The Cherry Venture was being towed to Asia to be decommissioned scrapped. Large swells washed it onto the beach a few km south of Double Island Point. A number of attempts to re float her and it came so close. She lay on the beach for years rusting away and finally the remnants removed. A tourist attraction with fond memories . I was lucky enough to have two experiences. A friend working on the refloat invited Danny and I to check out the ship . We managed to check out nearly all areas including way down in the engine room . She was still in good nick all through . On stark contrast many years after her grounding a group of us on a surf trip to DI. A late return , car breakdown coupled with an incoming tide and darkness closing in. Stuck and Not equipped with any gear or shelter we decided the rusting hulk would be home for the night. A dark night lightning cracked out to sea a light show kept us mesmerised for hours. Just awesome . Then our pooch companion slipped through a hole in the deck falling into the hold below. Some 10 metres but landing on soft sand a whimper let us know where he was in the dark . All hands below deck and he was shaken but safe and sound above deck again . That was a mission ! A bit of restless sleep and the morning light starts to paint a picture. What we didn’t realise was a fire had previously ripped through the hulk. As the morning light crept in we had no idea the boys were charcoal blackened. Did we laugh ! Low tide sun out off we went like commandos on a raid to the closest shower . Too funny what a trip ….. Bp
