The Apprentice's Tale

 

On 20th August 1918, the Islamount set sail from Sydney, Australia with a cargo of wheat in the hold. Onboard was Ernest M. Andersen (Andy), a young apprentice who had joined the crew in 1916 at age 16. While to most this voyage was like every other that the Islamount had sailed over the past 20 years, to Andy it was different.

It was during this journey that he kept a logbook that he updated (almost) every day, recording not only the weather and the day's activities but also the position of the ship. The logbook also includes details of life onboard the ship, the friendships, the rivalries, the living conditions and also the moments of pure joy and exhilaration that can only be experienced at sea. 

Join us over the next 81 days as we map Andy's journey from Sydney to Cape Town. We will share the ship's position each day as well as the daily entries from his logbook. 

This online journey is accompanied by an exhibition onboard the Glenlee, the very ship on which Andy set sail 104 years ago.

This event has been supported by the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund. This fund is being delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players.

We would also like to thank and acknowledge the valuable support from the Friends of Glasgow Museums and the Andersen family.