Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1861 - 1864), Monday 29 February 1864, page 2


WRECK OF THE BRIG FAYAWAY, ON

BREAKSEA SPIT.

THE following official report of the inquiry into the loss of this vessel on Breaksea Spit, on the 9th February, was courteously furnished to us by Mr. Thornton, the Collector of Customs. The inves-nation was conducted at Maryborough, before Mr. H. B. Sherridan, the Sub-Collector of Customs at that port:—

Colin Chadwich states on oath : I was chief officer of the brig Fayaway, of which vessel Charles Croft was master ; on the 1st February

1864, we left Maryborough, with a cargo of tim-ber, bound for Sydney ; Mr. Henry Croaker, the pilot, left us in Hervey's Bay, on the 7th February, 1864 ; on the 8th we proceeded to sea, steering a course from the Fairway buoy to Breaksea Spit, which course we continued until the morning of the 9th, when we sighted Lady Elliot's Island, bearing S.S.W., distant about eight miles;

the wind was then N.E., and the vessel under single-reefed topsail and courses ; at noon of same day tacked, on an east-south-east course until ten o'clock at night, when there was a cry of " breakers ahead," and all hands were called to tack; I was then below, it being the captain's watch on deck; all hands rushed on deck; the captain was at the lead, and said four fathoms; the vessel was then put about, and In about five minutes after, finding the water shoaling rapidly, again tacked ; there were then breakers all round the vessel ; in a few minutes she struck heavily, and the sea broke over the deck; the wind was then blowing strong from the north-east, and the sea running very high; sounded the pumps, but found no water in the hold; then clewed up all sails, and stopped on board until morning, the vessel bumping severely all the time; at 8 o'clock on the morning of 10th, finding four feet water in the hold, and no chance of getting the vessel off, prepared to leave in the boats; we were then about three miles north of Sandy Cape, and right in the middle of the spit; the captain (Charles Croft), the steward John Groom, and two seamen named Daniel Powers and William Croaker, went into the jolly boat, and myself, William Bigland, George Francis, John White, and Andrew Young got into the long boat taking with us a few clothes and some provisions, and started with the inten-tion of reaching Maryborough ; the wind was then from the north-east and very squally; about two (2) o'clock in the afternoon made the outer Banks in Hervey's Bay, the Captain's boat being in ad-vance, and we some fifty or sixty yards behind ; I saw the leading boat enter some breakers on the Banks ahead, and immediately upset and turn bot-tom upwards; I immediately put my boat about, lowered the sail, and with difficulty succeeded in pulling clear of the breakers; the last time I saw the captain, and the men who were with him, alive, was when his boat upset; my opinion of the cause of the wreck is, that the vessel made more lee way than was expected, and such was very much increased by the strong tide then setting into Hervey's Bay ; I hold no certificate of competency, but have been twelve years at sea; I attribute no blame to anyone, and do not know if the vessel

was insured.

John White states on oath : I am an able sea-man ; I was serving as such on board the brig Fayaway, of which vessel Charles Croft was mas-ter; I have been in the brig three months and twenty-two days; I was In her when she loaded with timber in Maryborough; the vessel was piloted to the Fairway Buoy, Hervey's Bay, by Mr. Croaker ; after he left, the brig stood to sea; Lady Elliott's Island was sighted on the 9th of this month; it then bore S.S.W. of the vessel; the captain ordered the vessel to be put about, and she was steered an S.S.E. course during the day; I was keeping a look-out from eight to ten o'clock at night; the captain was on deck ; the weather was thick, and a strong breeze blowing from the N.E.; at about ten o'clock at night the weather suddenly cleared, and the captain sung out, " land on the lee bow;" all hands were called to 'bout ship; she was put about, and the water being found to shoal, another order was given by the captain to tack; soon after this the vessel struck and bumped heavily ; the sails were then clewed up, and the vessel lay bumping on the reef all night. At about eight o'clock on the morning of the 10th finding that there was no chance of getting the vessel off, and that she was making water fast the vessel was abandoned, the Captain, John Groom, David Powers, and William Crooker, went into the jolly-boat, and the Chief Officer, William Bigland, George Francis, Andrew Young, and myself, started in the long-boat for Maryborough at about two o'clock in the after-noon ; the two boats were close on the outer banks in Hervey's Bay—the captain's boat was little way ahead ; I saw her enter line of breakers and get upset; I saw the boat bottom up among the breakers; I think—I am sure—the captain and those with him must have been immediately lost; the boat in which I was had much difficulty in pulling back from the breakers; no assistance without risking the lives of all hands could be rendered to the captain or those with him ; I do not attribute any blame to anyone; I do not know whether the vessel was insured or not; I have bee 14 years at sea.

William Crooker states, on oath: I was on board the brig Fawaway when she loaded with timber in Maryborough ; I was serving as an able seaman ; I joined the vessel in Melbourne, and had been in her three months and twenty-two days: Charles Croft was the master's name; the vessel was piloted by Mr. Henry Crooker from Maryborough to the Fairway Buoy, Hervey's Bay; the pilot left on the 7th of February, 1864; on the 8th we stood on our voyage, bound for Sydney ; nothing par-ticular happened till the morning of the 9th, when ut about nine o'clock tho brig was put about; I bearii there was nn Island in sight nt tho time ; the wind wns then north-east; tho same course wus kept nil day, that is, the vessel nus not put about agtiin till night; 1 wns ut tho wheel from eight o'clock at night until tlie vessel struck, which wns about ten minutes to teu o'clock; the captain was on deck at the time, and lie suddenly snug out " land on the lee bow," and Ordered the helm to be put hard down ; the vessel wns put about, and in a few minutes finding the water shoaling, wo again tucked; im-mediately after this the vessel struck on a reef, and bumped heavily ; the tide was ebhingfast, anil at low wator she lay quite still; all hands remained In the vessel until next morning, when sail was put on to try to hack hor ott', but finding she would not move, und fearing the musts might fall, and prevent our escape by breaking the bouts, all builds left the vessel; beforo leaving tho pumps wore sounded; I saw Daniel Powers sound the pump., and am sure Hint he found but elghteon inches water in tho hold ; nt nbout seven o'clook on tho morning of the loth abandoned tbe vessol; Captain Ci oft, John Groom, Daniel Powers, nnd myself, got into the jolly boat, and the cliicf-ulllcor mid four men got into the liing bout, and wo all storied for Mnryborougli; the captain hilda com-pass and chart with him; about four o'clock in tho afternoon made the outer bunks in Hervey's Buy, tho long-boat was then u short way astern ol' us ; tho wind was blowing very fresh from about N.E., and the sea breaking fearfully on tho bunks ahoud of us; the sea nml wind were too high to ullow us to haul tho bout on a wind, so we wore obliged lo run beforo it, and right in on thu breakers ? tho moment the bout entered the breakers she filled with water, nnd turned over und over j myself nnd the other mon were washed out of the bout by tho surf; we nil got hold of the boat sovoral times, aud were nguiu and nguiu washed oil'; tho first man I saw sink was John Groom ; ho wus tho first I missed ; soon after I heard the captain say, " Oh, my God;" lie was then holding on to an our; I was then washed off the boat myself, mid when I got to her again I could not see the captain anywhere; ubout fivo minutes after this Powers and myself were washed olf tho boat nguiu; I regained ber, btit he did not, mut 1 shiv him sink; soon niter this thc boat drifted inside the breakers, mid 1 righted her, mid got in ; lt was then nearly dark ; I stuck by tho boat all night, mid next morning found myself about ten miles oil' thc maui laud in Hervey's Buy; I drifted backwards and forwards all tiny und next night, mid nt nbout eight o'clock on tho morning of the 13th I was drifted on shore to tho northward of Point Dayman ; I wandered nbout on shore until about four o'olock in the afternoon, when I fell in with somo blacks, one of whom con-ducted mo to Jlr. Walker'- camp, near tho mouth of tho River Alary; 1 wns then four days ami three nights without nny food ; I don't blum, any ono ; I think tho cause of the disaster to the vessel was, that not sullicient allowance was made for the strong current setting into thc Bay: tho captain told mo in the boat that he thought he was seven miles seaward of the spit when tho vessel struok ; to tho best of my knowledge tho vessel struck on Break Scu Spit, about two miles north ol' Sandy Capo; I um u Frenchman by birth ; 1 nm n native of Huvro do Grace; my real naino is Guilliam Coqullle, but went by tho name of William Croaker, on account of the difficulty of pronounc-

ing my name. |

his

CtUlLI.USI H COQUILLE

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