About Us & Solomon Ophir | Blue Ice Charters

Blue Ice Charters

Blue Ice Charters; are an established boat charter service that have been operating in Adelaide South Australia for fourteen years, based at the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron (RSAYS) Outer Harbour. Over that time we have introduced many people to a lifestyle that just has to be experienced and for some it has completely changed their lives for the better.

Blue Ice charters started business in 1994 running scuba diving instructing courses and local dive charters with a 7 meter Haines Hunter. Our business continued to grow and diversify so much that we soon out grew the 7 meter runabout & needed to invest in a larger vessel, so in 2003 Solomon Ophir was purchased.

Solomon Ophir

Solomon Ophir; is a comfortable three sail ketch that can be chartered for almost any type of party or function for up to 49 people. With wide flat decks, high railings and plenty of seating above & below decks to view the magnificent coastal scenery. She has 3 separate sleeping cabins, 2 toilets, spacious saloon and a well-appointed galley for catering.

Solomon Ophir is a Bowen Fairwind design of steel construction, built in 1974. She is a motor sailer that’s ketch rigged with a 130HP Perkins 6 cylinder diesel engine. No light weight she displaces 45 tonne, is bilged keeled with a 1.7 meter draft and is 15 meters in length.

Solomon Ophir is surveyed 1D (49 passengers in local waters)
&
1C (up to 20 passengers anywhere within 15 nautical miles of the coast)

Naming Solomon Ophir

How the ship came to be named “Solomon Ophir” – she spent several years in the Solomon Islands conducting underwater survey work for the government – so all ships that were sent there were called Solomon +, “Ophir” alludes to the biblical account – wherein Ophir was a port in the Middle East visited by King Solomon’s fleet, which bought copper and carried away gold, as described in Mansefield’s poem: Cargo;

Quinquereme of Nineveh from distant Ophir’

Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,

With a cargo of ivory and Apes and Peacocks,

Sandalwood, cedar wood and sweet white wine.