LOSS OF THE FUTURIST

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25139, 21 March 1947, Page 8

LOSS OF THE FUTURIST

“I AM AFRAID SHE IS FINISHED” SKIPPER’S COMMENT (P.A.) BLENHEIM, March 20. It is almost certain that the steam' trawler Futurist, which went ashore on the very extremity of Long Point, about four miles to the north of Ward in the early hours of yesterday morning. will not be salvaged. She is regarded by the skipper, Captain A. Sutherland, as a total loss. This morning when a party rode out over the hills to the scene of the wreck from Mr A. F. Loe’s homestead they found the vessel wedged so. firmly on a rocky shelf, among the breakers, some 300 yards from the beach, that not even the biggest waves caused her to move. “I’m afraid she’s finished. 1 think the bottom is out of her,” said Captain Sutherland. “I told my owners it was not worth while making an attempt to drag her off. She must be all to bits underneath. If she were moved she would sink like a stone.” It was found impossible to get out to the vessel this morning because of her situation among the rocks, and it is unlikely that she will be boarded for the recovery of personal effects and valuable gear before she breaks up. At the moment the sea has moderated, but the location is extremely exposed to southerly weather. With a look-out posted, the Futurist had been allowed to drift through Tuesday night. When the was snugged down for the night she was lyin" well out off the coast. There was no warning before she struck the rocks, and the sleeping crew were brought from their bunks by the sudden bumping. No one needed to be told what had occurred. ’Hie engineer dived for the throttle and the skipper and men scrambled up on deck. In the glare of the trawler’s floodlights the scene which confronted them was grim. As far as the lights would penetrate could be seen only a tumbled mass of white swirling water with. tangled growths of seawfeed trailing about in the surge. It was impossible to see the rocks among which the trawler was trapped, and this largely frustrated the efforts to free her in the few seconds available. Her engine was opened out full astern, a glance at the compass sufficing to show she headed due west and therefore must be lying bow to shore, ror a moment it seemed her power would save her, but before she could be backed clear of the ledge on which the keel was pounding, she was caught bv a wave and dumped hard on another shelf of the reef, a sudden vibration and the r-oar of the engines indicating only too clearly that the propeller blades had been stripped. After that, there was nothing that could be done. The ship was lying helplessly in the surf with spray and water breaking over her and the 11 men aboard were waiting anxiously for dawn. With the arrival of daylight, poss ,ible to launch the lifeboat and get ashore. The crew returned to Wellington to-day.