Marius Ricoux ex Rising Star, ex Sollecito, ex Sciaffino (1928/05/19)

Near Bald Head

Initially called Rising Star she was clinker built by Birrel, Stenhouse & Co. as their Yard No. 22, with one deck, one bulkhead, two tiers of beams, a counter stern and a clipper bow. It had a quarter deck 12.2 m long, and a forecastle 6.4 m in length. Initially owned by Captain H.H. Melmore and registered at Maryport, Cumberland, in England, it was sold to Ritson & Co. in 1889, but retained the Maryport registration. Its captain at that time was W.A. Nelson, who had started his working career as a sailmaker. In 1899 it was sold to A. Raggio, C. Solari and C. Chigizola and registered in Genoa, Italy. At first the name Rising Star was retained, but later changed to Sollecito.

In 1908 it was bought by M. Ricoux & Co., renamed Marius Ricoux, and registered at Marseilles in France. It is reported as arriving at Sydney in ballast from Monte Video on 4 October 1911 after a passage of 82 days, having experienced heavy gales during which some sails were blown out. The barque retained French registration until sold to McIlwraith, McEacharn & Company later that year, and registered at Sydney (No. 30/1911). This firm then converted it to a coal hulk, took it to Albany and moored it in Princess Royal Harbour.

THE LOSS
At the end of its useful life as a hulk the Marius Ricoux was towed by the tug Awhina ‘to a point well round Bald Head’ (West Australian, 26 May 1928: 19e). Explosives were placed in the bottom of the middle hold and covered with sand and rubbish to contain and direct the blast. The charge was fired and the resulting explosion blew a hole in the hulk, sinking it stern first in ‘13 fathoms [11.9 m] close to the shore, well out of the track of shipping’ (ibid.).

INITIAL SALVAGE
Prior to being sunk the Marius Ricoux was placed alongside the Town Jetty and stripped of everything useful, including the winch and boiler. The lower masts were left in place, possibly as they were of iron and of no use. The wheel also was not removed.

SITE LOCATION
The site where the Marius Ricoux was sunk is said to be in the ocean to the west of Bald Head, offshore from the Salmon Holes.