THE HERZOGIN GEGILIE

Evening Star, Issue 22328, 2 May 1936, Page 15

THE HERZOGIN GEGILIE

END OF A FAMOUS SHIP GRAIN RAGE WINKER The wreck of the sailing ship Herzogin Cecilie, which was reported early this week, has robbed the seas of one of its fast-vanishing fleet of large sailing ships, a class of vessel that is being replaced by the more prosaic steam tramp The ship was well known throughout the world, and evoked interest whenever her name was mentioned.

The Herzogin Cecilie was considered to be the crack Bailing ship at sea today. The few remaining sailing ships in service are so varied in character that the decision on such a point is difficult to arrive at, but the Herzogin Cecilie, flagship of Gustav Erikson’s Finnish fleet of sailing ships, the largest in existence, has every reason to be considered. Experts regarded her as a magnificent ship, built regardless of expense and well maintained. TO TRAIN SAILORS. This fine ship was built at Rickmer’s yard, Bremer haven, and launched in 1902. She first joined the fleet of the North German Lloyd line as the second of its training ships, as German regulations then required sail experience before granting a master’s ticket. Originally a steel four-masted barque of 3,242 tons, although she was a big cargo carrier, she was designed to accommodate a large number of cadets, for which reason the poop was brought from the stern to forward of the mainmast, with a short well-deck between it and the forecastle. Her lofty and heavy spars (the royal masts were of steel and the whole sail plan was without a single reef point) made her difficult to work. This was discounted, however, by the fact that she was to carry so many cadets. Unlike so many German vessels she was not fitted with labour-saving devices in the way of halliard and brace winches, they being considered unnecessary with a crew of one captain, four mates, two instructor officers, a surgeon, a purser, a boatswain, a few paid hands, and about 60 cadets, their ages ranging from about 19 to 22. During her later years, however, while under the Finnish flag, she has been running with a crew of about 25, and according to ‘ Shipping Wonders of the World ’ old sailor men would describe her as ■“ a proper workhouse.” The cadets carried out practically all the work entailed in sailing the ship, only a few paid hands being retained to act as stewards and the like, and in their third year the boys were rated as A.B.s. In addition to the low cost of running the vessel, cadets paid a premium of about £4O a year, and she was able to carry a cargo of more than 4.000 tons. INTERNED AT NEUTRAL PORT. Some very creditable passages were made by the Herzogin Cecilie, carrying various kinds of ' cargo—sometimes nitrates from South America and sometimes grain from ’Frisco or Australia. One passage from Caleta Buena to Falmoutu in 99 days, and another from Beachy Head to Adelaide in 78 days, show that she was no sluggard at sea. Just before the outbreak of war she arrived in Guayacan from Bremerhaven to load 'nitrates. That being a neutral port, she prepared to remain there till the end of the war, hut was later moved up to Coquimbo. _ . ■ After the armistice she was allotted to France, hut there w.re already move sailing ships under the French flag than were needed, and the building of further vessels of that type was not being encouraged. After refitting at Antofagasta she was taken to Ostend, where she was laid up pending the arrival of a purchaser. BOUGHT BY FINLAND.

Captain Gustav Brikson, a Finn, was at that time building up his large fleet of. sailing ships. His commodore, Captain Reuben de Cloux. \tfas on his way to Marseilles to inspect the ex-Gennan ship Passat, which was offered for sale at £II,OOO. By chance he called at Ostend and there found that the Hergozin Cecilie was obtainable for £4,000. His critical eye found her in perfect condition, and he bought her there and then and did not trouble to see the Passat. The new owner decided to retain her as a training ship in order to give as many Finnish lads as possible the opportunity of going to sea. This proved so successful that several of the other vessels in the fleet were put to the same purpose. This fleet now provides practically the only opportunity for obtaining training in sail m the world __ As flagship of the fleet, the Herzogin Cecilie was commanded by Captain de Cloux. He was then 36 years of age and had commanded big sailing ships for about five years; _ Many ' people regarded him as the finest all-round sailing ship master under the Finnish flag. FAST PASSAGES.

The vessel’s first charter under her new owners was with timber from Frederikstad to Melbourne in the summer of 1922. In spite of meeting a howling gale a few hundred miles from her destination, which delayed her for a week, the passage was made in 92 days. No cargo was available in Australia, so she went to Taltnl (Chile) m ballast in 35 days, averaging 14 knots for a considerable time. After taxing nitrates home, she again went to Chile and made a 99-days’ passage from Caleta Buena to Falmouth by way of Fayal. The Herzogin Cecilie was on the Pacific Coast again in 1924, and the following year she went to Australia. In February, 1926, the vessel sailed from Port Lincoln to Falmouth with grain for orders. The South Australian ■ grain trade was now beginning to be almost the only opportunity for the large sailing ship, and she nas remained in it ever since. The homeward race of the grain fleet has attracted considerable attention, and the Herzogin Cecilie made a name for herself in it. In 1927, under Captain de Cloux, she made the passage from Port Lincoln to Queenstown in 88 days, the first ship home out of 13, and reco- " ig the best time in the year. On occasion the ship carried passengers who travelled in this fine ship for the sake of adventure or as a change from luxury liners.