‘Esther Maria’, 1882

At around 1.30am on February 26th 1882, the 52-ton ketch ‘Esther Maria’ with 5 crew and passengers on board collided with the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company’s steamer ‘Kameruka’ about six miles north of Beecroft Head. The ‘Esther Maria’ quickly sank and one man – the vessel’s mate, Charles Greenwood, was drowned.

The ‘Esther Maria’ was travelling from Sydney to Jervis Bay ‘in ballast’ (i.e. with little or no cargo on board). The ‘Kameruka’ had left Eden the previous morning, called into Merimbula, Tathra, Bermagui, and Montague Island, and was headed to Sydney. The weather was described as ‘hazy, with strong north-westerly or northerly winds’.

At the time of the collision the ‘Esther Maria’ was displaying no navigation lights and ‘was running before the wind, but as they got close to her (the ‘Kameruka’) she tried to cross their bows and the collision occurred’. The captain of the ‘Esther Maria’ claimed that when he had seen ‘the steamer's light three points on the port bow, he saw that his own red light on the port bow was dim, and took it out to prick it up; he was replacing it when he saw the steamer coming into him, and had no time to get into its place.’ A Marine Board of Enquiry found the captain to be at fault and suspended this master’s certificate for three months.

After the collision, ‘the steamer's boat was promptly lowered, and a careful search made for any signs of the missing man, but without success. The boat belonging to the ketch was picked up and taken on board, whilst the steamer kept cruising round the scene of the collision until 6.30 a.m., but the search proved abortive, and the vessel made for Sydney, arriving at the company's wharf at 2.15 a.m.'. The 'Kameruka' was not damaged in the collision.