LOSS OF SHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 9

LOSS OF SHIP.

WRECKED IN FOG.

WAIKOUAITI'S LAST VOYAGE.

formal inquiry opened,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

A formal inquiry into the loss of the Union Steam Ship Company's intercolonial steamer Waikouaiti, which was wiecked off Dog Island, three miles from Bluff, on the night of November 28, was begun in Wellington to-day. The Waikouaiti (3920 tons) was on a voyage from Sydney to Lyttelton when she ran aground in a fog. She was abandoned by the underwriters a few days later. Mr. A. M. Goulding, S.M., presided, and the nautical assessors were Captains L. C. H. Worrall and J. Mawson. Mr. J. P. Prendeville appeared for the Marino Department, Mr. E. K. Kirkcaldie for the master and the ship and Mi. A. E. White for the Union Company. Captain F. A. Macindoe watched proceedings on behalf of the Merchant Service Guild.

Before taking of evidence the magistrate said the ship had been proceeding on a course fixed by the Admiralty and he asked that details of the course be not published, except those immediately relevant to the inquiry. Captain John Bruce, master of ihe Waikouaiti, said he altered the course during tho afternoon of November 28 and remained on it till 8.15 p.m. During that time there were banks of fog around the mainland. The sea was 611100 th, with a light south-west wind of force three. Ship's Position Checked. Continuing his evidence, Captain Bruce said that the second officer, who was on watch, checked the ship's position several times during the afternoon and at 4 p.m. the chief officer relieved him.

Witness himself was frequently on the bridge. At 8 p.m. the fog was patchy to .the north and clear to the south. A bearing was taken by the chief officer at 7.50 p.m. It was the last one marked on the chart. Dog Island was not visible at that time. The ship held the same course until 8.15, at which time, seeing that' Dog Island was still obscured, ho pulled the ship a point and a half to southward. He considered he would thus clear Dog Island by a mile and a half to two miles. They had not sighted th© light on Dog Island at 8.15. Because of the fog the ship was doing about 0J knots. It was not quite dark at 8.15.

Captain Bruce said he maintained his course to pass Dog Island and at 8.37 he sighted land fine on the port bow. He gave orders to the man at the wheel to put the helm hard a-starboard, at the same time ordering the third officer to ring "Stand by." At 8.38, after the ship came round to the south-east, she strusk bottom.

In a feir seconds the chief officer came on tho bridge and witness ordered all ballast tanks to be sounded. At 8.38} witness rang "Stop" to the engine room and gave instructions to have soundings taken all round the ship.

"The least depth round was 10ft aft," continued witness. The ship's draught was 20ft sin forward and 22ft 6in aft. Witness sent to Bluff for the tug. Distress Signals Fired. "■As the fog became very dense we nred several distress signals, detonators and skyrockets," continued Captain Bruce. This was not because they were In any immediate danger, but was to indicate the ship's whereabouts to the pilot launch, which duly arrived.

At 10.30 p.m., with the flood tide, the ship started to awing, and he decided to try the engines. He rang full speed astern. At that time there were 42ft of water at the ship's stern. The chief engineer informed witness that he could not turn the engines, as something had fouled the propeller. Then witness thought that rocks might be causing the trouble, but at daylight he found that the stern frame of the ship had been broken and the propeller blades were catching on the frame and the rudSf" ne blades had been broken off. Noe. 1 and 2 holds were found to be full of water. The tug that had left Dunedin was then sent back, but the pilot launch stood by until 4 a.m., when the mails and the ship's papers were put aboard and sent ashore. The fog wa« still dense.

At 7.30 o'clock the launch came back and towed the crew ashore in three lifeboats. The engineers, two greasers and three deck officers, as tvell as witness, remained aboard. No subsequent attempt was made to get the ship off, as with two holds full of water she would not have floated. The remaining men left the ship at 8 p.m. on November 29.

Water in Stokehold. At that time the watertight bulkhead between the bunker and stokehold had commenced to fracture, water was increasing in the stokehold, and it seemed unsafe to keep the men there any longer, Captain Bruce said. The ship carried 5411 tons of general cargo. Witness said he took no soundings before striking as he was confident of his position. Tlie light on Dog Island was not clear all that night.

To Mr. Prendeville, witness said he did not reduce the speed because of tide* in Foveaux Strait. The Waikouaiti struck west of the lighthouse on Dog Island.

To Mr. Kirkcaldie, Bruce said he had been a master for 20 years and had never previously appeared before a court of inquiry.

Between 2.2 and 7.56 p.m. they took ten cross-bearings. Stewart Island was very clear up to 4 p.m. Up to almost 8 p.m. they definitely knew where the vessel was. At 8 p.m. witness estimated that he was about five miles from Dog bland.

Southerly Current. During ebb tide, continued B ruce > there was a strong current in a southerly direction from Bluff harbour, and he expected to be carried south at the time he was passing. Twilight and mist at 8,15 o'clock would militate against his seeing Dog Inland light. He considered it perfectly safe to carry on. There must have been an unexpected set from the south.

To the magistrate, ho said he was satisfied that the position marked on the chart at 7.56 p.m. was correct. He could explain the striking of the rocks only by some unforeseen influence taking effect after the fix at 7.56 p.m., and the ship had been following a steady course all afternoon. The fog signal on Dog Island would have made all the difference. There was no such signal In that locality.

To Mr. Kirkcaldie, Bruce said that he did not think visibility wa« so bad that he could pass Dog Island and the light without seeing them.