MISHAP TO THE HOLMGLEN

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21120, 22 March 1934, Page 10

MISHAP TO THE HOLMGLEN

+ Nautical Enquiry at Wellington MASTER'S CERTIFICATE RETURNED [THE TRESS Spec!*! Berries.] WELLINGTON. Mareii CI. The story or how the motor-ship Holr.-.gien struck the reeks at Pompey's Pillar, near Akarea. on February 17 was told by Captain W. J. Mead, master of the vc-ic!. at the nau'iea! enquiry held it fore Mr E. Pa&e, S.M., ?rd Captions L. C. H. Werall and F. JL)cv,-hurst <assessors' in the Magistrate's Court this auenioon. Captain Me?d attributed the mishap cither to a set running agaiu&t the ship or to an error in the log. The court, however, found that he haa committed an error of judgment in steering too Hue s course, end ordered him to pay £lO •10L- toward the expenses of the enquiry. His cerinieate was returned.

Mr J. j-'rendevilie appeared for the Marine Department and Mr N. A. Foden for Captain Metd. The Holmglen for L\ Helton cn February 16. Scaring Banks Peninsula she ran into heavy log. •Shortly before 3 a.m. on Fcbiuary IT it was csiunited by dead reckoning that the vessel was off Pompey";; Pdiar. Almost immediately anerward the vessel struck with some force. The forepeak tank was immediately flooded, and it was seen that the forepart ci the vessel and the stem were damaged, knowing v.'hether the ship would sink or not the crew made preparations to abandon the vc.-s-.'l. I.iiebolts were donned and the lifeboats were fcwuiig out in rendh.er;. However, it was lound thai the iorwnrd bulkhead was holding, and the vessel proceeded lo Lyttelton.

Hazy Conditions Captain Mead, in evidence, said that Bit er clearing the breakwater at Timaru the course wns set JC.E. .J E. As the afternoen advanced conditions become more hazy. His l 3S t visit to the bridge was at 0.30 p.m., when visibility was good, but there was a hazy horizon. Before leaving the bridge he left instructions in the bridge book that he was to be called if Akaroa light was not sighted when the log registered TO. He wrote down the eourse to be steered. He retired at 9.30 p.m. At 1.10 a.m. he was called by the chief officer, who reported that there was a thick fo.ee and that tne Jug showed 71. He dressed at once and went een the bridge and took charge. "I went to the chart room." continued Captain ?.lead, "and .cot, the record of the live previous trips. My object was to find cut how the log ran on those occasions. I discovered that on the lire previous trips the log had registered from 7G to 79 miles to Akaroa light abeam, the actual distance being 77. I then returned to the bridge and questioned the chief officer as to how {his course was usually made. He replied that she invariably made a course outside. The magistrate: You mean outside the true course'.'—Outside the ship's course. The chief officer said that invariably on picking up Akaroa light, they lound it necessary to haul in. Mr Prendeville: What was your next move? —I decided to carry on on the same course until the log registered 80. I considered that this was putting the ship on the right side. The magistrate: What do you mean by "putting the ship on the right side?" • —She had always made the course slightly out, and I thought that if I carried on cn that course for a mile or two further, it would be giving her the benefit of the doubt, and that I would be still a little bit off the land. Course Altered Mr Prendeville: I take if that you had not seen the Akaroa light? Captain Mead: There was no sign of it» I altered the course to N.E. by N. by compass, and stood on on that course. This was at 2.14 a.m. I stood on that course until 3.8 a.m., when the log showed 87. At this time I considered that I noticed a slight increase in the northerly swell. This led me to believe that we had cleared Flat point, and that the swell was making down from the north. At 3.8 a.m. I altered the course to north, and continued on that course for about four minutes, when I sighted land right ahead. Immediately I sighted land I ordered the engines full astern. This order was obeyed promptly. The engines would be running astern approximately 30 seconds when the vessel struck. Mr Prendeville: How long would it take to take way oft the ship?

Boats Swung: Out "'I have experimented with the ship on several occasions, and in that trim from full ahead until she loses headway, is 1 minute 15 seconds." replied Captain Mead, who added that immediately alter the vessel struck he ordered slow ahead. He also ordered all hands to be called, and the boats to be swung out. The port boat was swung iirst and the starboard boat followed. When the boats were handy he instructed the engineer to. sound the tanks and the hold. The engineer reported that the fore peak was making water, the ballast tanks and the hold being dry. Witness said he stopped the engi't*? and the vessel immediately swung clear, the stern swinging in toward the shore. He steamed ahead for a few minutes, took further soundings, and decided that there was no immediate danger of the ship foundering. The boats were taken ud. and a course set for Lyttelton. The ship arrived there soon after midday. In reply to Mr Prendeville, witness said that the happening proved to him now that visibility was not as good as he thought it was. To Mr Foden. witness said the only reason he could give In explanation of the mishap was that it was due either to a set raining against the ship, or to an error in the log. He had been at sea now for more than 20 years, and had had considerable experience of coastwise navigation. This was the first time he had been involved in a marine enquiry. Mr Fo»ien: I daresay you feel now that your estimate of the visibility in thi3 particular fog was in error? Witness: Yes. It certainly was. But vott are satisfied that you did your best to penetrate the fog and pick up any object to give you an estimate of vour situation?— That is so. "So-ac ciny I suopo.-e there will be an invention to enable mariners to penetrate fog," Mr Forieu raid. The magistrate: It looks as sf ihcy have il now. I understand that on some of the boats they take photographs every 30 seconds, with infra red plates. I read that somewhere. Cost of Repairs Evidence was also given bv the officers of the vessel. Captain's. Holm, managing director of the Holm Shipping Company, Ltd., owners of the vessel, said that as a result of the imsnap 16 plates were damaged The repairs had cos: £I6OO. Mr Foden submitted that the evidence showed that the captain was mindful of the possibility of darker and had taken every precva'ion avoid a mishap. Fne court adjourned for a lew n-- ; nVles. to consider its decision. On 'returning. the magistrate sa'd it had been founa that the casualty was due to an error-of judgment on the part

of the master in steering too fine a course. "He set substantially the course that he had taken on earlier occasions, when visibility was good," continued th magistrate. "llavi»u: regard to Iho relatively low pmvt r and speed of the ves>el. and 10 1 lie thick fuy prevailing, he should have given himself a wider n:argin oi' saiety. W'e make an order ".hat he pav £lO 10s towards the exof the enquiry."