The Gaël suffered an incident in early June 1905. It had taken on a cargo of iron ore at Port Pirie in South Australia for Antwerp. Shortly after commencing the voyage the vessel struck heavy weather, which was described as a ‘fearful storm’.
The deck was swept by waves and the vessel rolled substantially. The crew realised that the cargo had shifted. The vessel was put about and managed to make Adelaide. There were some broken frames and other structural damage. The Gaël required dry-docking for repair, but as there were no suitable facilities at Adelaide, the Gaël was towed to Melbourne for repair.
On a later voyage, the Gaël was carrying a full cargo of cement when it left London on 23 May 1909 destined for Hobart. Good weather prevailed until the vessel approached the western Australian coast in mid-August.
The Gaël had a crew of twenty-four.
Description
Barque: one deck, two tiers of beams, a poop 20.4 m long and a forecastle 15.6 m in length
Size
Length: 85.30 m Beam: 12.20 m Draft: 6.80 m Tonnage: 2,301 gross, 1,708 net, 1,959 under deck
Built
Atelier & Chantière de la Loire, St Nazaire, France
Location
170 miles off Cape Leeuwin
Sinking
The Gaël met with strong winds and heavy seas, and on 17 August 1909 it was found to be taking on water. There was 1.2 m of water in the hold; the steam pumps were put into action but the water continued to gain. Captain Meteye jettisoned much of the cargo. On Sunday 22 August he decided to abandon ship. He estimated his position then to be at latitude 36° 44’ S and longitude 111° 47’ E, approximately 170 nautical miles south-west of Cape Leeuwin. The boats stayed by the sinking Gaël, but between 7.00 and 8.00 pm on Monday 23 August, after going on board the Gaël and finding 3.4 m of water in the hold, the mate decided to sail for the nearest port. The captain stayed until the barque sank at about 11.30 pm when he too set sail, intending to head for Albany. Three days later the mate’s boat was seen by the staff at the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, and the tug Vigilant was sent from Bunbury to meet them. Meanwhile Captain Meteye had reached the coast at Flinders Bay, and at about 3.00 pm on Wednesday 25 August he decided to attempt to go ashore. In landing, the boat was capsized in the surf and everything, including the ship’s papers, was lost.
Underwater
The wreck of the Gaël has not been found.
