The Loch Vennachar was a three masted fully rigged iron ship of 1552 tons gross, and 1486 tons net register. Built by J. & G. Thompson of Glasgow, Scotland, she constructed under special survey, as were all the ships of the Glasgow Shipping Company, and launched in August of 1875. The Loch Vennachar was 250.1 feet long, 38.3 feet beam and 22.4 feet draught. A sister ship to the Loch Garry she was a fairly fast ship. She was a reliable ship with constantly good and fast passages. Between 1875 and 1892 were her most successful years under the command of Captain Bennett. After this her popularity with the crew suffered a decline due to the belief that there was a 'Jonah' on board. This came about because of a series of mishaps. The first of these occurred in June 1892 when she was de-masted during a cyclone in the Southern Indian Ocean, when sailing under Captain Bennett. (for more read Kangaroo Island Shipwrecks by Gifford Chapman). The second disaster occurred in November 1901 when she was run down while at anchor off Thames Haven, and was sunk by the S.S. Cato. (for more read Kangaroo Island Shipwrecks). On her last voyage she sailed with six foremast hands short and reputedly with a 'Johnah' on board. One sailors said that Tom Pearce a 19 year- old apprentice was the 'Jonah'. He was the grandson of Captain Pearce who went down with the Gothenburg and the son of Tom Pearce senior who was known as 'the hero of the Loch Ard'. he was the sole survivor of the Loch Ard's crew lost near Port Campbell on June 1st 1878. The Loch Vennachar sailed from London on 14th June 1904 bound for Adelaide and Melbourne with a general cargo in command of Captain William Stevenson Hawkins and a crew of twenty four. the crew were: James Priest (mate), North Shields, Charles Radcliffe (2nd mate) U.S.A., Fred W. Lake (3rd mate) Melbourne, James Ried (carpenter) Dumbarton, W. Molseed (steward) Greenock, W. McLean (cook) Glasgow, R. Simpson (sailmaker) Greenock, Eugene Broberg (AB) Stockholm, Donald Matherson (AB) Skye, A. Anderson (AB) Kragero, E. Mcewen (AB) Greenock, Alexander Anderson (AB) Arndel, Hugh Humphries (AB) Portmadoc, Alexander Dunlop (AB) Rothsay, M. Jensen (AB) Sarhus, David Ronson (AB), Newark NJ, John Bickle (AB) Edinburgh, William Barry (AB) Adelaide, Edward McPhie (OS) Morven, William Turbill (OS) Grangemouth, William Martin (OS) Glasgow, Joseph H. Hadley (apprentice) Wivenhoe, Thomas W. Pearce (apprentice) Southampton, D.S.B. Thomson (apprentice) Melbourne, Horace Eastwood (apprentice) Knotting. The last vessel to see the Loch Vennachar was the steamer Yongala, which was spoken to by the overdue ship 160 miles west of the Neptune Islands on Wednesday 6th September when Captain Rees had a signal form the clipper Loch Vennachar - please report me, all well. (for more read Kangaroo Island Shipwrecks). The Loch Vennachar never arrived at Port Adelaide and on the 13th September 1905 she was reported over due. Five days later the Marine Board steamer Governor Musgrave was dispatched on a search for the overdue ship by Captain C.J. Clare, Superintendent of the Lifesaving Department. (for more read Kangaroo Island Shipwrecks). Conclusive evidence of the disaster having overtaken the shop Loch Vennachar reached Port Adelaide on Friday 29th September when captain F. Peters master of the ketch Annie Watt reported that he had picked up a reel of blue printing paper in the Gulf of St Vincent about 18 miles northeast of the Port Adelaide lighthouse. (for more read Kangaroo Island Shipwrecks).