Spirit of Mystery to feature at Sydney Boat Show

A small wooden Mounts Bay lugger called Mystery arrived in Port Philip, Victoria one hundred and fifty four years ago. The seven Cornishmen on board, who were all related by blood or marriage, had sailed their 37 foot long fishing boat from Cornwall to Australia to escape poverty and seek out a new life in the Australian gold fields.

Pete Goss (47), the skipper of the replica Spirit of Mystery re-enacted the journey with his crew comprising of his brother Andy (40), Pete's son Eliot (14) and brother in law Mark Maidment.

With less than 900 nautical miles to go to Melbourne, the Spirit of Mystery ran into a storm. The boat was knocked over by a large wave on Wednesday 4 March about 300 nautical miles south south-west of Kangaroo Island off Adelaide. Mark Maidment broke his right leg between the knee and ankle and was taken below and treated by the crew who administered morphine and applied a splint.

It was decided not to attempt a helicopter transfer as Mark's condition was stable and comfortable and helicopter transfers carry their own risks, especially in rolling seas. Usually a casualty would be transferred to a life raft and towed behind the vessel, from which a helicopter can winch the crewman to safety. However, the life raft was lost in the knock down that caused the injury.

"The large wave slammed the Spirit of Mystery well beyond ninety degrees," said Pete Goss in his blog. "Damage to the boat included the loss of life raft, dinghy and man overboard equipment. Lots of other bits and bobs were torn from the boat and swept away. There was some damage to the bulwark planking and where lashing points were ripped apart with what was shocking force there is exposed wood, screws and bolts. All primary structure is sound including the rudder and spars and I am left grateful that we were on Spirit of Mystery when it happened for any other boat would have been crippled. Below was absolute chaos with the port side of the boat up to and beyond the deckhead awash due to a huge amount of water below. Equipment was everywhere despite having the boat all strapped down for the storm."

Two Australian Rescue Services planes flew above the boat, the last making a drop of extra morphine to manage the pain and a satellite phone for communications. "The drops were an outstanding piece of flying, three canisters all landing within a 100 metres of the bow," said Pete Goss in his blog.

Responsibility for the operation was then handed back from the Australian Marine Safety Authority to the Victoria Police Rescue Coordination Centre. Spirit of Mystery sailed to Portland where Mark was taken off the vessel and airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. He underwent an operation to his broken right leg during which a rod and pins were attached to his tibia.

With borrowed safety gear and fresh food the rest of the crew went straight back to sea.

Just before sunup on 9 March Spirit of Mystery entered Port Philip and was met by a Coutta Boat which guided them through the western channel. A welcome fleet built up as they sailed closer to Melbourne. A crowd dressed in traditional Cornish clothes and waving St Pirans flags greeted them at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and Mark was there in his wheelchair. Derek Trewarne of the Cornish Association of Victoria met the crew at the marina, offering a pint and a pasty.

Australia is thought to have the largest number of people of Cornish descent in the world, some of whom are related to the original crew of the Mystery.

The Spirit of Mystery completed the 11,800 nautical mile voyage in five months, compared with four months for the original Mystery.

Spirit of Mystery is berthed at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and will remain there for some time before heading north to the Sydney International Boat Show where the vessel will feature on the show marina in Cockle Bay.

Pete Goss will share his adventures in an intimate, one-off event at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria on March 19. All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal fund and the Australian Volunteer Coastguard Association.

Website: www.petegoss.com