Pearling lugger story

[TonyH]

Hey look! I'm famous - well sort of. I've been working on an old pearling lugger that's facing the the axe (or rather, the excavator->dumpster->landfill) and managed to get the local ABC radio to run a story on it to try to generate some local support for saving her. There's some nice pictures amongst other things - see the link below.

http://www.abc.net.au/tropic/stories/s1997942.htm

Cheers

Tony

[The Bigfella]

Great story Tony - you multi-media personality, you!

Edited to add - I like the photos

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200708/r165958_615811.jpg

[Wild Dingo]

sigh... when will Aussie take a bloody good hard look at what theyre doing with their national treasures and history? Another Buccealah eh (sp?) Tony... Thats an interesting pic the second last not the usual deck structures of a luggar

Actually speaking of her I was up in Mandurah the other week and took a cruise past where she rots... I will try to get back up there shortly with a camera and get some more sad shots... shes just about gone totally now :(

I go down to the Bunbury harbor now and again and see Rose F is still sitting at her mooring... dont know if she EVER goes out anymore as shes always just riding at anchor no works been done on her since we moved down from what I can see... (shore to boat is only a few metres)... and Ive never seen anyone aboard at any time of year... but shes a sweet wee thing... I must admit Ive been a tad slack over the last few years with regard to contacting the owner and havent actually even looked for them... would be a real treat to be able to get aboard her even just for a wander over her... Imagine going out for a sail!!! :cool:

Good to see you here again mate... been awhile since you posted hope life is good for you and yours... give us a hoi if your over this way again would be good to hook up and have a yarn with you again

Cheers

[bholderman]

Its great to have that kind of opportunity, best of luck.

[PeterSibley]

Good to see you famous Tony ! The only lugger I ever get to see is Penguin ...a lovely shape .Thanks for the photos .

[TonyH]

Thanks folks. Yes, it's a sad story. At least I've managed to get a good set of lines off her.

The pics are good aren't they Bigfella? The one you've posted sails under the name Ise Pearl but was originally Envy, built in the 1950s so one of the last generation of Thursday Island luggers. She's in great conditon (in survey in fact) and although the fidded topmast is non-authentic she's very pretty.

I'd be delighted to catch up Shane, I'll let you know when I'm over next. You're right about the cabin, it's not original. Rose F is still very much on my "to do" list, there still aren't any lines drawings available for a Freo ten-tonner, and she is one of only two remaining examples (the other is in Innisfail, of all places). WA also just lost a special lugger, Kooruldhoo, a 1910 Shark Bay lugger, was wrecked in Safety Bay and appears to be gone for good, which is very sad as she was a really lovely little boat.

Peter, I agree that Penguin is gorgeous - that long, long run, so typical of the Japanese-built TI luggers. There's at least one other very lovely lugger in Brisbane, named Waitoa (built 1904 and still in very good nick), she's moored at Manly boat harbour. Her owner is a nice guy, I'm sure he'd love to take a fellow enthusiast for a sail.

Cheers

Tony

[PeterSibley]

There's at least one other very lovely lugger in Brisbane, named Waitoa (built 1904 and still in very good nick), she's moored at Manly boat harbour. Her owner is a nice guy, I'm sure he'd love to take a fellow enthusiast for a sail.

Well, well ....thanks for that Tony , I'll keep my eyes open next time I'm down that way .:)

[Wild Dingo]

Tony, the more time I spend looking at Rose F the more I have come to like her... shes considerably smaller than the norm and the dogbox they have on her aft deck is a bit off putting but for all that shes lovely... I seriously have to make some efforts to track her owners down even if just to have a yarn with them... oh to own her! :cool:

WA also just lost a special lugger, Kooruldhoo, a 1910 Shark Bay lugger, was wrecked in Safety Bay and appears to be gone for good, which is very sad as she was a really lovely little boat.

Really? Where in Safety Bay mate I wander up past there every week or so and if you know where she is (or was) I could zap past and see whats what? what happened to her?

A sad very few are getting work done and few are sailing... with such as you to freely give your time to detail the remains of the ones left to rot we at least can leave our kids something of a twinkling of the rich history of these unique and beautiful Australian workboats of a bygone era

Anyway mate get back to me about Kooruldhoo and I'll go have a looksee with a camera... maybe we can at least document that much? :(

[John B]

Nice job Tony!!

[seanz]

Good work TonyH.
Does anyone know the history of the Waitoa?
I did some searching on the net but can't find a match for anything built here.(If she was built here)
Inquiring minds and all that.........
cheers
sean

[TonyH]

Sean, she was built in Thursday Island for one of the well-known pearlers of the time, Ernest Cleveland. I don't know his history but most of his boats had NZ-related names (Waitoa, Waikare, Waikato etc) so he may have been a Kiwi originally.

Shane, I'll get back to you on Kooruldhoo, I don't have much info yet on what actually happened.