COASTER AGROUND

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30811, 24 July 1965, Page 1

COASTER AGROUND

Refloating Bid Fails

An unsuccessful attempt was made soon after midday yesterday to free the coaster Ranginui stranded on a sand spit about 200 yards inside the bar at the mouth of the Waimakariri river. Another attempt was to have been made to refloat the coaster about 12.30 a.m. today. The Ranginui, fully loaded with general cargo, went aground soon after 11 a.m. on Thursday when outward bound for Wellington. Cr. H. O. Hills, the Mayor of Kaiapoi and a member of the Kaiapoi Borough Council harbour committtee, said that as the tide rose yesterday the vessel, which had been in a groove in the sand, swung and again went aground. A bulldozer had been taken to the river mouth to cut the accumulated sand away from round the vessel’s hull, where she lay in no danger on the north side of the river. Cr. Hills said he believed that a second bulldozer was to be used in the early morning attempt. That bulldozer would be on the south side of the bank, helping to pull the vessel off with a wire rope. Even if the vessel were refloated tonight he did not expect it to attempt to cross the bar but, because of the sea running, to return to Kaiapoi, he said.