“Excelsior” was built by Joseph B. Hodge of Island Harbour on the beach of Island Harbour in 1937-38. Master shipwright Eddy Hodge of Long Bay, ably assisted by the owner’s teenage son Walter, crafted a well built vessel. Eddy Hodge also built ‘Melvine’ and ‘Ramona’ in Island Harbour and is credited for introducing the Seventh Day Adventist Faith in Island Harbour and East End.
In the 1940’s Excelsior was beached by Walter and stretched to 70 ft.
Excelsior sailed the Eastern Caribbean route carrying salt, and livestock from Scrub Island and Junks Hole Estate to Trinidad, and returning with drums of petroleum products. With Anguilla’s first navigator, Walter Hodge, on board Excelsior made several trips to Barbados, Curacao and Aruba. On one memorable occasion, thanks to Walter’s navigational skill she out-sailed Warspite by a whole day on a trip from Curacao to St. Maarten, an event which remains a source of bragging rights for the whole Hodge family.
Walter also created history by installing an engine in Excelsior, a first for Anguillian schooners.
During a severe hurricane in September 1950, Excelsior dragged her anchors and was washed ashore in Island Harbour. She was damaged extensively but was repaired and re-floated. In December 1954 enroute from Aruba with a load of Aviation gasoline for St. Maarten, she ran into a severe storm and was almost crippled. After unloading in St. Maarten she limped into Forest Bay in Anguilla, too damaged to venture through the narrows of Scrub Island channel and the shoals surrounding Island Harbour. A few weeks later another hurricane hit Anguilla on January 2nd 1955. Excelsior drifted onto the reef and was lost.
Anguilla Philatelic site.
Anguilla SG?