A distinctive vessel which has slipped into Magnetic Island without the mainland media noticing is an historic Torres Strait pearling lugger which could be part of a new tourist attraction .
Some months ago, this blog ran an exclusive report about a van with an attached caravan , both locked up , parked on the island . They were plastered with signs relating to the pearling industry , the Coral Sea, Cairns, with a call to save the Barrier Reef . The pearling lugger HB 1939 got special mention .
This included a photograph (below) of the lugger with details of its history .
There was even a poem with a French connection displayed which referred to the pearling lugger HB and Scuppers the Sea Goose , whose large portrait was emblazoned along the side of the van .
The lugger now tied up at Magnetic Island , without any sign of life , bears the name HB as seen on its lifebuoy , snapped by our waterfront scribe .
