WASHED ASHORE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 73, 27 March 1940, Page 5

WASHED ASHORE

TRAWLER'S PLIGHT.

STRANDED ON BEACH.

ST. VINCENT IN HEAVY FOG.

CREW'S THRILLING BATTLE,

With her anchors gone and at the mercy of half a mile of breakers, the crew of four working feverishly day and night, the S4ft fishing trawler St. Y'mcy •*■ bad a miraculous escape from ~;,;.' :'.]\\ ;'ked just on four weeks ago on'Vi'..'. ig Parengarenga Beach. Yesterday tlie St. Vincent, with many of her boards strained and leaking badly, arrived in Auckland, after her crew and eii'Miie had been continuously pumping all the way on the trip from Houhora. The vessel is now on the slip of R. Lidgard at the Western Reclamation undergoing repairs. The skipper, B. Matejecich, and his crew of three, left. Auckland with the St. Vincent on February 2.5 for Parengarenga and next day started fishing. Four dra"s were made with the net and at daylight on the following morning a move was made to another spot. When preparing to make a drag a heavy fog settled and the vessel, being under steam at the time, ran on to the beach «t Exhibition Bay. In the dinghy one of the crew took an anchor out to cast it and make the St. Vincent fast, in the hope that with the incoming tide she would float off the sand. However, the dinghy was caught in three high breakers and caj>sized. the anchor being lost and the rope attached becoming entangled in the propeller of the St. Vincent. The member of the crew who •was washed out of the capsized dinghy, gwam to the shore. Anchor Chain Breaks. It was then decided to put out a second anchor, but the chain broke and the skipper and crew then realised that there was no chance of getting the vessel afloat. With the heavy breakers lashing on to the beach the vessel was in a most dangerous ]K>sition, and in order to get assistance it was necessary to make contact with Auckland. This meant a walk of 14 miles, which one of the crew did and communicated with Mr. Lidgard, boatbuilder. Mr. Lidgard at once proceeded to Pareniiarenga in the trawler Melodeon, and later the trawler Zora, owned by Mr. J. Delich, left Auckland on Monday of last week to render assistance to the stranded St. Vincent, arriving on the scene next day. On Wednesday tackles and gear were rijrfred to the St. Vincent's anchors, and by working the four tides continuously the Zora had pulled the St. Vincent on* the beach and through the breakers by Sunday morning. During these operation* and in an attempt to salvage the gear which had ixeen used to get the St Vincent afloat, one man, C. Freeman, was washed ashore and received an injury tc his head. Towed To Houhora. With the St. Vincent leaking badly and all hands working the pumps, th« Zora towed her to Houhora. Hen temporary repairs were effected am the damaged vessel came through t< Auckland, arriving yesterday with i tired crew. They nad been at the pumpi continuously from the time the vesse left Houhora.

Mr. J. Kuljis, owner of the St. Vincent, considers that all hands had a lucky escape. He was one of the four on the vessel and he said this morning that the most thrilling experience occurred on the Saturday afternoon after the Melodeon left. "We had worked the St. Vincent down the beach and were holding her afloat inside the bad breakers ■with two 'dead men' (logs). The 'dead men' were pulled out and the ship swung out on her stern lines through the breakers," said Mr. Knljis. "She then chipped so much water that the lamps on the engine were put out of action and we were unable to start the engine. The ship was washed back again that night into a worse position with the seas sweeping over her."