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Note: John faced some cancer in 2015. Sondra is his wife...
How tardy and bizarrely uncharacteristic of me to "come up short" Carol, on the genealogical history of the deceased equine entity called Tony.
Actually the initial send had more text....in my whimpering inadequacies.... I encountered a road block that was insurmountable for my chemo-laced brain.....I cried until Sondra came to my mewling puddle of shameful "masculine-tech" whining on the floor.....she tried to solve the dilemma .....and had "lift-off" for only a portion of the rocket.....basically it was a cluster fuck, a message that was intended for one planet.....but the message splintered,........you received some of the text, and some of it will arrive on Saturn's second inner ring, around 2525. The video that I tried to include with the text....imploded, folding in-ward unto itself.....consuming its life and frames until it resembled a tiny black jube-jube lying on the sidewalk.........not even the slugs were interested.
Tony was 22 when he died.....born in Saskatchewan......had papers.....not the kind of papers that illegal refugees have....but papers that proved he was pure Percheron. Tony was and is the only papered horse we have ever owned. Both his parents....sire and brood mare were registered Percheron. Percheron is a French heavy horse breed.....that basically opened the west, plowed the soil and pulled the goods.
In my world, being papered and registered means nothing....what does matter .......do I like what I see. And with Tony ....it was all good.
I'n John R's world of horses, registered and papered has meaning.
Sondra and I bought Tony along with another horse named Spider.....they were a team.....had worked as a team, pulling wagons and sleighs and also as a logging team for a teamster/logger/farmer/truck-driver from the 100 Mile House area of BC's Caribou region. Spider was a giant of a horse, also Percheron, not registered and not papered. Spider weighted about a ton, Tony was around 1800 lbs......
Spider was tall, quite a bit taller than Tony, so they looked a bit mis-matched....both horses were black as coal..........Tony had one white sock, rear right, if you are looking up the dirt chute........and both had their tails docked.... I'm not a fan of docked tails, but that's the way they came.
The year was 2004, when we heard about these boys being available.....we already had a team.....two wonderful Belgian/Percheron crosses, both unpapered and un-registered, that were named Pat and Mike, that we bought in 1999.
We were thinking of easing up on using Pat and Mike, as we were logging quite a bit. We wanted a younger team.....and Tony and Spider were around 10 ......a little side bar to horse trading.....a horse trader if he's trying to sell a horse , when confronted with the question .....
"so, how old is this horse"......will almost always tell you, he's 9. (old enough to know better but young enough to be strong and eager)(keep that in mind Carol, when it comes time to trade the old boy in)
To really know how old a horse is.....you look at his teeth, and if you know how to read the markings on their teeth, you can come to within a year or two. Many a 9 year old has turned out to be 17 or even older.
Sondra and I heard about the big blacks being for sale.....made some time to come up from the farm to have a look.
Always an adventure....searching out horses.
So up to the 100 Mile House area.....it was early summer....this area, high in elevation, excels in showing its beauty during the summer. It's sparsely populated.....a few small towns dot the region, to offer commerce and alcohol......the area is home to ranches, lots of large acreages, raising and growing beef..... As well as the ubiquitous logging industry.......give us some trees to exploit.
It's a gorgeous part of the province Carol, a high plateau, spotted with numerous lakes, expansive lodge pole pine forests, and these old, well worn ranch settlements.
It was one of these ranches that Tony and Spider were residing ......log house, log out-buildings, log fences, log barn.........right on the edge of a good sized lake.
Tom the owner was ready for us when we arrived....horses were at the hitching rail....harnessed and ready to perform.
But you never jump right into the task at hand .....you have to have the BC chats first.....sort of like kicking the tires when you are looking to buy a "new to you" truck......so the three of us are walking around the horses, hands running over their bodies, asking questions that don't always pertain to horses, "do you know such and such, he has a logging team near Princeton"......." where did these boys come from"...."when did you last use them"....."any problems"....."how are their feet"........"do these boys come with the harness"..... "how long have you lived up here"......."no kidding, I know Ted Guisbrech, we logged together over near Rock Creek".........and so on.
Then .....you ask if it would be ok to see them walk around.........he may say sure, take the lines, or he may say....sure, let me walk them first and then you can have a go.
All this seemingly unimportant prater......registers...it is all telling us about his relationship with his horses.....does he want to make sure the horses are calmed down when it comes time for us to drive them, .......does he think they might be a bit spooky if we take the lines.....is he setting the standard by showing us how he handles them.....all part of the game.
I want him to walk the horses around, to see what kind of relationship he has with them.....how he holds the lines ......where he stands.....how he gets them to move, does he "kiss them up", or "click" them up .....(two very distinct sounds in the horse world)....or does he remain silent, and communicate through the lines.....do they move on their own, when he grabs the lines......does he say their names to get them to move.......does he hold the lines....firm.......loosely.....does he slap the horses rears with the lines to get them to walk.....all of this shows me how this guy gets along with his horses.....gentle, coarsely, frantic, lazy, attentive, casual, ....and this gives me some incite into what we might be buying.
It's such a dance.....you want it to fall into place....you've invested 6 hours of travel one way......you like the initial viewing.....you need a team .....you want it to work. The foot work, the rhythm, the music, the touch, all these "things" need to be right for the dance to feel good...the flow....and eventually the coupling.
Where was I. .....oh yea.... Tom is walking the boys around, they have their harness on, the harness is well worn, with some minor binder-twine fix-it's......binder-twine....the non-natural material they use to tie bales of hay with.....it is ubiquitous with the horse world.....binder-twine is the rural duct-tape....you use it everywhere to tie down, to tie up, to keep apart, to shorten and to lengthen, you use it for clothes lines, and dog leashes, you use it to mark the planting lines for lettuce and carrots.....It almost always comes in the colour orange.....but now they have introduced the colour blue. It the very old days they used wire to wrap bales.
Tom walks the boys around the corral.....whoa-ing them up then asking them to step up(move ahead).....making them "gee" and "haw".....right and left......I watch how his hands work the lines.....lightly.....aggressively.....does he verbally communicate or is it all done with touch (pressure with the lines)......so the lines are long strips of leather or polypropylene that are attached to the bridle, a sort of head set that has the bit, the metal bar that is inserted to the horses mouth, attached to......so every time you pull on the lines it activates the bit......in a good or bad way.....gentle with the lines equates to gentle with the bit......aggressive with the lines, equates to harsh rough bit movement..........I'm certain Carol you've experienced this with the Hun. To get his attention (his noodle buried in a Conan movie) you sometimes have to jerk his bit.
So what you want to see as a perspective buyer, is the owner driving the horses around in a calm atmosphere.....no rodeos.....using "soft" hands........you want the horses displaying a zen.......a zone where they are willing to do what you ask of them.
Think Pointer Sisters......."I want a man with a slow hand....I Want a lover with an easy touch. I want a lover who will take some time. Not come and go in a heated rush"
Now that's what makes a perfect teamster.......Sondra points out that in the equine world, every teamster thinks he has soft hands. Phew, was that air leaving my body!
Then we attach the horses to the double-tree......sometimes made from hard wood and now usually made from metal.....this is the devise that is attached to two big leather straps that are attached to the horses harness.....these straps are called tugs....and then the double tree is attached to the device you want the horses to pull....ie. a wagon, a sleigh, a rake, a mower, or for our purposes a log. The double tree drags on the ground, so sometimes does not drag smoothly, as it gets caught up on debris , small babies, stumps, empty beer cases, that sort of thing......logging horses get acclimatized to this irregular pull and constant clanging, and are not spooked by the sound or pull.....uninitiated horses go ballistic....as they can never run away from the ragged feel, and the scary sound.
Tony and Spider were great.....and after numerous manoeuvres and requests.....lots of backing up, going forward.....asking them to take one step forward and whoa......asking them to stand while putting the lines on the ground......some horses will creep forward....
hooking them up to a big log and pulling it around.....doing the same tasks that we asked of them without the log..... we put them back to the hitching rail......removed their harness.
I ask Tom how "they load"......how easily do they go in a trailer.....a very important feature.....especially for people who move their horses around....like horse loggers.....always going to different sites.......some horses react to trailers like a 9 year old boy going to the dentist.....it can be hell.....and I've participated in many "rodeos" trying to get unwilling horses in a trailer. Both hard on the horse and the handler. Feet stepped on, smashed around by hyper animals, and that's before you get them in the trailer..... Securing them in the trailer is even more ramped up in terms of activity. So having calm, easy going horses to load...can be the deal sealer or breaker.Tom assures me that they "load easy"
We let the horses cool down......and then I picked up every foot......you want a cooperative horse when trimming hooves.....looked in their mouths to check teeth......hands feeling all over their bodies.....feeling and looking for bumps, irregularities, sores.....seeing how the harness fits them, any rubs, buckle wear, .......you try and do a full inspection..........just like the 50 point checkup that your Audi receives every 6 months.
For me it's all fun.....a chance to visit with another teamster.....to check out his stock....see new country.... hear some new lies and stories.
All the while the test drive and chit-chat is happening, Sondra and I are communicating about what we think about the team.....likes and dislikes....this is all done without talking....it's done with eyes, eye brows, facial wrinkles, nostril flares, smiles, hands, and head nods.....we don't want to diss the owner about the abilities of his team, or challenge anything he says about them.....we just register silently the good and bad......we didn't drive 6 hours to tell someone they have a badly mannered team of horses. It's a sort of rural respect and politeness that seems to prevail in rural Canada.
More generalized talk takes place....we find out more about his place.....some of the jobs he did with the team.....his daughter comes out of the house and jumps up on a saddle horse and rides around.....learn that he's bought a truck and car wash in 100 Mile House.....very entrepreneurial ...... He wanders off to feed some animals.... And Sondra and I kick a few horse buns around and decide yes, we want the team......
The negotiations are straight forward....we pay $4000....
In most horse transactions you buy the horse and the seller provides you with a halter and a lead rope......usually the most worn out and manure stained ones he can find in the tack shed.....often repaired with binder-twine, that use to be orange.
We manage, through friendly haggling, to get the harness, a double tree, and some pieces of harness "thrown in" with the 4 grand. We are happy with the deal, he's happy with the deal.
He agrees to feed the horses for a week, and Sondra and I will return the following weekend with our horse trailer, pick them up and bring them to Trinity Valley.
This adventure was wonderful.....a great way to start a new relationship with a new team......we were anxious to play with them, learn more about them.......and see what they could do.
The boys turned out to be all we wished for.....great addition to our already mature and well behaved team of Pat and Mike.....
Spider as he got older developed a rear hip malfunction.....that eventually made it very difficult for him to get up, after he would lie down for a rest and or a roll. At the end I was having to lift him up with the tractor....too complicated to describe, believe me it was as hard on me as it was on Spider.....Spider learned not to lie down too much .....and when he did, he'd try to position himself strategically on a slope so when it was time for lift-off, gravity would help. One time Spider lay down in his corral....winter time....in a hollow and couldn't rise up......thrashed around for awhile, making his bed a skating rink....total ice, caused by his body heat, ..... and even more difficult for him......finally as darkness was settling in I managed to get him up......this was becoming a problem.
In spring time I had a chat with the big boy......I was tiring of the effort it took to get him back up on all "four"...... Eventually the time came and he had his final lie-down.......
After Spider died, Tony was confused and then sad.....no more mate.....these horses when they are teamed up.....often act as one......they eat side by side, they rest side by side......when one heads off in a direction, the other one will follow......when one decides to let it all out and race around the field, full throttle, the other one copies. They are often joined at the hip. So Tony was bummed when Spider passed on, ........and he got little sympathy from the other team......at this point on the calendar, our original team of Pat and Mike, had both died, and we had bought another team, Jackie and Star, younger than both Spider and Tony, and this new team became our "go to team".
Jackie and Star, also Percheron's, also black, but with un-cropped tails, dragging on the ground, beautiful, true warriors......Don Monjoy was so proud of us for staying black, and staying Perch......this team was young, bold, frisky, and dominating. So Tony went to the bottom of the pecking order, and just wasn't too sure where he fit in. Sondra and I continued to show love and attention his way.....and Sondra would harness him and drive him around, but we always felt he was somewhat confused.......and missing his mate. But through that wondering, he was always a treat to be around.....he was extremely handsome.....very curious.....enormously smart.........and we always said he had a great ass.... And we will miss him.
Well now he can rejoin Spider......they can be a team again.
A log cabin nestled among the pines near Grass Valley, California. Adirondack chairs circle a quiet seating area while morning sunlight filters through the forest, creating a peaceful mountain retreat in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Log face on the Pacific Crest Trail. The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, Public Law No. 111-011, Section 1405, designated 24,100 acres of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument as wilderness. The Soda Mountain Wilderness encompasses the rich biological and geological diversity in the mountains southeast of Ashland, Oregon. The new wilderness lies on the south side of the Medford District. The heart of the wilderness is the 5,720-foot high Boccard Point where the great basin meets three mountain ranges. The older Klamath Range comes up from the south while the much younger Siskiyou Range extends from the west. Jutting up from the north is the very young Cascade Range.
Additional information about the Soda Mountain Wilderness, and all the other BLM Wilderness areas in Oregon/Washington, is available online at:
Colas locomotives are usually kept quite clean, something that is very important when the livery includes large chunks of yellow and orange, but in this image 70804 appears in need of a trip to the £5 car wash. On 31 March 2015 this locomotive is seen passing through Pyle whilst working the 15.24 Baglan Bay to Chirk Kronospan logs.
"Moira River Drive", 1907. Men with poles bringing logs down the Moira River in Hastings County, Ontario.
One of Harold McMurrich Rathbun's negatives.
Premier Christy Clark visited Pioneer Log Homes in Williams Lake, a world-renowned log building company and star of the reality TV show Timber Kings.
My training log. I wrap this one up next week. It holds all my training for this past year. Lots of sweat and effort in the 2,227 miles logged in 2015.
Resolutions for running = my goals for 2016. The first resolution is to enter the world of trail racing. I have 2 races in my spring race schedule, a trail 10K, followed by a trail half marathon. My second running resolution/goal is to PR in my fall marathon. High hopes and big dreams need lots of hard work. Bring it on 2016.
Resolutions
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This log cabin, located between a car dealership and a janitorial supply company, has intrigued me for decades
For anyone who has grown up in a rural area, there has always been that spook abandoned shack that nobody ever uses. Often, you ma have wondered "Who owns this place". In this case, the answer is: Me!
The plan is to fix it up in the summer. Sadly, once we chink it, much of the wood won't be visible. So I took some pictures so I could remember it. It was an old pioneer homestead. There aren't that many left.
Log flat cars haul logs and poles and are equipped tall heavy duty, metal bracings to create a crib for transporting poles.
This poignant image is thought to have been taken at Tuncurry in late March 1934. Coastal Steamships Ltd began a regular service to the Manning and Sydney in September 1933 but in this instance appears to have also called in at Cape Hawke. On April 2nd 1934 the steamer Jap was being towed out across the Tuncurry bar by the tug Forster with a load of timber when she became stuck on the bar and finally wrecked.
More images and the history of the tug Forster can be found in the Album Tug Forster
The Jap, a schooner of 200 tons, was built at Failford, NSW, by John Gregory & Son under the supervision of Henry Miles Breckenridge (son of John Breckenridge) for John Breckenridge, sawmiller of Failford. In 1911 she was converted to a steamer in Sydney.
Details
Name: JAP - as a schooner 1905 - 1911
Type: three masted schooner with topsails
ON: 121105
Registered Sydney: 33/1905 (July)
Microfilm Reference Reel: Reel C2/10
Length overall: 124.8 ft
Beam: 29.0 ft
Depth: 7.0 ft
Gross tonnage: 200 tons
Builder: John Gregory & Son under supervision of Henry Miles Breckenridge - Failford
Owner: John Breckenridge, Failford
Name: JAP - as a steamer 1911 - 1934
Type: Twin screw steamer
ON: 121105
Registered Sydney ON: 121105 18th April 1911; No.11 of 1911
Microfilm Reference Reel: Reel C2/11
Length overall 124.8 ft
Beam 29.0 ft
Depth 7.0 ft
Gross tonnage: 242 tons
Net tonnage: 136 tons
Builder: Messrs Chapman and Co., Druitt St., Sydney, installed the engines, boilers etc. The engines are twin surface condensing engines, nines and eighteens, and are capable of developing up to 250 h.p. The shipwright work, rendered necessary by the alterations, was entrusted to Mr. David Drake, of Balmain, and the joinery work was carried out by Mr. W. Fletcher. The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer - Saturday 20 May 1911
Ownership:
Schooner
1905 - 1911 John Breckenridge, Failford
Steamer
1911 - 1917 John Breckenridge, Failford
1917 - 1929 John Breckenridge & Sons Ltd, Drummoyne
1930 John Breckenridge & Sons Ltd, Drummoyne (in liquidation)
1930 - 1932 Graham Cecil Harwood Newell & John Raymond Einersen
1933 - 1934 Percy Harwood Newell
1934 Coastal Steamships Ltd.
LIFE AS A STEAMER
Maiden Voyage
The "new" steamer Jap departed Sydney on her maiden voyage to Failford on 18th May 1911. The anticipation of the crowd was electric: "On Friday morning last (19th May), notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, the quietude of our village was somewhat disturbed by hearing the tooting from several whistles, the mill and steamers evidently having a contest to see which could out-blow the other. Many of our residents not being accustomed to so many whistles at one time concluded that the multiplicity of screeches indicated that the steamship Jap, which had been expected on her maiden voyage, had arrived. This surmise proved correct and the whistling announced her arrival, accorded a welcome to the new ships and in a measure congratulateous to the popular and enterprising owner, Mr. John Breckenridge, on his success.The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer - Saturday 20 May 1911
Detailed Description
Prior to conversion she was dependent on the winds for propulsion. After due consideration, the course of conversion into a twin screw steamer was adopted, and the vessel was placed in the hands of Messrs Chapman and Co., Druitt St., Sydney, for the installation of the engines, boilers etc. The engines are twin surface condensing engines, nines and eighteens, and are capable of developing up to 250 h.p. There are two boilers, and two funnels abreast, similarly to those of the s.s. Commonwealth. No expense has been spared in any of the machinery or accessories, nor, it may be said, in any of the reconstructing work. The ship-wright work, rendered necessary by the alterations, was entrusted to Mr. David Drake, of Balmain, and the joinery work was carried out by Mr. W. Fletcher. The alterations effected, otherwise than the installation of boilers and engines, consist of fitting cabins, lockers, lavatories etc., on the same level as the main deck, and cabins and officer's quarters on the upper or promenade deck, and the whole of the work has been carried out on up-to-date lines. She has a roomy, well ventilated saloon, and two state cabins to accommodate eight gentlemen passengers, and four lady passengers respectively below, and a state room on the upper deck, to accommodate four more passengers. The officers’ quarters are also on the upper deck. The promenade deck is roomy and replete with every convenience. The berths on the upper deck are almost ideal; but all are comfortable and as every other modern convenience has been provided the vessel should become very popular. The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer - Saturday 20 May 1911
Early Operation
TheJap and the Commonwealth were marketed under the “Breckenridge's Line” with the Jap given over to the Camden Haven trade while the Commonwealth took up the running between Sydney and Cape Hawke. Captain Driscoll, formerly Master of the Commonwealth, was transferred over to the Jap.
The Jap traded regularly along the coast for the next ten years with only minor incidents reported. One such rather amusing incident was reported as a regrettable misunderstanding: “The small steamer Jap was attempting to enter the Heads at 6:30 a.m. yesterday [17th Aug 1914] when a misunderstanding occurred and a shot was fired across her bow from the fort at South Head. The vessel stopped, but she was afterward allowed to proceed up the harbor.” Northern Star (Lismore) - Wed 19 Aug 1914.
Ownership transferred to John Breckenridge and Sons Ltd
The company John Breckenridge and Sons Ltd. was formed in 1911 with John Breckenridge as Chairman of Directors and both John Wylie and Henry Miles Breckenridge as Directors. John Breckenridge died in 1917 and ownership of the Jap was transferred to the Company in the same year.
Collision with ferry Kiamala - 1920
A collision with the ferry Kiamala was to have a lasting impact on the Master, Captain Michael Driscoll). “Certificate Suspended - Captain of Steamer Jap
As a result or the collision between the ferry steamer Kiamala and the steamer Jap off Milson's Point on the night of July 24, the Marine Court (Judge Backhouse, with Captains H. C. Chudleigh and C. W. Davidson as assessors) to-day suspended the certificate of the master of the Jap (Captain Michael Driscoll), for two months, from the date of the accident, and ordered him to pay reasonable costs of the inquiry to the master of the Kiamala.
Mr. Curtis had informed the Court that the captain of the Jap had an unblemished record, and his reputation was of the highest.
Judge Backhouse said that the Court had dealt leniently with Captain Driscoll on account of his excellent record.
If the Court had seen its way not to suspend the certificate, it certainly would have done so.” Evening News - Fri 3 Sep 1920
By 1923, Captain Driscoll, who continued as Master of the Jap retired. “Captain Driscoll, of the steamer Jap, who has been trading on the Camden Haven River for many years, and occasionally visiting the Richmond, has made his last trip, he having retired from the service of John Breckenridge and Sons.” The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser - Tue 5 Jun 1923.
By 1928 Jap had virtually ceased trading and the vessel was essentially mothballed. Following financial troubles in 1929 it appears that the Company was put into liquidation and the Jap was put up for sale.
Sold to lightering contractors Newell and Einersen
In 1930 the steamer JAP was sold to Graham Cecil Harwood Newell & John Raymond Einersen. “STEAMER JAP RECOMMISSIONED.
After being laid up at Sydney for a considerable time the steamer Jap has been commissioned. Formerly employed in the timber trade by John Breckenridge Ltd the vessel was recently purchased by Newell and Einersen lightering contractors. Under the command of Captain Coe she sailed for Newcastle yesterday to load coal and is due back at Sydney to day. The Jap is of 246 tons gross and was built in 1905”. The Sydney Morning Herald - Saturday 5 July 1930
Attempt to Rescue Newton Elm
"NEWTON ELM FIRM ON SAND
The small coastal steamer, Jap, which reached Newcastle late last night, was the first vessel to reach the stranded Newton Elm. Coming down the coast from the Macleay River, a lookout man on the coaster noticed the plight of the larger vessel, Captain W. Benson immediately put in closer to shore to render what assistance he could.
It was 11:30 a.m. on Saturday when the Jap ranged alongside the Newton Elm. A south-easterly wind was blowing, and the sea wash lumpy and rising, Displaying skill and seamanship, the skipper took the Jap as close as possible, and a line was thrown aboard, To this a hawser from the Newton Elm was fastened, and the small Jap attempted to tow the steamer into deeper water. For four and a half hours the Jap stood by. But while thee firemen worked at terrific speed and the little vessel exerted all her strength, she failed to move the stranded steamer." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate - Mon 21 Dec 1931
Salvage of Northern Firth - Brush Island
In her new guise as a lighter, the Jap was involved in some interesting tasks. On February 21st 1932 the steamer Northern Firth was wrecked on Brush Island that lies just off Broulee on the South Coast of NSW. Lloyds instructed the Patrick Co., from London, to attempt salvage work and the Jap was sent to the scene to transfer the cargo, which consisted of wine, spirits, canned fruits, jams, beer, maize, syrup, silks and furniture.
In 1933 she caused considerable disruption to communications along the NSW North Coast.
“About 5 On Friday afternoon word was received at Taree post office that the mast of the steamer Jap, which was proceeding through Coopernook bridge to go up the Lansdowne, had broken about 18 telephone lines which cross the river at this point.
These lines connect Sydney with the whole coast further north right up to Brisbane. It is only last November that the lines were taken from the cable and put across the river. Mr. Coleman, who is in charge of this work at Taree office, and his assistant, Mr. Burgman, at once proceeded go to Coopernook, and it is to their credit that by 10 o'clock the service was restored. The Manning River Times - Wed 21 Jun 1933.
Sold to Coastal Steamships Ltd
In September 1933 it was announced that the Jap had been sold. “Coastal Steamships, Ltd. announce that the steamer 'Jap' will commence a weekly service to Taree, Wingham, Coopernook and all parts of the Manning River direct without transhipment, sailing from No. 38 Wharf Darling Harbour, next wharf to James Patrick & Co. Ltd., on Tuesday, 19th September, 1933 and every Tuesday thereafter, weather and circumstances permitting”. The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer - Fri 15 Sep 1933.
Wrecked on the Tuncurry Bar
Her time with Coastal Steamships was brief. On 2nd April, 1934, loaded with timber, she became stuck on the bar at the entrance to Cape Hawke Harbour while being towed out by the tug Forster. Reports of the day described the scene. “When being towed out by the tug Forster on Monday night [2nd April] about ten o’clock, the Coastal Steamship Company’s steamer Jap struck a sand bar just before reaching the outer play. The vessel was proceeding to Sydney and was taken out at the top of high tide. She was carrying a good cargo of timber from the Manning River and this Port. She left the Manning on Friday night half loaded and crossed here on Saturday, completing her loading from the district sawmills on Monday.
After she had been caught end-on, on the bar, it was recognized that the tug could have been no use to her and to save the tug from being pulled into a similar difficulty the tow rope was let go and it was then hoped that the vessel, disabled for the time being, would float off during the next morning or evening, at the latest.
However, within an hour after the mishap occurred, it was found by the master that she was leaking badly and the Pilot Station was signaled to keep a look out for the night in case relief was wanted by the crew.
On Tuesday morning, conditions had not materially improved and though the seas were not high the vessel was leaking badly and towards mid-day the onrushing waters in the openings made in the timbers caused the fires to be extinguished and the crew signalled for immediate assistance, as they had decided to abandon the ship.
With the aid of Mr. James Nicholson’s lobster launch [Hawke], the pilot lifeboat was towed to the disabled ship, and the crew of ten were rescued after some little difficulty, and brought ashore. Mr. Nicholson and his crew are to be commended for the splendid help they rendered and their work was warmly praised by the crew and others who witnessed the heroic rescue of the ships company.
Dungog Chronicle - Friday 6th April 1934
With the ship breaking up little could be done. On behalf of the Underwriters' Association, Mr. Bratz, of Porter's sawmills, Tuncurry, received a contract to salvage the cargo. Porter’s log punt, the St. Olive, was used to transfer the cargo and salvage fittings from the wreck.
Acknowledgements. The assistance of Mori Flapan (Mori Flapan boatregister) by providing access to his extensive database is greatly appreciated.
Image Source: This image has been generously provided by the Great Lakes Museum at Tuncurry NSW. The Museum holds a wealth of shipping photos in their collection.
All Images in this photostream are Copyright - Great Lakes Manning River Shipping and/or their individual owners as may be stated above and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without prior written approval.
GREAT LAKES MANNING RIVER SHIPPING, NSW - Flickr Group --> Alphabetical Boat Index --> Boat builders Index --> Tags List
The Brvnara (Log cabin) with straw- or shingles-roof is found mostly in mountainous areas of Zlatibor and Tara region in Western Serbia. Its origin is from the dinaric alps - Western part of Serbian Kraijna, Bosnia and Montenegro.