Carthaginian (ship)

Carthaginian (ex-Wandia) was a three-masted schooner built in Denmark in 1921, converted in 1964-1965 into a typical 19th century square-rigged whaling ship for the filming of the 1966 movie Hawaii. Its third life was as a museum ship, moored in the harbor of the former whaling port-of-call of Lāhainā on the Hawaiian island of Maui, explaining the whaling industry in the Hawaiian islands. Carthaginian was lost in 1973 when it ran aground just outside the harbor on its way to drydock maintenance on Oahu, and it was replaced as a whaling museum by Carthaginian II in 1980.

The Carthaginian served as a museum (from a postcard of Lahaina Harbor, sometime before 1973).
History
Name: Wandia
Completed: 1921
Out of service: 1964
Fate: sold to Tucker Thompson, converted to square-rig whaleship and acquired by Lahaina Restoration Foundation c.1966–67
History
Name: Carthaginian
Owner: Lahaina Restoration Foundation
Acquired: 1966
Fate: ran aground and sunk, April 22, 1973
General characteristics
Type: three-mast schooner, converted to square-rig whaleship
Length: 130 feet (40 m)
Beam: 22.5 feet (6.9 m)
Height: 90 feet (27 m) above waterline to top of mainmast
Draft: 9 feet (2.7 m)
Propulsion: 185 horsepower (138 kW) diesel for maneuvering in port
Sail plan: 17 sails, 10,000 square feet (930 m2)

History

The boat was built in 1921 in Denmark as the Wandia and sailed for its owner, Captain Petersen, for 30 years in the Baltic Sea hauling cargo. After a few years as a commercial fishing vessel based in Iceland, it was purchased and taken to Central America as a general cargo ship.[1] Wandia was scheduled to take part in the inaugural Operation Sail procession in New York Harbor in July 1964, sailing under a Panamanian flag.[2]

Wandia was unsuccessful hauling cargo in Central America, and it was purchased by R. Tucker Thompson in 1964 after an inspection in Acapulco. It was delivered to San Diego later that year. After advertising its availability, Thompson sold the ship to the Mirisch Company, which was filming Hawaii. Thompson held an option to be the first to repurchase the ship after filming was completed. Under Mirisch, it was fitted with square rigging to modify its appearance as a 19th-century whaling ship in San Pedro for scenes in the 1966 film Hawaii.[3] The refit was performed under the supervision of noted vintage sailing ship experts Alan Villiers (who served as captain),[lower-alpha 1] Ken Reynard (mate),[lower-alpha 2] Karl Kortum,[lower-alpha 3] and Bill Bartz,[lower-alpha 4] who then sailed the ship to Hawaii. Upon its arrival, it was renamed Carthaginian for the eponymous ship in the 1959 novel Hawaii by James A. Michener, on which the 1966 film was based.[1]

After filming was complete in November 1965, Thompson re-purchased Carthaginian and sailed it back to California, calling in Lahaina along the way. Larry Windley, director of the non-profit "Lahaina Restoration Foundation" (LRF), convinced its members to purchase the ship as a tourist attraction hailing back to Lahaina's time as a whaling port. When the Carthaginan made port in Hilo, LRF representatives met the ship and made Thompson an offer to purchase it. Following the brief return voyage to California, Carthaginian sailed from San Diego on August 4, 1966, and returned to Lahaina in January 1967, where it was converted into a whaling ship museum and tourist attraction with Thompson serving as Captain and Curator.[1][3][4] Thompson left in 1968, and LRF declared it would be maintained as a working vessel, making an annual trip to dry dock on Oahu under a volunteer crew.[1]

Carthaginian was destroyed after it ran aground on the Lahaina Reef on Easter Sunday 1973 (April 22, 1973) while sailing to dry dock at Oahu, and another ex-Baltic Sea cargo schooner, later renamed Carthaginian II, was acquired to replace it later in 1973.[5][6]

Notes
  1. Villiers was better known for sailing Mayflower II across the Atlantic in 1957.
  2. At the time, Reynard was captain of the San Diego museum ship Star of India.
  3. Kortum was director of the San Francisco Maritime Museum.
  4. Bartz was captain of the San Francisco Maritime Museum's ship Balclutha.
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References
  1. McConkey, J.R. (July 1968). "The Carthaginian" (PDF). Hawaii Historical Review. 2 (12): 460–461. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  2. Anable Jr., Anthony (March 1964). "Gathering of Great Ships". Popular Boating. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  3. Thompson, Anita (4 April 2016). "Tucker's Story". tucker.co.nz. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  4. Turner, Wallace (10 May 1970). "Of Banyans, Missionaries And Resorts". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  5. Wilson, Christie (14 December 2005). "Lahaina icon sinks into deep sleep". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  6. Apple, Russell A. (21 December 1973). Lahaina (Historic District) (Report). National Park Service. Retrieved 20 October 2017.

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