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Governor Parr

Governor Parr

'Governor Parr' was a 900 ton schooner, built 1919 Parrsborough, Nova Scotia. Loaded with timber, she hit very severe weather, lost two aftermasts, and much of the deckload. She was abandoned, and the crew were picked up by an American ship. Being well-built, and with a cargo of lumber, she was unsinkable, and drifted across the Atlantic until, fourteen months after leaving N.S. she was sighted ashore on the Canary Islands. This pic is dated July 1925, so must heave been taken very soon before her final demise.
From photo album Capt. J.G.O. Hutchison.

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That's an incredible photo! Now I understand why hulks were considered such a menace to shipping - no wonder it was a master's obligation to ensure one was sunk if he discovered a hulk in his path. It's almost ghostly...
 

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The "Ottawa House By The Sea" website tells us that Governor Parr was sighted and charted at least forty times, and probably drifted about 5,000 miles before ending up on the Canaries. Signalman.
 

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All well and good, but how would you go about sinking something like that? Also, in doing so, surely you would be liberating the timber therefore creating a larger hazzard to shipping?
 

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Amazing story & picture Signalman.
I wonder which of the Canary Island she ended up on - I can't find any further details.

If anybody knows or finds out then please let me know as I may be able to research more in Las Palmas later in the year.

Launched March 1919 & was the last schooner built at Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. Photo here:-

http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/schooners/images/200400532.jpg

regards,
Rick
 

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Maritime Casualties & Breaking Yards
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