Solway Lass Whitsundays
Why is everyone talking about the Solway Lass Whitsundays?
Though she was constructed over 115 years ago in 1902, the breathtaking vessel, Solway Lass, is still a winner with her brassed wood and attention to detail. Recently refurbished, Solway Lass really is a vision of yesteryear as a timber schooner with 2 masts and magnificent sails which reach an incredible height.
Solway was originally built as a wind-powered cargo vessel, and continued on to the Baltic and Northern Sea before being seized as a war prize by the British navy in 1915. When the war ended Solway Lass continued to cargo coal, produce and stone to and from Scotland and Liverpool, and was eventually sold in 1924 where she adopted her new name as the ‘Solway Lass’.
When war broke out once again, Solway Lass was seized by the Germans and utilised as a supply ship. During this time, Solway Lass struck a mine and was badly damaged, sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Fortunately, she was able to be brought up from the depths and undergo repair and was used once again by Germany as an ice-breaker before the war ended, with a reinforced front that was ideal for breaking through thick ice.
When the war ended, Solway served another short stint as a cargo vessel, hauling supplies all over the world before being purchased by an Australian businessman and becoming a permanent resident of Australia. After arriving here, she was rebuilt and event took part in the re-enactment of the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney.
Her eventual fate saw Solway Lass wind up in the Whitsundays where she still is today; serving as an overnight sailing trip taking 32 passengers around the islands for an enjoyable experience, with most guests choosing the trip because of her incredible history. She has rooms below deck, where the guests sleep, and her sails still fly above as she cruises around the Whitsunday Islands.
