The 57-man crew of the Indian built trader Valetta, which had run aground on a reef off Scawfell Island reputedly spent three months on Long Island attempting to repair the vessel before they were eventually rescued. This was seen to be the explanation for the wreck subsequently sighted in Happy Bay.
June
10 The Valetta sailed from Sydney or Newcastle with a load of coal bound for Manila, planning to proceed from there to India to pick up a load of opium.
July
10 The Valetta was damaged by coral while at anchor south of the Whitsunday Passage near Scawfell Island. The rudder was badly damaged and there was a leak in the hull but after serious pumping they got the ship “dry” and were then able to keep her dry with only one pump working. They then spent 10 days effecting repairs, mostly to the rudder.
22 With the rudder repaired the Valetta set sail again, confident they would be able to complete the voyage to Manila. They did not realise that the leak was partially plugged by
a lump of coral lodged in the hull. The next night, anchored near the entrance of the Whitsunday Passage heavy weather dislodged the coral and the ship began to take water. All hands were to the pumps and the ship was run aground near Cape Gloucester.
24 ….. made sail for the first place that appeared sheltered, for the purpose of laying her on shore as the people could not possibly much longer continue at the pumps…….. after hard pumping for several days. Near Cape Gloucester we found a good harbour, and smooth water; landing everything we could, the ship was laid on the ground on a bed of mud and sand, the people being so fatigued they could not for another day have kept her free (of water).
On the beach they worked on the ship for three weeks but although they had the equipment and materials to repair the ship their food supplies had been water damaged they did not have enough food to last until they eventually reached their destination. sustain them for the period. Captain D’acre olunteered to sail to Sydney in the ship’s long boat with ten others and arrange a rescue vessel. The trip to Sydney took 21 days.
Based on that narrative it seems unlikely the wreck later sighted in Happy Bay, Long Island was, in fact the Valetta, though they may well have carried out the initial repairs somewhere close to Long Island, possibly in the vicinity of Cape Conway. A ship with rising water in the hull could easily take several days to cover the distance through the Whitsunday Islands to Cape Gloucester.
Captain D’acre and the Sydney Gazette state very clearly on several occasions that the Valetta was aground on a beach near Cape Gloucester, around 100 kilometres north of Long Island, and this, presumably is where the rescue vessels were sent.
Jack Loney’s Wrecks on the Queensland coast, 1791-1992 reports the Valetta was successfully refloated and sank a year later off the Pelew Islands, which would explain why her remains were never found near Cape Gloucester.
In 1825 an acute shortage of ships in Australian waters would have made a the size of the Valetta, run up on a beach in a safe harbour with supplies of timber growing nearby, a prime candidate for a salvage operation and a small team of ship wrights could easily have the vessel repaired and refloated. That notion would seem to be supported since the Valetta was advertised for Auction in the Sydney Gazette described as: …. But little damaged and the Ship has been recently coppered with stout copper.…. on the Beach, near Cape Gloucester.