Shark (1927/05/08)

Went ashore on Mainland

Shark was a ketch rigged fishing boat owned by Gus Axel. Axel was in the process of purchasing the vessel from the Government and had insured it for £200. The crew members for this voyage were Aroo Johannes Grannath (in charge), Otto Olsen and Frank Payton. Payton was semi-crippled due to wounds suffered during World War I. The ketch had left Fremantle on 23 April to go fishing and was returning to Fremantle with about 1?000 pounds (455 kg) of fish in the ice chest aboard.
THE LOSS
Due to the approach of bad weather the Shark anchored near Lancelin Island on 6 May 1927. The vessel weathered the north-westerly gale but about 1.00 a.m. on 8 May, when the wind swung to the south-west, the ketch fouled its anchor with the result that Shark went ashore. The port side was stove in and, with waves breaking over the vessel, the crew had considerable difficulty in getting to land.
The three men reached the mainland. Payton was left on the beach while Grannath and Olsen walked across country to the Aboriginal settlement at Mogumber. The Silvery Wave was anchored nearby but neither Grannath nor Olsen would ask for assistance from that vessel as the crew were ‘of a different nationality’. Payton was not so finicky and when the rescue party arrived in a Fisheries Department vessel on 11 May he had obtained from Silvery Wave sufficient food for about 10 days. He had refused an offer to be taken to Fremantle on the Silvery Wave as he expected the other two crew of the Shark to return and rescue him.
When the Fisheries Department launch arrived attempts were made to board the Shark and salvage any gear. This was prevented by the heavy surf that swamped both dinghies, but it was found possible to board the ketch the following day.
INITIAL SALVAGE
The crew had managed to save only a part of their personal belongings when abandoning the Shark. The day following the arrival of the Fisheries Department launch, despite being found full of sand more gear was salvaged as well as the Shark’s dinghy.