What if you could step onto a legendary vessel, one of those that make the ‘argh’s flow effortlessly, that evoke a black flag, and that awaken a need to explore the seven seas?
Well, you’re in luck because one of the most remarkable sailing ships in the southern hemisphere is about to drop anchor in Moreton Bay!
Researched, designed and built out of reclaimed timber solely by Graeme Wylie, the ship’s captain, the Notorious has been ‘terrorising’ the seas since 2011, when she set sail on her maiden voyage from Port Fairy, Victoria.
Mr Wylie was inspired by the legend of the Mahogany Ship, a supposed shipwreck thought to by lying underneath the sand in Armstrong Bay, though no evidence of such a ship has been found. This fascinating quasi-ghost ship, along with the destruction of tonnes of Monterey cypress windbreaks in southwest Victoria, which he initially used to make furniture, gave him the idea to make a bigger boat.
Since its first launch, she has traversed over 20,000 nautical miles — it’s giving Jules Verne — all along Australia’s eastern and southern coastlines.
That’s not the Notorious’s only distinction: she is also the only lateen-rigged ship, meaning it features a triangular sail mounted on a long yard at a steep angle to the mast, in Australia; as well as the only caravel — the type of ship used primarily in the 16th century — in the southern hemisphere.
Practical information
The Notorious will be open for public inspection onboard and below deck from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12 from 9am to 3pm.
Admission is $8 per adult, and $5 per child aged 3 to 15, and they must be bought onsite.
All children must be accompanied by and adult and we recommend using sun protection!
📍Scarborough Public Jetty, Bird O’Paradise Parade, Scarborough
