Duthie’s “Cairnbulg.”
The Cairnbulg was another Aberdeen ship, but she was in the Sydney trade. She was of about the same speed as the Romanoff, a fine, fast, wholesome ship without any very special records to her credit.
She came to a most unusual end. After being sold to the Russians and renamed Hellas, she was sold by them to the Danes and called Alexandra. On the 26th November, 1907, she sailed from Newcastle, N.S.W., for Panama, coal laden. In April she was taken off the overdue list and posted as missing, being uninsurable at 90 guineas. The following June, one of her boats in charge of the mate, was picked up off the South American Coast. The mate then told the following extraordinary story:—On 8th May the ship was abandoned owing to her provisions running out and for no other reason—as in every other way, both in hull and gear, she was perfectly seaworthy. The position of the Cairnbulg when abandoned was given as 500 miles off the South American Coast. A search expedition was at once sent out after her, but in vain. Some time afterwards she was found ashore on the rocks at Iguana Cove, Albemarle Island, with her back broken. Her insurances, hull, freight and cargo amounted to £30,000, and she was abandoned in calm weather through lack of provisions. This story is not to the credit of either her captain or her owners.