'Prince Patrick', 1867

The Sydney Morning Herald, 31st January 1867, provides these details:

FOUNDERING OF THE SCHOONER PRINCE PATRICK IN JERVIS BAY.
The schooner Prince Patrick, 110 tons register, commanded by Captain Henry Patching, left Newcastle, bound for Melbourne, with a cargo of 176 tons coal, on the 17th instant (January 1867), the wind blowing fresh from the NE, which continued until the evening of the 19th, when it veered round to the southward, blowing strong with a very heavy sea; on the 20th she shipped a sea which shook her considerably, and caused her to leak a little, but nothing very serious ; on the 21st the wind changed again to the N.E very fresh, and on the 22nd, at midday, she experienced a strong southerly breeze, accompanied by very heavy thunder and lightning, and at 10 p m it was found that she was beginning to leak very much. Both pumps were immediately set going ; double reefed the mainsail, reefed topsail, stowed the foresail and jib and at midnight it began to blow a moderate gale with sea still running very high, and after shortening sail the pumps were again manned and kept going until 4 am on the 23rd, and finding they would not suck, one of the pumps was drawn, when it was found that she had 2 feet 6 inches in her hold. The vessel was at this time about 60 miles to the southward of Jervis Bay, with an offing of 30 miles, and Captain Patching seeing no chance of repairing the leak, deemed it prudent to bear up for Jervis Bay, where he arrived at 3 pm same day, the pumps being kept constantly going, and as the vessel could not be kept afloat, she was beached in Montague Bay on a sandy bottom at low water, the pumps were then sounded, when it was found that she had four feet of water. On the 25th, at 10am, Captain Patching and crew left the schooner and proceeded in the ship's boat to Cape St George, where they arrived at 1 pm, the crew remaining at the lighthouse until the 28th, when they started for Sydney in the small boat with seven persons on board, the wind was blowing light from the southward, at 4pm in it fell calm and as the sky looked very threatening. Captain Patching took shelter in Shoalhaven until 5 am on the 29th, and at 2 pm it began to rain very heavy with strong lightning and thunder, in consequence of which put into Wollongong at 3 pm and remained there until yesterday morning, when Mr Hart, the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company's manager there, kindly gave them a passage to Sydney in the steamer Kembla, which was about leaving. The Prince Patrick is a seventeen-year ship, and is insured in the Derwent and Tamar Office, Melbourne, for the sum of £800, but Captain Patching, who is joint owner with Mr. A. W. White of Melbourne, estimates her value at £1,100. Before abandoning the schooner, the instruments, with the greater portion of the clothing belonging to the crew and captain, were saved, the boat not being large enough to carry any more. Captain Patching is anxious to express his thanks to Mr. J Lee, lighthouse-keeper at Cape St George, and Mr. Hart, of Wollongong, for their kindness to himself and crew, and to the crew of the steamer Illalong, who, through Mr. Hart, generously subscribed for the benefit of their fellow-seaman. When the schooner was abandoned she had 2 feet 6 inches water above the cabin deck. It is the opinion of Captain Patching that she must have started a butt (on a wooden plank on a ship’s side), or she would not have made water so free.