Ship’s Captain Compiles Marine History From 1212

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27569, 28 January 1955, Page 10

Ship’s Captain Compiles Marine History From 1212

“The Press’* Special Service

AUCKLAND, January 27. A master mariner who, in the course of 33 years, has compiled detailed lists of ships since the year 1212, and mapped out accurate drawings of many of them,, is visiting New Zealand. He Captain J. W. Barrett, commanding the British India Steam Navigation Company’s 6812-ton freighter Itola, now at Auckland. Captain Barrett is a noted marine historian an« in his desk he keeps a ledger filled with details of ships, which go back through the centuries to 1212. Actually he can go back a further 80 years, but confesses that he has not all the details of ships of this era.

Apart from his interest in marine ,?tery, Captain Barrett has another *bsorbing hobby—marine art. He started panting and drawing almost as soon as he finished his apprenticeship, and since then he has improved until his work is considered almost as good as that of John *Alcott, the leading Australian marine artist. He never misses an opportunity, as he will be retiring from the sea in five years time, and intends to become a full-time artist. “I have quite a lot of leisure time at sea,” he says, “and X never miss an opportunity to improve my drawing. I can always use the exercise.

His employers have already realised

his potential and acted on many of his suggestions for posters and other illustrative material. On Monday Captain Barrett completed a detailed list of drawings of the 256 classes of ships the company has ever owned.