Ocean

Ocean was a three-masted, copper-sheathed English merchant ship built at South Shields in 1794. Although originally intended for whaling by the newly established South Sea fishing interests of Thomas and Edward Hurry, the vessel appears to have spent its earliest period in the Baltic timber trade. Its career subsequently broadened into long-distance commercial shipping, chartered imperial transport and whaling. Between 1796 and 1800 Ocean made two voyages to Bengal as an extra ship for the British East India Company. Unlike regular East Indiamen, extra ships were hired for individual voyages. Because the French Revolutionary Wars were under way, Ocean sailed under letters of marque. Her first voyage began from Gravesend in February 1796 under Captain John Bowen, or Bower. She travelled with convoys through the Cape of Good Hope to Bengal, carried sugar on the return voyage, endured serious leaks, and eventually returned to Britain in late 1797, completing unloading at Deptford in January 1798. After repairs by Fletcher, she undertook a second Bengal voyage in 1798–1800 under Robert Abbon Mash, visiting the Cape, Madras, Coringa, Calcutta, Saint Helena and the Downs. Ocean's most historically consequential service began in 1803, when the British government chartered her from Hurry & Co. as a supply and transport ship for Lieutenant-Colonel David Collins's expedition to establish a settlement at Port Phillip. She sailed from Portsmouth with HMS Calcutta on 27 April 1803. The vessel carried about 100 people, including officers, seamen, civil officials, skilled free settlers and supplies for the proposed settlement. The voyage called at Tenerife and Rio de Janeiro. Ocean then became separated from Calcutta and, as instructed, proceeded directly to Port Phillip, arriving on 7 October 1803 after severe weather in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean. One sailor, John Bowers, was lost overboard during the passage. At Port Phillip, Ocean supported the settlement that Collins established with Calcutta. When the site proved unsuitable and the settlement was abandoned, Ocean made two voyages in 1804 to transfer settlers, convicts and marines to the River Derwent, at Hobart Town in Van Diemen's Land. The ship was present when the new settlement was established and reportedly fired an eleven-gun salute. This transport role connected Ocean with the early colonial histories of Victoria and Tasmania, and with people including surveyor George Prideaux Harris, surgeon Matthew Bowden, agricultural superintendent Thomas Clark and former convict Samuel Lightfoot. After being released from government service, Ocean travelled to Port Jackson and then undertook a voyage connected with whaling in New Zealand. She continued toward Canton, visiting Banaba and the Marshall Islands before reaching Whampoa in December 1804. Some accounts have credited Captain John Mertho and Ocean with the European discovery of Banaba, although other historical sources attribute that event to Captain Jared Gardner of the American vessel Diana in 1801. Ocean returned to Britain in 1805 and later continued as a London-based transport. Hurry & Co. sold her to a Bousfield in 1806. She remained in shipping registers intermittently until 1823, with her final known listing in 1823 and a later appearance in the Register of Shipping in 1821.

Built at South Shields in 1794, Ocean was a substantial but relatively small three-masted brig with copper sheathing. Her intended role was reportedly whaling for Thomas and Edward Hurry's South Sea fishing business, but the surviving account indicates that she initially participated in the Baltic timber trade. The vessel's ownership and employment changed as commercial and wartime opportunities developed. Ocean entered British East India Company service as an extra ship, meaning that she was chartered for individual voyages rather than maintained under a long-term company contract. Her first Bengal voyage began in 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, and she carried a letter of marque. Sailing from Gravesend and Portsmouth with a convoy, she passed the Cape of Good Hope and reached Bengal late in 1796. The return voyage included a cargo of sugar and difficult weather. Leaks developed during the passage, leaving the crew working at the pumps for an extended period. Ocean nevertheless returned to Britain in December 1797 and completed unloading at Deptford in January 1798. After repairs by Fletcher, Ocean received another letter of marque in July 1798 and began a second Bengal voyage in October. Robert Abbon Mash was listed as captain. The ship reached the Cape, Madras, Coringa and Calcutta before returning through the Bengal delta, Saint Helena and the Downs. She came back to her British moorings in June 1800. In 1803 the British government chartered Ocean from Hurry & Co. to support David Collins's expedition to Port Phillip. She accompanied HMS Calcutta, which carried convicts, while Ocean transported supplies and a mixed company of officers, sailors, government officials and free settlers. The ships left Portsmouth in April, stopped at Tenerife and Rio de Janeiro, and departed Rio in July. Ocean was slower than Calcutta and was ordered to continue directly to Port Phillip if separated. The vessels lost contact, and Ocean reached Port Phillip in October after a stormy passage. The voyage included the death of sailor John Bowers, who fell overboard, and difficult conditions recorded by expedition members. Ocean supported the short-lived Port Phillip settlement. As the British authorities decided to withdraw, she made two journeys in 1804 to carry the settlement's people and stores to the River Derwent in Van Diemen's Land. This work made the ship an important logistical link in the founding of Hobart Town. The vessel's passengers and associated personnel included the surveyor George Prideaux Harris, surgeon Matthew Bowden, agricultural superintendent Thomas Clark and other civil officials, marines, convicts and settlers. Ocean was recorded at the Derwent in August 1804 and reportedly fired an eleven-gun salute at the establishment of the settlement. Following release from government service, Ocean sailed to Port Jackson and then toward New Zealand for whaling. She subsequently carried out a Pacific and East Asian voyage, calling at Banaba, the Marshall Islands, Whampoa, Macao, Malacca and Saint Helena before returning to Britain in 1805. Historical writing sometimes links Ocean and Captain John Mertho with the European discovery of Banaba, but this attribution is disputed because other sources credit the earlier visit of Captain Jared Gardner in Diana. In 1806 Hurry & Co. sold Ocean to a Bousfield. She then continued in London-based transport service. Lloyd's Register and the Register of Shipping recorded her only intermittently in her later years. The last known listing is in 1823, while another register reference places her final appearance in 1821. No later operational history is established in the supplied reference material.

• 1823

  Last known listing

  [1]Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Ocean's final known appearance in the supplied historical record is a shipping-register listing in 1823.

• 1806

  Sold to a Bousfield

  [1]Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Hurry & Co. sold Ocean, after which she continued as a London transport.

• 1804

  Relocation to Hobart Town

  [1]Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Ocean made two voyages carrying settlers, convicts and marines from the abandoned Port Phillip settlement to the River Derwent.

• 1803

  Transport voyage to Port Phillip

  [1]Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Ocean left Portsmouth with HMS Calcutta to supply and support David Collins's proposed settlement at Port Phillip.

• 1803

  Arrival at Port Phillip

  [1]Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  After becoming separated from Calcutta, Ocean reached Port Phillip on 7 October.

• 1798

  Second Bengal voyage begins

  [1]Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  After repairs, Ocean departed on a second chartered voyage to Bengal under Captain Robert Abbon Mash.

• 1796

  First East India Company voyage begins

  [1]Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Ocean sailed from Britain for Bengal as an extra East India Company ship under Captain John Bowen and a letter of marque.

• 1794

  Built at South Shields

  [1]Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Ocean was built at South Shields as a three-masted, copper-sheathed brig.

A versatile late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century merchant vessel that moved between commercial cargo trading, whaling, East India Company chartering and British government transport.

• Merchant and transport ship · 1794

  Ocean vessel

  Ocean was a copper-sheathed, three-masted brig built for long-distance sailing. Her work included timber trading, East India Company cargo voyages, whaling-related travel and government transport. She carried people, provisions and stores as well as commercial cargo, allowing her to operate across European, Asian, Pacific and Australian routes.

• 1803

  Charter for the Port Phillip expeditionStrategy

  Background

  The British government needed a supply vessel to accompany HMS Calcutta and support David Collins's settlement expedition.

  Action taken

  Ocean was chartered from Hurry & Co. and assigned to carry supplies, officials, settlers and other personnel from Portsmouth to Port Phillip.

  Aftermath

  The ship helped establish the Port Phillip settlement and later relocated its population to the River Derwent in Van Diemen's Land.

  Source

1. 1Ocean (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org