ON THE WALLABY

THE JAMES CRAIG- A LIVING PART OF AUSTRALIA’S (AND THE WORLDS) MARITIME HISTORY

As you would be aware, my principal Conference keynote address is entitled “Success starts with a Dream” and probably nowhere is this more evident that in the story of the James Craig, the last of the windjammers (pictured above under full sail off Sydney Heads) and of the dedicated band who literally “raised it from the dead” of Recherche Bay in Tasmania to where it is today.

Who amongst us, from the age of a young person onwards, has not thrilled to the sight of acres of white canvas spread on masts, the bow with “a bone in it’s teeth” (sailor talk for a big bow wave) rushing at us with an imaginary Errol Flynn aboard on his way to carrying out derry-do somewhere?

Well, thanks to the dreams and toil of many, many people and the financial contribution of many, and one anonymous Sydney donor in particular, that dream can now be seen plying the magnificent waters of Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson as it was originally known) and the seas offshore from it.

The James Craig was built in Sunderland, England as she was launched as the Clan McLeod, sailing her maiden voyage to Peru in 1874.

For 26 years, she plied the waters of this world, rounding the notorious Cape Horn on no fewer than 23 times as she carried her general cargo thither and yon. In 1900 she was purchased by Mr J.J.Craig of Auckland New Zealand and then in 1905, was renamed James Craig in honour of his son, she now took to the trans-Tasman trade as a general cargo carrier.

With the advent of steam and (as Captain Joshua Slocum had found out a decade earlier, this causing him to rebuild the Spray and to go on to be the first person to single handedly circumnavigate the globe) c the demise of sail as a means of commercial transport and in 1911 she was laid up.

Stripped and laid bare, she was used as a copra hulk in New Guinea and then, through the shortage of cargo vessels caused by maritime losses in the First World War, life was given her again and she was towed to Sydney and refitted.

Life, however, was to prove short for in 1925 she was taken back to being a coal hulk and she was moored in Tasmania. In 1932, she was abandoned in the cold waters of Tasmania’s Recherche Bay, south west of Hobart and where, whilst she had been given the “kiss of death”, her re-birthing was also created.

When discovered in 1972 by volunteers from the Australian Heritage Fleet (then known as the Sydney Heritage Fleet, she was in poor shape above the waterline but because she had settled in the mud and ooze, oxidisation had not occurred in much of her lower hull.

In 1973 she was re-floated and brought o Hobart and then, in 1981 she was towed back to Sydney where the long, long years of struggle started to restore her to the magnificent vessel she is today.

Out of the water at Blackwattle Bay, near the Sydney CBD, I can remember watching her slow process back to life as plate after plate was replaced and hot riveted in, leading to her restored hull being re-launched in February 1997 and that in turn led to her becoming fully operational again in 2001.

Indeed, so well was the restoration carried out that earlier this year, the Australian Heritage Fleet was awarded (and the James Craig) was awarded one of the most prestigious maritime awards around, the Maritime Heritage Medal.

This London based World Ship Trust, under the patronage of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, recognized the authentic restoration of this 1874 barque and the Australian Heritage Fleet’s preservation and display of historic ships.

That this is a major award is seen in previous recipients being Mary Rose (the warship of Henry V111’s that turned turtle on the day of her launching in 1510 with the loss of over 500 lives),Vasa (Sweden 1627), USS Constitution (1797- old “Iron Sides” herself), Great Britain (UK 1843) and Cutty Sark (UK 1869-the greatest, fastest and most famous clipper ship to ever play the oceans).

The James Craig is berthed at Wharf 7, Pyrmont (right next to Sydney’s CBD at Darling Harbour) and she is open from 9.30 am to 4 pm daily. She also goes to sea every second Saturday and details are available from the Australian Heritage Fleet at membership@austfleet.com.

The contact number for the Australian Heritage Fleet is Phone + 61 2 9298 3888 and their web site is at www.ausfleet.com

I intend to be on one of her passages shortly!

Carpe diem

Tony