Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

Hi Mac,

The book I am writing includes a lot of vessels that were involved with the history of the area and there are two that I have been unable to get photographs (may have been too early for photographs) or pictures of. One is
the 'Sydney Cove' 282 tons, an Australian sealing vessel, owned by Kable & Co.Captain McClaren. It featured from 1810. The other vessel is the 'General Gates,'an American whaler/sealer,1820's onwards, Captain Abimeleck Riggs. I was wondering if you have come across any illustrations of these two vessels.

Regards
John Wixon

Here is an earlier ship carrying the same name.

Shipwrecks of Tasmania Sydney Cove 

No luck with photos of the two ships, but a bit about each you may well know about.

Sydney Cove
The Sydney Cove made one trip as a convict transport,

General Gates. 
Blood thirsty report, I do not know its validity, its an extract from: Murihiku: A History of the South Island of New Zealand and the Islands Adjacent and Lying to the South, from 1642 to 1835.

Mac

Hi Mac
Both the Sydney Cove and the General Gates lost three or more sealing gangs to the maori who were practising cannabilisn at the time. The photo of the whaling ships should be O K. I have been trying for the last two years on and of to get pictures of those two vessels with no luck. There are quite a few articles about them. I will forward one story about the Sydney Cove finding a very large topmast. I have been trying to identify this without luck. I even contacted the British Maritime Museum. If it could be identified the vessel could have been here before Cook's Endeavour.
Regards
John

John,

Have you seen this list?

NEW ZEALAND SHIPWRECKS: The vessels listed here have had some connection with Australia, and were all lost off or near the coast of New Zealand. They have not necessarily been enroute to or from Australia.

Regards, 
Mac.

Hi Mac,

Thanks for the list of shipwrecks. I have a book of N Z Shipwrecks by Ingram that I have found very helpful but one of your list led me to do research and it was wrecked in the area I am writing about. The 'Industry' wrecked off Easy Harbour. Stewart Island. After being in touch with you it has spurred me on a bit to try and identify that vessel whose mast they found in 1810. I have found out that the explorer Jean-Francois de la Perouse lost two large ships 1878, which was 32 years prior to the top mast being found. The vessels were the 'La Boussole' and the 'Astrolabe.'  Both wrecks were found off the Solomon Islands, and looking at the map, it is highly possible that a broken top-mast could have travelled to New Zealand.  I have sent an email to info@bureauveritas.com in France but as yet have not had a reply. Do you have any contacts in France that may have the records that I require to identify the mast by the numbers?

Regards
John

John,

Guess that 1810 should read 1910.

Regards.
Mac.

John,

I do have have French contacts in the area of your enquiry.

Keep it up, in the long haul perserverance often wins out.

Best regards. 
Mac.

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