PARTY RESCUED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 38, 15 February 1937, Page 9

PARTY RESCUED.

LAUNCH BREAK-DOWN. STEAMER ANSWERS S.O.S. i TOWED BACK TO MANGAVy^ S.O.S. signals sent out by the fishing launch Marina, which broke down yesterday off Sail Rock, about 50 miles from Auckland, were answered by the Union Company's steamer Kaiwarra, which, after manoeuvring for over an hour in a heavy sea, got a line aboard the launch and towed it back to Mangawai. Six Auckland people were thus saved -from spending last night tossing in the lee of the island with no prospect of getting ashore. The Marina, a 30ft launch owned by Mr. F. Franich, of Mangawai, and piloted by him, set out from Mangawai at 6.30 yesterday morning on a fishing excursion to Sail Rock. On board were Dr. and Mrs. W. H. Horton, Mr. and Mrs. J. Foster, and Mr. J. Hockin, of Auckland. Eleven miles off shore, the launch's two-cylinder engine gave trouble. The party had set off in a flat calm, but later in the morning the offshore wind freshened, and a heavy sea started to run. It was decided to make for the shelter of Sail Rock, and the Marina limped along on one "lung." The lee of the rock had just been reached when the remaining cylinder broke down. Repair Efforts Fail. While Mr. Franich made vain attempts to get the engine started again, the party fished. When hope of repairing the engine had been abandoned and the party had resigned themselves to the prospect of spending the night tossing in the heavy seas, the steamer Kaiwarra, bound from Ocean Island to Auckland, hove in sight and passed on the inner side of Sail Rock. Frantic signals from those on the fishing launch attracted the master of the steamer and the course of the Kaiwarra was altered. It was a difficult task to get the 3000-ton freighter near enough to the Marina to get a lino aboard, but after an hour of manoeuvring the master, with admirable seamanship, got alongside the crippled launch. A light line was secured aboard the tossing Marina, and a heavier hawser followed. With her speed reduced, the Kaiwarra steamed to Mangawai Heads, heavy seas crashing over the Marina as she was towed along. Four blasts from the siren of the Kaiwarra attracted a fishing launch in the port, and at 2 o'clock the Kaiwarra handed over the Marina. Launch Grounds. Hopes by the party on the Marina that they would soon lie ashore and dry were not immediately fulfilled, for the second launch grounded on the Mangawai bar and the party had to wait 'a further two hours for a third launch to tow tlumi ashorcon the incoming tide. After a 72-mile journey by motor car. Dr. Horton and his party arrived back in Auckland about 1 o'clock this morning. Sail Rock, which sheltered the crippled Marina, is 50 miles north of Auckland and about three miles south of the Hen. The rock is II miles off the Mangawai Heads. In the season, Mr. Franich runs a launch with fishing parties to Sail Rock, which is an excellent fishing ground. Dr. Horton is one of the few Aucklanders who have tried big game fishing in the locality, and so "far he has caught a swordfish and a mako. Recently Mr. Franich caught a 9001b shovel-nose shark on a hand line. Sail Rock is so called because its appearance in the distance is like that of a three-cornered sail. There is deep water round the rock and vessels bound up or down the coast pass close by.