V3 N4 Schooner 'Inca' off Cape Flattery

Page 1

VOL. 3

16TH & EXCHANGE STREET, ASTORIA, OREGON 97103

NO. 4

SCHOONER INCA OFF CAPE FLATTERY, 1913

A superb example of th~ West Coast lumber carrier is the five-masted schooner Inca, built in 1896 by Hall Brothers at Port Blakely, Washington, for their own account. The first orthodox five-master built on the West Coast, she was typical of her class, from the fine lines of her clipper bow to the ringtail topsail carried over leg o'mutton spanker. The Inca was a particularly handsome vessel, and she was well kept. She spent most of her time in offshore trade, principally carrying lumber, in her holds and in huge deckloads, to New Zealand and Australia. It was on such a voyage that the schooner met her end.

On December 7, 1920, outbound from Eureka with redwood for Sydney, the Inca was dismasted in a violent South Pacific storm. Two crewmen volunteered to stay with the ship, while the captain, his wife, and ten others took to the boats. They were sighted shortly after by the steamer Cosmos, which towed the battered schooner to Sydney. After her cargo was discharged, surveyors declared the Inca a total constructive loss, and soon thereafter she was hulked. An excellent replica of the Inca has recently been acquired by the Museum. Photographs and information on the model and its colorful builder are included in this issue.


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V3 N4 Schooner 'Inca' off Cape Flattery by maritimemuseum - Issuu