Delay In Calling Out Liferafts

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31726, 9 July 1968, Page 24

Delay In Calling Out Liferafts

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 8. Two rubber liferafts at Wellington Airport which were used on the afternoon of April 10 to rescue survivors from the Wahine were not called out until after 2 p.m. it was said at the Court of Inquiry today.

Captain Douglas William Galloway, the Wellington Harbourmaster, said under questioning that the liferafts could have been available off Seatoun Beach, where some survivors landed, at 130 p.m., when the ship was being abandoned.

Captain Galloway had been asked by Mr F. D. O’Flynn, counsel for a group of survivors, if he was aware that the liferafts, stationed at the airport for use in emergencies, were not turned out until the Wellington Fire Brigade called for them.

“What the Harbourmaster did or what he was going to do I don’t know,” said Captain Galloway. “I do not know what was in his mind.” Captain Galloway was deputy harbourmaster when the ship was lost. Mr O'Flynn questioned Captain Galloway extensively on harbour rescue services and harbour board procedures for emergencies. Captain Galloway said ships and small craft were put on alert at 7 a.m. on April 10. Mr O’Flynn: If the airport liferafts weren’t called until after 2 p.m., would that be a failure to carry out one of the procedures laid down?—l don’t know when they were called. I cannot tell you. Mr O’Flynn: But if they weren’t called until 2 p.m ? As far as 1 know the port was put on an alert at 7.30 a.m. and remained on alert What the controller did do or didn’t do 1 don’t know. Mr O’Flynn also asked Captain Galloway about the alerting of the Wellington yacht clubs. “If you had been the Harbourmaster would you have alerted those boating organisations at 11 in the morning?” Captain Gallaway: Do I have to answer this? The chairman (Mr R. D. Jamieson, S.M.): If you can. Captain Galloway: They should have been alerted at 7.30 in the morning. Fishing Boats Under further questioning Captain Galloway said that if fishing boats had been asked at midday to go to the Wahine they would have made the effort. Mr O’Flynn said some of the fishing boats did not leave for the ferry until 2.15 p.m To Mr W. R. Birks, for the police. Captain Galloway said there had been no messages from the Wahine after 7.30 a.m. saying she was in danger. Mr Birks: Then it was natural that the rescue services ashore were lulled into a sense that there was no further danger?—l don’t know about that

Captain Galloway said he had not known until the night of April 10 that rescue forces were heavily committed because of the storm ashore. “So because you didn’t know what was happening on shore you didn’t think it was necessary to tell them what was happening on the Wahine?—You mustn’t put words into my mouth. Mr Birks: Then you were not aware that the crew of the Manga (Navy launch) had been told they could stand down about 12.30? You were not told that the police had been told about 10.45 they could relax to the extent of returning to barracks? Overturned Rafts Questioned by Mr C. H. Arndt, for the Cooks’ and Stewards’ Unions, Captain Galloway said he had seen a lot of overturned liferafts in the water. Mr Arndt asked if he thought it would have been essential to have people along the Pencarrow coast suitably equipped to deal with exhausted people being washed ashore. Captain Galloway: If these people hadn’t gone into the water so quickly this operation would have gone a lot easier. He said that as soon as it was known that people were going ashore at that area he would have expected the appropriate authorities to take action. Questioned about getting small boats to the Seatoun area. Captain Galloway said that at 1 p.m. it was still blowing half a gale and small boats would have had difficult;-. Mr Arndt: Do you think if any more vessels had been available at Seatoun they could have picked up more survivors?—lf they had been at Seatoun, yes. But how could they get there? Mr O’Flynn asked Captain Galloway if the Harbourmaster had authority to offer advice to vessels going into the harbour as to whether or not to enter.

Captain Galloway: The Harbourmaster advises the master. Asked what advice he would have given the Wahine’s master as it was entering the harbour on April 10, Captain Galloway said that if he had been harbourmaster and if the weather had been what he saw at Steeple Rock at 8.20 that morning, he would have advised the master to put to sea. Captain Galloway said he

joined the pilot launch Tiakina at Seatoun Wharf at 8 a.m. and the craft made two unsuccessful attempts to get past the heads. The seas were too rough to allow this. On the first attempt the Tiakina got a “blob” on the radar screen but did not report it then because the men aboard were not sure that it was the Wahine. The launch reported the radar sighting, however, after a visual sighting had been made from Beacon Hill signal station. Questioned by Mr R. C. Savage, for the Marine Department, Captain Galloway said the Wahine was “in the centre of Chaffer’s Passage.”

The passage lies between the western shore of the harbour and Barrett’s Reef. Several of the Wahine’s deck officers denied in earlier evidence the ship was in the passage. About 9.30 a.m. or 10 a.m. the Tiakina and the tug Tapuhi were sheltering in the Seatoun area. They moved out to the Wahine when the wind dropped from 90 knots to 70 knots. The Tapuhi backed to within 25ft of the Wahine’s stern before the ferry fired a rocket so a towing line could be passed to the Wahine. At this stage the winds would have been 60-65 knots and there was a big sea running.

Mr Savage: Having taken up the strain on the wire, what happened?—l saw the starboard cable (of the anchor) slacken and then there was a squall and the wire broke. Captain Galloway said he got aboard the Wahine and reported to the master on the bridge. “He told me she was holed, that she was at anchor, and that the pumps were coping." Five-Degree List Mr Savage: Did the master say anything about whether the vessel had a list? Captain Galloway: No, sir. Do you recall making a reference in your affidavit that he was concerned about the starboard list?—This was later, after I had reported. He said he was concerned about the passengers. Did you detect a list?— There was a list on the ship when I boarded her. My estimate, five degrees. Captain Galloway said that if the ship had not had the list when he boarded her, the launch would have been smashed by the belting round the Wahine. “At this time the chief officer came on the bridge. I asked him what cable was on the anchors and was told nine and 10 shackles (135 fathoms and 150 fathoms).” Captain Galloway said he did not want to slip the anchors. “She might have gone anywhere if she had slipped her anchors.” There was no chance of disembarking passengers. The ship was still sheering and there was no sense in'putting the passengers in the boats ready to disembark. “From memory I talked to the master about the boats being half full of water and ordered an A.B. to take the plugs out ot all the boats—all the boats was the order.”

Captain Galloway said that the chief office re-appeared and spoke to the master. The master said they were to inspect the ship and he and the chief officer left the bridge.

Pumps Ordered After the master returned to the bridge at 12.45 Captain Galloway ordered pumps. Mr Savage: Did the master tell you where these pumps would be used? Captain Galloway: No. Was anything said about the l°vel of wate. on the vehicle deck?—No. It was never discussed. At this stage the vessel had developed a list to starboard, said Captain Galloway. Mr Savage: What made you feel that the ship should be abandoned at this particular point?—The vessel made a lee, and it was the first time we had a chance of getting the passengers off. Did you think the vessel was likely to capsize?—No. I aid not. Wha' is “making a lee"? —Earlier the ship had been sheering and swinging at anchor. Now she was stable, beam on to the wind caught by the tide. The vessel is 480 ft long and made quite a good lee. The stern was pointing to Camp Bay, on the Eastbourne coast, and the bow was pointing to the Seatoun side of the harbour. This was the first chance to abandon ship. I take it that in your opinion it was a chance that ought to have been taken?— The vessel had made a lee and had a 25 degree list. The decision to abandon ship had been taken only a few seconds when I went to the V.H.F. and told the tug to forget about making the wire safe and to devote themselves to saving lives.