On 9 January 1931, 27-year-old Cecil Potter and 61-year-old Claude Batty (both from Inering near Carnamah) left Fremantle on the yacht Iolanthe, accompanied by 27-year-old Arthur Carter. They were sailing to Dongara for a fishing trip, with the journey expected to take four or five days. Ten days later, they had not arrived.
When Arthur’s father, Alfred, did not receive a promised telegram from his son, he reported his concerns to the police. On 16 January, they made enquiries with the postmaster at Dongara. They also questioned fishermen who were returning from the coast. No one had seen the yacht. There was “no trace whatever of the Iolanthe.”
In the early hours of the morning on 19 January, Fisheries Inspector James Brown left Fremantle on the Fisheries’ Department launch. Accompanied by Constables Wrigley and Edwards, he planned to spend twelve days making a systematic search of the coast for traces of the yacht and its crew.
To cover all bases, Pilot Brown of W.A. Airways Ltd deviated from his normal route to Perth and flew south along the coast. He closely examined the reefs and islets but saw no wreckage or survivors.
On 28 January, the coastal search by sea and air was complete. Inspector Brown described it as “the most thorough search we have ever made of that section of the coastline.” No one had found anything, and they assumed that the yacht had been swamped and its occupants had drowned.
Almost a month had passed since the Iolanthe left Fremantle. With hope fading, good news was the last thing anyone expected.
On 4 February, Cecil, Claude, and Arthur arrived at Carnarvon. The next morning, as promised, Arthur sent a telegram to his father.
Arrived safe and well Carnarvon. Living ashore Cape Inscription. Letter following. - Arthur
The tale they told was one of “hardship and danger.” When Cecil, Claude, and Arthur left Fremantle, they had made good progress during the day. In the evening, the wind became stronger and the ocean rougher. The Iolanthe was blown off course, and they ended up too far north.
For two days, they battled the wind and the waves. They had no idea where they were, but they assumed they had passed Geraldton. They tried sailing south, but the wind picked up again. The Iolanthe’s jib was carried away, and the halyard was jammed and had to be cut. Continuing south was proving impossible. Having rigged a temporary jib, they maintained a northerly direction.
The waves were towering high over the little vessel on each side, and threatening to swamp her every moment, and they carried on blindly.
Their provisions (enough for about four days) were reduced to three onions each. Finally, on 17 January, they saw land. When they were close enough, they recognised the Cape Inscription Lighthouse on Dirk Hartog Island. They landed at a nearby bay and immediately went to the structure. Cecil, Claude, and Arthur were soaking wet, hungry, and in need of help. There was no one there. The light was automatic, and the lighthouse was unattended.
The men helped themselves to water from the lighthouse tank and returned to the yacht. Their next step was to attempt to sail to Denham. Twice they tried, but with no knowledge of the coast and a chart that only went as far as Geraldton, they struggled. At one point, they ended up in high seas and nearly capsized. They returned to Cape Inscription and calmer waters.
Back at the lighthouse, they were feeling increasingly weak from a lack of food. They caught a turtle, some oysters, and crabs. They ate them, and one by one, they came down with dysentery.
A steam ship sailed by, but they had no means of attracting attention. Desperate, they broke down the lighthouse door. They wanted to find food or medicine inside. They found nothing except venetian blinds. Removing the blinds, they attached one set to the lighthouse railing while the other was attached to the outhouse, making makeshift flags to attract attention.
Cecil, Claude, and Arthur went back to the Iolanthe. There was nothing left to do but wait. For two days, they continued to eat turtles and fish.
On 3 February, hope came in the form of a ship. When they saw it, they hurried back to the Iolanthe and sailed to meet her. It was the schooner ‘Era’, from Geraldton. The crew had seen the venetian blinds on the lighthouse and pulled in to investigate. The men were taken aboard and fed and cared for.
Claude, the eldest of the group, was most weakened by the ordeal and stayed on the Era. Cecil and Arthur went back to the Iolanthe. It was towed into Carnarvon, and they arrived at night on 4 February, 26 days after they had left Fremantle.
Arthur recounted the story to a reporter for Carnarvon’s Northern Times. He described the journey as “strenuous and rough” and stated that the worst part was the uncertainty. They were not familiar with the northern coastline and had no way of letting people know where they were.
When the ship ‘Koolinda’ arrived at Carnarvon on 14 February, three extra passengers went aboard. Cecil and Claude disembarked at Geraldton before heading home to Inering, while Arthur continued south to Fremantle. He arrived on the 17th and was greeted by his relieved father at Victoria Quay.
As for the Iolanthe, it remained in Carnarvon. Cecil had only owned the yacht since December 1930. The sailing trip to Dongara was the first (and became the only) time he used it. Once it was repaired and fitted with new sails, it was moored alongside the fascine at Carnarvon. Perhaps understandably, after what he experienced, he decided to sell it.
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Sources:
1931 'MISSING YACHT', The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), 19 January, p. 5. (HOME (FINAL) EDITION), viewed 30 Jul 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83495571
1931 'MISSING YACHT.', The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), 20 January, p. 6. , viewed 30 Jul 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33235663
1931 'ILL-FATED IOLANTHE', The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), 2 February, p. 5. (HOME (FINAL) EDITION), viewed 30 Jul 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83495956
1931 'CREW OF IOLANTHE SAFE', The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), 5 February, p. 1. (HOME (FINAL) EDITION), viewed 31 Jul 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83493988
1931 'A TALE OF THE SEA.', Northern Times (Carnarvon, WA : 1905 - 1952), 12 February, p. 2. , viewed 06 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74950543
1931 'Bound Dongarra—Reached Carnarvon', Truth (Perth, WA : 1903 - 1931), 8 February, p. 1. , viewed 06 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article208143964
1931 'THE IOLANTHE AT CARNARVON.', The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), 11 February, p. 10. , viewed 06 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33236861
1931 'Advertising', Northern Times (Carnarvon, WA : 1905 - 1952), 12 February, p. 2. , viewed 06 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74950520
1931 'IOLANTHE CREW'S TERRIFYING ORDEAL', The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), 17 February, p. 1. (HOME (FINAL) EDITION), viewed 06 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article85414307
1931 'BLOWN TO SEA.', The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), 18 February, p. 11. , viewed 07 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33252614
State Library of Western Australia; Cape Inscription Lighthouse, Dirk Hartog Island [picture]; Dease Studios; 1910; Call number: 104523PD
Very Good Jessica 😃