“Helen Denny” and “Margaret Galbraith.”
The little Helen Denny was the last of the fleet to remain under the British flag. She once ran from the longitude of the Cape to New Zealand in 23 days, a really remarkable feat for a small iron barque. She was built by the great Robert Duncan, of Port Glasgow, and was eventually sold by Shaw, Savill, to Christie, of Lyttelton, N.Z., who resold her to Captain F. Holm, of Wellington, N.Z.; she ran regularly in the inter-colonial trade until the end of 1913, being latterly commanded and owned by Captain S. Holm, a son of Captain F. Holm. She was finally converted into a coal hulk.
Margaret Galbraith was another little Duncan beauty, and for many years a regular passenger ship to Otago. It is surprising to think of these little ships carrying passengers right up to the eighties. Their measurements were:—
Helen Denny, 728 tons; 187.5 feet length; 31.2 feet beam; 19.1 feet depth.
Margaret Galbraith, 841 tons; 198.5 feet length; 32.2 feet beam; 19.9 feet depth.
The Margaret Galbraith was sold to the Manica Trading Co., of London. She left Colonia on 26th March, 1905, for Buenos Ayres with a cargo of grain and crew of 13 all told; and whilst in charge of a pilot grounded on Farollon reef, and as she was badly holed her captain abandoned her.