It is truly one of the most difficult waterways to navigate in the world and we’ve found this out over the last few months of sailing and kayaking up its length. The reef is suddenly upon you and if you’re not armed to the eyeballs with charts, maps and a GPS you could very easily run into it!

There are literally hundreds of wrecks lying in the waters of the Coral Sea, of those who were less fortunate and didn’t make it to dry land.

Hinchinbrook Island is known to have a number of shipwrecks strewn about its coastline. Ramsey Bay on the eastern seaboard of Hinchinbrook woke up to a new discovery the morning after cyclone Yasi had passed through the area; that of a newly exposed wreck.

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Ramsay Bay Wreck – Hinchinbrook Island

Its identity is currently a mystery but it is thought to be one of three vessels lost in 1879/1880 while attempting to recover a cargo of cedar timber from an earlier wreck. The island is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and the wreck is being investigated by the Heritage Branch of the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM).

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Wreck of the Gothenburg

The Gothenburg was a large steamer travelling from Port Darwin to Melbourne in 1875 when it struck a detached reef near Flinders Channel. The vessel could not be floated off and eventually began to break up. A total of 103 lives were lost, including all 25 women and children and all the officers; 22 were saved.

Today the wreck lies broken up in 16m of water. It is located within a protected zone and a free permit must be obtained to enter within 200m of the wreck.

Date wrecked: 23 February 1875

Where vessel was wrecked: Old Reef (Entrance Flinders’ Channel, Great Barrier Reef)

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Wreck of the Mermaid

The Mermaid is famous for its role in the survey of the Australian coastline by Lieutenant Philip Parker King. The Mermaid was used in three of the four voyages made by Parker King from 1817 to 1820. It afterwards served as a colonial vessel, notably for Oxley’s voyage in 1823 when the Brisbane and Tweed rivers were discovered.

The government schooner Mermaid was bound from Sydney to Port Raffles and Swan River on 10 May 1829. Instead of following the safer but longer inshore passage to Torres Strait, the captain navigated the vessel through the Great Barrier Reef.

On the evening of the 12 June 1829, despite the suggestion of the chief officer John Hastings to heave to until daylight, the captain continued and at approximately 05:45 on 13 June the Mermaid struck a low-lying coral reef  to the eastward of Frankland’s Island (Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 03/11/1829). Several unsuccessful attempts were made to re-float the vessel. The sea began to break over the vessel and the crew abandoned the Mermaid. No lives were lost.

Where vessel was wrecked: South-eastern corner of Flora Reef (Great Barrier Reef)

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Endeavour Reef – Cook’s Cannon and Anchor

Navigating the Great Barrier Reef can be tricky even today and takes skill and reliance on good charts.  Imagine undertaking the feat in a wooden vessel with slow steerage, no charts and no back-up!

Captain Cook and the crew of the Endeavour did amazingly well, but still had problems along the way. At 23:00 on 11 June 1770, the Endeavour struck a reef (now called Endeavour Reef), necessitating that some items be jettisoned in an effort to re-float the vessel.

Six large cannons and numerous other items were thrown overboard. Anchors were also deployed into deeper water to assist in re-floating the vessel; one of the bower anchors was also lost in the effort.

The crew managed to re-float the ship and stem the leak enough to make sheltered landfall up what is now called the Endeavour River and Cooktown.

The six lost (four-pound) cannons and the anchor were located by researchers in the late 1960s and early 1970s and were subsequently recovered and conserved. One cannon and the anchor now reside at the James Cook Historical Museum in Cooktown.

Endeavour Reef is located approximately 48km south-east of Cooktown. We are hoping to stop here to dive the site on the way towards Cooktown in early September.

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I hope this gives you some insight into the wrecks that can be found here on the Great Barrier Reef

Yours Expeditionally

Ben

We’d like Ben’s friends around the world to post him a final hoorah message below and let him know which blog, photo or video was your favourite and which destination/experience he’s inspired you to visit.

Many thanks
Tourism Queensland

Tourism Queensland is inviting you all to the first instalment of Ben on Q!

While Ben is visiting his workmates in the Brisbane office this Friday the 7th of August, he will be on Twitter @Queensland between 5:30pm & 6:30pm (8:30am – 9:30am GMT) specifically to answer any questions you may have about Queensland or his exciting job as the Island Caretaker. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get some great insight into visiting Queensland and also get to know the man who has the Best Job in The World.

Click here to start following Queensland on Twitter, and get your questions ready!

See you all this Friday and please use hashtag #bestjob for your tweets.

Follow Ben’s adventures from July 1 when he starts work and will be kept very busy with snorkelling, diving, sailing and exploring the islands and the myriad experiences they offer!