ADA 1886–1888

Small fishing cutter at Fremantle, 1913, Image courtesy of City of Fremantle History Centre, 1694A

Description:

Cutter

Owner:

John Cowden and John Bruce

Construction:

Wood

Sunk:

February 1888

Size:

Length: 54.0 ft (16.46 m) Beam: 14.33 ft (4.37 m) Draft: 5.25 ft (1.6 m) Tonnage: 26.4

Underwater:

The wreck lies in 2 m of water on a north-west/south-east axis, stern to the northwards and canted about 20° to port. The stem, sternpost, keel and floors are relatively intact. The keel shows a clean break some 2 m from the sternpost. The timbers that project above the sediment (up to a height of 1.8 m for the sternpost) are heavily encrusted with marine growth. Much of the wreck is buried but there is a scattering of loose timbers on the site.

Built:

John Peters, Albany

Location:

Oyster Harbour, Albany. The Ada lies in shallow water on a soft muddy bottom overlaid by loose slimy algae in the south-east corner of Oyster Harbour. The site is sheltered and the remains are quite well preserved.

Sinking:

It is unclear how she came to sink, apparently while the crew were ashore cutting timber. Reports suggest that the cutter was refloated as there are records of further voyages. It seems that the damage must have been more severe than originally thought and the vessel was abandoned.

Longitude:

117.970443

Latitude:

-34.987968