AWBF

Australian Wooden Boat Festival.

This boat festival is held every two years (except during Covid) in Hobart, Tasmania and this year it was held from the 10th to the 13th February. Our cruise ship arrived in Hobart of the morning of the 14th February and I was hoping to see various older sailing vessels leaving port on the 14th because the festival had ended.

This did not happen but I managed to see certain vessels in port.

The approach to Hobart from our cabin.

 

The navy is in port – as we slowly approached our berth. 

 

It was a short walk from the ship to the boat harbour – on the left side of the picture you can see crew members repairing some of the gear.

It was difficult to photograph various ships because of the position of the sun – it was so bright that I could not see the target so it was a touch of point and click and hope for the best.

I recognised the ‘James Craig‘ having seen her in Sydney.

James Craig is a barque, launched in 1874 having been built by Bartram, Haswell & Co., of Sunderland, England.

Her history – originally named Clan Macleod for Thomas Dunlop & Sons of Glasgow. The company was one of the three companies that merged to create the British shipping company called Clan Line. 

Clan Macleod was sold in 1887 to the Fa. Russell & Co. Glasgow
In 1900 she was sold again to Mr J J Craig of Auckland and renamed  James  Craig and she sailed under the New Zealand flag.
In 1911 she was stripped and used as a copra hulk in New Guinea, later in 1918 she was refitted and traded as a sailing ship until the early 1920’s.
Later again she was a coal hulk in Recherche Bay Tasmania, and in 1932 was beached and abended after breaking her moorings during a storm.
It was not until 1972 when volunteers from Sydney Heritage Fleet re-floated her and had her towed to Sydney in 1981.

In 1985 Maureen & I moved from Melbourne to Sydney and that was the first time we saw the ‘James Craig‘ and wonder if she would ever be restored to be a sailing ship again. 
In 1997 the volunteers had completed their work and she was re-launched and rigged as a barque.

James Craig when she was a hulk in Tasmania – photo taken by Alan Edenborough about 1970.

A more modest sailing vessel – she is the ‘One and all’.

One and All is a South Australian vessel launched in 1985. The objective of One and All is to provide young South Australians the opportunity for self-discovery and self-development, and to experience adventure while learning.

Just to show how close our cruise ship berthed to the sailing vessels the bow of the Celebrity Eclipse can be seen.   
If you are interested in a short video of the James Craig click on the link below, the video is about five minutes.  

James Craig