The vessel was anchored off the Fort Hill wharf the night of the cyclone Tracy. Apparently the vessel was loaded with stores bound for Dili the ships location has remained unknown until October 2003 when divers from Cullen bay Dive located the wreck.

The wreck is  virtually intact lying on its starboard side  with one of the three masts broken away.

 Vessel History

The vessel was built in Holland in 1917 and named  De Lauwers  she was relocated to England in 1920 and renamed the Argosy Lemal.

The vessel was sailed to South Australia in 1923 and traded around the coast and interstate until 1942 when she was requisitioned by the Commonwealth Government and used in the North of Australia as a radio station for the armed forces.

1n 1949 the ship was purchased by the Middle East Trading Company and renamed Ametco the vessel eventually sunk at Low Wooded Island in Queensland.

The vessel was salvaged but was in poor condition and taken to Melbourne where she was purchased by shipping company MB Crouch & Co Ltd around 1952 and renamed Clair Crouch after his daughter.

The Clair Crouch traded around the Australian coast until 1958 when she was converted to carry sulphuric acid between Port Pirie and Port Lincoln in South Australia.

In 1964 she was sold to the Mornington Island Fishing Company and renamed the Booya she was used as a mother ship and fuel supply depot for the Northern prawn fleets.

At the time of cyclone Tracy she was owned by the Denham Island Transport Company trading between Darwin , Asia and other Australian Ports.

See brochure printed by the Northern Territory Government on Booya here or the Dive card here

                                                                              Argosy lemal   photo state library Tasmania                                                  Booya photo C Beg 1972 ?