‘Tea Tephi’, 1894

The ‘Tea Tephi’ was wrecked – in very unusual circumstances - in Twofold Bay on the 27th August 1894.

The ‘Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser’ of 1st September 1894 detailed the incident:
‘A Yacht Sunk by a Whale.

A remarkable accident happened on Tuesday to a well-known yacht lying in Twofold Bay. The bay has lately been the scene of several whaling ventures, and one or two captures have been made. The whales seem to be plentiful there this season, and one good-sized one yesterday, while exploring the bay, 'kicked' against the yacht Tea Tephi, then lying at moorings. In half an hour afterwards the Tea Tephi disappeared; but the whale, nothing disturbed, maintained its course and struck the Twofold Bay jetty with some force, damaging the structure. The sunken yacht has been several times in Sydney, and belonged to the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. She was designed and built 10 years ago at Eden by Captain Russell, and she took part in the Centennial Regatta. She is schooner rigged, 23 tons yacht, measurement, length 48ft. 3in., beam lift., and depth 7ft. A good-sized vessel to sink in so simple a manner.’