Gothic Aground 4½ Hours

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31163, 13 September 1966, Page 1

Gothic Aground 4½ Hours

(New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER, September 12. The 15,911-ton Shaw Savill cargo ship (lothic, a former Royal yacht, spent four hours and a half aground on a sandbank at the port of Napier today.

She nosed on to the sandbank about 6 a.m., while berthing, and floated free on an incoming tide about 10.30 a.m.

Early attempts to bring her off—against a falling tide—were unsuccessful.

The Napier Harbour Board’s bucket dredge, Whekerire, was called in to help to get the Gothic off the sandbank.

Two lines were put across to Herrick wharf but in spite of the ship’s own power and the pull of the dredge she remained fast.

The harbourmaster, Captain C. A. Barker, inspected the ship from the pilot launch.

His assistant, Captain G. S. Gunn, was pilot on the Gothic, which is visiting Napier to load meat and general cargo for the United Kingdom. The Gothic is one of the largest cargo ships to use the Napier port. After the Gothic had berthed her master, Captain H. O. V. Andersen, said it was the first such incident to occur to the Gothic. After the vessel struck the sandbank, fuel from the forward tanks was pumped aft, he said. This helped to free her. Captain Andersen said he did not know of any damage. A diver would examine the ship at Napier.