[3] The ship was registered at Limerick on 19 November and commenced her maiden voyage from Glasgow on 26 December under Captain J Goffe for Fiji.

[4] On 12 March 1887 Derry Castle sailed from Geelong, Victoria, still under Captain Goffe, and under charter to Gibbs, Bright & Co., with a cargo of wheat for Falmouth, Cornwall, or Queenstown, County Cork, where she would receive orders for discharge.

[5][6] In the early hours of 20 March 1887, eight days into her voyage, in strong winds and sailing at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), Derry Castle ran onto a reef off Enderby Island and immediately began breaking up.

A box of matches proved ineffective at producing a flame, despite drying, but the survivors, by detonating the charge in a revolver bullet, were able to start a fire, which they maintained until leaving the island.

Two men navigated the boat to nearby Erebus Cove, Port Ross on Auckland Island, where they obtained supplies from the government depot there.

[9][10] The punt remained on the Main Auckland Island until in 1989, when during an expedition which included artists Bill Hammond, Laurence Aberhart, Geerda Leenards and Lloyd Godman, it was transported back to the Southland Museum and Art Gallery at Invercargill on a Royal New Zealand Navy vessel where it is on permanent display.