LOG - TRAILING (A PIECE OF AUSTRALIA MARITIME HISTORY)

OR... TO USE IT ON A LARGE YACHT, TALL SHIP -THE WAY OF YEARS GONE BY .

MANUFACTURED IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA BY RICHARD J. PIPER.

THIS IS A SERIOUS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
LOG ONLY WEIGHING 6.75 kg.
THE LOG LENGTH IS 270 mm
DIAMETER IS 110 mm
BOX SIZES FOR TRANSPORT PURPOSES:  56cm x 34cm x 20cm
TOTAL WEIGHT:  12.5 kg

THIS COULD BE THE ONLY ONE AVAILABLE ( IN EXISTENT ???). AFTER EXTENSIVE CHECKING ON THE INTERNET, WE CANNOT FIND ANOTHER ONE OF THIS TYPE.

I'VE REQUESTED THE AUSTRALIAN MARITIME MUSEUM FOR INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY OF THIS MANUFACTURER AND STILL AWAITING THEIR REPLY.
BUT AT THE MOMENT...CASH IS MORE IMPORTANT TO US.

THE CARRY BOX IS IN POOR CONDITION BECAUSE OF MANY YEARS OF SERVICE. THE LOG AND RE-SET MECHANISM ARE WORKING FINE AND NOW LOOKING FOR A GOOD HOME.

BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT AND SIZE, YOU CAN USE THE CALCULATOR FOR THE POSTAGE COST OR...I'M HAPPY TO TAKE IT TO THE COURIER AT YOUR EXPANSE.

THANK YOU AND HAPPY BIDDING.

WE'VE SOLD OUR YACHT. NO FURTHER USED FOR A LOT OF ITEMS. PLEASE CHECK-OUT OUR OTHER ITEMS FOR AUCTION.
WE COULD COMBINE SHIPPING IF YOU WIN MULTIPLE ITEM(s).

Latest information to hand.
Dear Mr. Cotter,

Thank you for your email of the 16 September 2009 addressed to Mrs Simpson at the Australian National Maritime Museum regarding the ship's log. As the curator responsible for this area of the Museum's collection your request for information was passed onto me.

The log in question is a Taffrail style small ship or yacht Log - a type of screw log in which the register or log indicator (the recording dial mechanism) is secured to the taffrail at the stern of the ship - in larger vessel's they were sometimes hung off the stern using a spar of boom - so the log line and its accompanying log spinner or harpoon can be streamed well clear of the vessel's rudder and / or propellers. 

Your log looks remarkable like a Thomas Walker 'Excelsior' mechanical ship's log - which were patented  by Thomas Walker and Son Ltd, Birmingham, England about 1875. Walker and Sons sold there logs under their own names as well as manufacturing them in batches for other nautical suppliers and instrument retailers. Whilst I can not locate any information on Richard J Piper, Sydney its possible he was associated with the Piper Hand Tool Equipment Company.

Yours sincerely,

Kieran Hosty



Kieran Hosty
Curator
Australian National Maritime Museum
GPO Box 5131
Sydney New South Wales
Australia 2001

Ph: 02 9298 3710
Fax: 02 9298 3780