Wahine Wreck THREE PIECES ON BED OF HARBOUR

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31984, 10 May 1969, Page 1

Wahine Wreck THREE PIECES ON BED OF HARBOUR

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 9. Navy divers today confirmed that the Wahine is in three pieces on the bed of Wellington Harbour after the battering of Thursday’s gale. But all three are still close to the wreck’s original position.

The Navy skindivers flown down from Auckland specially to check on the wreck measured 85 feet of stern lying about 50 yards to the east of the hulk.

The still visible part of the hull shows a. ragged break just behind the salvage company’s crane about 150 feet from the stern.

The other 120 feet between the stern and midships sections seems to have sheared off and dropped lower in the water but in the same position. Pilot Launch The section measured by the Navy divers today was found this morning when the pilot launch Tiakina swept the area using its echo-sound-ing equipment At 1Q.42 the harbourmaster (Captain D. W. Galloway) reopened the harbour to shipping, but it was not until the tide approached the low slack sometime after 2 p.m. that the first Navy diver went below to look for the stern. A six-foot swell and a

strong underwater surge made conditions marginal for the divers, and only one could go down at a time. There was no buoy to mark the stern section so the Tiakina had to stand off -and mark the spot while the divers worked from the police launch Lady Elizabeth. Second Diver The second diver down sighted the stern. The 14in of visibility on the bottom was just enough to enable him to see the stern railing and warning notice “Keep clear of propellers” which still are attached to the wreck. He said it was difficult to work near the wreck because of the strong surging, but It had seemed that the stem section had almost righted itself. As the Annul entered the harbour on Its voyage from Picton scores of passengers and crew lined the rails to watch the activities round the wreck. Underwater Survey Tonight the New Zealand representative for the Wahine’s underwriters, Mr L M.

Mackay, said the salvage team had by no means abandoned the foam idea of raising the wreck.

The salvage team would start a full underwater survey next week to prepare another set of charts and plans of the hull, he said. Until that had been done it would be Impossible to plan the next move. Mr Mackay said there should not be any great delay because of salvage equipment lost in the storm. Almost all could be replaced in New Zealand and the balance could be air-freighted in at very short notice, he said.