OTHER DAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 193, 17 August 1939, Page 9

OTHER DAYS.

TRADING SCOWS.

FLAT-BOTTOMED CRAFT.

TYPICAL OP NEW ZEALAND.

Times change. The flat-bottomed scow, with wide beam and great spread of canvas, is still seen in New Zealand harbours, but it is a type of vessel, once peculiar to New Zealand, which is becoming rarer with the passing of the years. In days gone by the 6low, but seaworthy scow, wallowed in steep seas off the coast, and carried trade to every coastal settlement that could be reached by harbour or river. Light in draught they were, although when under way at sea a large centre-board was lowered. There are familiar names coupled with those of older davs, buildera who specialised in the design of a flat-bottomed vessel, and. hardy mariners who went down to the sea and plied their calling. Scows with much sail, and often generously laden I with logs or other cargo, made a "familiar picture on the Waitemata and in the gulf. But there is not now the same scope for a type of vessel that served New Zealand well. Road transport has sapped the trade to many places once served by water, and power propulsion has seen the development of other types of coastal craft.

Three old traders which are still in active commission and visit Auckland are the ketch Miro and the schooner* Huia and Piri, the latter two being engaged in the explosives trade between Australia and New Zealand.

Now an old sailor, Mr. P. A. Eaddy. Auckland, has recalled the heyday of their o-lorv in his book, "'Neath Swaying Spare—The Story of the Tradinc Scows of New Zealand." It is a book of reminiscence rather than a history, Kiit at the same time it gives an iuter-

esting picture of the coastal scows, what they were, and what purpose they served.

The scow is, of course, primarily a' hull-type. It is characterised by being ( flat-bottomed, square-bilged and of only 1 a few feet draught. It was evolved, says Mr. Eaddv, on the Great Lakes or elsewhere in North America. The cargo, or the greater part of it, is carried on deck, the shallow space below decks being used as a buoyancy chamber. Centreboards make the vessel reasonably weatherly, while the rudder, reminiscent of that of a Chinese junk, is controlled by chains from outboard, and can be raised up when sailing in shallow water. A curious feature of the construction of these vessels is that their flat bottoms are usually planked athwartships of longitudinal frames, instead of with fore-and-aft planking like most wooden ships. They were in the past usually sheathed below the waterline with light totara planking, which resisted marine borer better than kauri or softwood timber.

Many Cargoes. The type came into existence in the 'sixties, to fill the needs of the North , Auckland timber trade. Many of the first were square bowed, and they were originally known as bargee; but as 1 they began to prove their sailing poten- ■ tialities, they were given slightly L kindlier lines. They used to poke into the shallow estuaries and creeks of the 1 North Auckland peninsula, and loadj' massive logs from the very sawmills.. ' Wallowing, awash, with their ponderous!' deck cargoes bulging overside and held i together only by stout chains, they ' would drop down on the tide and lumber home up the Hauraki Gulf. Later, as their seaworthiness became proven, they ventured further afield all up and dour« the coast. The shingle trade gave them cargoes, and later they carried cattle and pigs, farm produce, petrol and explosives. They set great spreads of canvas, particularly 011 Anniversary Day, at Auckland, when the race for trading scow's was the most important event. Anything from six to a dozen ships would enter. The course would be from Auckland out round Tiri Tiri and back, about 40 miles. The scows, mostly schooners and ketches, would add to the balloon jibs and topsails, which were regarded, as ordfiuuy working canvas,

watereails and staysails between f.txi masts. Competition was amazingly keen, and often after the race there would be a number of challenges from disappointed competitors to be sailed off. A Hardy School. Built on the New Zealand coast, the 1 scows were the strength of a ilourish- | ing shipbuilding trade which has since dwindled, and were, too, a hardy school • of coastal seamanship where many celebrated seamen had their early training. ' Lieutenant-Commander W. E. Sanders, | whose Great War exploits in the 5 schooner Q-ship Prize, are commemorT ated in the Sanders Cup yachting contest, was a scow sailorman out of 1 Auckland. Most famous of all scows was the 5 Moa, captured by von Luckner after 1 his escape from Motuiii Island, on 1 December 13, 1917, and recaptured off 7 the Kermadecs. To-day she is rotting under the sands of a West Coast beach, 3 stranded and buried by the shifting *|dunes. i To-day the sailing craft that once (brought'beautr into the prosaic carriage jjof cargoes are for the most part gone, | and the few that remain cannot dally , whistling for a wind if they hope to complete with Diesel engines and steam. So they have shortened sail and installed engines and lost much of their delight for those who onse earned their living in the shadow of their bellying Bails. Yet even to those to whom the sight jof a grey sail slipping out of harbour jbetween the rain squalls brings no such [memories, something of the pleasure and romance of such seafaring can ba [brought by Mr. Eaddy's interesting book.