Pirate ship heads up Australian coastline again
by Sail-World Cruising on 25 May 2014
Notorious - cannot help attracting attention SW
Wherever she goes, she makes a splash of sorts. Notorious, a replica of a Portuguese-inspired 15th century caravel, is on her annual pilgrimage to the Whitsundays and just can't help drawing attention.
Known to many as the 'pirate ship', Notorious sailed into the Clarence River this week, drawing a crowd and charming onlookers as it lay moored outside Sedgers Reef Hotel in Iluka.
Owners captain Graeme Wylie and wife Felicity are used to the attention, and, this time through had planned to sail upriver to Grafton to open the boat to the public.
However, it was not meant to be. Owing to some scheduled maintenance on a bridge between Iluka and Grafton - the Harwood Bridge - they will not be able to reach Grafton.
'It's a shame but there'll be another time,' Mrs Wylie told the Byron Shire News.
Built entirely with recycled timbers over 10 years at their home in Victoria, Notorious has always turned heads wherever it goes. The ship was launched at Martins Point, Port Fairy, Victoria, in 2011.
'It's amazing how this vessel makes everybody very happy,' she said. 'It's incredible how many people feel strongly connected to it.'
Maybe in the Spring the Wylies will be able to open their boat to the public on their way down the coast again.
More about Notorious:
The ship weighs 55 tonnes, is 21 metres long, six metres wide and 17 metres high. Apart from the keel, most of the wood for its construction is recycled & reclaimed Monterey Cypress, and the ship is covered in 600 litres of tar. The interior is an authentic period design, including a cooking fire. However, the ship does have modern GPS navigation, a diesel engine and some other mod cons, all hidden behind timber panels.
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/122511
