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Ladas | Official Number
104681 |
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Ladas | Official Number
104681 |
The Ladas was a barque built by Ritson & Co.at Maryport in 1894, and named after a racehorse that had won the Derby. She was operated by the Ritson company and commanded on her maiden voyage by Capt.Tom Messenger. It was his first command, having previously served as first mate in the Dunboyne. The maiden voyage was from Maryport to Corral, Chile, and the barque then sailed to Newcastle, NSW, in ballast. After initially heading west across the Pacific, light winds eventually forced the barque to turn east and take the route past Cape Horn.
The West Cumberland Times, Saturday, 1st June 1895;
" THE BARQUE LADAS - EXPERIENCE
AMONG ICE - The barque Ladas, a new steel vessel on
her first voyage, has arrived at Newcastle, New South Wales, from Corral
(Chile). When leaving the ways at Maryport, the vessel refused to take
the water, and a week was occupied in inducing her to enter her future
element. The vessel is now but eight months out from home, and during that
time, especially on the run to Newcastle, she has had an exciting experience,
as will be seen from Captain Messenger's report, which is as follows :-
"Left Corral on February 7th with a fresh south-west
breeze, which increased to a hard gale, and continued so until next day,
when it moderated to a fresh breeze, still keeping from the south-west.
On the third day it died out after the ship had run over 550 miles. A fresh
breeze then sprang up from the north-west, and we bore away south for Cape
Horn. On the 14th, seven days out, crossed the latitude of Corral. Cape
Horn was passed on the 15th day out, and we signalled the barque Inversnaid,
from Melbourne for London, 34 days out. On March 1st, in lat. 52deg.52min.
south, long. 29deg. 22min. west, at 8 a. m., discovered ice. We hauled
the ship up to the south-east, and stood on until 10 a.m. Then found the
ice to be one continuous field, with mountains at apparently the extreme
ends of it, for at least 10 miles. We steered in various directions, but
at 7 p.m. found we were sailing right into another bay, as ice was all
around. After running about 60 miles in a circuitous course to get clear
of the ice, the vessel only succeeded in running into another bay. Up to
47 deg. south and 42 deg. east the vessel was sailing through ice and frequently
came into collission with small bergs which did some slight damage. An
anxious and trying time was spent by those on board, all of whom attribute
the safe arrival of the ship to the true seamanship displayed by the captain.
From the parallel of the Cape to the Leuwin, which was passed on April
2nd in 49 deg. south, we had fine west-north-west to west-south-west winds,
and for several nights, with a strong west-south-west wind, the sky to
the south was quite illuminated with the southern lights. We tried to get north
for Bass Straights, but on reaching the parallel of the southern points
of Tasmania, the wind came out north, then north-north-east and north-east,
and drove us south again. The breeze, increasing to a strong gale. Lasted
for two days and a half, putting us on the parallel of the south-west cape
on the 8th, just 60 days out and 24 days from the parallel of the cape.
The wind then shifted to the north-west, with a violent squall, thunder,
and lightning, and then to the west. Cape Pillar was sighted on the evening
of the 9th. All day on the 10th the light air kept from the south with
bright clear weather, at noon Tasmanian land being visible fully 45 to
50 miles off. On Friday sighted Cape St. George ahead and at 2 p.m. had
the lighthouse abeam, and at 8 o'clock had Sydney Head light abeam, having
for a six hours' run covered a distance of 80 miles. Broken Bay light was
passed at 10 p. m., the ship being under her maintop sails. At midnight
winded to the eastward until 2 a.m. Saturday, and back to westward until
4 a.m. The gale had moderated and the sea fallen very much, so that at
4 a.m., having only a moderate to light breeze, we bore away for Nobbys
light, and sighted it at half-past. Freshening with the daylight decided
to run in near enough to make out the signal. Finding the bar dangerous
hauled to the wind to reach out east. After beating about the vessel reached
the harbour yesterday."
The Ladas was launched from the yard of
Messrs. Ritson, Maryport, in August last year and pronounced by sea-faring
men to be a fine lined vessel and likely to be a swift sailor. Information
to hand from the captain fully proves that they were correct in their surmises.
He states that she is an excellent sea going vessel and frequently during
the voyage she covered from 14 to 15 knots per hour, and made remarkably
smart passages from port to port. She is commanded by Capt. Messenger,
of Crosby, and has a Maryport crew on board.
From Paul Jones "Seaside Notes" column in the
same newspaper :
Messrs Ritson's barque Ladas has had an
eventful voyage, having encountered terrific weather. However she behaved
splendidly through it all, and this speaks well for the reputation of her
owners as shipbuilders. When the vessel was launched she was greatly admired
by the spectators, and the general opinion was that she would be a fast
sailer. This opinion has been confirmed, as she has sailed, in favourable
weather of course, from 14 to 15 knots per hour. When she left the port
with a cargo of steel rails, a steamer was almost laden with a similar
cargo and bound for the same place. The captain of the steamer stated he
would arrive before the Ladas although he would be later in sailing.
The Ladas, however, beat the other by a fortnight, which speaks
volumes for her sea-worthiness. Messrs.Ritson are at present building two
more vessels. "
The barque loaded coal at Newcastle for San Diego, California, which was reached on the 9th Aug.1895 after a passage of 81 days. The next voyage was to Victoria, British Columbia, where the Ladas found herself in company with another Ritson vessel, the Auchencairn. The Ladas then returned to Liverpool, arriving on the 4th March 1896.
Capt.Messenger left to take command of the Midas and was replaced by Capt.Robert Dixon in 1896, who took the barque from Liverpool to Honolulu, then to San Francisco. Capt.W.A.Nelson, who had retired after finishing his command of the Acamas, then came out of retirement in August 1907 and took the vessel to Callao. He had to put into Montevideo before rounding Cape Horn, as his first mate, the only other navigator aboard, became deranged. Eventually the vessel made it to the Chilean port, and then loaded a return nitrate cargo at Taltal. The Ladas returned to Antwerp but failed to find a further cargo. After being laid up for nine months she was sold in 1909 to Norwegian owners.
The Ladas was wrecked at Hirtshals, Denmark on the 24th December 1923.
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