MARIA SONY schooner

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aukepalmhof
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

MARIA SONY schooner

Post by aukepalmhof » Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:11 pm

Built as a two masted schooner rigged fishing vessel under yard no 176 on the yard of Joseph McGill at Shelburne for Capt. Joseph E. Snow.
21 August 1911 launched as the DOROTHY G. SNOW named after the daughter of the late Capt. Joseph E. Snow, Dorothy Greeley Snow, now Mrs William Joseph Sullivan, Lynn. Massachusetts.
Tonnage 97,67 gross, 88 net, 105 x 22.9 x 9.6ft.
Carries 35 tons iron and 20 tons pebble stone as solid ballast.

She was of the true semi-knockabout type, with extended bow, and short bowsprit. The vessel was designed by McManus a noted Boston designer.

Her first fishing trip was from Shelburne Harbour under command of Capt., William Snow of Digby to the Grand Banks.

She took part in the Newfoundland – Halifax races of 1912 and 1914 both she won, at that time she was under command of Snow’s brother Ansel.

On 02 April 1917 Snow, sold his 64 shares to Charles W. Ackhurst, a Halifax N.S. merchant and her homeport are given then as Halifax.
A week later, on 14 April Ackhurst sold his shares to Aenilius Jarvis another Halifax merchant.

The Digby Courier of 8 March 1918 gives Capt. Samuel Snow of Dartmouth, N.S. purchased schooner DOROTHY G. SNOW, formerly of Digby. She will be sailed to the Labrador coast after operating on the Banks fishing up to the last year when she was sold for a naval patrol vessel on the Banks and brought around to Halifax. Used as a decoy or Q ship from 04 July 1917 till 22 November 1917. Armament not listed.

The Digby Courier 0f 5 July 1918: For the third time within 12 months, the schooner Dorothy G. Snow has changed ownership, this time being sold to American parties who are to employ her as a fish carrier from Newfoundland and Labrador to Gloucester and Boston. She was sold by Capt. Samuel Shaw, of Dartmouth, N.S.
1918 The classification of the vessel was then changed from sail to steam.
13 December 1922 she was sold to August H. Carrillo an importer and exporter of Montreal. Renamed ROMAINE, owned by Romaine Ltd.

The Shelburne Gazette & Coast Guard of 25 January 1923. The former Digby schooner DOROTHY G SNOW is at Liverpool, N.S. with engine troubles, bound from St. Pierre for Nassau. Capt. Bert Payzant, whose home is at the Queens County port, is master of the vessel.
24 January 1924 she was sold to William Stephen Murphy of Wedgeport N.S. a master mariner, her registry was transferred to the port of Yarmouth N.S.
The Shelburne Coast Guard of 10 April 1930 gives A change in the rigging of the schooner DOROTHY G. SNOW is to be made as a result of which she will be a knockabout.

The Canadian registry closed 11 July 1939 when she was sold to Antonio Gomez on 23 July 1939 and she was rename BEMVINDA and registered at the Cape Verde.
She eventually departed on 25 April 1940 from the USA bound eastward. She was not seen again in New England waters until 1959 when she came into Providence, 40 days out from Cabo Verde with two passengers.
24 January 1941 sold to Benjamin Rose Reverdes, renamed NOVA SINTRA.
01 June 1942 sold to Antonio Bento.
03 June 1946 she was sold in Dakar, Senegal to Jacques Chancerelle, she was renamed KARY ALLAH.
He sold (year unknown) her to Cecillio Andrade and she was renamed TANGAL.
All the time under Portuguese flag and registry was she used on the west coast of Africa and the interisland trade in Cabo Verde.

08 June 1959 transferred to Manuel Joaquim Andrade and renamed MARIA SONY.
17 June 1959 she sailed from the Cabo Verde bound for Providence, she was still a racing schooner and the passage from Cabo Verde to Bermuda she made in 12 days. There she was struck by a hurricane, where she ride out the storm under bare poles. She finally reached Newport on 25 July and was towed to Providence by a tug. Ninety minutes after debarking one of the passengers had a baby, which was named after the vessel. After the usual festivities which greeted all the packet ships from Cabo Verde, the MARIA SONNY was towed to New Bedford for an overhaul and installation of a new engine.

After leaving for Cabo Verde on 07 November the new engine broke down, and she had to proceed under sail. On 20 November rough seas broke the steering gear, leaving the vessel to drift helplessly in a gale. After four days a huge wave crashed over the deck and broke nine beams. Now the crew feared for the structural integrity of the vessel, using only a small triangular sail and jettisons barrels of fuel and other cargo to lighten the vessel.
For 15 days, she was buffeted about by the waves, her mechanical pump broken; she was slowly sinking as the crew prayed helplessly.
Finally, on 11 December, a freighter spotted her and commenced towing the old schooner to Bermuda. She was finally taken by the USA Coastguard to St George’s, Bermuda.

Cecilio Andrade’s troubles had only begun. Penniless with a derelict vessel and a crew who refused to continue, Andrade stayed on in Bermuda for 10 months living on the generosity of local groups. Money was collected from Cabo Verdean groups in the United States and through donated services and material in Bermuda, Andrade was able to put his boat back again and sail for the Cabo Verde. On 10 November 1960, the MARIA SONY arrived in Cabo Verde one year after her departure from New Bedford. Andrade never attempted another voyage to the United States.

16 March 1977 she was totally wrecked at Ponte do Creoulo on the Island of Santa Luzia, Cabo Verde.

Sources: Watercraft Philately Vol. 48 page 43/44 and Admiral Digby Museum.
Cabo Verde 1987 50e sg 590, scott 515
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Attachments
dorothy g. snow.jpg
Image (32).jpg

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