Hebe Haven Yacht Club Cats under Threat
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Hong Kong
Age: 65
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HHYC:HMS Young Hebe was a 45 ton schooner assigned to a Royal Navy surveying fleetthat included HMS Sulphur, HMS Starling, and HMS Plover, stationed in Hong Kongin the 1840s to survey the newly acquired, or just about to be acquired, harborand its surrounds. These vessels, along with the Young Hebe, also took part inoperations during the First Opium War, hence there is a reasonable record of their service in HKat this time. Due to their primary duty as surveying vessels, it is not surprising,therefore, that the names of these vessels appeared as features on naval chartsof the time. In contemporary reports, the "Young Hebe" is oftenreferred to as the "Hebe" (sometimes in the same report) by lazyrecorders, and this unfortunately leads to some confusion (i.e., there was alsoan HMS Hebe serving as the Woolwich Receiving Ship back in UK waters at thesame time). It is clear, however, that the vessel stationed in Hong Kong atthis period was the Young Hebe, and this is how I shall refer to her.
Thus,there is a very good chance that HMS Young Hebe perhaps surveyed the Pak ShaWan anchorage, and it was therefore named after her. The other vessels in thesurveying fleet could well have surveyed the features that are named after them(i.e., Plover Cove, Starling Inlet and Sulphur Channel). Most authors of variouspublications regarding the name "Hebe Haven" agree that this may wellhave been the case, but the precise reason does not seem to have beendocumented, nor exactly when it took place, as far as I can tell.
Some information regarding HMS Young Hebe is mentioned in what isknown as “The Chinese Repository, Volume 10”, which dealt with events in Chinafrom January to December 1841. TheRepository was produced each year by the “Proprietors”, the Canton merchantsthat included the “Honourable East India Company”. In a section of Volume 10 titled “Journal ofOccurrences, Art. VIII”, and under “Typhoons and losses – between 21stand 26th ” is the “Narrative of the loss of the cutter Louisa”,where the fate of the Young Hebe during the typhoon is recorded: “She [theLouisa] started from Macao on the morning of the 20th in companywith, or a little before, the Young Hebe - both bound for Hong Kong. The YoungHebe returned to Macao dismasted in the forenoon of the 23rd, havingnarrowly escaped shipwreck, near Chungchow [Cheng Chau?] off the southwestextreme of Lantao [Lantau]. The Louisa was last reported to have been last seenby people in the Hebe three or four miles ahead of them, in the Lantao passage,rather far to leeward”. Theunfortunate Louisa was driven south by the typhoon and eventually lost. TheLouisa was a RN cutter that also took part in surveying duties, and saw actionduring the First Opium War. She was often paired-up with HMS Young Hebe, as wasthe case traveling from Macau to Hong Kong on the 20th June.
Corroborating the report found in theRepository, Commander Edward Belcher RN (who made the first British survey ofHong Kong harbor), riding out the same typhoon in Victoria Harbor, wrote in his book“Narrative of a voyage round the world
erformed in Her Majesty’s ship Sulphur during the years 1836-1842, includingdetails of the naval operation in China, from Dec. 1840 to Nov. 1841” thefollowingaccount: “…and soon learntthat the Louisa, having on board the two plenipotentiaries, had quitted Macaoin company with the Hebe, on the night of the 20th, to return toHong-kong, and had not been heard of. The Hebe had been dismasted and returnedto Macao, and the officers came over in another vessel”.
Thus, neither ofthese contemporary narratives specifically places the Hebe sheltering in, noranywhere near, the Pak Sha Wan anchorage during her recorded dismasting at theheight of the devastating typhoon of 1841. Indeed, the Repository clearlystates that Hebe’s dismasting occurred at another location: “…near Chungchowoff the southwest extreme of Lantao”.
Perhaps a morelikely explanation for the connection between Pak Sha Wan and HMS Hebe, andsupporting a connection with her surveying duties, is offered by Solomon Bardin his book “Voices from the Past: Hong Kong 1842 – 1918”. In it, Solomonwrites: “Ships of the Royal Navy were regularly stationed in Hong Kong. Manyhave given names to familiar places, such as HMSS Hebe (Hebe Haven), Starling(Starling Inlet), Plover (PloverCove), and Sulphur (SulphurChannel).”
Thus, while PakSha Wan is a reasonably safe and secure anchorage to ride-out a typhoon (justask current boat-owning HHYC members!) the historical record does not supportthe suggestion that HMS Hebe did so during or following her dismasting in the greattyphoon of 1841. She might, however, have sheltered in the Pak Sha Wananchorage during an unrecorded typhoon or tropical storm. What seems morelikely, however, is that a cartographer in the surveying fleet with an ear foralliteration and an understanding of maritime features, linked Hebe with Haven,and hence the very nice sounding name of “Hebe Haven” was assigned to the PakSha Wan anchorage. When exactly this supposed naming might have taken place Ihave found hard to determine. Checking the Hong Kong Governments Record Officeindicates that “Plover Cove” and “Starling Inlet” appeared in the 1850s, wellbefore the New Territories were annexed in 1898. As a contemporary of HMSPlover and Starling, it is reasonable to assume that the feature named afterHMS Young Hebe was first recorded around the same time.
Like yacht clubsall over the world, ours simply took its name from its location, and thus “HebeHaven Yacht Club” was adopted by our founding members (after initially beingreferred to as “Hebe Haven Boating Club” in early correspondence). I believethat most members like the name a lot, as it seems to sum-up the club. Oursadly-missed friend and member, aviator and yachtsman, Bernard Holland, got itbang-on when he used to refer to the club as “Hebe Heaven Yacht Club”.
With regards tothe HHYC 50th Anniversary book, it will be available after itsofficial launching at the Anniversary Dinner on June 8th. A freecopy will be given to all HHYC members. Extra copies will be available at theclub for purchase by club members and non-members for HK$150 (these funds willbe donated to the four Children’s Charities that the club has supported formany years).
Cheers, Tingwall
Thus,there is a very good chance that HMS Young Hebe perhaps surveyed the Pak ShaWan anchorage, and it was therefore named after her. The other vessels in thesurveying fleet could well have surveyed the features that are named after them(i.e., Plover Cove, Starling Inlet and Sulphur Channel). Most authors of variouspublications regarding the name "Hebe Haven" agree that this may wellhave been the case, but the precise reason does not seem to have beendocumented, nor exactly when it took place, as far as I can tell.
Some information regarding HMS Young Hebe is mentioned in what isknown as “The Chinese Repository, Volume 10”, which dealt with events in Chinafrom January to December 1841. TheRepository was produced each year by the “Proprietors”, the Canton merchantsthat included the “Honourable East India Company”. In a section of Volume 10 titled “Journal ofOccurrences, Art. VIII”, and under “Typhoons and losses – between 21stand 26th ” is the “Narrative of the loss of the cutter Louisa”,where the fate of the Young Hebe during the typhoon is recorded: “She [theLouisa] started from Macao on the morning of the 20th in companywith, or a little before, the Young Hebe - both bound for Hong Kong. The YoungHebe returned to Macao dismasted in the forenoon of the 23rd, havingnarrowly escaped shipwreck, near Chungchow [Cheng Chau?] off the southwestextreme of Lantao [Lantau]. The Louisa was last reported to have been last seenby people in the Hebe three or four miles ahead of them, in the Lantao passage,rather far to leeward”. Theunfortunate Louisa was driven south by the typhoon and eventually lost. TheLouisa was a RN cutter that also took part in surveying duties, and saw actionduring the First Opium War. She was often paired-up with HMS Young Hebe, as wasthe case traveling from Macau to Hong Kong on the 20th June.
Corroborating the report found in theRepository, Commander Edward Belcher RN (who made the first British survey ofHong Kong harbor), riding out the same typhoon in Victoria Harbor, wrote in his book“Narrative of a voyage round the world
erformed in Her Majesty’s ship Sulphur during the years 1836-1842, includingdetails of the naval operation in China, from Dec. 1840 to Nov. 1841” thefollowingaccount: “…and soon learntthat the Louisa, having on board the two plenipotentiaries, had quitted Macaoin company with the Hebe, on the night of the 20th, to return toHong-kong, and had not been heard of. The Hebe had been dismasted and returnedto Macao, and the officers came over in another vessel”.Thus, neither ofthese contemporary narratives specifically places the Hebe sheltering in, noranywhere near, the Pak Sha Wan anchorage during her recorded dismasting at theheight of the devastating typhoon of 1841. Indeed, the Repository clearlystates that Hebe’s dismasting occurred at another location: “…near Chungchowoff the southwest extreme of Lantao”.
Perhaps a morelikely explanation for the connection between Pak Sha Wan and HMS Hebe, andsupporting a connection with her surveying duties, is offered by Solomon Bardin his book “Voices from the Past: Hong Kong 1842 – 1918”. In it, Solomonwrites: “Ships of the Royal Navy were regularly stationed in Hong Kong. Manyhave given names to familiar places, such as HMSS Hebe (Hebe Haven), Starling(Starling Inlet), Plover (PloverCove), and Sulphur (SulphurChannel).”
Thus, while PakSha Wan is a reasonably safe and secure anchorage to ride-out a typhoon (justask current boat-owning HHYC members!) the historical record does not supportthe suggestion that HMS Hebe did so during or following her dismasting in the greattyphoon of 1841. She might, however, have sheltered in the Pak Sha Wananchorage during an unrecorded typhoon or tropical storm. What seems morelikely, however, is that a cartographer in the surveying fleet with an ear foralliteration and an understanding of maritime features, linked Hebe with Haven,and hence the very nice sounding name of “Hebe Haven” was assigned to the PakSha Wan anchorage. When exactly this supposed naming might have taken place Ihave found hard to determine. Checking the Hong Kong Governments Record Officeindicates that “Plover Cove” and “Starling Inlet” appeared in the 1850s, wellbefore the New Territories were annexed in 1898. As a contemporary of HMSPlover and Starling, it is reasonable to assume that the feature named afterHMS Young Hebe was first recorded around the same time.
Like yacht clubsall over the world, ours simply took its name from its location, and thus “HebeHaven Yacht Club” was adopted by our founding members (after initially beingreferred to as “Hebe Haven Boating Club” in early correspondence). I believethat most members like the name a lot, as it seems to sum-up the club. Oursadly-missed friend and member, aviator and yachtsman, Bernard Holland, got itbang-on when he used to refer to the club as “Hebe Heaven Yacht Club”.
With regards tothe HHYC 50th Anniversary book, it will be available after itsofficial launching at the Anniversary Dinner on June 8th. A freecopy will be given to all HHYC members. Extra copies will be available at theclub for purchase by club members and non-members for HK$150 (these funds willbe donated to the four Children’s Charities that the club has supported formany years).
Cheers, Tingwall
