The timber ketch Ability ran ashore at Cape Hawke on the 1st of June 1897. Mastered by Captain Anderson, the vessel was scheduled to depart Cape Hawke for Sydney with a load of hard wood. A rough sea broke Ability’s mooring and Captain Anderson managed to beach the vessel and the crew swam ashore.
The vessel was owned by John Breckenridge and was not insured. The 48-ton wooden ketch was built at Brisbane Water in 1878 by William Woodward. The Sydney-registered vessel was 20.7 metres long and was used for coastal cargo transport.
