During the 1920s, the schooner, Zurah was captained by the beloved Samuel Sewer.
His vessel was an important link in the inter-island trade.
When repairs were needed, she was brought to the Creque Marine Railway.
There, her dimensions were recorded as 50 feet in length by 15 feet wide.
Selling the Zuhrah
In December 1922, the Zuhrah was sold to Mr. Antonio Cesin and Carlos Peliegran of Curacao.
Her return to the Virgin Islands was never documented again in the newspapers.
Discovering the Zuhrah’s History
Not much is usually known about these early vessels. To find a photograph, a few invoices and a couple of newspaper clippings are wonderful discoveries.
Historians interested in the maritime history of the Virgin Islands will find this information invaluable.
Passenger Lists
If you’re interested in passenger lists from early sailing vessels, be sure to visit the Eagle, the Irma II and the La Gracia stories.
There you’ll find rare photographs of some of the crew members and passengers in the case of the Eagle as well as the vessel’s manifests.
Sadly, many of these vessels sank during bad weather, while others have been lost from the history books.
Update
While researching this past summer, I found a manifest for the Zuhrah for the year 1919.
For those searching for family history information, take a look at this list!
Zuhrah’s Manifest
CLICK on the photographs below for additional stories and manifests.
