Mountain Maid

Mountain Maid was a wooden cargo vessel built in 1841 in Dundee, Scotland. For 12 years the ship sailed from Europe to North America and the Orient. At one point, she was thought to be involved in smuggling. In 1853, she was sold to her third owner who recognized the potential of trading with the young but wealthy colony of Victoria. Mountain Maid sailed to Australia and made voyages to Calcutta and Manila. On a return voyage from Manila to Melbourne in 1856 she was involved in a collision with the Victorian steamer SS Queen and subsequently sunk off the coast of Swan Bay in Port Phillip.

History

Early history

Mountain Maid was a strongly built wooden snow brig. She had two square rigged masts and a smaller (spanker) sail behind the main mast. She measured 84ft (25.59m) long, 20.5ft (6.25m) beam, and had a hold 15ft (4.57m) deep. Lloyd's Register of Shipping describes her as well-built and of good material, having frames and keels of oak and planking of oak and elm. Surveyors from Lloyd's said the timbers were well fastened with iron staples and the rigging was of best quality.

In 1853, she was sold to its third owner who recognized the potential of trading with the young but wealthy colony of Victoria. Mountain Maid sailed to Australia and made voyages to Calcutta and Manila. It was on a return voyage from Manila in 1856 Mountain Maid was wrecked in a collision with the Victorian steamer SS Queen.

Final voyage

Bound for Melbourne from Manila on 14 September 1856, she was carrying a cargo of rice, sugar and rope. The weather was fine and clear and a fresh southerly wind was blowing as the ship passed through the heads. With the help of a flood tide, she was heading towards the West Channel at 7 kt (13 km/h, 8 mph). At the same time, the Victorian West Coast iron screw steamer Queen was making her way out through the heads at full speed against a head wind and opposing tide.

On their set courses, both vessels had ample room to pass. However, Pilot Patterson on board Mountain Maid altered course to hug the west bank of the channel to avoid a shift in the wind as he steeed past Swan Island. This move was not expected by Queen, whose Master also ordered a turn towards Swan Island in an effort to pass to port of Mountain Maid. The two vessels collided and Queen sliced through Mountain Maid's starboard bow. Mountain Maid filled with water and sank immediately. The crew had to swim for their lives but were picked up by Queen. As the vessel broke up, the cargo was washed away.

The Pilot Board found Patterson to blame for the collision. In his career with the Pilot Service he had already run two other ships aground on the approach to Corio Bay. As a result of his bad record and the collision, he was dismissed from the Pilot Service.

An attempt was made to drag Mountain Maid out of the channel and into the shallow waters of Swan Bay to salvage what remained of the wreck. This was unsuccessful and the ship was left where it now lies, just 200 metres north-north east of the Coles Channel Pile Light.

Diving

Mountain Maid is one of many historic shipwrecks included in Victoria's Underwater Shipwreck Discovery Trail. Qualified divers can explore the wrecks of old wooden clippers, iron steamships and cargo and passenger vessels located along the coast and in Port Phillip Bay. Some of these wreck dives are suitable for beginners while other wrecks require the skills and experience of advanced divers. The wreck was protected as a historic shipwreck on 13 March 1985, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. Any deliberate damage or interference to Mountain Maid is an offense under the Act.