Barque – The Kathleen Hilda

My great grandfather Alexander Migan sailed on the barque, Kathleen Hilda. The following is an excerpt from his memoir of his sailing days, about the loss of a mate at sea in 1895.

I joined the crew of the Barque ‘Kathleen Hilda’. An old inter-colonial timber trader for a number of years. I joined her about the time the Kauri Timber Co’s. Mills were going at full blast. And every old ship that was available at that time had no trouble in picking up a cargo for either Melbourne Sydney or Adelaide. And then to Newcastle for coals, back to Auckland. I was in the old Kathleen Hilda for nigh on two years. In that period we had one accident at sea. And as it happened to be my pal that was washed over board I felt it very much at the time. I there and then made up my mind to leave the K.H. when we arrived back in Auckland and having a look around doing odd jobs around the docks. And as usual keeping my weather eye open for anything that happened to come along that would suit me.

13 November, 1895 – NZ Newspaper report re Man Overboard from Kathleen Hilda