Fairmile 826

Ordered 19 May 1942. Commissioned 1 June 1944.

Four business partners from WA purchased ML 826 in November 1947 at a Navy surplus auction. The following is recalled by the son of Emmett McGann, one of the original business partners:

“There was a purchase the following week of 4 Hall Scott engines, auxiliaries, light fittings, and all the necessary bits and pieces to put her back together again. She was moored near the Raffles in the Swan River for over 12 months while the reassembly occurred by the partners and friends and then she went to Rottnest with the whole tribe to celebrate the rebirth."

"The Ferry trade began in 1949 having had the licence for 285 passengers issued. We ran the engines at 1000 rpm in the river and 1200 rpm in the ocean, giving a 2hr trip as opposed to the 3hr of the coal fired steam vessel "Zephyr"."

"The Hall Scott's performed well and the only spares we purchased from the USA were camshaft drive chains. In later years with added competition, we often increased speeds in the ocean to 1400 rpm (14 knots)."

"After 10 years we put in the 2 spare engines and continued running them until the vessel was sold.”

Up until this time, her superior speed, given her long narrow design and the V12 Hall Scott petrol engines (yes, unusual to be allowed for a passenger ferry - but that’s another story!), meant she had little competition on the Rottnest run, though as described in a 2016 interview with The West Australian, former skipper of the Islander Harold (Mick) Maxwell said: “she would roll in her own shadow…. You had to feel the pressure on her rudder and react or you were in deep trouble. Often in a following sea, the Islander would be taking water over the bow as she nosed in and you had to be very experienced to handle her.” Indeed the incessant vomiting is a common theme by those reminiscing on the trips. (Aside – thanks to Tony Maxfield, Mick’s son, via whom many of the old photos here have circulated online.)

Islander continued her service under various incarnations of the “Islander” name and modifications until well into the 70’s.

After leaving the ferry service she was renamed Princess Royale where she operated out of Royal Harbour in Albany doing whale watching tours at least up until 1988. Unfortunately, whilst on return to Queensland she sank off Malabar NSW in bad weather on July 28, 2001.