Mairi Bahn - Last of the Wind Jammers

Joe Dovala · Issue 70, Jan/Feb 2013 · pp. 47–50

Products mentioned: Nikon D700, Aquatica housing, 15mm lens

So the story goes….On December 6th, 1912, The Mairi Bahn left Trinidad bound for Marseille, France with a cargo of asphalt. Barely one day out a fierce storm caught the ship and headway was lost. Blown heavily off course the sailing ship was rapidly approaching the island of Bonaire. As if Captain Razeto didn’t have enough problems, an oil lamp started a fire. A fire at sea is bad enough but when you’re carrying flammable cargo it becomes horrendous. Hundreds of barrels of the tar were stowed on deck and below so it didn’t take long for the flames to find their ally. In no time the decks were ablaze and the forward sails had been turned to ash. The ignited asphalt spewed thick noxious smoke. With little control and the conflagration spreading, the Captain decided to run his ship aground to save his crew. So on December 7th, he aimed his ship for the last time toward land. The force of th…