“Crew Probably Left Kaitawa”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31151, 30 August 1966, Page 1

“Crew Probably Left Kaitawa”

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 29. The crew of the collier Kaitawa probably abandoned ship several hours before she sank in a storm off the North Gape on May 23, the Marine Court of Inquiry was told today. There were no survivors from the crew of 29. Only one body has been found.

Navy divers found the collier’s capsized hull lying in 19 fathoms of water. The hull was holed and dented and the superstructure had been ripped away.

Officers of the freighter Cape Horn last month told the Court of a red distress flare sighted at 11.50 p.m., nearly three hours after the Kaitawa’s last radio message.

The hearing resumed today before Mr R. D Jamieson, S.M. Assisting him are three assessors—Captain T. J. Brown, Captain T. H. J. Davis, and Mr G. Apperley. Mr R. C. Savage, with him Mr D. P. Neazor, represents the Marine Department. Mr A. F. Macalister, with him Mr D. L. Brooker, appears for the Merchant Service Guild and the Institute of Marine and Power Engineers. Representing the Union Steam Ship Company are Mr R. W. Edgley and Mr M. J. Powles. Mr C. H. Arndt appears for the Seamens’ Union, the Cooks and Stewards’ Union, and a number of dependants of men who lost their lives.

Mr Savage said it was postulated that after the Cape Horn fixed the Kaitawa’s posi-

tion at 8 p.m., the Kaitawa continued on her usual course. At that stage there was nothing apparently wrong. It was also postulated that she continued on a normal course for the next hour. At 9 p.m. there was a sudden and serious change.

If the usual course had been followed, the Kaitawa would have been in this area of shallower water which has not been previously charted. This area, because it was shallower, would have been more turbulent

“It is thought she developed a list to port, that she was then overwhelmed by the seas carrying away the bridge and wheelhouse, and that she then drifted, maybe upright, maybe capsized—and there are arguments for both —and the crew probably abandoned ship.” “The drift is disclosed by the charts made by observations and soundings by the naval officer whose evidence is to be given. That shows that from the point she would drift towards Pandora Bank.” Message Mutilated Captain E. Milroy who was appointed by the Minister of Marine to assemble evidence, said that when the Kaitawa left Westport on May 20 she carried 2957 tons of coal, 85 tons of fuel, and 60 tons of water and stores, which added up to 32 tons more than her dead-weight capacity. But that excess would have disappeared in fuel consumed in the three days before the sinking. She would have been within her dead-weight allowance at that time.

Captain Milroy gave evidence of messages received from the Kaitawa putting back her estimated time of arrival and of the final radio message which changed from a “Pan” to a “Mayday” message.

The message was: “Mayday. This is Kaitawa ZMBC. Position (word or words were missed here) 10 miles Cape

Reinga, bearing zero-35 (word or words missed) 30 degrees. Require immediate assistance.”

Captain Milroy said he believed the last missing word was “listing” or “heeling," as these were the only words which made sense before 30 degrees. He gave his reasons for this supposition. Raft Used Captain Milroy also gave evidence of his examination of wreckage, a raft and life-belts-which were washed up on the coast after the disaster. He said there were indications that the raft had been occupied in the water and that someone in the raft had opened the emergency pack. Adhesive tape from the emergency pack was attached to the raft doorway. A type of flare which had been in the pack was the same colour as the flare sc:n from the Cape Horn. Of the Kaitawa’s 32 lifejackets, 18 had been washed up and there we - e indications that some, at least, had been used.

The 18 life-jackets must have been brought on deck by the crew from their cabins.

Kaiapoi Incident

A “pan” distress call and a list to starboard by the Kaitawa’s sister ship Kaiapoi on the same coal run a month later were described by Captain Milroy. He said the Kaiapoi had had to put into New Plymouth with a 15-degree list when her coal cargo shifted in one hold.

Navy divers had found a dent 80ft long and 6in deep in the bottom of the capsized hull of the Kaitawa, said Captain Milroy.

The ship had struck the bar off Westport three months previously, but since the dented metal was still shiny it was unlikely that the damage had occurred in the earlier grounding incident. Captain Milroy explained why the divers had not tried

to get inside the sunken ship. “It might be suggested they should have cut into the en-gine-room to find if there was any evidence of engine failure,” he said.

He had not asked for this because of the danger involved, Underwater cutting - gear could have caused an explosion if there had been fuel gas in an air-pocket.

Since the weather also was “becoming very bad,” the diving operations had been called off. Holds Empty The divers had, in any case, been able to see from outside that the holds were empty, as the hatch covers were off. Cross - examined by Mr Arndt, Captain Milroy agreed that the Kaiapoi’s engines had broken down during the incident he had described. If such a break-down had occurred in weather similar to the force 9 gale on May 23, the ship would have been in “a very dangerous position,” he said. The Kaiapoi’s breakdown had been caused by a failure in the lubricating oil supply to the starboard engine. There was no reason why the ship’s list should have affected the oil pressure. In the case of the Kaitawa, divers would not have been able to detect by checking on the engine-room telegraph system to see whether the engines had been stopped deliberately or whether they had broken <iown. This was because the telegraph system would have been wrecked when the superstructure was torn off. Navigation Aids To Mr Macalister, Captain Milroy said the Kaitawa’s navigational equipment consisted of a compass, a radio-direction finder and sounding device.

The estimated position given in the ship’s distress signal was inaccurate. Radar, if it had been fitted, would have given a quick and accurate fix. The sounding device was fitted aft in such a position that it would have been dangerous for the crew to try to work it with the ship listing in a gale. The way the distress signal changed in urgency while it was being sent suggested the Kaitawa’s position suddenly worsened after the radio officer had started to send it. If the list was caused in the same way as the Kaiapoi’s some 100 tons of water must have found its way into a hold. For this much water to enter “something very sudden” would have to happen. The McGregor-type steel hatch-covers fitted to the holds were normally leakproof, but “like any other type, It is possible for them to fail in heavy weather," said Captain Milroy. “Coal Was Dry” Mr A. W. Archibald, wharf superintendent at Westport, said there was “nothing unusual” about the loading of the Kaitawa. The coal was dry when it was loaded. Mr A. Brunton, an Auckland Post Office telegraphist, said he was on radio-telephone watch at Musick Point when the Kaitawa’s distress signal came through. He knew and recognised the radio operator’s voice as he read the signal. The “Pan” signal, repeated three times, came at 8.59 p.m. and was given in an “unhurried” manner.

About 15 seconds later came the “Mayday” call, which “appeared to be rushed as if he was more excited,” Mr Brunton said. Mr Brunton asked for the ship’s position to be repeated. There was no reply from the Kaitawa.

The inquiry will continue tomorrow.