In 1963 the vessel was bought by the Cheynes Beach Whaling Co, renamed Cheynes II and was used for whaling in Albany until operations ceased in November 1978. It was eventually sold to an entrepreneur who intended to turn it into a restaurant. The project was not fulfilled and the vessel was left lying derelict at the Albany Town Jetty. The port authority towed it to a mooring clear of the shipping channel.
CHEYNES II, ex Looma II, ex Thorbryn 1947–1984
Thorbryn, skipshistorie.net
Description
Whale chaser; triple expansion 1850 HP
Construction
Steel
Size
Length: 47.90 m Beam: 8.41 m Depth: 4.78 m Tonnage: 440 gross, 153 net
Built
Smith’s Dock & Engine Company, Teesbank, Middlesbrough, UK
Owner
Cheynes Beach Whaling Co P/L, Albany, then a private owner
Sunk
1994
Location
Princess Royal Harbour
Latitude/Longitude
(-35.056422, 117.909888)
Sinking
The Albany port authority towed it to a mooring clear of the shipping channel. In 1992 the Cheynes II broke from its moorings in a gale and grounded on a sandbank in Princess Royal Harbour, where it was abandoned.
Underwater
The Cheynes II lies in 3–4 metres of water. It is clearly visible from Albany. It is in a deterioriating condition and sits low in the water, listing to starboard.
Gallery