COASTER HAUITI WRECKED

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27333, 26 April 1954, Page 8

COASTER HAUITI WRECKED

Ship Strikes Rock In Cook Strait

COLLIER RESCUES CREW (New Zealand. Press Association) * WELLINGTON, April 25. The 156-ton coaster Hauiti sank in Cook Strait at 11.30 p.m. on Saturday, after striking a rock. There were no casualties.

The nine members of the Hauiti’s crew were picked up by the collier Kokiri two hours after their ship went down.

The Hauiti, bound from Motueka to Wellington with 3143 cases of apples, struck near The Wash rocks, five miles from The Brothers lighthouse, shortly before 11 p.m. She began taking water fast, and distress signals were sent to Wellington radio.

At 11.10 p.m. she was abandoned. She sank by the head within 30 minutes of striking, leaving her crew to face a heavy sea in one small open boat. There was a cold southerly blowing.

Those aboard the Hauiti were the master, Captain P. E. Charles, of Grey mouth; the mate, Mr G. D. Godfrey, of Wellington; the chief engineer, Mr Albert Harvey, of Wellington; the assistant engineer, Mr William Harding, of Greymouth; two able seamen, Messrs John Cutbush, of Hokitika, and Joseph Mclntyre, of Londonderry, Ireland; cook, Mr Robert Evans, of Greymouth; and two ship’s boys. Melvin Wylde and Norris Douglas, both of Greymouth. “It came as a series of shocks like very heavy seas, when we first hit,” said Mr Harvey tonight. “We came astern, then went forward again, and took on a big list to starboard. We were in a bad way. “How long it all took, I don’t know. I lost count of the time. I was on watch in the engineroom, and I know the shock wasn’t enough to knock me off my feet. “We went into the boat just with what we stood up in, and the captain brought the sextant and the log,” said Mr Harvey. “The seas were heavy and very dangerous. Some were six or eight feet high, and breaking. We watched the ship list more and more, and finally go down by the head. Then we started drifting.” With a sea anchor out and flares burning, the boat began drifting towards The Brothers rock. Kokiri Puts About Emergency signals from Wellington radio were picked up bv the second officer of the Wellington-bound Kokiri soon after midnight. The master (Captain H. G. Robertson) put his ship about, and made for the scene of the wreck, 12J miles to the south-west.

In spite of heavy rain and big seas, look-outs on the collier saw a red flare from the Hauti’s boat. The boat was then very near The Brothers rock. The nine men from the Hauiti were hauled aboard the Kokiri. They were wet and cold, but otherwise unharmed. At 1.46 a.m. today, the Kokiri sent the following radio message: “All safe; proceeding Wellington.” She berthed at Aotea Quay at 6.40 a.m.. with the Hauiti’s lifeboat in tow. This afternoon, officials of the Picton Harbour Board and the Marine Department, in the launch Enterprise, cruised in the area where the Hauiti was wrecked, but they found no trace of her.

At one time a popular Auckland passenger and excursion steamer, the Hauiti was built at Auckland in 1911

by the firm of G. Nieoll. ' Her dimensions were: length, Joo.2ft; beam, 20ft; depth, 9.4 ft. She was owned until the outbreak of the Second World War by the Northern Steamship Company and wasr used on the run between Auckland and Great Barrier Island. On November 15, 1941, she was commissioned as examination vessel for the port of Auckland, and was subsequently used to service H.M.N.Z.S. Tamaki, the naval training establishment at Motuihi Island.

The Hauiti was sold in May, 1947, by the War Assets Realisation Board to the South Westland Shipping Company to replace the Gael, which had been sold to John Holm, Ltd. Her passenger accommodation was removed, and new quarters were built for the crew. At the same time, the steam engine and boiler were taken out and a diesel engine was installed. She could carry about 165 tons of general cargo and about 50,000 feet of sawn timber.

The Hauiti was used in the trade between Wellington and Greymouth and Hokitika, with occasional trips to Jackson’s Bay and Milford Sound. Latterly the vessel has been employed on other runs, and was an occasional visitor to Lyttelton.

RESCUE VESSEL FROM PICTON

HELP NOT NEEDED (New Zealand Press Association) BLENHEIM, April 25. The whaling blubber ship Tuatea put out from Picton at 12.30 a.m. today in an attempt to assist the coaster Hauiti, which was wrecked at The Wash rocks. When the Tuatea neared the northern entrance of Queen Charlotte Sound, however, a wireless message was received, saying that the crew of the coaster had been picked up by the Kokiri. The Tuatea then put back to port.

News of the wreck was received at the Tory Channel whaling station at 11.15 p.m. yesterday. The sea in Cook Strait was too rough for whale chasers to be used, and Mr Gilbert Perano. who is in charge of the station, placed the Tuatea at the disposal of the Picton harbour authorities. The Wash Rocks, also known as the Tokuare rocks, are about three miles from the South Island.