Built as a whale catcher under yard No 293 by Nylands Mekaniske Vaerksted, Oslo for Cia Argentina de Pesca S.A.
16 August 1928 launched as PETREL.
Tonnage 245 grt, 80 net, 115.1 x 23.1 x 13.2ft.
Powered by a 3-cyl.triple expansion steam engine manufactured by the shipbuilder, 850 ihp.. Speed?
Crew 15
06 September 1928 completed.
1929 She joined the whaling fleet in Grytviken, South Georgia.
In the 1930s was she regular chartered by Discovery Committee for £30 a day for a period of 4 to 5 days for marking whales, the whales were marked by a disc or plug, discharged from a hand held gun.
1946/47 chartered by United Whalers Ltd. for £2,000 and engaged in Antarctic pelagic whaling.
June 1947 due to the heavy weight of snow on deck she sank at Sauodden, South Georgia.
Salvaged and repaired.
1957 Converted to a sealer, her whaling gun removed, her hold was made suitable to carry the seal blubber.
1958 During the Bird Island Expedition was she used as expedition ship.
1960 Transferred to the Albion Star, (South Georgia) Ltd and registered in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands.
1979 Sold to Christian Salvesen, Laid up at Grytviken.
Later abandoned alongside the Harpon Quay, where after vandals stripped her of anything valuable and opened the seascocks where after she sank.
2004 During a redevelopment of Grytviken’s whaling station she was hauled ashore. (as seen on stamp of £1.15)
2010 Still in the same position.
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands 1993 36p sg?, scott168. 2010 £1.15 sg?, scott?
Source: Various web-sites . Pesca, A History of the Pioneer Modern Whaling Company in the Antarctic by Ian B. Hart.
The Petrel Wreck
Built in Oslo in 1928 the 35m long former whale catcher is an iconic part of the Grytviken sky line. Powered by triple expansion coal fired steam engines and equipped with a bow mounted harpoon gun connected to the bridge via a cat walk, the Petrel was once cutting edge technology and allowed whalers to capture fast moving blue and fin whales.
South George and South Sandwich Islands 2019 £1.05 sg?, scott?
Source: South George Postal website.