clean - vitreous china bowl Australian made • Clean lines - pleasing to the eye 316 stainless •Low water consumption(2-2.5 l flush) makes the most of holding tank capacity construction Waxed thread on spool www.sani-loo.com.au from $44.95 Order by phone, mail or online email: [email protected] STITCH IT AWL Ph/Fax: (07) 4946 4407 Ph: 0414 942 811 email: [email protected] GRADON Marine www.stitchitawl.com P.O.Box 1238 Airlie Beach QLD 4802 Page 2 The Coastal Passage #34 2009 In Tribute Geoff Henry OAM, dedicated to service August 13 1923 - January 1 2009 Survived by his children, Julian, Mark, Rachael, their families and thousands of friends. TCP owes a special debt to Geoff as over the years he has been most helpful with the paper and just a good heart to talk to when things were difficult. But in common with so many people that have written and called already, Geoff was the measure we took whenever it was hard to decide, what was the right thing to do? What would Geoff do? Geoff was a leader all his life and not because of some authorised rank though he earned that as well, but because he was someone that a person could turn to for example. Bob and Kay Norson Photo of Geoff in Cairns after receiving his Order of Australia Medal supplied by his family This is a tribute to our mate, Geoff Henry, OAM, who Radio Aarangi / VMR East Mackay passed away on New Year's Day. Geoff was, of From TCP # 5 (2003) For a number of years I was fortunate to accompany my husband, a course, the persona of VMR East Mackay. Chief Engineer at that time, across many oceans and experienced ' VMR, East Mackay, Geoff speaking. Yes, good morning. Good many adventures. Time on the bridge of various oil tankers, container to hear your voice again. How can I help you ?...... We started our cruising lives in 2000. We hesitantly, ships and general cargo with men of many nationalities, gave me time ..I hope you have a safe and pleasant trip and will be pleased to tentatively and with some trepidation picked our way up the to learn that basically people who respect the sea are the souls who hear from you again.