Pilots in Wellington

Left: Pilot Holmes and crew at Worser Bay, Wellington, ca 1883. Source: Timeframes

The men who met their end as described in the article below were probably using this boat pictured, taken five years previously. Most of them are likely pictured also.

The Pleione was the source of a bad run of luck. In March 1888, she ran aground on Waikanae on a trip out from England. She ended up floating again, but she wasn't insured and lots of money lost in fixing her up on the slip at Evans Bay (Pictured here with a beautiful gig in the foreground). The episode described in the article below must have been her first round-trip since the relaunching, which took place in November 1888.

Wellington waters can get very rough at times (recently we had 12 - 14 metre swells in the Cook Strait, and 60 Knots of wind recorded at the heads where this takes place). The Wahine, a not insignificant vessel, sank in 1968 when she was pushed by a wave on to Barretts Reef, the scene of the tragedy here recorded.

Source: Evening Post. 18 August 1889.

Gizza job!

Well I'm off back to the South Seas myself for good this time, so it's unlikely I'll be updating this blog again for a while, if at all. I'll keep it live though, as you never know.

On the bright side though, I'll be working on and sailing on my little 23 footer called Shemara. It's the one to the right of the red one in this picture, with the dark wineglass transom. Photo is taken from my shed in Wellington. She needs a spruce up (pun intended!), and once I get access to a computer over there I'll post updates on the work here: http://shemara.blogspot.com/
I'm looking for paying work. Anybody want to employ me?