Description:The Catania was Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1851-1913), the fourth Duke of Sutherland’s yacht in the mid 1890s before he purchased his new yacht in 1899.
The Sutherland Papers contain correspondence and papers relating to the Catania between the years 1896 an 1897. Extracts from these documents feature below, telling us about the life of the Catania.
Captain Corke of the Catania
Documents suggest that a man named Captain Corke was Captain of the Catania. Correspondence between Corke and the fourth Duke of Sutherland refers to arrangements to lease out the yacht and necessary repairs including painting and decking.
A letter from Corke dated October 1896 informs the Duke that he had been approached by ‘a French Yacht Agent’ Monsieur Boyn who wished to hire the Catania for his client ‘Baron Alphonse Rothschild’. The Baron wished to hire the Catania ‘for three months’ beginning in February 1897 and had asked Corke to calculate ‘a stated sum’ for his hire including ‘ships stores, insurance premium, & Board Wages’. The Captain’s letter includes calculations about the price which he had made himself and notifies the Duke of his intention to travel to London to purchase some ‘chain & anchors’.
Click on the images on the left to learn more about the Catania.