"Wednesday, March 20th.—Big sea with N.E. wind, strong; 11 a.m., hove up and made for the Creek under double-reefed mainsail and jib; just before heaving up big sea caught Voladora taking away dinghy, dress, starboard rail and bulwarks;... went out to Mt. Blaze at low water ..."
Boyd, Annie. Koombana Days (p. 244). Fremantle Press. Kindle Edition.
Mount Blaze is 65 n miles from Port Hedland on the OTHER side of where the cyclone was preparing its onslaught on Balla Balla, 20 March. Allegedly, in this case, the wind was NE strong, with big sea, which matches Captain Upjohn's claim of a NE gale, exiting Port Hedland, the morning of 20 March. This extract suggests that although Koombana was making steady progress out of the immediate sphere of influence of the cyclone, she would ultimately have had big seas and strong winds on her stern and being in very light condition at night would have been a terrible combination, with the very real threat of losing steering control and broaching in a trough;
Boyd, Annie. Koombana Days (p. 244). Fremantle Press. Kindle Edition.
Mount Blaze is 65 n miles from Port Hedland on the OTHER side of where the cyclone was preparing its onslaught on Balla Balla, 20 March. Allegedly, in this case, the wind was NE strong, with big sea, which matches Captain Upjohn's claim of a NE gale, exiting Port Hedland, the morning of 20 March. This extract suggests that although Koombana was making steady progress out of the immediate sphere of influence of the cyclone, she would ultimately have had big seas and strong winds on her stern and being in very light condition at night would have been a terrible combination, with the very real threat of losing steering control and broaching in a trough;
a horrifying possibility.
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| courtesy Google Earth |
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