‘Chippewa’, 1868

The ‘Chippewa’ was a 26-ton wooden ketch built at Brisbane Waters north of Sydney in 1868. It had been trading between the Shoalhaven and Sydney. It was wrecked on the 19th November, the same year that it was launched.

The ‘Chippewa’ was struck by a gale near Crookhaven Heads. The captain evidently was endeavouring to enter the heads (this would lead the vessel, via Berry’s Canal, into the Shoalhaven River), but was blown southwards and, in attempting to turn, struck rocks before then drifting north towards Seven Mile Beach, south of Gerringong, where the vessel sank.

The crew took to a lifeboat and, with one paddle, made it safely to Greenwell Point.

Efforts were then made to raise the ship, which was sitting in 57-feet of water. These were unsuccessful because, it seems a diver was not available and the use of anchors and grappling hooks simply resulted in tearing the vessel apart plank by plank.