 The first European to sight the bay was explorer Abel Tasman, who sought to anchor his vessel "Heemskerck" there in 1642.Instead, "Heemskerck" was driven back offshore by a storm, in token of which Tasman named the place Storm Bay.Captain Tobias Furneaux renamed it in March 1773, in honour of his ship , which he had anchored in the bay for five days after becoming separated from Captain James Cook's during Cook's second voyage to the Pacific search of Terra Australis Incognita.