AGROUND ON BAR

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30171, 1 July 1963, Page 10

AGROUND ON BAR

Waimakariri Mishap

Fully-laden from North Island ports, the Kaiapoi Shipping Company's Tuhoe resisted attempts to refl: ait her from the Waimakarin bar yesterday morning. The vessel went aground on the southern spit of the bar at 11 am. on Saturday when attempting to enter the Port of Kaiapoi.

The company hoped to refloat the vessel on the high tide about midnight last might.

This was the second mishap ait the port in 24 hours. The Inter-Island Shipping Com,pany's vessel. Waiotahi. grounded in the turning basin at the wharf late on Friday evening.

She was freed on the high tide on Saturday morning with the help of the company's Ranginui. These two ships and the Kaiapoi Shipping Company * Toa afterwords sailed for the North Island but returned to the wharf when conditions at the bar proved unfavourable. With a full cargo of about 160 tons from Napier. Gisborne, and Wellington, the Tuhoe attempted to cross the bar with the help of the following tide, but was apparently slewed by rollers < i to the southern spit A steel hawser was run out to the vessel yesterday morning and attempts made to refloat her at high tide with the help of a giant bulldozer Although the vessel was swung around in the direction of the channel the tide was not high enough to lift her clear.

The Inter-Island Company's vessel. Taupaita, was refloated by similar means about two years ago. The Tuhoe was in no danger, said Mr C Williams, the company's agent at Kaiapoi. He fully expected that she would be refloated at high tide last evening. Mr Williams attributed the incident to poor bar conditions as a result of particularly low tides, combined with heavy seas

The Kaiapoi Borough Council. which administers the port, expects work on deepening the berthage basin to begin on Wednesday. The council had hoped the work would have started a-bout two weeks ago, said the chairman of the harbour committee (Mr H O Hills 1. But the heavy drag-line needed for the work had been detained on another important contract.,

About 5000 yards of spoil would probably be taken from the turning basin, he said