Barges Follow Course Of Tug, Inquiry Told

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30196, 30 July 1963, Page 14

Barges Follow Course Of Tug, Inquiry Told

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 29. A barge under tow followed the path of a towing vessel if a turn was negotiated slowly, Brian Francis Logan, captain of the tug Otapiri, said today at’a Marine Department inquiry at Auckland into the sinking of the yacht Faith II off Cheltenham Beach on March 15. The barge Moehau, under tow by the Otapiri, was involved in a collision with Faith II some time after 9.30 a.m. on the night of March 15. Thomas Gary Davies, aged 22, a student, a crew member of Faith 11, was drowned when the yacht sank after the collision.

The inquiry is before Mr T. G. H. Sinclair. S.M. The assessors are Captains J D Keane and K. Penny and Mr J. C. George. Mr J. W Bain appears for the Marine Department. Auckland Waiter Transport. Limited, owners of the tug and barge, are represented by Mr R I Barker and Mr D. G. Rich. They also appear for Logan. In evidence. Captain Logan said the barge was directly behind the tug and had not drifted to port rounding North Head He said that he had sailed from Hobson Wharf about 930 p.m

The Otapiri was tied to the port side of the Moehau. In mid-harbour off Devonport ■Wharf the towline was dropped The line was let out 100 fathoms and after taking up the slack the Otapiri steamed ahead at six knots All lights on the tug and the barge were showing. Mr Bain said the 300-ton barge was loaded with 200 tons of fertiliser and two 61ft bridge beams, each weighing 5 tons. It would appear that the Otapiri had burning two white masthead lights on a foremast, port and starboard and stem lights, and the Moehau had port and starboard and stern lights.

Evidence would be given that Faith H's stem light did not technically comply with the regulations and that the wiring of all the yacht's lights \ as not entirely satisfactory. Mr Bain said that the owner of Faiith 11. Donald Murray Reid, said he heard a launch but did not recognise the lights or what they signified. He was conscious of another vessel, but it was to starboard and he did not take any notice of it. When Faith Il's crew saw the towrope. it was too late to avert a collision. Give Way To Sail Mr Bain said that under collision regulations, a vessel under power must give way to a sail boat, and an overtaking vessel must keep clear of other boats. Peter Philip Cross, a bank clerk, one of the five on board the ketch, said that the cabin lights and port and starboard lights were all on. “It was a good moon-light night and the sky was clear.” he said. 'There was very little wind.”

The ketch was off North Head when the navigation lights of a vessel were spotted approaching from the stern. He did not know at that time that it was a tug.

“We were virtually becalmed at the time,” he said, •‘and the tug overtook us. It was about 50 yards away.” A couple of minutes later the lights of another vessel were seen. It was following roughly the same course as the first.

“It was about 75 yards away when I first saw it and I thought it was a boat under its own steam,” he said. “It was throwing up a bow wave and I could hear the throb of a motor coming from it. “It’s Under Tow” “When it was about 15 yards away I saw the towrope going down into the water about 10ft from the bow of the vessel and someone yelled: ‘lt’s under tow. Get the motor going’,” said Mr Cross. “Donald Reid, who had come up to see what was going on, dived below and started the motor.”

The witness said that he went to the starboard side of the ketch because he saw the vessel was going to hit. “I put one hand on the barge as it hit and realised that Faith II was going under so I dived off,” he added. "Michael Benjamin was just behind me and also dived off. When I surfaced I saw the ketch go down.” Mr Cross said that they called out to each other in the water and discovered that Davies was missing.

Cross-examined by Mr Bain. Mr Cross said that the barge was a considerable distance from Faith II when it was first seen, but appeared to twist toward the ketch just before it hit. It was not on a collision course until a short way off. By then it was too late to get out of the way. Donald Reid said that the barge suddenly swung sideways through the water "like a water-skier.” He started the motor without difficulty and got back on deck just in time to step off into the water before Faith II went under the bow of the barge.

The inquiry will continue tomorrow.