Cythera (yacht)
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''Cythera'' ( ), a steel
ketch A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch f ...
, designed and built single-handedly by Peter A. Fenton, was the first subject of modern-day
piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n history and set a legal precedent to laws in effect from 1858.


Background and design

In the 1940s, after being discharged from the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
and spending one cold winter back in his native
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, Peter Fenton left for warmer climates and moved to Epo,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. There, he ran a tin mine until the 1945 revolution compelled him to leave. Fenton arrived in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
in 1947. He eventually married and had one child. In 1961, aged 37, Fenton decided he would build a boat and go sailing. He spent a year teaching himself about
yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...
design and started night school to learn
welding Welding is a fabrication (metal), fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, primarily by using high temperature to melting, melt the parts together and allow them to cool, causing Fusion welding, fusion. Co ...
, since he had decided to build his boat of steel for strength instead of wood as previously planned. (It would have been a
schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
named ''Misty Isles''). The renowned yacht designer Alan Payne commented that it was a "very hazardous undertaking to build of steel". On 23 January 1961, construction began in a rented lot below Sutherland Road in
Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...
,
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, which threatened to collapse on the almost finished yacht during torrential flooding in November of that year.


1963 maiden voyage

17 March 1962 saw ''Cythera'' launched between Timber Wharves 1 & 2 at Walsh Bay ( The Rocks), and the next year was spent building steel masts for the
ketch A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch f ...
. On 31 March 1963, Fenton and his family, along with crew members Daniel Barrie and Derrick 'Ricky' Brewin and a journalist friend named Charlie Schriber, departed on the maiden voyage to
Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Port ...
en route to
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. On the evening of 10 April, having arrived at Lord Howe Island on 7 April, all persons from ''Cythera'' were ashore for dinner. Barrie and Brewin left early, cut ''Cythera's'' anchor chains and sailed out of range of the local radar station. They headed for
Rapa Iti Rapa, also called Rapa Iti, or "Little Rapa", to distinguish it from Easter Island, whose Polynesian name is Rapa Nui, is the largest and only inhabited island of the Bass Islands in French Polynesia. An older name for the island is Oparo. Th ...
and South America, where there were no
extradition In an extradition, one Jurisdiction (area), jurisdiction delivers a person Suspect, accused or Conviction, convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforc ...
treaties at the time, lest they be apprehended, bringing a 5-gallon container of grey paint and several navigational charts. They renamed the vessel the ''Jenny 2'' and, according to the
logbook A logbook (or log book) is a record used to record states, events, or conditions applicable to complex machines or the personnel who operate them. Logbooks are commonly associated with the operation of aircraft, nuclear plants, particle accelera ...
, "Took the yacht away from mooring. As lives were in jeopardy including the Captain's wife and daughter. It is assumed the captain
enton Witley is a village in the civil parish of Witley and Milford in the Waverley district in Surrey, England. It is centred south west of the town of Godalming and southwest of Guildford. The land is a mixture of rural (ranging from woodland ...
is unbalanced. Our destination is unknown as yet". Marooned, and with nothing but what they had on their persons, Fenton's family and Schriber were generously accommodated at the island guest house, Fair Winds, until a
Qantas Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...
flight for Sydney was available on 13 April. In Sydney, arrest warrants were issued and extradition expenses were guaranteed by Fenton. The family were accommodated by relatives while Schriber returned to his home. On Sunday, 14 April, authorities received a report that ''Cythera'' had been located on a private radar screen in Glen Innes, in northern New South Wales. A
telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...
confirming same was sent. Upon police investigation, it was found that the "radar station" was a piece of tin on a pole, and the telegram a hoax. ''Cythera'' was missing for seven days when, on 17 April, the administrator of Norfolk Island advised the authorities in Sydney that the yacht was in the area. The administrator was instructed to put a police officer (being the administrator himself, being only police officer on the island) aboard the freighter ''Colorado del Mar'' to apprehend the thieves. The administrator's
launch Launch or launched may refer to: Involving vehicles * Launch (boat), one of several different sorts of boat ** Motor launch (naval), a small military vessel used by the Royal Navy * Air launch, the practice of dropping an aircraft, rocket, or ...
accompanied the freighter. Since ''Cythera'' could manoeuvre more handily, the crew on ''Colorado del Mar'' resorted to pelting the thieves with potatoes and bottles filled with water in an effort to capture the vessel. Unsuccessful, the freighter rammed the yacht (1,025
imperial ton The long ton, also known as the imperial ton, displacement ton,Dictionary.com - ''"a unit for measuring the displacement of a vessel, equal to a long ton of 2240 pounds (about 1016 kg) or 35 cu. ft. (1 cu. m) of seawater."'' or British ton, is a ...
s compared to ''Cythera's'' 22 imperial tons) amidships on the
starboard Port and starboard are Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z), nautical terms for watercraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the Bow (watercraft), bow (front). Vessels with bil ...
side twice. This caused the thieves to jump overboard. They were apprehended by the launch. ''Cythera'' was brought to Cascade Bay, Norfolk Island, and thoroughly ransacked for any valuables. The radio was disabled and thus of no further use. When the yacht was reported stolen, notices were posted for all ships and aircraft to be on the lookout, and only when located could something be done since Lord Howe Island is 500 miles northeast of Sydney and Norfolk Island is a further 500 miles northeast of Lord Howe Island. Both islands are under Australian jurisdiction. Fenton, Pat, and two volunteers flew to Norfolk Island accompanied by two police officers to extradite the 'pirates', the four returning to Sydney the same afternoon at Fenton's expense. The party remained on the island to effect minor repairs and sail back to Sydney. This necessitated reduced
jury rig In maritime transport and sailing, jury rigging or jury-rigging is making temporary makeshift running repairs with only the tools and materials on board. It originates from sail-powered boats and ships. Jury-rigging can be applied to any part o ...
, due to damage to
rigging Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support and control a sailing ship or sail boat's masts and sails. ''Standing rigging'' is the fixed rigging that supports masts including shrouds and stays. ''Running rigg ...
and spreaders on both masts along with the
deckhouse A cabin or berthing is an enclosed space generally on a ship or an aircraft. A cabin which protrudes above the level of a ship's deck may be referred to as a deckhouse. Sailing ships In sailing ships, the officers and paying passengers wou ...
windows being smashed in with only a
tarpaulin A tarpaulin ( , ) or tarp is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with polyurethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. Tarpaulins often have reinf ...
to keep out water and weather. The weather was building, and it was imperative to leave Cascade Bay for survival, so ''Cythera'', with a damaged
hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...
and masts, motored 150 miles before a
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
and low pressure system hit, and the ship drifted,
lying ahull In sailing, lying ahull is a controversial method of weathering a storm, executed by downing all sails, battening the hatches and locking the tiller to leeward so the boat tries to point to windward but this is balanced by the force of wind and wav ...
, for 5 days until the system cleared and very restricted sail was raised. A week later, another
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
came through, lasting 4 days. Again, the yacht drifted,
lying ahull In sailing, lying ahull is a controversial method of weathering a storm, executed by downing all sails, battening the hatches and locking the tiller to leeward so the boat tries to point to windward but this is balanced by the force of wind and wav ...
, before a rough position was established. ''Cythera'' headed, once more, for Sydney. The northward drift was estimated at 250 miles. The decision was made that if any aircraft was heard or sighted a white
flare A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala, bengalo in several European countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illuminatio ...
would be fired to attract attention. An aircraft was detected, and two white flares were fired since the aircraft was in clouds. The aircraft was from the U.S. aircraft carrier (aptly named to be in the area), and the windows of the aircraft were tinted red, causing the white flares to appear red, resulting in a real emergency search. At 9:30 p.m., a
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
Neptune Bomber, with spotlights blazing, flew in at mast height and dropped sodium flares around ''Cythera''. The Norwegian freighter ''Prinsdal'' was instructed to identify and verify yacht and condition of crew. News broke that the missing ship was found. This news was heard on a small transistor radio on board. ''Cythera'' powered away from the freighter for safety, then raised sail to proceed to Sydney as instructed but, apparently, was expected to arrive within hours and was again deemed to be "missing". At midnight, Saturday, 11 May, ''Cythera'' confirmed position being off the Barrenjoey Light, approximately 20 miles north of Sydney. The remaining fuel was unknown, but ''Cythera'' motored the remaining distance in a flat, oily swell, arriving at the
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) was established in 1944 and soon afterwards established a clubhouse in Darling Point, inner-east Sydney. The club is known as one of Australia's premier yacht clubs, and is acknowledged as one of the ...
dock at 4:45 a.m., 12 May.


Timeline

*Sunday, 31 March 1963: Depart Sydney *Sunday, 7 April 1963: Anchor in lagoon, Lord Howe Island *Wednesday, 10 April 1963: ''Cythera'' stolen *Saturday, 13 April 1963: Fentons and Schriber return to Sydney *Wednesday, 17 April 1963: ''Cythera'' recovered *Saturday, 20 April 1963: Fentons, volunteer crew and police officers arrive in Norfolk Island *Monday, 22 April 1963: ''Cythera'' departs Norfolk Island for Sydney *Friday, 10 May 1963: Flares fired to overhead aircraft. Freighter "Prinsdal" alongside ''Cythera'' *Sunday, 12 May 1963: Docked at Cruising Yacht Club of Australia 4:45 a.m.


Theft aftermath

Within a week of arriving back in Sydney, Peter was served with a
writ In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrant (legal), Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, and ''certiorari'' are commo ...
for salvage by the owner of the ''Colorado del Mar'', which involved the owners of ''Cythera'' giving an undertaking in court. The vessel would not be removed from the jurisdiction of the Courts until 21 days after the final judgment in the case. As the masts were steel, the Writ was taped to the foremast. The following week, ''Cythera'' was in
dry dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
, in
Castlecrag Castlecrag is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 8 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Willoughby. Castlecrag is ...
, undergoing repairs. The repairs continued for the next two years
Lloyd's of London Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is a insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gover ...
, ''Cythera''s insurers, insisted the Fentons defend the salvage suit, since this would set a
legal precedent Precedent is a judicial decision that serves as an authority for courts when deciding subsequent identical or similar cases. Fundamental to common law legal systems, precedent operates under the principle of ''stare decisis'' ("to stand by thin ...
in the 20th century. The Fentons did not know at the time but, when the judgment of piracy was handed down in 1963, acts of piracy, acts of war, acts of
insurrection Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
and acts of god were not covered by insurance. All the costs were incumbent on the Fentons. Daniel Barrie and Derrick (Ricky) Brewin were convicted of piracy and given four-year sentences. Derrick Brewin appealed against his four-year sentence. Justice Herron described it as "less than he deserved" and said, "In another day and age you would have been described as a pirate and that is what you are. You would have been hanged at one time too." They served two and a half years and were released before ''Cythera'' sailed again in 1966.


Second voyage

In 1966, still determined to sail again, Peter advertised for a "girl crew", which prompted a police investigation on the grounds that he was
soliciting Solicitation is the act of offering, or attempting to purchase, goods and/or services. Legal status may be specific to the time or place where it occurs. The crime of "solicitation to commit a crime" occurs when a person encourages, "solicits, r ...
women. After the story of the boat theft by the male crew was considered, police decided there was no solicitation involved, only an attempt at a safer crew by Fenton. Cleared of any doubt, ''Cythera'' sailed, once more, east into the Pacific, with one man aboard (Bob Coupland) as crew, destination Lord Howe Island, to retrieve the
ground tackle A mooring is any permanent structure to which a seaborne vessel (such as a boat, ship, or amphibious aircraft) may be secured. Examples include quays, wharfs, Jetty, jetties, piers, anchor buoys, and mooring buoys. A ship is secured to a moori ...
jettisoned when the ship was stolen. Two days out of Lord Howe Island, another cyclonic low pressure system built over Lord Howe Island and the pressure was so deep, the course was changed to
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, Queensland, for safety. On entering the
Brisbane River The Brisbane River (Turrbal language, Turrbal: ) is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia. It flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the ...
, ''Cythera'' received a police escort to their pier, where Peter was questioned about causing a publicity scam since he hadn't arrived in Lord Howe. Again, his decision was vindicated because the weather he avoided caused the loss of two vessels inside the reef at the island, and it was presumed that nothing would survive at sea if caught in the depression. Departure north for
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
took ''Cythera'' to
Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
and while anchored behind Heron Island, in more bad weather, raising the anchor created an accident for the crewman, Bob. Peter motored the ship 90 miles West, to
Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is "Rocky", and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite. The Scottish- ...
for the crewman's hospital needs. The continuing journey, from Rockhampton, was crewed by the Fenton family, Peter, Pat and daughter Penelope. The Australian cyclone season was spent in
Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...
, Papua New Guinea. ''Cythera'' then headed for
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
, South Africa, via
Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an States and territories of Australia#External territories, Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name. It is about south o ...
; Cocos Keeling;
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
and
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
and was the first yacht of the season to arrive in
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
, South Africa in September 1967. They then departed for the
Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands () are an archipelago between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Caribbean Sea, geographically forming part of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, Caribbean islands or West Indie ...
in mid January 1968, stopping in
Port Elizabeth Gqeberha ( , ), formerly named Port Elizabeth, and colloquially referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipal ...
,
East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
,
Mossel Bay Mossel Bay () is a harbour town of about 170,000 people on the Garden Route of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province. Mossel Bay lies 400 kilometres east of the country's seat of parliament, Ca ...
and
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, South Africa, continuing up the South Atlantic via
Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...
,
Ascension Ascension or ascending may refer to: Religion * "Ascension", the belief in some religions that some individuals have ascended into Heaven without dying first. The Catholic concept of the Assumption of Mary leaves open the question of her deat ...
and
Fernando de Noronha Fernando de Noronha (), officially the State District of Fernando de Noronha () and formerly known as the Federal Territory of Fernando de Noronha () until 1988, is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, and ...
Islands, then sighting the waters of the
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
and making landfall in the Caribbean in
Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...
– thence to St. Thomas, where she dropped anchor before hurricane season in 1968. ''Cythera'' spent 20 years as home to Peter and Pat, while they made Marine Diesel Services their livelihood. Peter suffered a debilitating stroke in 1984, which virtually closed down his business and the ability to maintain his ship. ''Cythera'' was sold and the Fentons moved to
Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is the region along the southwest Gulf coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is known for its beaches, subtropical landscape, and winter resort economy. Definitions of the region vary, though its boundaries are genera ...
. Peter died on 22 February 2002. Patricia died 27 June 2021 in Birmingham, Alabama where she lived with her daughter.


Fate

''Cythera's'' new owner fitted her out for charter guests and eventually took her to
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
for a total refit. After two years on the hard, ''Cythera's'' next voyage was headed to
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
in December 2003 (to meet Peter's wife who was on a cruise ship, visiting), but the weather again forced a change of course for the new captain, and he headed to
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
. A major breakdown in the steering system occurred. The new owner and crew stepped off onto a container ship, and ''Cythera'' was abandoned. After 10 days, she was located ashore on the Silver Shoals, southeast of
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...
. The steel masts were smashed almost in half, the booms were torn off the masts, and she had been rammed on the starboard side and the hull was damaged. It was 40 years to the month (March 2004), since the maiden voyage of the ''Cythera'' from Sydney, and the damage was on the same side of the hull as the first ramming. The new owner sold the hulk to the fisherman who discovered her and walked away.


Photo gallery

Image:Stranded on Lord Howe Island.png, Stranded on Lord Howe Island Image:CytheraLogBookderanged.jpg, Log Book page where Derrick (Ricky) Brewin suggests Captain Peter Fenton is unbalanced and his family in danger. 10 April 1963 Image:LogBook2.png, Log Book page where vessel name is changed to ''Jenny 2''. 10 April 1963 Image:LogBookMay91963.jpg, Log Book page describing sighting of vessel and discharge of 3 white flares. 9 May 1963 Image:LogBookMay101963.jpg, Log Book page describing sighting of aircraft, discharge of 2 white flares. Neptune Bomber drops flares and intercepted by Norwegian tanker ''Prinsdal''. 10 May 1963 Image:Log Book of Cythera April 25, 1966.jpg, Log Book page describing weather and sailing conditions that caused the loss of two vessels. 25 April 1966


References

* Khayyam, O. ''The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: First and Fifth Editions'', translated by Fitzgerald, E. Courier Dover Publications, 1990. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Cythera (Yacht) Ships attacked and captured by pirates Individual sailing vessels 1962 ships Piracy in Australia Piracy in the Pacific Ocean