Schooner Dora a total wreck – Jervis Bay

1870 Captain Sayers account of the catastrophe..

The Three mast schooner Huddersfield built by J Dent at Huskisson. eg: Coastal schooner used around this time. They were typically used for transporting all manner of cargo, timber, bricks, coal, cattle etc, to all parts of the colony and outer islands.

On a passage from Newcastle bound for Geelong Melbourne,  with a cargo comprising, 4600 spokes,  on the 29th ultimo,  and on the 1st instant returned to port,  having split her mainsail on the previous day.  She resumed her voyage again on the 5th,  and on the 9th,  met with a strong southerly breeze which necessitated her running into Botany Bay,  where she remained until the 11th at 7 a.m,  and put to sea with a light breeze which subsequently freshened from the eastward;  passed Sydney Heads at 2 p.m. and at 4 p.m,  the vessel was discovered to be making a good deal of water,  and as Captain Sayers found it the quicker process to put the water out with buckets than by pumping,  the crew were kept bailing out throughout the night to prevent her sinking.  on the next morning,  the 12th instant, at half-past 6 o'clock ran into Jervis Bay and brought up in 7 fathoms water;  veered out 50 fathoms of chain and at 9 p.m. the wind commenced to blow in fearful squalls from the eastward;  let go the starboard anchor,  and at 10p.m. carried away the port chain.  Endeavored to get underway,  but the whole of her canvas was immediately split,  and the vessel drove onto the shore on the S.W, corner of Jervis Bay,  where she was left by the crew,  with a heavy sea breaking over her and two-thirds filled with sand.  Captain Sayers desired to express his thanks to Captain Clinch of the City of Hobart,  for his kindness to himself and crew. The Dora was property of the Captain of the Sydney Griffiths Barque,  but Captain Sayer does not know if she is insured or not.

The crew were later transported to Hobart by the Schooner “City Of Hobart”

Meaning: Fathom - a unit of length equal to six feet (approximately 1.8 m), chiefly used in reference to the depth of water.