Comments on: The mystery of an island that isn’t there

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:37:39 +0000

I lean towards the low lying theory, which could result in the islands waxing and waning with tides or changes in sea level.

By: Elliot

Elliot — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 10:43:44 +0000

But aren’t Google maps created from Satellite photos? Why would the island appear again then?

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 03:39:40 +0000

Re vigia Sandy Island.
Velocity, whaling brig, 140 tons, Captain J.W. Robinson. sailed from Hobart 12 April 1876. Returned 20 March 1877.

…The brig Velocity returned on March 20th from a most unsuccessful whaling voyage of between 11 and 12 months duration during which time she had only taken 3 ¼ tuns of sperm oil. Captain Robinson reported that he left the river [Hobart] on the 15th April 1876 and proceeded to Cato’s Bank where whales were seen once during a gale of wind. Shortly after this the vessel sprang a leak, which kept on increasing and a course was shaped for the Chesterfield group, where an anchorage being obtained the leak was partially stopped. While there an anchor and chain were lost in a heavy gale, and the brig then went to Solomon Islands anchoring in Mackira Bay, San Christoval [San Cristobal]…(The Mercury (Hobart) 14 April 1877 p2 Supplement).
This gives the Velocity in the area of ‘Sandy Island’ in 1876. ‘Chesterfield Shoals’ area was a whaling ground in 1860′s, 1870′s.

By: James Hayes-Bohanan

James Hayes-Bohanan — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:25:38 +0000

The text makes it clear that a chart is referenced. What makes a chart NOT a map? Is that not akin to saying a tree is not a plant?

Not all maps are nautical charts, but all nautical charts are maps, by any definition familiar to me.

Anyway, the main thing is gratitude to the librarian for shedding some light on this story.

By: jdp

jdp — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 04:11:03 +0000

Another possibility no one seems to have raised: the “island” was there at one time or another, and simply isn’t today. One of the nice things about Google Earth is that it shows undersea topography. And where Sandy Island is supposed to be, there is clearly some topological feature with a peak very near, if not breaking, the surface. It’s entirely conceivable that this was a low sand bar in times past; and the name suggests as much as well. All of the commentary seen seems to presume that there isn’t, and has never been, any reality to Sandy Island. Ok, that science vessel sailed “through” it; but where are the recent soundings?

By: Mitch Fraas

Mitch Fraas — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:26:11 +0000

A copy of the Australia Directory for 1879 lists the Velocity as reporting two new hydrographical finds. The first being a set of heavy breakers and the second the “Sandy islets.” These seem to have been known as suspect for some time and are listed in the “Doubtful Hydrographical Data”series of 1973 (see http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/8473350). For the excerpt from the 1879 Directory see http://twitpic.com/bgqt0y

By: Lord Stansted

Lord Stansted — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:58:34 +0000

They are not maps – they are CHARTS!

By: Shaun Higgins

Shaun Higgins — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 01:44:53 +0000

Quite right Rich. This is the southwest sheet from a set of four.

Diceman, does your atlas give a vessel beneath the name of the island?

Regarding the Sandy Island 1876 reference, Lloyd’s Shipping register for 1874-1875 has six vessels by the name Velocity.
http://www.maritimearchives.co.uk/lloyds-register.html

By: Diceman

Diceman — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:04 +0000

My copy of ‘The Times Atlas’from 1897 shows the existance of this island – same size & shape as the 1908 map.

By: Liberry Ann

Liberry Ann — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 23:37:14 +0000

Is there a chance some of these islands would be like the “paper towns” mapmakers used to use as copyright traps?