Badger

Badger

Iron Bark II

Iron Bark II

About Me

My photo
I first crossed the Atlantic in 1975 on 'Stormalong', a 28ft Wharram-designed catamaran. Back in the UK, Pete and I bought an ex 6-metre racing yacht, 'Sheila', living on her for 4 years. Wanting to do more and go further, we built 'Badger' - the best boat in the world - sailing her 110,000 miles, to the Arctic and the Antarctic, around the Atlantic North and South and into the Baltic. She had junk rig - the only rig I will ever now cruise with. Pete wanted to build a 38 ft junk-rigged catamaran, 'China Moon' - which he designed. But before the project was finished, we went our separate ways. A year later I joined Trevor Robertson aboard his 35ft 'Iron Bark'. We explored the Canadian Maritimes, crossed the Atlantic twice, wintered in Greenland and crossed the Pacific to Australia and New Zealand. I fell in love with NZ and jumping ship, bought my own boat while Trevor carried on voyaging. I put a junk rig onto ‘Fantail’ and, having decided that N Island offered better cruising opportunities than S Island, sailed up there in 2012. Looking for a boat to see me out, I built the 26ft 'FanShi' and now live on board her, pottering about, generally around the Bay of Islands.

Thursday, 20 February 2025

PRINCE OLAV HARBOUR

 
54oO3'S 39o09'W
Chart 3585, Prince Olav Harbour and Approaches


Prince Olav Harbour, North Bay

The old whaling station is situated in North Bay. To enter this, pass N of Brutus Island (Saddle Island on old charts) and thread your way through the kelp beds. There is really too much kelp in North Bay to consider anchoring. The wooden jetty is in a poor state, but is strong enough for a yacht to tie up to, with 7m of water alongside. There is no fendering on the dock and a fender board would be most useful. The decking on the jetty is very rotten and care should be taken when walking about on it.

If intending to stay for more than a brief visit, it may well be worth considering tying up bow and stern between the W end of the dock and a short wooden pier further W. Curlew tied up in this manner when visiting the harbour.

The whaling station was abandoned in 1946 and the buildings are in a poor condition, but there does not appear to have been as much vandalism here as at other sites. Consequently, the station is less depressing than most. 


PRINCE OLAV HARBOUR LOOKING SE




A wallow of elephant seals

The hulk of the Brutus is lying, half submerged, S of Pig Point. She was a three-masted, iron-hulled vessel, 76m long and 1686 tons. She was built in 1883 by J Reid and Co. of Glasgow and was first named Sierra Pedrosa while owned by the Sierra Shipping line of Lima. After coming to South Georgia, she was used as a coaling hulk alongside the jetty, before ending her days on the beach.



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