Maritime

The Opium Smugglers – Ion Idriess – First edition 1948

Idriess back in Cook’s Passage and the Lizard Island. A tale written for boys and now grown up boys. Somewhat of a rarity.

A first edition published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1948. Without the jacket, octavo, 273 pages, original tanned cloth covered boards with shell design to front. End paper maps, ownership signature on front ends. A pretty good copy.

The Lizard and opium

$35.00

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The Founding of Hobart 1803-1804 – Frank Bolt

The author of this fine book, Frank Bolt, was surprised that he could not find any book on the very early period of the settlement of Hobart. So he carried out his own research and effectively self published this work.

Large octavo, 320 pages, illustrated, with folding plan, printed to a high standard. A first edition 2004 and in as new condition.

An unusual work in structure … Bolt explain his approach well in the lengthy Preface. Having assembled all of the exiting evidence his challenge was how to present it … landing on the idea of creating a faux diary of events on a nearly day by day basis. It work very well. After a further introductory “Prologue” the diary runs from page 38 through to page 279. Within this there are separate brief “cut-aways” regarding the “difference between the initial Risdon Settlement and the final Settlement at Sullivan’s Cove and “the Cargo of the Collin’s Expedition”.

Notes on Sources are kept until the end and are extensive and useful as well is a list of the Pioneers of Hobart Town. And Meehan’s Plan of circa 1811.

Hobart the early days revisited

$60.00

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Close to the Wind – [Round the World Single Handed and Rescue] – Pete Goss

The story of adventurer Pete Goss’s involvement in the 1996/7 Vandee Globe – round the World single handed event France and back.

Only six finished and Goss was fifth … he had however to go back in the Southern Ocean to rescue Raphael Dinelli who would have died for sure without Pete Goss. He took Dinelli back to Hobart and continued on in the race alone. This is the same race that saw the famous capsizing of Tony Bullimore and, sadly the loss of Gerry Roufs.

Softcover, published by Headline in 1998. Large octavo, 282 pages nicely illustrated. A very good near fine copy.

Pete Goss received and deserved his Legion d’Honneur.

$25.00

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The Wreck of the Amsterdam – Peter Marsden – First Edition 1974

The Dutch East Indiaman set out on her maiden voyage in 1748 loaded with cargo and silve7r, with three hundred people on board.

A storm in the English Channel forced the captain to beach her near Hastings after a near mutiny.

She’s still there and at the occasional low tide remnants can be seen from the shore. Peter Marsden was the Field archaeologist at the London Guildhall Museum and he was called in when a party of workmen with access to a digger tried their luck and found something rather special.

First edition published by Hutchinson, London in 1974. Octavo, 288 pages, heavily and well illustrated. A very good copy.

The Wreck of the Amsterdam; a long time afterwards fresh discoveries are made.

$30.00

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They Reigned Supreme [Steam Ships in Tasmania] – Thomas W. Fox

Self published second printing, scarce as hen’s teeth.

Red card wrappers, 50 pages plus advertisements, including one for Purdon & Featherstone Shipyard! Illustrated with a few images of steam boats.

Excellent account of the steam ships that used to ply the Derwent, Tamar and coastal routes in Tasmania. From the very beginning to the very end.

Lengthy list of vessels in alphabetic order with details regarding their construction, when and where they were put to use and by whom. Often ending in a mishap.

After the boats comes a chapter on the famous O’May family who for three generations were at the heart of the Derwent ferry services. Then a brief section on boat builder and a most interesting account of River Steamer racing.

Super primary reference for anyone interested in the now gone steamer activity in Tasmania.

$50.00

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Unpublished Work – “The Dream and the Reality” – Single Handed Transatlantic Yacht Race 1968 – Brian Cooke.

A unique item, the typescript account of Brian Cooke relating to his participation in the 1968 Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (STAR) east to west from Plymouth to Newport Rhode Island.

182 pages of foolscap, corrected in manuscript. Having read through it all … it is an exceptional account ready for the press … we are not sure why he did not follow through with the publication.

Cooke was very much an amateur before this event and he states clearly in his Preface that the book has been written “to indicate the way in which the dream of crossing the Ocean became a reality to me … what is involved for the ordinary person … to know first hand that it is quite a feasible proposition and a very worthwhile challenge …”.

We like the way the book proper starts … “It was 1949, when I was walking down St James’s Street, London one lunchtime. I looked in a Bookshop window. One of the books on display was by Allcard describing the Atlantic voyage he had made. It was the dust cover that took my eye. On it was a photograph of Allcard, at sea, sailing his yacht single-handed, looking up at his sails, which conveyed to me a most vivid picture of satisfaction and achievement”

The first sixty eight pages are taken up with establishing and preparing for the dream. First the yacht that had been commissioned to be built by an acquaintance with the wherewithal connected to his work at the Westminster Bank. The first trials, the personal training, the qualifying voyages etc all very interesting. At page sixty nine we have the race start proper. What follows is a very detailed account of the events of the race, nothing tedious in our view. Cooke came in sixth, out of 48, many had to turn back. Those ahead were either trimarans or larger boats, on any handicap system he may have won.

The appendices are good for perspective and emphasise his comments in the Preface that preparation is key. We have the “sailing instructions” from the Royal Western, Plymouth. The list of yachts by nation, rig, length, hull, and rating where available. Daily records of sailing achievements and sail changes. Provisions of all sorts … we are amused to see Mars Bars, Steak and kidney puddings, HP sauce etc.

Yachting treasure unpublished major single-handed yacht race

$380.00

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The Opium Smugglers – Ion Idriess – First edition 1948

The Founding of Hobart 1803-1804 – Frank Bolt

Close to the Wind – [Round the World Single Handed and Rescue] – Pete Goss

The Wreck of the Amsterdam – Peter Marsden – First Edition 1974

They Reigned Supreme [Steam Ships in Tasmania] – Thomas W. Fox

Unpublished Work – “The Dream and the Reality” – Single Handed Transatlantic Yacht Race 1968 – Brian Cooke.

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