Talk:Captain Cook Cruises (Australia)

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Article update proposal[edit]

The following is an update by Robert Goldsack, an employee of Captain Cook Cruises, Australia. Having written the 25th anniversary, Silver Jubilee illustrated book, in 1995. It was thought I should attempt to update the company history with more photos, ship owner details and new information. If agreed it should replace what is already recorded and written for Wikipedia. I would like the article to be edited and formatted by Onel5969. The article will be finished before Christmas when the photos and references will be added.

The company was founded in 1970 by Trevor and Geraldine Haworth. The first cruise was on Australia Day, 26th January 1970. The vessel that the Haworths had chartered to carry out this cruise, was a Royal Navy Fairmile 1, which they named Captain Cook, in honour of the world famous British seaman, James Cook who discovered and charted the Eastern seaboard of Australia.

The cruise concept, known as the "Coffee Cruise", was to show all tourist and domestic visitors to Sydney harbour. The cruise added a live commentary pointing out important landmarks and points of historical interest. The cruise also included coffee, tea and biscuits. The cruise began at Circular Quay, went East passing the southern shores of the Harbour, before crossing Sydney Heads and passing under the Spit Bridge into Middle Harbour. It then returned to Circular Quay along the North shore. At first the cruise departed two mornings and two afternoons each week before becoming a 7 day operation both mornings and afternoons. In 1971 an additional cruise was introduced, The Lunch Cruise, taking visitors up the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, west of Circular Quay.

The business had tough beginnings as tourism in Australia was a very fledgling product, but by 1974 the company had made enough impression on the market to allow for a new vessel, Captain Cook 11 to be built in the shipbuilding city of Newcastle, NSW.

Captain Cook II

There followed an upsurge in tourism to Australia and Sydney and Captain Cook Cruises benefited from this. Over the next 10 years the company expanded their cruising fleet by an additional two ships, Lady Geraldine, an all timber ship built in Brisbane and City of Sydney, built in New Zealand. These additions allowed the company to start operating a dinner cruise, the first of its kind on the Harbour, an address the growth of parties, weddings and other events that organizers now saw as a premier way to promote pride in their own city. During this period the company also purchased, Corsair, a 30 seater vessel which allowed for those wishing to have a smaller vessel for their parties.

Lady Geraldine
City of Sydney

In 1984 the company purchased a vessel, John Cadman 1, that was enjoying some success as an a la carte cruising restaurant and had targeted the Japanese market which was now flying into Sydney in large group numbers. This business grew six fold during the middle eighties which allowed the company to build another cruise ship, John Cadman 11 in 1986, in Newcastle and in 1989 a second restaurant ship, John Cadman 111 also in Newcastle. Both theses ships are still operating on the Harbour, having both been refurbished.

John Cadman II
John Cadman III

Trevor Haworth, himself an old sea Captain, had a great desire to fulfill his dream of building an accommodation cruiser. Seeing the Hawkesbury River with its estuary about 40 miles north of Sydney Harbour, as a great way to introduce visitors to the inland areas beyond Sydney, he joined up with the New South Wales State Government who built the necessary infrastructure on the Hawkesbury River, while Captain Cook constructed an 120 person vessel capable of sleeping on board in 60 cabins. It was named the Lady Hawkesbury and was again built in Newcastle. It was 1987.

Lady Hawkesbury

Still wishing to expand his accommodation ships, Captain Cook Cruises, bought the Murray River Cruises ships in 1989, these comprised of three vessels, Murray River Explore, Murray River Queen and their flagship, Murray Princess. At first all ships were kept on the Murray River but the Queen was sold and the Murray Explorer was sent to the Hawkesbury to replace the Lady Hawkesbury, which was now cruising the Barrier Reef.

Murray Princess

Captain Cook, in developing Fiji, was able to send some of their ships over there to cruise the coasts and resorts around the various islands. Lady Geraldine, City of Sydney and Reef Escape, and, of course their first ship, Captain Cook 1 all finished their cruising life there.

In 1990 more construction of new ships got underway with the Captain Cook 111 built in Freemantle, West Australia and a joint venture contract with Qantas to build a large accommodation vessel for cruising the Great Barrier Reef. The Fiji shipyard, which had been contracted to build the ship had trouble finishing inside the 18 months predicted, owing to industrial and management disputes, so it was decided to move the Lady Hawkesbury to the Barrier Reef. Renamed the, MV Reef Escape the ship stood in for the new Reef Endeavour being constructed in Fiji. After 5 years of delays and some hearings in the Law Courts of New South Wales, the ship was delivered to Cairns on the Barrier Reef and the Reef Escape was transferred to Fiji.

Captain Cook III

1994 was a troubled time for the company as their main base for mooring and repairing their fleet in Neutral Bay burnt down. No vessels were involved but it took 10 years for the company to have approval to rebuild in a largely residential area. The company also took on the management of Sydney Crystal, a vessel built by the largest travel company in Japan: Japan Travel Bureau.

In 1998, with the Sydney Olympics looming, the company decided to build a new restaurant ship, Sydney 2000. Built in Western Australia at, Oceanfast and a length of 63 metres. This restaurant ship can seat 700 guests on three decks and has become, without doubt, the most important ship to exist on the Harbour.

Sydney 2000

Continuing on the expansion of the company, Matilda Cruises was bought from Amalgamated Cruises in, November 2005 making the fleet number on Sydney Harbour, 19 ships.

This number and the ageing of Trevor and Geraldine made Captain Cook Cruise ripe for a progressive and like minded company to look at purchasing the business. Along comes a South Australian Travel Company, Sealink Travel Group with a desire to broaden the company's business base. This has been a perfect marriage for the two companies. In the first three years of ownership, Sealink has invested $10,000,000.00 in new vessels with the design and construction of the Elizabeth Class, Rockets. This investment has improved the company's attractiveness and successful tenders for three wet charters with Harbour City Ferries which has improved the ferry service revenue. Also the necessary refurbishment of Sydney 2000 and John Cadman 11 has been completed.

Elizabeth Cook

Another successful operation has been the mobile ferry wharf, Beatrice Bush, which resides at the White Bay ship terminal, and ferry services between there and Barangaroo allow passengers going aboard the cruise ships a chance to purchase cheap tickets for ferrying, having disembarked at Wynyard and used the Wynyard Walkway to get to Barrangaroo and thus to the ship. Until now there was no way of getting to White Bay except by a hire coach, taxi or hire call.

In October 2013 Sealink listed their entire business operation on the ASX. This, of course, included Captain Cook Cruises.

Building up their ferry operations in the last 2 years, Sealink have started ferry services between Watsons Bay and Circular Quay. To add to their ferry services a new 12m single operator class, The Tubbies, Blackwattle Bay and Cockle Bay were launced. Also, a fast ferry commuter service between Manly and Barangaroo, started in September 2017, with two newly built high speed ferries, Capricornian Sunrise and Nancy Wake.

File:Nancy Wake.jpg
Nancy Wake
Cockle Bay Tubby

Since the takeover in 2011 and today, Sealinks' revenue has grown 30%. Also, Captain Cook's new logo has been launched and the company's vessels rebranded.

Vessel LOA Passengers Ton Launched Decommissioned / Sold
M.V. Captain Cook I 32 100 110 C1935, purchased in 1970 Sold 1978
M.V. Captain Cook II 37 250 275 1972 Sold in May 2015 to Harwoods Shipyard Yamba
M.V. Australia Fair 22 60 50 C1960, purchased in 1976 Sold
M.V. Lady Geraldine 20 150 100 1978 Relocated to Fiji in 2004. Sold by Captain Cook Fiji in 2009
M.V. Corsair 15 48 50 C1965, purchased in 1976 Sold in 1988
M.V. John Cadman I 35 250 120 C1900, purchased in 1981 Sold in 1992
M.V. Captain Cook’s Explorer 53 300 600 1985 Sold in May 2013 to Harwoods Shipyard Yamba
M.V African Queen 18 25 5 1995 Sold in May 2013 to Harwoods Shipyard Yamba
M.V. City of Sydney 37 300 320 1981 Relocated to Fiji in 2005 and renamed ‘City of Nadi’
M.V. Lady Hawkesbury 63 150 1250 1986 Renamed ‘Reef Escape’ in 1996. Relocated to Fiji in 1997. Sold in 2010
M.V. Leura 20 120 40 1939, purchased in 1987 Sold 2003
M.V. Seeka Star 22 150 50 1940, purchased in 1987 Sold 2003
M.V. Twin Star 24 150 60 1970, purchased in 1987 Sold 2003
M.V. Emerald Star 22 150 50 1939, purchased in 1987 Sold 2003
M.V. Port Jackson Explorer 24 200 120 Purchased 1987 Sold 2004
Solar Sailor 21 90 35 Managed 1998 Relinquished 2010
M.V. Rocket 5 20 110 20 Purchased 2005 Sold 2005
S.V. Aussie Legend 26 190 80 1991 Sold 2010
S.V. Aussie One 32 250 105 1988 Relocated to Fiji in 2011 and renamed 'Fiji One'
S.V. Aussie Magic 25 150 65 1991 Sold 2010
M.V. Aussie Venture 20 80 30 Purchased 2005 Sold 2013
M.V. Matilda 30 290 100 Purchased 2005 Sold 2011
M.V. Sydney 2000 65 700 900 1999 -
M.V. John Cadman II 42 420 390 1985 -
M.V. John Cadman III 42 400 420 1988 -
M.V. Captain Cook III 43 499 330 1989 -
Sydney Crystal 24 90 90 Purchased 2004 -
Elizabeth Cook 24 200 24 2013 -
Mary Reiby 24 200 24 2014 -
Violet McKenzie 24 200 24 2014 -
Annabelle Rankin 24 200 24 2014 -
Jillian 24 148 18 1995 -
Megan 24 148 18 1995 -
M.V. Matilda 3 24 350 90 1983 -
Beatrice Bush (Pontoon) 20 100 80 2015 -
Valiant 13 0 35 Purchased 1995 -
Blackwattle Bay 12 60 8 2016 -
Cockle Bay 12 60 8 2016 -
P.S. Murray Princess 60 150 1504 Purchased 1988 -
P.S. Murray River Queen 50 100 900 Purchased 1988 -
M.V. Murray Explorer 55 120 600 Purchased 1988 Renamed 'Hawkesbury Explorer' in 1991. Renamed 'Captain Cook's Explorer' in 1996.
M.V. Reef Escape 63 125 1250 See Lady Hawkesbury -
M.V. Reef Endeavour 82 170 3700 1996 -
Brigantine Ramarama 30 100 90 Purchased 1996 -
T.S. Spirit of the Pacific 33 100 99 1973, purchased in 2004 -
S.V. Fiji One 34 250 105 See S.V. Aussie One -

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Robert at Captain Cook (talk • contribs) 06:13, 23 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]


  • Comment from uninvolved editor: The book is available from several venues; all told it would cost AU$20 to purchase it and have it shipped: [1], or Robert at Captain Cook could mail anyone a free copy of it. It is cited in at least a few travel/tourism/history books: [2]. WorldCat lists holdings by several libraries: [3], and here is the NLA catalogue listing: [4]. The ISBN on the for-sale copies is 9780646221199, but I also get ISBNs of 0646221191 and 0646194127. The citation for the book would be:
    • Goldsack, Robert (1995). Captain Crook Cruises: A Silver Jubilee. Sydney: Fendwave.

--SunChaser (talk) 08:51, 13 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

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