Fishing Boat Collides With 10,000-Ton Ship

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 7

Fishing Boat Collides With 10,000-Ton Ship

(New Zealand Press Association)

NEW PLYMOUTH, Ort. 2. A 15Jft fishing launch collided with the 10.588-ton vessel, Port Wellington, off New Plymouth yesterday. The two men aboard the launch, Mr C. A McLeod and Mr J. A. Sowry, escaped injury.

The launch was passing the ship when the launch's anchor rope was caught by the ship’s bow. As the rope tightened, the launch was pulled towards the ship, which it hit. No damage was caused, and the propellers cut the rope. “By sounding its siren, we thought the ship was signalling to the pilot launch, as it was preparing to come in and berth,” said Mr McLeod today. ‘‘We still thought it would change course tn avoid us.

‘The ship passed us between 20ft and 30ft away, and the bow of it picked up our anchor rope,” he said.

“As the rope tightened, we were pulled towards the side of the ship. We were too amazed to panic. We hit the side of the ship with a wallop, but fortunately no damage was caused to our launch.

“While we were being towed alongside the ship, somebody on the bridge

roared: ‘You should have given way.'

‘The anchor rope must have slid along the ship’s keel, and we were slowly pulled towards the stern of the ship. This is what we feared most, as we thought our launch would be cut to pieces by the ship’s propellers,” Mr McLeod said.

“We were getting ready to jump out of the launch as we neared the propellers,” he said. “Fortunately, the propeller* were well under the water. '

“When the anchor rope hit them, it was immediately cut, and we were freed. The ship continued on into the harbour.” ’

Mr McLeod then pulled up liis fishing line. Dangling on the end of it was a 101 b snapper—the best catch they had had all day.