ARPENTEUR 1839–1849
Brig, c. 1844, A.D. Edwardes Collection, State Library of South Australia, PRG-1373-1-4
Description
Brig; square stern, billet head, no galleries and sheathed with copper
Construction
Wood
Size
Length: 72.2 ft (22.0 m) Beam: 18 ft (5.5 m) Depth: 10.6 ft (3.2 m) Tonnage: 95
Built
Praslin, Seychelles
Owner
William Owen and John Ridley
Sunk
7 November 1849
Location
West end of Hassell Beach, Cheyne Bay
Latitude/Longitude
(-34.869779, 118.40373)
Sinking
The Arpenteur had collected mail from England in Singapore and was to off-load it in Fremantle. However, bad weather forced the brig to continue to Albany. On 28 September it tried to enter the harbour at Albany in a violent gale. A bobstay broke and the Arpenteur was driven out to sea. It continued to Adelaide, where it loaded eight tons of flour, some sugar and tea, and other items. The brig left Adelaide on 17 October for Cape Riche. The Arpenteur off-loaded the mail at Cheyne Bay and began loading whale oil. On 7 November a gale blew in from the north-east and drove the Arpenteur ashore. It was a total wreck and very little cargo was saved. No lives were lost. The wreck was sold for £11.
Underwater
The wreck is about 100 m offshore in about 3 m of water on a flat sandy bottom. The site was inspected in late 1972 by the Western Australian Museum. Several frames and about 4.6 m of planking, all in good condition, were showing above the sand. The planking bore traces of having been coppered. Some rounded stone ballast was present.
Gallery
