Maritime

The Wreck of the Amsterdam – Peter Marsden – First Edition 1974

The Dutch East Indiaman set out on her maiden voyage in 1748 loaded with cargo and silve7r, with three hundred people on board.

A storm in the English Channel forced the captain to beach her near Hastings after a near mutiny.

She’s still there and at the occasional low tide remnants can be seen from the shore. Peter Marsden was the Field archaeologist at the London Guildhall Museum and he was called in when a party of workmen with access to a digger tried their luck and found something rather special.

First edition published by Hutchinson, London in 1974. Octavo, 288 pages, heavily and well illustrated. A very good copy.

The Wreck of the Amsterdam; a long time afterwards fresh discoveries are made.

$30.00

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They Reigned Supreme [Steam Ships in Tasmania] – Thomas W. Fox

Self published second printing, scarce as hen’s teeth.

Red card wrappers, 50 pages plus advertisements, including one for Purdon & Featherstone Shipyard! Illustrated with a few images of steam boats.

Excellent account of the steam ships that used to ply the Derwent, Tamar and coastal routes in Tasmania. From the very beginning to the very end.

Lengthy list of vessels in alphabetic order with details regarding their construction, when and where they were put to use and by whom. Often ending in a mishap.

After the boats comes a chapter on the famous O’May family who for three generations were at the heart of the Derwent ferry services. Then a brief section on boat builder and a most interesting account of River Steamer racing.

Super primary reference for anyone interested in the now gone steamer activity in Tasmania.

$50.00

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Unpublished Work – “The Dream and the Reality” – Single Handed Transatlantic Yacht Race 1968 – Brian Cooke.

A unique item, the typescript account of Brian Cooke relating to his participation in the 1968 Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (STAR) east to west from Plymouth to Newport Rhode Island.

182 pages of foolscap, corrected in manuscript. Having read through it all … it is an exceptional account ready for the press … we are not sure why he did not follow through with the publication.

Cooke was very much an amateur before this event and he states clearly in his Preface that the book has been written “to indicate the way in which the dream of crossing the Ocean became a reality to me … what is involved for the ordinary person … to know first hand that it is quite a feasible proposition and a very worthwhile challenge …”.

We like the way the book proper starts … “It was 1949, when I was walking down St James’s Street, London one lunchtime. I looked in a Bookshop window. One of the books on display was by Allcard describing the Atlantic voyage he had made. It was the dust cover that took my eye. On it was a photograph of Allcard, at sea, sailing his yacht single-handed, looking up at his sails, which conveyed to me a most vivid picture of satisfaction and achievement”

The first sixty eight pages are taken up with establishing and preparing for the dream. First the yacht that had been commissioned to be built by an acquaintance with the wherewithal connected to his work at the Westminster Bank. The first trials, the personal training, the qualifying voyages etc all very interesting. At page sixty nine we have the race start proper. What follows is a very detailed account of the events of the race, nothing tedious in our view. Cooke came in sixth, out of 48, many had to turn back. Those ahead were either trimarans or larger boats, on any handicap system he may have won.

The appendices are good for perspective and emphasise his comments in the Preface that preparation is key. We have the “sailing instructions” from the Royal Western, Plymouth. The list of yachts by nation, rig, length, hull, and rating where available. Daily records of sailing achievements and sail changes. Provisions of all sorts … we are amused to see Mars Bars, Steak and kidney puddings, HP sauce etc.

Yachting treasure unpublished major single-handed yacht race

$380.00

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Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons (Part 2). La Perouse to Wilkes.

The second part of the Parson’s collection offered by Hordern House. Published in 2006 a year after the first part. Quarto hardback, unpaginated, circa 130 pages, magnificently illustrated. Fine example in a fine dust jacket.

English born David Parsons was educated at Corpus Christi, Oxford. He spent his adult life in the USA where he applied his mathematical skills as a top actuary.

Contains all of the key works one would expect, often of super quality or special provenance. Contains, inter alia, English voyages – First Fleet … Bligh & the Bounty; French voyages – La Perouse and the search … Baudin … Freycinet; Russian voyages – Krusenstern … Kotzebue; Spanish voyages – Malaspina; American voyages – Wilkes and special rare works relating to Hawaii (this list does not do it justice). As always with HH an excellent description of content and relevance of each work with a helpful selection of images

Super reference a collection to envy for sure

$60.00

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Original 17th Century Engraving – French Naval Vessel – Allain Manesson Mallet – Paris 1683

An delightful original copper engraving from 1683. From one of the most magnificent illustrated works of the 17th Century, “Le Description de l’Univers”.

Covering all manner of things naval and cartographic this is a fine engraving of one of the principal ships of the French Navy.

Engraved area approximately 15cm by 10cm. Matted, with “French lines”, as shown in the second image.

Mallet (1630-1706) was a French cartographer and engineer. He started his career as a soldier in the army of Louis XIV became a Sergeant Major and an Inspector of Fortifications. His maps have a beautiful decorative and unique style.

17th Century Naval engraving matted ready to frame.

$90.00

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Shores of Macquarie Island – Isobel Bennett – 1971

A first edition of this interesting book on Antarctic Macquarie Island and its nature.

Published by Rigby, Adelaide in 1971. Octavo, 69 pages plus useful bibliography and index. Nicely illustrated from photographs taken by the author. Very good. Another copy we like this book.

Isobel Bennett was born in Brisbane and took an interest in Marine Biology at an early age. In her era one of the first females to be accepted into the Australian Antarctic program and onto Macquarie Island.

A good “history of the island” is followed by a very readable sections on the role of the scientists, and the inhabitants and visitors to the island.

A very good introduction and background to this lonely outpost.

$30.00

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The Wreck of the Amsterdam – Peter Marsden – First Edition 1974

They Reigned Supreme [Steam Ships in Tasmania] – Thomas W. Fox

Unpublished Work – “The Dream and the Reality” – Single Handed Transatlantic Yacht Race 1968 – Brian Cooke.

Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons (Part 2). La Perouse to Wilkes.

Original 17th Century Engraving – French Naval Vessel – Allain Manesson Mallet – Paris 1683

Shores of Macquarie Island – Isobel Bennett – 1971

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