In the 1970s photo/journalist Ric Chan from Independent Newspapers Perth and some other adventurers sailed two Hawke Surfcats to the Houtman Abrolhos Islands off Geraldton.
The Islands lie approx. 60 kilometres west of Geraldton, on the Western Australian coast, and consist of 122 islands clustered into three main groups: the Wallabi Group, Easter Group and Pelsaert Group, which extend from north to south across 100 kilometres of ocean.
Known for the tragic Wreck of the Batavia, the Islands are also popular for cray fishing, pearls and the bird and marine life.
David Hawke – Dad (Len) and his brother Peter didn’t sail to the Abrolhos, it was other blokes!
Ric Chan – I don’t remember the road trip up from Perth, but remember we sailed from a beach in Geraldton for the Abrolhos Islands. I was told if we were 2 degrees out, we would end up in Africa. The Abrolhos are located 60 kilometres west of Geraldton and are low lying islands, so there was no room for error. We got becalmed for about 5 hours and if I’m not wrong the wind was no more than a knot.
When we got to the Abrolhos, we met a marine archaeologist called Jeremy Greene who still works for the WA Museum. They had just pulled in a load of cannons and cannon balls and artefacts from the Dutch shipwreck Batavia which was wrecked in 1629. I remember asking the guys if they had big sharks out there and they told me they dropped a concrete ballast attached to a 44-gallon drum with horse meat on the hook. The next time they looked it was all gone drum and all.
Unlike the trip out, the trip back was in a howling south wester, and that was total fun on the Hawke Surfcats. That was so cool!
All images by Ric Chan.
Hawke surfcat crews meeting archaeologists on Abrolhos. Abrolhos jetty. Waiting for marine research ship to dock Abrolhos jetty. Marine research ship unloading artefacts Abrolhos jetty. Marine archeologist Jeremy Greene inspecting artefacts. Marine archeologists unidentified and Jeremy Greene inspecting artefacts. Unidentified marine archeologist inspecting cannon balls. Unidentified marine archeologist processing artefacts.
In the 1970s photo/journalist Ric Chan from Independent Newspapers Perth and some other adventurers sailed two Hawke Surfcats to the Houtman Abrolhos Islands off Geraldton.
The Islands lie approx. 60 kilometres west of Geraldton, on the Western Australian coast, and consist of 122 islands clustered into three main groups: the Wallabi Group, Easter Group and Pelsaert Group, which extend from north to south across 100 kilometres of ocean.
Known for the tragic Wreck of the Batavia, the Islands are also popular for cray fishing, pearls and the bird and marine life.
David Hawke – Dad (Len) and his brother Peter didn’t sail to the Abrolhos, it was other blokes!
Ric Chan – I don’t remember the road trip up from Perth, but remember we sailed from a beach in Geraldton for the Abrolhos Islands. I was told if we were 2 degrees out, we would end up in Africa. The Abrolhos are located 60 kilometres west of Geraldton and are low lying islands, so there was no room for error. We got becalmed for about 5 hours and if I’m not wrong the wind was no more than a knot.
When we got to the Abrolhos, we met a marine archaeologist called Jeremy Greene who still works for the WA Museum. They had just pulled in a load of cannons and cannon balls and artefacts from the Dutch shipwreck Batavia which was wrecked in 1629. I remember asking the guys if they had big sharks out there and they told me they dropped a concrete ballast attached to a 44-gallon drum with horse meat on the hook. The next time they looked it was all gone drum and all.
Unlike the trip out, the trip back was in a howling south wester, and that was total fun on the Hawke Surfcats. That was so cool!
All images by Ric Chan.
It is understood Ric’s Abrolhos photos appeared in the Independent Newspaper in Perth WA.
Thanks Ric, for your sharing your images.
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