Yatala (clipper ship)

Yatala, 1,127 tons, was a clipper ship built in 1865 for the Orient Line. She traded to South Australia from London for seven years until she was wrecked on 27 March 1872, near Cape Grisnez, France. Until the advent of Torrens, she was arguably the fastest on the route.[1] Her only master was Captain John Legoe, previously of Celestial and The Murray.[2]

Clipper Yatala c. 1865
History
Name: Yatala
Owner: Orient Line
Port of registry:
Builder: Thomas Bilbe, Aberdeen, Scotland
Completed: 1865
Fate: Wrecked on Cape Grisnez, France 27 March 1872
General characteristics
Type: Clipper ship
Tonnage: 1,127 tons
Length: 215 ft (66 m)
Beam: 35 ft (11 m)
Depth of hold: 21.3 ft (6.5 m)

History

The clipper ship Yatala, a composite ship of 1,127 tons, length 215 feet (66 m), breadth 35 feet (11 m), and depth 21.3 feet (6.5 m)[3] was built by Thomas Bilbe of Aberdeen in 1865, for Thompson & Anderson's Orient Line of clippers.[4]

The great race

On the eve of departure of Yatala for England after her second voyage to Port Adelaide it became evident that City of Adelaide, a similar though somewhat smaller vessel, was to leave on the same day, and would most likely make a race out of it. Crowds of spectators made their way to Port Adelaide; supporters of Captain Legoe and Yatala staying at one hotel and those of Captain Bruce and City of Adelaide another. Yatala got away at 6 a.m. on 27 December 1866 but City of Adelaide was delayed some five hours due to some oversight.[5]

The pair were evenly matched, and at the Cape of Good Hope the difference had was only three hours,[6] but the larger Yatala reached The Downs a day ahead of City of Adelaide which lost a further day getting to the docks.[7] This was David Bruce's last voyage in command of City of Adelaide; he was succeeded by his son John Bruce.[8]

The seven voyages of Yatala
Year.Left PlymouthArrived AdelaideDays Out
18654 August27 October84
18662 August14 October73
186710 August15 October66
18689 July24 September77
18697 August23 October77
187011 August26 October78
18716 July2 October.88

End of Yatala

On 18 December 1871, Yatala left Port Adelaide in company with the Elder Line clipper Beltana, which she beat to Cape Horn by a day. Beltana arrived in London safely after a tedious light weather run from the line, but Yatala ran ashore near Cape Gris Nez shortly after midnight on 27 March 1872, when almost in sight of home. It seems that in the heavy weather that prevailed at the time Captain Legoe mistook the Cape Grisnez light for that of Beachy Head on the other side of the Channel. There were no deaths or injuries, the passengers sheltering at the nearby town of Audresselles. Much of the valuable cargo (mostly wool) was saved, but the ship subsequently broke up and was totally lost. The Board of Enquiry found Captain Legoe fully responsible but in view of his long and faultless service and high character, was given the relatively light sentence of six months suspension of his certificate.[9]

Legoe supervised the construction of Hesperus at Greenock, Scotland, completed 1873, as a replacement for Yatala, subsequently serving as her master and commander.

Other vessels named Yatala

Yatala was also the name of

  • The South African Government schooner (1848–1864),[10] built in Port Adelaide, and in which Captain Edward Dowsett in 1852 discovered and named Port Augusta.
  • A steam tug (1878–1922)[11][12]
  • A ketch built at Port Adelaide by the well-known shipbuilder Alexander McFarlane (1841–1917) around 1890.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Well-known Clippers". The Register (Adelaide). XCIII (27, 030). 3 April 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 10 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "Some famous Clipper Ships of Olden Days". The Observer. LXXVIII (5, 841). South Australia. 1 January 1921. p. 26. Retrieved 5 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Shipping Intelligence". South Australian Register. XXIX (5861). South Australia. 14 August 1865. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "The "Yatala"". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  5. "Sailing of Ships for England". South Australian Register. XXX (6289). South Australia. 29 December 1866. p. 6. Retrieved 3 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Talk on the Flags". Adelaide Observer. XXV (1333). South Australia. 20 April 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 4 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "The Ocean Race". Adelaide Observer. XXV (1342). South Australia. 22 June 1867. p. 2 (Supplement to the Adelaide Observer.). Retrieved 4 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Bruce, John - I2005". City of Adelaide History and Genealogy. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  9. "Loss of the Yatala". The South Australian Advertiser. South Australia. 2 July 1872. p. 3. Retrieved 4 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Loss of the Government Schooner Yatala". South Australian Register. XXIX (5706). South Australia. 13 February 1865. p. 3. Retrieved 11 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Arrival of the Tug Yatala". Adelaide Observer. XXXV (1911). South Australia. 18 May 1878. p. 20. Retrieved 11 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Steam to Sail: an Old Tug's Conversion". The News (Adelaide). I (68). South Australia. 10 October 1923. p. 9. Retrieved 11 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Concerning People". The Register (Adelaide). LXXXII (21, 923). South Australia. 13 February 1917. p. 4. Retrieved 11 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
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