Bringing Hotne the "American Ship" Shipsaver Karl Kortum recalls Carl Cutler and the pioneer efforts to save our ships
The Kaiul ani approaches Sydney Heads in late 1942- the last time sail was set on a Yankee square rigger: "Jn worsening weather the steam tug James Wallace began to run out of coal. They signaled us to make sail-we set staysails, topsails and the rnaintopgallant and spilled the Old Man out of his bunk. The Kaiulani managed to get into port just in time-the Sydney pilot said that only 'once in an age' did lhey have such a gale. "(KK photo)
by Karl Kortum n September 25 , 1941 , I put out from Grays Harbor, Washington, signed on before the mast in a sai ling shi p bound round Cape Horn with a cargo oflumber. It was a boyhood ambition fu lfilled; by the time it was done we had rou nded "both storm y Capes" and were presently two-thirds of the way aro und the world . The bark was the Maine-bui lt Kaiulani. The follow ing year I had the painful honor, as acting chief mate, of taking charge of getti ng the canvas off her for the last time-this was the final in stance in hi story of a Yankee square
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SEA HISTORY 72, WINTER 1994-95
rigger taking in her sails. We were off Sydney Heads, having towed the600 miles from Hobart behind a steam tug. Not long before, in the face of the worst gale in fifty years in the Tasman Sea, the tug had signaled that she was running out of coal and could we assist by making sail? We cheerfully set jibs, spanker, staysails, upper and lower topsail , and the main lower topgallant. The bark was soon abreast of the tug, the towline an arc between us, alternately dipping beneath the surface and then rising out of those tremendous seas. We were rolIi ng so that the star·board lifeboat, swung out as a wartime precau-
tion, dipped under the surface, filled , and on the return roll snapped off both dav its, like a couple of can·ots. Capt. Ron Wayling, whom I met in Sydney years later (l 97 4 ), was then mate on a co lli er, a "sixty miler," trying to make it up to Newcastle because Sydney itself was getting low on coal. The co lli er had to g ive it up and turn back, but whil e they were out there the Kaiulani loomed out of the storm wrack. "God , the Flying Dutchman! " said the capta in . Three-hundred year·s of American square-ri gged seafaring came to a close
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