H. & W. Douglas of London. Later owned by Shaw, Savill & Co. (1879). At the time of loss in 1883, she was owned by Maurice Coleman Davies, Timber merchant
Construction:
Timber with yellow metal sheafing
Sunk:
July 4, 1883
Size:
611 tonnes length 41m beam 8.9m draft 5.0m
Underwater:
The wreck lies in 5–6 meters of water on a sandy bottom. The site measures roughly 35.5m by 8.5m. Divers can see the wooden hull frames (paired), sections of planking, and a jumble of deck beams. Notably, the cargo of neatly stacked timber sleepers is still visible in the center of the site, alongside copper nails and hull sheathing.
Built:
1863 by W. Doxford at Sunderland, England.
Location:
Hamelin Bay, Western Australia; approximately 300m off the beach and 650m north of the old Hamelin Jetty.
Sinking:
The Chaudiere had been anchored in Hamelin Bay for nearly two months, awaiting repairs to its pumps and loading a cargo of timber sleepers. On the night of July 3, 1883, a severe winter gale shifted to the north-northwest. Despite the crew paying out extra cable on both anchors, the vessel began to drag toward the shore. By the morning of July 4, the ship went hard aground in approximately 5 meters of water. As the storm intensified, the hull was battered by the surf, and Captain William Hayes ordered the crew to abandon the vessel. No lives were lost.
Longitude:
115.031950
Latitude:
−34.216417
Gallery
wreck with diver photo.divingwawrecks
wreck with timbers photo.divingwawrecks
wreck with side timbers.photo.divingwawrecks
Location
Videos
3d-models/chaudiere-1883-shipwreck-hamelin-bay-australia-Dave Jackson
