Talk:Captain Cook Cruises (Australia)

External links modified

Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 3 external links on Captain Cook Cruises, Australia. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:

• Corrected formatting/usage for http://www.matilda.com.au/dir076/matilda.nsf/Images/LaneCoveTimetable2013/%24file/Lane%20Cove%20Ferry%20Timetable%2011Jun13.pdf
• Corrected formatting/usage for http://www.matilda.com.au/dir076/matilda.nsf//Images/ZooExpress/%24file/Zoo%20Express%20Timetable%2024Dec10.pdf
• Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20150412182709/http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/content/sydney-ferries-fleet-facts to http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/content/sydney-ferries-fleet-facts

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

This message was posted before February 2018. After February 2018, "External links modified" talk page sections are no longer generated or monitored by InternetArchiveBot. No special action is required regarding these talk page notices, other than regular verification using the archive tool instructions below. Editors have permission to delete these "External links modified" talk page sections if they want to de-clutter talk pages, but see the RfC before doing mass systematic removals. This message is updated dynamically through the template {{source check}} (last update: 5 June 2024).

• If you have discovered URLs which were erroneously considered dead by the bot, you can report them with this tool.
• If you found an error with any archives or the URLs themselves, you can fix them with this tool.

Cheers.—InternetArchiveBot (Report bug) 14:54, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Article update proposal

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)

• 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)