The schooner Warspite, built at Sandy Ground by Capt. Arthur Carty in 1917. She was cut in half and had a 14 ft. midships added in 1929. She carried passengers to Santo Domingo in her earlier days when she was the fastest schooner built in Anguilla. While sailing from Trinidad, in January 1954, she sprang a leak in St. Vincent harbour and sank, but was refloated and after temporary repairs she sailed to her home port where she was overhauled, and had her engines replaced, being relaunched in 1965. She was caught in Hurricane "Donna" in 1966, sinking again, but was refloated again with the assistance of a British naval ship.
Anguilla SG34
Sea Breezes 8/69
Warspite (Schooner)
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aukepalmhof
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Re: Warspite
Knowing how vital a fast sailing schooner was to the cane cutter passenger trade with the places Macoris and La Romana in Santo Domingo, Captain Arthur Carty of North Hill bought the sloop GAZELLE in 1918.
He beached her and commissioned master shipwright and builder John Thomas Hughes of Sandy Ground to redesign the hull. The end result was the 63 feet long schooner WARSPITE.
1919 Launched and quickly became a legend in her own time. An immediate success because of her amazing speed and her captain’s good nature, WARSPITE became a household word in Anguilla and the Leeward Islands.
In 1929 the WARSPITE was beached again in Sandy Ground and lengthened to 76 feet, but maintained her reputation as the fastest sailing vessel ever built in the Eastern Caribbean.
Tales of WARSPITE’s performance are legendary. These include her arrival in Anguilla from La Romana in three and a half days, two whole days ahead of all the other schooners and sailing fleet of schooners from the Windward Islands into the 3rd Boca enroute to Port of Spain, Trinidad.
In 1954 in route from Trinidad, WARSPITE sprung a leak. Efforts to keep her afloat seemed to be in vain and her crew abandoned her. After some time and still afloat, her crew boarded her again and sailed her into the harbour of Bequia where she sank alongside the jetty in shallow water.
Elliot Carty traveled to Bequia and with the willing help of Bequia seamen re-floated WARSPITE, careened her and sailed her back to Anguilla where she was beached.
Anstin Connor and Egbert Connor did major rebuilding on her. Wallace Richardson installed an engine, and she was again launched in 1955.
WARSPITE sailed mainly to the Leeward, Windward Islands and Trinidad.
In 1960 Anguilla’s flag vessels carried all workmen, equipment, construction material and supplies to Sombrero for the construction of a new lighthouse.
WARSPITE was sunk in Road Bay, Anguilla during hurricane Donna in September 1960, but she was refloated and beached for repair. After her repair she worked for many years as the supply ship for the Sombrero Lighthouse.
Her end came in 1984 during hurricane Klaus in Road Bay, when she was destroyed.
A line drawing of WARSPITE is imprinted on the Eastern Caribbean Currency ten-dollar note.
Some of the remains of the schooner WARSPITE you can find in the Pumphouse Bar, Anguilla.
http://www.gov.ai/angstamp/newreleases.htm
He beached her and commissioned master shipwright and builder John Thomas Hughes of Sandy Ground to redesign the hull. The end result was the 63 feet long schooner WARSPITE.
1919 Launched and quickly became a legend in her own time. An immediate success because of her amazing speed and her captain’s good nature, WARSPITE became a household word in Anguilla and the Leeward Islands.
In 1929 the WARSPITE was beached again in Sandy Ground and lengthened to 76 feet, but maintained her reputation as the fastest sailing vessel ever built in the Eastern Caribbean.
Tales of WARSPITE’s performance are legendary. These include her arrival in Anguilla from La Romana in three and a half days, two whole days ahead of all the other schooners and sailing fleet of schooners from the Windward Islands into the 3rd Boca enroute to Port of Spain, Trinidad.
In 1954 in route from Trinidad, WARSPITE sprung a leak. Efforts to keep her afloat seemed to be in vain and her crew abandoned her. After some time and still afloat, her crew boarded her again and sailed her into the harbour of Bequia where she sank alongside the jetty in shallow water.
Elliot Carty traveled to Bequia and with the willing help of Bequia seamen re-floated WARSPITE, careened her and sailed her back to Anguilla where she was beached.
Anstin Connor and Egbert Connor did major rebuilding on her. Wallace Richardson installed an engine, and she was again launched in 1955.
WARSPITE sailed mainly to the Leeward, Windward Islands and Trinidad.
In 1960 Anguilla’s flag vessels carried all workmen, equipment, construction material and supplies to Sombrero for the construction of a new lighthouse.
WARSPITE was sunk in Road Bay, Anguilla during hurricane Donna in September 1960, but she was refloated and beached for repair. After her repair she worked for many years as the supply ship for the Sombrero Lighthouse.
Her end came in 1984 during hurricane Klaus in Road Bay, when she was destroyed.
A line drawing of WARSPITE is imprinted on the Eastern Caribbean Currency ten-dollar note.
Some of the remains of the schooner WARSPITE you can find in the Pumphouse Bar, Anguilla.
http://www.gov.ai/angstamp/newreleases.htm
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