Leviathan (1921/08/25)

Mandurah

Leviathan was built at Soldiers’ Cove, Mandurah, by Charles Olaf Wilson, together with his two sons. Building commenced in 1916 and took four years to complete. Wilson was 85 at the time the ketch was launched. Built mainly of jarrah, the vessel had a keel 16 inches (406 mm) wide and 9 inches (229 mm) deep, with only 1 inch (25 mm) showing outside the hull, and had two centre-boards. It was used for carrying timber from L.B. Bolton’s sawmill at Mandurah to Fremantle, bringing stores and general cargo on the return trip. This timber, mostly tuart, was mainly in the form of cart and wagon wheel spokes, felloes, axle boxes, and other components for the construction of carts, drays and wagons. When launched the Leviathan was not completely finished, having no ceiling over the frames, or hatch covers. Tarpaulins were used over the hatches to keep out rain and seas. On arrival at Fremantle on its maiden voyage it was fitted with a winch on the foredeck to lower and raise the main mast, enabling it to pass under the Fremantle bridges. Capable of carrying about 20 tons of sawn timber, the Leviathan was fitted with a second-hand, very unreliable motor on its fifth trip. The ketch had been painted black and was locally known as ‘Black Bess’.
THE LOSS
On 25 August 1921 the Leviathan was starting its eighth voyage north, under the command of Billy Roberts. The ketch had on board a heavy cargo, and was quite low in the water. The engine would not run and Roberts had let it drift out with the tide. However it drifted onto the bar at the mouth of the Peel Inlet, so the anchor was dropped. On previous occasions it had gone aground on this bar, but each time had been got off by kedging, and the assistance of a launch and the tide. This time however, the efforts to refloat the ketch were unsuccessful. After about a week and during a gale, it filled with sea and sand through the open hatches and began to break up. The bottom of the hull later drifted ashore while much of the cargo sank into the sands of the bar.