❖ SAIING TO THE SCRAP YARD ACROSS THE SEA ❖ 1935

STAR OF ZEALAND (ex-ASTRAL)1900-1935

Cracking out the canvas, preparing to unfurl–– the 
Japanese sailors handled the sails departing San Francisco. 
The STAR OF ZEALAND, known in the PNW
when she was part of the salmon fishing industry,
was headed for the scrap metal pile in Japan.
Original Acme photo with back-date stamp of Aug. 1935,
from the archives of the S.P.H.S.©

"1900: A four-masted all-steel bark, originally named the ASTRAL, was built for the Standard Oil Co by Arthur Sewall & Co. at Bath, Maine, for carrying case oil and general cargo. Her overall length: 349.6' x 45.4' x 26' with a gross tons register of 3,292. The vessel had a sloping stem, rather sharp; the jib boom appeared low, and her sides were straight with very little sheer; large chart house and wheel house aft and a rounded stern. Main deck had 8,735 sq ft of clear space with four cargo hatches.

STAR OF ZEALAND (ex-ASTRAL)
from SHIPS, by Wilfred S. Stephenson with his text below.

1908: On 5 October, while known as the bark ASTRAL, the vessel was caught in a hurricane off the Bermudas, and was hove down to her hatches, flooding deck houses and cabin. Her lower topsails, fore, main, and mizzen topgallant masts and royal yards were carried away. All furled sails were blown from their gaskets, and she was twelve hours on her beam ends when the cargo shifted. Ten days later, on 15 October, she arrived back in New York harbor. 

1910: While on a passage from New York to San Fran, she lost her three topgallant masts off Cape Horn in a gale of wind.
           This year the vessel was purchased by Alaska Packers Assoc from the Standard Oil Co, for the salmon trade to Alaska and renamed STAR OF ZEALAND.

STAR OF ZEALAND, undated.
Leaving the fishing grounds of Alaska.
Original photo from the archives of the S.P.H.S.©

1911: While on a passage from San Fran to Ladysmith, BC, for a cargo, a storm carried away fore and mizzen topgallant masts. Upon her return to San Fran, her fore and mizzen topgallant masts were replaced with stump masts and the mizzen-royal was cut down.

1934: On 7 November, the STAR OF ZEALAND was sold to the Trans-Pacific Commercial Co of Los Angeles, CA, for Japanese interests, who in August 1935, sailed her to Japan to be scrapped. [photo on top.]"
Words from; Ships, A Collection of Marine Illustrations. Stephenson, W.S.,USN. Ben Kreis Agency, Vancouver, WA. 1947. Saltwater People library.