Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

[KANACKI]

And so my apologies in advance for such long drawn out yarn as voyage taking months with many adventure how can it be told in it truest form as campfire story in few lines? How can I give you a vivid picture of a time and place in a few short lines?

So grab a cup of your favorite brew and I shall continue....

Sydney in all its delights was not final destination but a stepping stone to cross the Tasman Sea. First to Lord Howe and onward to Norfolk as lost point of departure from Australian territory. Sailing out of Sydney heads is as magnificent as sailing out of golden gate strait in San Francisco arguable two of best ports in the pacific. The Drumbeat cleared Sydney catching a rolling swell and stiff breeze arched south east gradually tacking north east further away from land towards Lord Howe.

The Drumbeat road the wave like prancing pony on merry go round with the occasional splash over the forecastle. After a series of tacks sail changes putting on as much canvas as possible we hit the back end of several squalls. The crew was getting better and better by the day. For them my friends it was an adventure of life time. Some later never went to sea again but grateful for the experience, Others became addicted to the point they never felt so free being part of ship. Most of all it was the camaraderie fostered life long friendships.

I can go to many places and out of nowhere I will get tapped on the shoulder by some of my ex crew members who volunteered a part of their in life on a voyage with me. Many have gone onto bigger and better things my friend. Yet the smiles of their beaming faces tells me of happy nostalgic memories they had being with the " old Man" Wandering the oceans free as bird.

All part of magic my friends...

Voyaging the oceans my friend is not just physical journey but a state of mind...A with continued working of vessel before long we had arrived in the early morning light at Lord Howe.

There is a treasure yarn about Lord Howe island my friends...But no one could tell that story ant better than Hardluck in his words below.....

If there was ever an island so fit to play the part of a treasure island in Hollywood movie, then Lord Howe would be that island.

The Island lies in the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia and is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. The Island who?s population of 300 survives on tourists, mainly honeymooners who flock to the 16km or 6 square mile island.

The Island is crescent shaped with a lagoon enclosed on the inner side by a reef teeming with fish. On the southern end of the island two large peaks jut up into the sky which is frequently covered with clouds.

As treasure Islands go Lord Howe was not known as the haunt of pirates and early buccaneers of the previous centuries. The early maritime visits to the Island are shrouded in mystery. However it was known as a watering place for many Pacific whalers who operated in this part of the Pacific around the 1820?s and 1830?.

One such whaler was the George. The George in late 1829 had a very successful whaling voyage and sold the whale oil for 5000 gold sovereigns in Sydney. The George set out again in 1830 with the 5 thousand sovereigns in her strongbox to another whaling voyage. At Lord Howe the George called in to take on water. She struck a rock which is called today George rock.

In an effort to save themselves the George was run aground where she was wrecked. Captain Rattenbury and crew mistakenly believed that savage natives inhabited the Island and for safety he buried the strongbox on the island.

Shortly after, they were rescued by two vessels calling in for water, the Nelson and Elizabeth. It is not understood why Captain Rattenbury failed to take with him the strong box? Perhaps he feared the captains of the rescue vessels would claim salvage rights over the sovereigns or perhaps he had more dishonorable intensions?

Legend claims Rattenbury returned to Lord Howe in 1831. Tradition claims he buried the strongbox on the beach at the foot of mount Gower but was unable to recover the treasure because he could not identify the exact spot due to a landside.

Interesting enough there is a record in the Log Book of a vessel called the Caroline from Hobart Tasmania who the mate had knowledge of the location of the treasure. He too could not identify the exact location where the treasure was buried. The story about the missing gold was written about in the Hobart Newspapers in around 1831.

Did Captain Rattenbury steal for himself the treasure from his employers and crew and recovered it in secret?

Or perhaps it is nice to think that some where on that little romantic slice of paradise called Lord Howe there is a treasure of 5000 gold sovereigns still there waiting for the lucky finder to discover?




But in truth the most precious treasure there my friends is the beauty of the island itself? In fact the bar at the club there has no bar staff. its help yourself and pay at the honesty box. And island with no internet and no street lights. The stars at night you can see the milky way is awesome.

However even so there is no such thing as a perfect paradise? Yet this pretty close to it. There has never been a murder on the island. Crime is unheard of...The local policeman in charge is dressed in mostly a Hawaiian shirt with shorts, fishing all the time saying yes there is a god thinking he's died and gone to heaven.



Our stay was short due winds and tide. We was only allowed entry at harbor wharf for few hours during high tide. And factor We had to show we was clear of having rats on board. Because the island was dealing with controlling the rat infestation of the island from the first early ships that visited the island. The rats destroyed rare species of seabirds on the island. This has been a major problem in many pacific islands the spread of rats from ships of old during the days of the first whalers visiting pacific islands.

Yet winds and tides as said keep luring us on our way.

Coffee?

Kanacki

 

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[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

Hello PM

Of course I can totally validate the story Amigo! Your thinking of a "brass monkey."

The story goes that cannonballs used to be stored aboard ship in piles, on a brass frame or tray called a 'monkey'. In very cold weather the brass would contract, spilling the cannonballs: hence very cold weather is 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.

View attachment 1698201

Kanacki

BINGO!

That is exactly the story I had read.

Now I can tell it with confidence, having been told by a true seaman.

Most appreciated, my friend!!

#/;0{>~

 

[KANACKI]

Good morning or good evening where ever you are.

The Drumbeat beat off the island to the north east. Tacking up wind and wearing down wind. While the drumbeat is actually brigantine in short hybrid between a brig and schooner. Although she once was rigged as a brig. is much smaller and very much less labour intensive than the following full rigged clipper Star of India the principles of tacking and wearing are the same.

I had the pleasure once sailing on the Star of India via San Diego maritime museum about 20 years ago.



Thankfully turning the drumbeat is lost lest complicated and crew intensive. We have only one square rigged mast to deal with. At speed we can use the spanker sail to tack.

Yet as you can see on the above clip the star of India was very labour intensive ship. I have soft spot for the old girl. I think she is the oldest sailing ship still sailing today built about 1863. Amazing a ship still sailing the oceans 156 years old.

My Drumbeat is 62 years old a baby compared to the star of India. But my friends regardless of age these ships have soul my friends alive. Once along coast of united states we encountered the Lynex and in friendly comradeship raced her with the Drumbeat. Unfortunately with her sleek hull as topsail schooner left the drumbeat in her wake. However you can understand how you begin feel her heartbeat regardless of tall ship you sail on. And after a voyage my friends you grow a little taller.



Such as the memories of these voyages sink into you soul my friends. Riding the winds and waves, masters of your own destiny.

And the drumbeat like wild bronco bucked her way to Norfolk island.

Coffee my friends.

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Amigos

The Tasman sea can be very deceptive. It has calm side and an ugly side. And it had it fair share of ships that has vanished.One such ship we met in new Zealand in 2013 a few year later than this voyage they was going west we was going east. A bit of sadness for me and Crow we met and dinned with the crew of schooner Nina.

The 85-year-old schooner Nina left Opua on New Zealand's North Island on 29 May 2013.

The last known communications with the crew were on 3 and 4 June - when conditions were very rough, said Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ), with winds of 80km/h (50mph) gusting to 110 km/h and swells of up to 8m (26 feet).

Ms Nemeth called and texted New Zealand meteorologist Bob McDavitt to seek advice on how to cope with the conditions, and was advised to ride it out. After family and friends failed to hear from the crew, rescuers were alerted on 14 June. They began trying to make contact with the vessel, but were said not to be unduly alarmed as it was equipped with an emergency locator beacon which had not been activated, as well as a satellite phone and spot beacon.

But on 28 June aerial searches began, and two extensive sea-based searches as well as two shoreline searches have yielded no sign of the vessel or crew?.It was now logical to assume the boat sank quickly in a storm, preventing the crew from activating the devices on board - though he added it was still possible survivors could be found. Yet nothing was ever found of them. Lost to oblivion my friend eaten by the hungry sea. A sober reminder of the fine line between life and death.

Arriving at Norfolk island is another like fairy tale like island born from horrific past.




The island was first discovered by captain Cook in 1774. The islands are covered in Norfolk island pines and flax was growing on the island. Since the war of independence the British navy needed tall tree and flax to make canvas. the British government first put a penal colony on the island.

It was harsh place to be sent to the worst of the worst convicts was sent there from the ones sent to Australia in 1788 . Some convicts was so distraught being sent their most for their term of their natural life. Conditions was so harsh that convicts in desperation would draw straws to see who be murdered and those who done the deed would tried and hanged.



Today there is still much to see on the island of the old convict colony.


During the building of the bridge a work gang murdered their overseer and walled him up in the bridge. The next day the replacement overseer saw blood oozing from the mortar..here is the bridge below....



But there is more to this island than just the horrors of its convict past. It became the home of Pitcairn islanders moved from Pitcairn island as population became to large. They was descendants of the famous mutiny on the bounty.

And there is story connected to them my friends with a latter pirate who became a predominate church leader on the island.

Buts that another yarn my friends coffee?

To be continued...

Kanacki

 

[releventchair]

 

[KANACKI]

Evening all

Old Kanacki is enjoying a brew. Gather round and pull up a seat. And have a wee dram of your favorite brew.

Our visit to Norfolk was of no coincidence. Although stay was short testy one as they is no reliable safe anchorage for the Drumbeat. Crow and I visited the island while Patrick, George, Sindy and crew held off with drumbeat offshore. To meet descendants of a man highly esteemed in Pitcairn Norfolk society.

There is in graveyard on Norfolk island below with tombstone dedicated to a man of many mystery.



His name was George Hun Nobbs pictured below....



George Hunn Nobbs (16 October 1799 – 5 November 1884) was an English (he claimed Irish) missionary on Pitcairn Island and later Norfolk Island, where his many descendants still live today.

He claimed he was born in Moira, County Down, the illegitimate son of Francis Rawdon-Hastings 1st Marquis of Hastings (1754–1826) and Jemima French, and that the marquis did not acknowledge him, and also that he was fostered by the elderly Nobbs family who lived near Yarmouth.

However, evidence from parish registers discovered in July 2000 by Macquarie University researcher Alexandra Starling suggest it was more likely that George was the illegitimate son of Jemima Hunn [registered as Jaminia in parish records] who later married John Nobbs, schoolmaster of St Nicholas Yarmouth Norfolk England. Jemima Hunn and John Nobbs had two daughters after their marriage on 13 June 1800 in Greater Yarmouth Norfolk, [namely Charlotte baptised 1801 and Jemima baptised 1802].

However this is speculation by Alexandra Starling based on George Nobbs claims being partly true? The fact of the matter there is no record of him ever being baptized. In fact even in what navel records of naval rating for that era there are no record of George Hun Nobbs being a junior officer on the British warship Indefatigable as George Nobbs claimed?

He later claimed he was on the the warship O'Higgins with Lord Cochrane during the famous raid on Callao where the Spanish warship was captured?

Alexandra Starling had apparently not searched Chilean navel records that still exist if you know where to find them. I had to high five Crow on finding that one out. Always a good day to find out some thing Hardluck didn't already know. :-) On the crew list guess what? no George Nobbs?

Was there any truth at all to George Hun Nobbs past?

Alexandra Starling speculated Nobbs may have invented such a story of his youth to impress the Islanders, alternatively he may not have been told the truth regarding his birth, and the details embellished by relatives at a later date. He spent an adventurous youth serving in various merchant ships, visiting both India and Africa. In 1828 he arrived on Pitcairn Island where he became schoolmaster and unordained parson to a community descended from HMS Bounty mutineers and Tahitian islanders.

The truth my friends was far different although it was true his name was George , but not Hun Hobbs? on the crew list there was another George who was also with Lord Cochrane on the O' Higgins. And on the Indefatigable. In short he lied about his past and who he really was because the real George was a privateer who became a pirate then perhaps out of guilt and fear being exposed for his crimes found god in local community of Pitcairn in 1828. He told the total BS story to mask his real identity?

I will elaborate more on the identity of this man later. However I wanted to highlight when researching into people from that era dispersing across the pacific you make small discoveries, while in parts seem merely insignificant but adds to make clearer a story of the events that transpired all those many years ago.

Regardless if it would ever be recognized by historians or not it perhaps does not matter? Most of all perhaps this ex privateer turned pirate turned pastor in service of god perhaps found in his devotion to the Pitcairn Norfolk island community found a sort of redemption? Perhaps there is hope for us all my friends?

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Again

Ironic is it not a convict sent from Sydney to Norfolk island actually thrived here? Charles “Boney” Anderson had a strange punishment on an island in Sydney harbour.

In Sydney for convicts For many years, Goat Island was also a prison within a prison, a place for the very worst of the convicts in the early days of the penal settlement.

A lone rock on the island serves as a reminder one of the more distressing stories of Goat Island: the story of the life of Charles “Boney” Anderson, an 18 year old convict. Like many who end up in the criminal justice system, it is believed Anderson may have had a mental illness.



In his seminal work, “The Fatal Shore”, Robert Hughes describes how after several unsuccessful attempts to escape, Anderson received over twelve hundred lashes in 1835 and was sentenced to be chained to this rock for two years in an attempt to break his spirit. By night, he slept in a cavity in the sandstone. The situation for him worsened – especially due to taunts from people in boats close by.

until eventually he was sent to the penal settlement of Norfolk Island. While it was supposed to be much worse there, he arrived at a time of humane prison reform by Alexander Maconochie, who gave him some responsibility, leading to an improvement in his situation. When word of this got back to Australia there was an outcry and Anderson was brought back to Australia where he died at 27 or 28.

How ironic the man flourished at Norfolk Island penal colony reputed to be the worst place to be sent. But I suppose anything was better than being chained to a rock like dog on chain for two years living out in the open?

Coffee?

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Morning my my fine band of friends. Today is wet wet day with nothing but the sound of rainfall in keeping with a rain forest. So in the rare occasions Kanacki is house bound today. A day for lounging about drifting off from nap to nap. Down time some thing we are forgetting in modern world where we are more and more expected to live work like robots 24/7.

But I confess that early morning brew is a life saver.

Continuing the voyage of the Drumbeat. Norfolk Island I should as there is very little crime if any at all. They had not had a murder in over a hundred years However a few years they had a murder. A chef from New Zealand working in one of the resorts had an obsession with women on the island in which he murdered. It devastated the island community because for a awhile no one knew who the murderer was? It for a time changed the laid back lifestyle of the island. An innocence lost my friends. While in most places of the world murders are the norm but in places like this it was devastating for tight knit community.

A harsh reminder for the islanders on the realities of the real world out side their island paradise?

As so our stay was over and Drumbeat sailed South east Down to the tip of the north island of New Zealand with winds and tides the drumbeat hauled ass down to places called Opua. Opua is a locality in the Bay of Islands, in the sub-tropical Northland Region of New Zealand. It is notable as the first port for overseas yachts arriving in the country after crossing the Pacific Ocean.

]

This was port of entry. What is perennial pain in the ass each countries have different regulations entering their country through port of entry. As captain I have provide the usual documents. But also biosecurity declaration.And of course clearance papers from Norfolk island technically my last port of exit from Australian waters. Passports of all the crews. Food stores declarations. You cannot take meat in new Zealand. Baggage declaration and custom obligation in how much alcohol on boards. Captain summery and clearance certificate from the last 4 ports of entry we had visited. Gone are the days when a seafarer would just turn up. :-)

However the hassle was worth it as bay of islands is a sub tropical paradise as you can see below. A yacht skippers dream cruising a sparking blue sea among emerald green islands.



But my friends tropical paradise aside there was another reason to visit the bay of islands.

coffee?

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Amigos

I hope you have enjoyed the journey so far?

There is an island in the bay of islands. Called Roberton island below.



The island is privately owned island. In fact the island is sub divided to 4 or 5 properties on the island. A one time myself looked at buying property on the island. But alas the price tag was very hefty to say at the least. The island was named Roberton Island after John Roberton a Scottish privateer in South America working for the Chileans fighting in war of independence.

John Roberton was from a big family of William Roberton Tenant Farmer of Kelso Roxburgh Scotland. Tenant farming was subsistence living and with no future for William Robertons 5 sons, Andrew, William, George , John and James. Being poor and unable to support his children. Having a distant family connection as poor relations to lord Cochrane arranged for his 5 sons to go to sea. At first they as mere children worked in Royal navy during the Napoleonic war. Many of them actually served on the Royal navy Ship "indefatigable" note remember my earlier posting about George Hunn Nobbs? Well George Roberton was on that ship as well as the O'higgins. So everything George Hunn Nobbs said of his life exactly mirrored George Roberton? Why be cause he was George Roberton?

After the Napoleonic wars many sailors from the royal navy became redundant. No welfare back in those days you become a beggar in the street. And it so happened with out no strong family connections as nepotism was rife in royal navy at time. The Brothers unemployed ended up sailing to South America. To become as patriots for cause of expelling the Spanish from South America as privateers, recruited by Lord Cochrane. Well the lure as fortune and glory is strong my friends but some times illusional as we shall soon see.

With all of heroic efforts of brothers ridding the Spanish from South America as privateers, the Chileans never paid them for their efforts. Lord Cochrane after 2 years went back to England. The Roberton Brothers was basically left to fend for themselves as hired mercenaries in post independence revolutions. So it is easy to see why these men strayed from being privateers into out right piracy? John Roberton never involved himself with many of his brothers exploits. When writing was on the wall he sailed to new Zealand and Australia and with Peter Dillion discovered the fate of a missing explorer La Perouse. Later working a ships captain and trader he married and settled down on the island named after him today. Tragically in 1843 when sailing his skiff he was accidentally drowned leaving a wife and 2 children left widowed. Later she and her children was tragically butchered by a disgruntled native in the bay of islands. Her murder of her and her children was the first legal case where a native was tried and convicted in New Zealand. Today any trace of the Robertons habitation is long gone but the story my friends is priceless.

But what of brothers? The main brother the oldest was written about with romantic enthusiasm by a rich french aristocrat author that wrote books on his travels in the Pacific. The name escapes me for now so my apologies.However this is rather poor copy of one of his versions below. Ah the coffee must be working with my infamous additive Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy. He wrote a book "Voyage Autour du Monde"


In 1817 there was a Scotsman by the name of Andrew Gordon Roberton. He was a pirate who worked for the Chileans in the fight against the Spanish. He was known not only for his ghastly sight, which was of average height and shocking red hair, he was also known for his cruel and torturous ways. Ah memory kicked in Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy. Forgive me with spelling. The French Author met him and gave him a rather undignified description when Roberton met him while Lafond on the neutral ship mentor and Andrew Gordon Roberton was on the Chilean brig of war Galvino.

Andrew was strange haunted person perhaps traumatized by the sheer brutality of 19th century naval warfare and bloody fighting between the Spanish and patriots he and his brothers witnessed. Undeniably the leader of most of his brothers. He was a tough no nonsense professional soldier and sailor.

Still at the time he and various brothers were either still working for the Chileans or Peruvians. Depending who paid the better money. A couple of years later, a bandit known as Benavides appeared and began to stir up real trouble. Roberton was sent to hunt him down took as his prisoner a friend of the bandit and demanded to know through torture by flogging where Benavides was? Benavides was ruthless bandit and even a more bigger psychopath that Roberton? Remembering Roberton’s reputation lash of the cat, the friend told him where the bandit was hiding.

Robertson gathered up an army of men and went to catch Benavides by surprise. While Roberton and his army were successful in capturing all of Benavides’ men, Benavides himself escaped. Roberton first extracted further information from these men and then proceeded to hang all sixty of them. In strange twist to see some thing snap in the man? He dug up the dead they had killed in an earlier battle and hung them up to a grisly to completed the circle of the 60 he had hanged as reminder to those of what he was capable of?

The information he retrieved from them before their deaths was that they knew of gold that was buried on an island just off the coast of Chile. The island was called Mocha. Roberton took his younger brother James and some other faithful followers and moved to the island. One day while they were returning from Valdivia, they ran into trouble and all but Roberton drowned. Roberton had no desire to live on Mocha without his men and guilt over the drowning death of his brother James and so he joined the Peruvian cause in Peru. By then his 2 other brothers William and George was in Peru at the time also. Disaffected by low pay living hand to mouth with no end in sight it is easy to see the brothers became disaffected and disillusioned.

While fighting against Lima, he was captured and taken prisoner by them. They soon let him go and he returned to Peru where he met Teresa Mendez. Teresa was a young woman of 21. She had been married once before and had lost her first husband at sea. She was almost as wealthy as she was beautiful and had many admirers but she really only ever paid attention to the ones that had wealth and came from an upstanding background.

Roberton was not wealthy and his family was small and unknown nobodies detested by aristocracy like Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy. But Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy. claimed Andrew Gordon Roberton was desperately in love with her and persisted in his attempts to persuade her to love him too. His pleas were always met with a laugh until one day she told him that if he could promise her a life of wealth and luxury, she would marry him. Nobody believed that she would fulfill her end of the promise.

Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy goes on tell in his book It was during the same time that the ship Peruana ( note perano, Peruana was Chilean version of the name "Peruvian" ) was docked in the harbor. One night during a meeting between the officers, Lieutenant Vieyra laughed and suggested that Roberton rob the ship, which held over two million pieces of gold. Then he could take the treasure and show it to Teresa to win her love. That same night Roberton collected a few men who were mostly British. The Peruana did not have very good security and so it was easy to attack the few guards and sail away with the ship and the treasure she held.

When morning came, there was no sign of either.

Roberton took his men to Tahiti. He knew however that they could not stay for although they had many hours on their opponent, people would come looking for them. He and two most trusted followers, George and William, (Unknown to Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy, William and George was Andrew Gordon Robertons actual brothers.The rest of his crew did not want to leave Tahiti at first and so Roberton also took aboard fifteen women. The men followed shortly after. While the women may have gotten the men back onto the boat, Roberton knew that it only gave him more people he had to get rid off.

The treasure had always in his mind been for him to share with Teresa. His crew and the women would have no part of it. As he started to sail towards the Mariana Islands, he declared that eight of the crew were trying to take over the ship. He ordered that they be left on a deserted island as punishment and continued on to Agrihan Island.

Once on the island, Roberton began to slaughter the women. William and George, who was very good with weapon, began shooting them. After all of the women were killed, the remaining seven members of Roberton’s crew loaded the treasure onto rowboats and rowed safely to shore. They found a spot located at the bottom of a cliff and began to dig a hole for their treasure.

They then placed their treasure in the hole and covered it up, leaving tree branch markings as a sign of where it was buried. They had kept 20,000 gold pieces for extra money along the way and locked the other members of the crew inside the ship. Using one of the rowboats, Roberton and his crew swam to shore and pretended to be shaken about the terrible shipwreck they had just been in.

They talked of how they were the only survivors. What they didn’t know was that their ship hadn’t sunk before one man escaped. The other three had starved to death and it had taken him a year to make it back but he was still alive.

From there Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy claims., George left the other two to go to Rio de Janeiro. Roberton and William continued to travel together though and wanted to go back to retrieve the treasure they had buried. They began the travel back to Agrihan and stopped in Hobart, Tasmania, where they met Thomson who was a sailor. They quickly convinced Thomson to get a crew together and take the two of them north.

After a long night of drinking one evening, William by now a total wreck of man an alcoholic told Thomson the entire story. Not being able to remember the name of the island exactly, Thomson concurred from his description that it must be Agrihan. Not many nights afterward, Thomson was woken up by the sound of William’s screams.
Going to check on the problem, Thomson found him murdered. After this, Thomson knew what to expect from Roberton and was very careful around him. However, he was simply not as strong as Roberton and the latter pushed him overboard.

Although he was near-dead when he was rescued, Thomson was found by a Spanish ship and taken aboard. After telling his rescuers his story, they began to aggressively pursue Roberton. Roberton meanwhile, was sailing to Saipan so that he could seek refuge in the mountains and hide for awhile. However, the Spanish found him and took him to Agrihan so that he could tell them where the treasure was. But Roberton would not tell them. Instead, he kept trying to escape.

They took him back to their ship and using other forms of torture such as whips, demanded that he give them more information. He finally agreed but as they were taking him back to the island to show them, he jumped overboard, with his chains still around his feet. He quickly sank to the bottom and drowned.

The Spanish continued for some time to find the treasure and searched Agrihan but always came up empty-handed. It’s thought that the treasure is still on this island today.

Or so the treasure legend goes my friends. While this is only a very basic version my friend there are other documents out their that gives a more accurate version than Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy. For example Gabriel Lafond De Lurcy exaggerated a lot in narrative. He had pick up much about Roberton by hearsay and never understood there was a family of brothers. While Georges fate became a mystery however I would hedge my bets of George Nobbs was actually George Roberton who in fear of being found out being the murderer and pirate he was, found God on Pitcairn and Norfolk island.

So standing on the beach of this little island tells the story of the fate of 5 brothers with 4 of 5 died by drowning.Ironic is it not like if they was cursed....Ironic all navies of the day never bothered to teach its crews to swim? Such was indifference to human life and naval personal treated by the powers of day as simple cannon fodder. Such is tales of Pacific my friends....


Coffee.

Crow

 

[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

Kanacki, I find my mind wondering if you know any ordinary folks, outside of me..

I read your most eloquently worded yarns of the most extraordinary people’s daily lives, or lives, in general

I find myself walking, talking, making shaded deals in dimly lit pubs.

I have even found myself, sinking to the bottom of the sea trying with all my might to hold my breath, while trying to get free from the leg irons!

But, no ordinary people,
Every one boldly painted on the canvas of my mind.

Each one, more extraordinary than that last.

I admit it, I am addicted to these stories that must be true, because the details are so vivid and entwined with one another, far too elaborate to be fiction.

Keep on writing.
This old man will continue to read.


DON JOSE....

This does not give pause to your responsibility to write for the landlubbers. We need those desert stories, like you pi$$ing on a panther in the darkness, your Naval service and your true stories of border guard.

Your trips to de real TAYOPA!

You are our teachers!!!

Mikel
#/;0{>~

 

[coazon de oro]

Howdy KANACKI,

I can't thank you enough for the wonderful yarns that you have kindly shared with us. I knew nothing about a seafarers life until you began to take us along from start to finish with some of your true adventures. I had never even heard sea shanties before, and didn't know what a brig was. Now I find that there are many different types of sail ships.

Not saying I know a lot by any means, but you stirred my imagination. Now I can imagine how, and what it was like for ancient voyagers who braved the rough seas when they were uncharted. There are risks even today with radios, weather forecasting, light houses, and accurate maps showing the dangers below.

The hardships encountered, and the horrendous history tied to those rocks you showed us. The lone rock at Goat Island where Charles "Boney" Anderson was chained for two years, and the stone altar on Malaita makes anyone feel blessed with the life they've had.

As I said, it's all new to me, but now thanks to you I know how others live, or lived. I can even hear her timbers creaking.

Homar

 

[KANACKI]

Kanacki, I find my mind wondering if you know any ordinary folks, outside of me..

I read your most eloquently worded yarns of the most extraordinary people’s daily lives, or lives, in general

I find myself walking, talking, making shaded deals in dimly lit pubs.

I have even found myself, sinking to the bottom of the sea trying with all my might to hold my breath, while trying to get free from the leg irons!

But, no ordinary people,
Every one boldly painted on the canvas of my mind.

Each one, more extraordinary than that last.

I admit it, I am addicted to these stories that must be true, because the details are so vivid and entwined with one another, far too elaborate to be fiction.

Keep on writing.
This old man will continue to read.


DON JOSE....

This does not give pause to your responsibility to write for the landlubbers. We need those desert stories, like you pi$$ing on a panther in the darkness, your Naval service and your true stories of border guard.

Your trips to de real TAYOPA!

You are our teachers!!!

Mikel
#/;0{>~

Hello PM thank you for the compliments, but my friend its the ordinary people have the best stories to tell. Ordinary people who encountered extraordinary situations.

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Howdy KANACKI,

I can't thank you enough for the wonderful yarns that you have kindly shared with us. I knew nothing about a seafarers life until you began to take us along from start to finish with some of your true adventures. I had never even heard sea shanties before, and didn't know what a brig was. Now I find that there are many different types of sail ships.

Not saying I know a lot by any means, but you stirred my imagination. Now I can imagine how, and what it was like for ancient voyagers who braved the rough seas when they were uncharted. There are risks even today with radios, weather forecasting, light houses, and accurate maps showing the dangers below.

The hardships encountered, and the horrendous history tied to those rocks you showed us. The lone rock at Goat Island where Charles "Boney" Anderson was chained for two years, and the stone altar on Malaita makes anyone feel blessed with the life they've had.

As I said, it's all new to me, but now thanks to you I know how others live, or lived. I can even hear her timbers creaking.

Homar

Hello Homar its my pleasure my friend. The pleasure is seeing you taken along on that journey. A story and yarn of people who have come and gone. Not always perfect people but ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. These stories are my friends ours to share over a coffee.

PS Homar Although I am not on the Drumbeat these days I can still hear her rigging creaking and just but sound of her rigging creaking I can know what the wind is doing or the angle to the wind she should be sailing. As crazy as this sound the old vessel when shes plowing the waves sings to you.

However you do not have to be a sailor to understand this. Even a car in the wrong gear, or cylinders misfiring will tell you. Or any machinery as matter of fact. As I have no doubt experienced some thing similar in your working life familiarity my friends.

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

However my friends it still raining on my island at present.

However continuing the yarn. Our brief visit to Bay of island was good experience for the crew sailing the Drumbeat as hermaphrodite Brig is more maneuverable than a Brig or Bark, but no where as maneuverable as schooner. In the bay of island with many other vessels maneuvering is tight. It was good experience for crew to experience rapid sail changes and to heave to and to be hove to?

In sailing, heaving to (to heave to and to be hove to) is a way of slowing a sailboat's forward progress, as well as fixing the helm and sail positions so that the boat does not have to be steered. It is commonly used for a "break"; this may be to wait for the tide before proceeding, or to wait out a strong or contrary wind. For a solo or shorthanded sailor it can provide time to go below deck, to attend to issues elsewhere on the boat or to take a meal break.

On large square rigged, multi-masted vessels the procedures can be quite complex and varied. Most of all it requires teamwork. While during the start of voyage we progressively went through the procedures. It was always good to practice. Especially to slow the ship in man over board drill. The further south we went the colder the water become. While being overboard in tropics you have greater chance of survival. the further south in sub tropical the window of survival is rule of thumb two thirds that of the tropic. In the sub antarctic one third antarctic kiss you ass good by. Its every captains nightmare of losing a person overboard.

George who sailed many times on the "Picton castle" Lost a women over board in the Atlantic. He for his bad experience was good in him telling his experience. During voyage we had few minor accidents that have to be logged. Most was from fatigue or in attention. You are working on pitching rolling deck. It always appears to see what is happening with the waves around decks? In tropics the waves are a lot less dangerous but should not be under estimated but further south in temperate seas the ocean turns into a different beast. The further south they become monstrous.

Part of the voyage the crew progressively trained in many roles. Everyone on board participates in the ship's operation: handling sails, scrubbing the deck, taking a turn at the wheel, raising anchor, hauling on lines, helping in the galley, going aloft to trim sails (I even got crow up there and hes notorious scared of heights but after a while he got used to it. A first I think his feathers fell out! :-), or keeping lookout. There are training classes in seamanship and navigation, plenty of opportunity to learn square-rig sailing and to explore exotic tropical ports and islands.

I wanted to get permission to visit the sub antarctic islands and get permission.We have to show that we are prepared and well trained for trip down there. But for now in calm waters of bay of islands with honed our skills.

Yet the adventure was come my friends. Timing for best weather was important but also getting permission. So we up anchor and sailed down to Auckland.

Auckland was another beautiful harbour as you can see below....



As lucky as ever we had scored a good anchorage for a lay over for a few days. Once again it gave a good break for the crew. Well this was a Cindys old stomping round and she was not nicked named the Keg for nothing. Of course who would you suspect her partner in crime going off on a pub crawl?? you guessed it that dastardly black bird of a beach bum of a pirate. It was chance for crew to cut loose little.

After pub crawl through the old Victorian pubs of Auckland and dinner in one I cannot remember. We visited the old pub called invariably the Palace or Aurora Hotel now demolished. Gone with ghosts of all the service men that pasted through with last drinks. Many going to war never returning. Sad to see a bit of history I could imagine the story the old building could tell?The pub was first owned by famous Irish publican, Paddy Gleeson, said to have fought in the battle of Eureka Stockade in Australia. Sadly the place was falling apart and we had the privilege of being one last visitors to that once grand old pub. Which sat on the street corner a 150 odd years knocked down to be replaced by a soulless tower of glass and steel.

However While me and other half went back Drumbeat and some of the crew a few others went with Sindy and Crow waltzed over to the Albion across the road from Sky City on Hobson Street. Then onto the Empire stands on Nelson Street and the Shakespeare is on Albert Street.The grand Naval and Family Hotel is on Karangahape Road and the Edinburgh Castle is on Symonds Street.

Then to totally right themselves off? There is the Birdcage returning on wee hours. Old Crow had met his match in Sindy who lived up her nickname of "Keg" drank Crow under table. Poor Crow was wheeled shamefully back to the boat in a shopping trolley. :-)

However it was last time I ever saw Crow drive porcelain bus. :-) The next day he looked a sorry sight. I think he needed to recover from such boozing. For the rest of the voyage he promised he behave. Secretly between you and me his liver was screaming at him. Cindy seemed totally unaffected. Yet I re enforced no booze rule on board.

With Crow looking like some thing the cat dragged in while some of the crew had chores to on the drumbeat. Other including my wife out souvenir shopping and sightseeing. We went to see a person we wanted to meet?

Coffee?

Kanacki

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

 

[KANACKI]

Hello embrym your a hard task master. I swear if we was on a slave gallery you would the guy pounding the drum?

Coffee? Its late and kanacki the one fingered typist is seeing double.

To be continued....

Kanacki

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

Hello embrym your a hard task master. I swear if we was on a slave gallery you would the guy pounding the drum?

Coffee? Its late and kanacki the one fingered typist is seeing double.

To be continued....

Kanacki

Rest my friend. Rest... The Drum can beat later.....lol

 

[Real of Tayopa]

I origiomally swore that there would be no war stories from me, there are millions that have had more than I, effectively I was protected because of my specialtie, I had to volenteer. Perhaps that is why I' am going on 96, a semi sheltered life. I only collected two 20 m/m sharpnel in the right leg and the forhed On the Border Patrol, we shall see if I can dredge up a few. But foremost, I thank Kanaci, and Crow, the most vivid story was the posting of Kanaci's Haka dance, that was a classic. I thank you Kanaci for posting it and Crow's classic " he's just trying to get them mad so that'lll just kill us faster". I have been in the doldrums for the past year or so because of my Berties death,also at the same time I was at the end of pneumonia and an advaced severe case of Typhoid fever I just didn't feel like doing anything, but Ole Kanac saved the day, this forum has seen a rebirth. in me as well as the group. Thanks.Kanac' please keep it up. Incidently, I was inducted into the order of the Golden Dragon,,Kanaci willl explain what that is.

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

I origiomally swore that there would be no war stories from me, there are millions that have had more than I, effectively I was protected because of my specialtie, I had to volenteer. Perhaps that is why I' am going on 96, a semi sheltered life. I only collected two 20 m/m sharpnel in the right leg and the forhed On the Border Patrol, we shall see if I can dredge up a few. But foremost, I thank Kanaci, and Crow, the most vivid story was the posting of Kanaci's Haka dance, that was a classic. I thank you Kanaci for posting it and Crow's classic " he's just trying to get them mad so that'lll just kill us faster". I have been in the doldrums for the past year or so because of my Berties death,also at the same time I was at the end of pneumonia and an advaced severe case of Typhoid fever I just didn't feel like doing anything, but Ole Kanac saved the day, this forum has seen a rebirth. in me as well as the group. Thanks.Kanac' please keep it up. Incidently, I was inducted into the order of the Golden Dragon,,Kanaci willl explain what that is.

May your health improve and be peaceful, my friend. Tall tales and adventures are coming.

 

[KANACKI]

I origiomally swore that there would be no war stories from me, there are millions that have had more than I, effectively I was protected because of my specialtie, I had to volenteer. Perhaps that is why I' am going on 96, a semi sheltered life. I only collected two 20 m/m sharpnel in the right leg and the forhed On the Border Patrol, we shall see if I can dredge up a few. But foremost, I thank Kanaci, and Crow, the most vivid story was the posting of Kanaci's Haka dance, that was a classic. I thank you Kanaci for posting it and Crow's classic " he's just trying to get them mad so that'lll just kill us faster". I have been in the doldrums for the past year or so because of my Berties death,also at the same time I was at the end of pneumonia and an advaced severe case of Typhoid fever I just didn't feel like doing anything, but Ole Kanac saved the day, this forum has seen a rebirth. in me as well as the group. Thanks.Kanac' please keep it up. Incidently, I was inducted into the order of the Golden Dragon,,Kanaci willl explain what that is.

Aye avasat ye Don Jose


Your onto my cunning plan?

The Domain of the Golden Dragon is an unofficial United States Navy award. It is given to crew members of ships which cross the International Date Line. You enter the dragon's empire when you cross the International Date Line by sailing west, where Asian nations celebrate the power of the dragon. With the extensive Navy operations in the Far East since (and before) World War II, this passage has become so common that few initiation ceremonies are actually held. But the certificate, decorated with Chinese-style dragon, is still given out.

However the award is also adopted by navies of the commonwealth also. The Imperial Order of the Golden Dragon is awarded when a Sailor or Marine crosses the International Date Line. They are inducted into the Sacred Order of the Golden Dragon when they cross at the same time Lat. 00-000°, Long.

There is another award also Another rare status is the Golden Shellback, a person who has crossed the Equator at the 180th meridian (International Date Line). The rarest Shellback status is that of the Emerald Shellback (USA), or Royal Diamond Shellback (Commonwealth), which is received after crossing the Equator at the prime meridian.

A rare spot in the ocean my friends. Congratulations Don Jose.

Kanacki