Cutters Wrecked at Glenelg

Two ships are listed in “South Australian Shipwrecks – A data base 1802-1989” by Peter Christopher as having been wrecked at Glenelg on 11^th April 1948. That was the day that a ‘hurricane gale’ storm destroyed the Glenelg jetty aquarium.

The two wrecks concerned are the Renown and the Zephyr. Both are described as being cutters.

According to a Copilot Search, “A cutter ship is a versatile vessel, historically a fast single-masted sailing ship with multiple headsails …. Traditionally, a cutter is a small, speedy sailing vessel with a single mast rigged fore-and-aft, carrying a mainsail and at least two headsails. Its hull is typically deep and narrow, with a raking transom stern, vertical stem, and long bowsprit, designed for speed, agility, and windward performance.”

I don’t know what became of these two shipwrecks, especially location-wise. Going through an old newspaper page, I found this photo of what is said to have been a cutter wrecked at Glenelg during the 1948 storm: -

 

Unfortunately, I cannot make out the name or number on the side of the hull to be able to identify the vessel. The name appears to be short, followed by a number ‘3’.

The Register for Wednesday 17th October 1923 , reported the loss of the cutter Irene on Glenelg beach, near the Glenelg Baths: -

“Lying half-buried in the sand and seaweed near the Glenelg Baths, its stern damaged, counter stern chafed through, and timbers bent and broken, the cutter Irene presents a pitiful spectacle to the man with a liking for the sea and the ships that sail thereon. Last Wednesday's storm found a weakness in the moorings, and this sturdy, little craft, which during its long career as a fishing cutter has weathered hundreds of gales, was dashed against a caisson on the shore front, and in a few hours became a wreck. Thus, another victim was added to the long list of fishing cutters and yachts which have ended their careers on the Glenelg sands. Many yachtsmen at Glenelg have seen their boats smashed to pieces, one owner having lost four boats;”

The Irene is not, however, listed in “South Australian Shipwrecks – A data base 1802-1989”. The Cape Jaffa, listed as a fishing cutter, was wrecked somewhere between Kingston and Port Adelaide in 1973. No other cutters, other than the Renown and the Zephyr, are listed after 1900.