On this M.S. of the Virgin Islands issued in 1997 is depict the schooner rigged SIR FRANCIS DRAKE.
She was built in 1917 by the Luhring Schiffswerft und Trockendock at Kirchhammelwarden, Germany for Reederei Schröder & Co., Berlin.
1915 Launched as LANDKIRCHEN.
Tonnage 179 grt, 119 net, dim. 33.78 x 6.99 x 2.63m.
Three mast, schooner rigged.
1917 Completed. Homeport Hamburg.
First used as a sailing vessel in North Sea and Baltic but made also passages in the copper trade around Cape Horn between Chile and Europe.
1918 Owned by Reeder Johann Wumkes at Bremen.
1919 Sold to Captain Willy Both, Glückstadt
1921 Lengthened with 5 meter. Tonnage 196 grt, 99 net, 274 dwt
1922 An Auxiliary Deutz engine was fitted in
1934 a new 6-cyl. auxiliary oil engine was fitted in of 44 nhp., manufactured by Humbolt-Deutz Motoren A.G. Köln-Deutz.
During World War II got in collision with a mine in the Baltic in which she was damaged, repaired at Hamburg.
Till 1960 is Captain Both the owner, but after he died on board she was sold the same year to Captain Kurt Kühlke at Glückstadt.
She was refitted in a modern coastal ship without sails.
1977 Sold to Captain Johannes Francke, Glükstadt and refitted in a cargo vessel with sails for the Pacific.
1981 Sold to Landkirchen-Windjammer Touristik,Hamburg and renamed in GODEWIND (Divine Wind).
There after was she rebuild in a sailing cruise vessel used in the Caribbean waters. Schooner rigged.
1988 Sold to Eckart Straub, an international entrepreneur and renamed SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, after a extensive refurbishment was she managed by Tall Ship Adventures Inc., San Lorenzo, Honduras, and she commenced seven-night cruises from Tortola in the waters off British Virgin Islands.
She was lost during a freak end-of-the season hurricane (Lenny) when she was at Marigot, Saint Martin Island.
She had entered port with passengers and was undergoing provisioning; the engine was taken out of the ship and brought ashore in the local engine repair shop for repair.
Two days before the crew and passengers on the SIR FRANCIS DRAKE were warned that the hurricane was approaching, and plans were made to shift the vessel to the mooring buoys in Marigot Bay, used by the visiting large cruise vessels. On 16 November 1999 was she towed out and moored with 15 dracon lines to the buoy.
All sails were removed and all loose items secured.
At Wednesday morning the last passengers left the vessel, the wind was gusting 18-22 knots, with rain. The crew after checking everything, closing down all water-tight openings, kept the generator running with all lights on, and to provide power for the automatic bilge pumping systems left the vessel around 10.45. The wind was increasing later that day to 50 – 60 knots.
Thursday the whole day hurricane force winds and when the eye of the hurricane passed the island around 17.30 the SIR FRANCIS DRAKE still was seen on her mooring buoy. Windforce near the eye of the wall 120 knots. On Friday at 01.00 the lights of the vessel still was seen in the eye of the storm but at about 01.30 the wind increased to 160 knots and changed direction very quickly, and it is believed that the SIR FRANCIS DRAKE then broke loose from their moorings lines. By daybreak the vessel was gone, there were still strong winds the whole day and only in the evening decreased to 40 knots.
The EPIRBS from the ship was tracked down by the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Co-Ordination Centre at San Juan to be operating at about 18.2 N 63.5W or 17.25N 64.5W (split solution) i.e. 20 nautical miles west of Anguilla or 30 miles south of St Croix, but wind and sea were to strong to commence a search for the vessel.
The next morning at 09.00 a search for the SIR FRANCIS DRAKE started using the ship’s speedboat and a private plane to the last given position. The only what was found after two days searching by planes, tug and speedboat was a Viking liferaft from the SIR FRANCIS DRAKE in a position about 50 nm NE of St Croix.
It is believed the SIR FRANCIS DRAKE sank near a position 18 15N 63 53W in 1.200 feet of water.
British Virgin Islands 1997 $2 sgMS988, scott877.
Source: Watercraft Philately. http://www.roseway.com/sfditin.htm http://www.tallshipadventures.com (both are not more working)
Lloyds Register. http://www.schiffshistorisches-archiv.de
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