MEMORIES OF MY TRIP TO MERASHEEN IN THE "WALTER SWEENEY"
by Captain Ernie Wilson

My First Trip

We were on our way to Harbour Buffett with a load of salt from Inauga in the West Indies for W.W. Wareham in Harbour Buffett. I decided to drop in to see and spend a night with my folks in Little Merasheen so I anchored there. We stayed there for a few hours but the wind was increasing so I decided to take the ship around to Big Merasheen for a safer anchorage. A few visitors came around the head with us and they all knew where the good anchorage was so we dropped anchor between Soldier's and Houlihan's Points. It blew real hard during the night and the Sweeney dragged her anchor and drove over the shoal in the Island Cove where, luckily, the anchor held as it caught in the shoal and she brought up about 50 feet from a big rock in the Cove. My watchman had fallen asleep.

Skipper Din Pat Walsh informed me of what happened and boarded the Sweeney with me. He took her out around that shoal without striking her. That was a masterful piece of work and he saved the ship. I have been forever grateful. May he rest in peace!

My Second Trip

We sailed into Big Merasheen on our way to Harbour Buffet to tow the Gladys Sweeney back to Yarmouth. (The Gladys ran ashore on the lower end of Merasheen Island on its way from Tacks Beach to Spencer's Cove).

We anchored in the bottom of Big Merasheen - there wasn't much room to manoeuver and it was quite a thrill getting in there. Our stern line was ashore under Din Pat's flake, tied around all the rocks we could find. The wind came from the Northeast and blew a gale during the night. The ship moved all the rocks to which it was tied and drifted very close to the cliff above Michael Pittman's stage. As we left in the morning, the wind was from the Westward. We put a line to Best's wharf and hauled her off a bit and started taking our anchor. I had one of the crew standing by with an axe and as soon as we tripped the anchor, went full ahead on the engines, he chopped the line and she went beautifully. It was quite an experience!

Ernie Walsh sent me a picture of the ship in the bottom and Mrs. Stella Best one as we were going out the Narrows. I treasure them.

Note: At time of publication, Captain Wilson was 80 years old and living in Yarmouth, NS.