AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22579, 8 December 1938, Page 9

AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE

Harbour Board’s First

Tug

CAPTAIN A. W. OWLES HONOURED

Memories of an eventful voyage to New Zealand in 1878 as an officer. of the Lyttelton Harbour Board’s first tug, Lyttelton, a paddle-wheel steamer, were recalled by Captain A. W. Owles, of New Brighton, who was entertained by the board at morning tea yesterday. Captain Owles is the only surviving member of the crew of the tug.

The vessel had an adventurous first year, for before it was delivered to the board’s officers it came into collision with a barque in the Mersey, and suffered damage to - the extent of £275. Half-way across the Bay of Biscay on the voyage to New Zealand the engines broke down. “How the chief engineer managed to make a new bolt and effect the necessary repairs I do not know, but eventually we were able to resume our voyage,” s&id Captain Owles. Past Somerset, on the north of Australia, the tug ran on to a coral reef, ploughing deep into the coral bed, and remaining wedged there for four days. She was floated off, however, “without a scratch on her.”

For the voyage to New Zealand from Australia the Lyttelton had' to be loaded so deeply with coal that a person on her deck could wash his hands in the water. Coming through Cook Strait it was estimated that there was sufficient coal to take the tug to Lytelton w ihout rebunkering- at Welling'on, an operation which would cost both time and money. A favourable northeast wind promised a quick run, but oft Kaikoura the wind changed to the south. Coal supplies ran out when the little vessel was still a long way from port, and a levy had to be made on every available combustible object. The Lyttelton managed to reach port, and the paddle wheels stopped revolving just as she limped into Little Port Cooper on November 21, 1878. A Voyage on the Avon “Mr Fryer has stirred up memories of a chapter which emptied my pockets completely,” said Captain Owles, in referring to a remark of the board’s engineer (Mr P. W. Fryer) about a voyage he had made 50 years ago on a vessel under the command, of Captain Owles. This was a trip down the Avon river on the old boat Avonia, the last function of which was to act as a weed cutter in the river. Mr Fryer had recalled that this boat sank off the old wharf at New Brighton, and Captain Owles, superintending the salvage operations most efficiently, had called on the assistance of the fire brigade to pump out the water. Captain Owles told members of the board that he was confident that one day the waterway between Sumner and New Brighton would provide pleasure trips similar to those conducted on English The chairman of the board (Mr R. T. McMillan) congratulated Captain Owles on having reached the age of 90, and referred to his prominent part in public life as Mayor of New Brighton for many years. Captain Owles, he said, had taken a keen interest sports, and was the father of yachting in Canterbury. He hoped that Captain Owles would be blessed with good health for many more years. . . , Other members of the board joined in congratulating Captain Owles.