Wave 1848 - WA

The Wave was a brigantine (which is the name for a two-masted vessel with foremast fully square rigged and her mainmast rigged with both a fore-and-aft mainsail, square topsails and possibly topgallant sails).

The Wave, became wrecked on the 5th July 1848 after being hit by a heavy gale from the north-east whilst being anchored. The brigantine was blown ashore.

It was sailing from Adelaide to Shanghai via Cape Riche, Albany and Singapore under the command of James C. Coke. The cargo included flour, which at that time was in very short supply in Western Australia, and the vessel’s arrival was looked forward to with some anxiety. The crew reached shore safely.

The wreck of the Wave lies between the boat ramp and a small reef at Cape Riche and lies in 3m of water on a sand bottom. A large timber with lead sheathing, probably the stem post or gripe with what is most likely a section of the keel attached, is buried in the sand. Other wreck timbers lie trapped in the reef.