I have her Older Sister! Pictured here below. I guess by now you know that there were 3 of these, all ketches. Solace from the mid 1930's, "Christine", (been renamed as "Snowgoose" and has been "Setanta" for many years) from 1949 and Soliloquy of Searle" mid 1950's.
Designed by a New Zealander called Charles Bayley. I keep her at the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron, as does the owner of Solace.
Kingsley "Bones" Haskett, who owned Searles Boatyard, carries out a lot of his his business there as well and is a mine of information on the boats built there back in the day, something that I think you would know by now.
This old girl of mine was originally owned by A Doctor Ernest Joske, who , in the process of beginning what has been described as the first Australian Solo round the world circumnavigation, was found mauled to death, though onboard, by what they think was a Tiger Shark. Below is a newspaper report on the incident.
I like your boat by the way, though I am biased....
MANGLED BODY OF MAN FOUNDON KETCH IN FITZROY RIVER "With the right leg completely torn off at the hip and the right portion of the pelvis missing, the body of a middle-aged man was found by the police yesterday after noon lying over the side of the 45ft. ketch Christine, which was aground on Humbug Leads in the Fitzroy River. The man is believed to be Dr Ernest Joske, 56, married, of Adelaide. There was no one else on board. The body was lying amidships and one leg was caught over the guide wire and the upper portion of the body was entangled in the rigging. The left arm and shoulder were partly buried in the mud and the right arm was extended upwards. Where the pelvis was missing there was a cavity in the abdomen. The police do not suspect foul play. When found by the police the boat was lying on its starboard beam on Humbug Lead, 20 miles by water downstream from Rockhampton on the northern bank. The boat was headed downstream. The ketch was flying the signal flag, "I want a pilot." The police believe that, while sailing up the river alone, the engine of his boat cut out and when the boat began to drift the man believed to be Dr Joske, hurried around to the forrard to try to drop anchor. It is thought that, as he hurried around, he injured himself and the boat went ashore on the northern bank. Dr Joske's injury, it is thought, caused a considerable loss of blood. Police believe that the vessel suddenly heeled over and Dr Joske overbalanced and became entangled in the ropes and the guide wires on the side of the boat. While he was over the side of the boat it is believed that a shark took him and inflicted the injuries from which he subsequently died. First news of the Christine was flashed to Rockhampton by a radio message from the SS Caledon, which, at 12.38p.m. informed the police that the Christine was aground and that the master apparently was injured. The ketch was not seen entering the river yesterday morning and it is believed that her master brought her in before or about daylight. Detective-Sergeant H. G. Cook and Constable J. P. Peoples, together with Mr. J. L. McMaster (ambulance bearer). Mr Donovan (Department of Harbours and Marine) and Mr. H. Rittmeir, hastened to the grounded ketch in the launches Ursula and Sylvia. The party left Rockhampton shortly after 2 p.m. Constable Peoples brought the body to Rockhampton in the Ursula, arriving between8.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. A postmortem examination was held later. VESSEL REFLOATED Detective-Sergeant Cook remained with the Christine, and when the tide began to rise the vessel was refloated. She was refloated at 9.10 p.m. under the direction of Pilot P.C. Gibson, who was assisted by Mr. R. F. Pope, of the pilot station, and Mr. Rittmeir. Mr.Donovan, who skilfully manoeuvred the Sylvia, made the task of refloating the ketch much easier. Detective-Sergeant Cook said that the ketch was ashore between some fallen trees and the bank and this made refloating her a fairly hazardous operation. The Sylvia then towed the Christine to Rockhampton, where she berthed at 12.20 a.m. today. Dr. Joske left Brisbane in the ketch last Saturday week alone for Bowen. His wife flew from Brisbane to Adelaide last night to attend the funeral of her brother. The Brisbane C.I.B. last night asked the Adelaide police to interview her. Dr. Joske's boat was berthed in Brisbane for two months before he left alone to sail to Bowen. He gave up his medical practice to undertake a world trip. He said he wanted to do cancer research in the United States and Great Britain and that the Federal Government had accepted his offer to investigate prepaid medical insurance. He expected to be away for two years. His intention was to sail singlehanded from Adelaide to Lakes Entrance (New South Wales), and then to New Zealand, Panama, Florida, New York, across the Atlantic to England and then cruise in European waters before returning to Australia. He left Port Adelaide at the end of September last year. after engine trouble he was still battling storms in the Bass Strait in January. Misfortune continued to dog him up the eastern coast.
Roama
> 9 months ago, 24 Dec 2013
