THE SCHOONER ARATAPU IN HEAVY WEATHER.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 185, 8 August 1888, Page 4

THE SCHOONER ARATAPU IN HEAVY WEATHER.

The well-known Auckland schooner Aratapu, Captain H. D. Bovver, put into Port Jackson on July 27th, in distress, having experienced the full force of the recent heavy westerly gales down south, and had her rudder-head sprung. The vessel was on her way from Tairua to Melbourne at the time of the occurrence with 113,000ffc. of timber. Captain Bower reports leaving Tairua on the 26fch ult., and meeting with lic^tit) to moderato variable and cloudy, unsettled weather till reaching the meridian of Cape Howe. There the little vessel was caught in a strong south-west to west-south-wesb gale and high sea, which was followed by a calm, and the schooner made the Dromedary on the 17th. On the following day a breeze set in from the northward, but as the vessel approached Bass Straits the wind again tacked to the westward, and on tho 19th, off the Rents Group, tho vessel found herself in the thick of another westerly gale. This storm increased until it reached hurricane pitch, and tho sea was then running mountains high. The squalls, too, were exceptionally violent, and there was nothing left but to bring the vessel to the wind under reefed canvas. In this position she battled against the elements for several days, when tho unfortunate accident to the rudderhead took place and she had to be squared away for Sydney. In coming up the coast the schooner experienced a heavy southerly gale, terrific squalls and rough sea, and it was only by dint of great exertion that Captain Bower succeeded in bringing his vessel safely into port. The Aratapu will discharge her cargo and go into dock for repairs. In the bad weather the vessel had the topsail and foretopmasb staysail blown away and other sails split.