North-east storm lashes Kaikoura

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32994, 14 August 1972, Page 1

North-east storm lashes Kaikoura

Two fishing trawlers were sunk at Kaikoura and a third beached when it broke from its moorings during a 97 m.p.h. north-east gale which lashed the township on Friday night. The storm was described as the worst in the district for 25 years.

In parts of the Nelson province, the storm left paddocks and roads inundated, rivers and creeks running at flood level, and slips over roads. Winds which gusted to 58 knots at Nelson Airport were accompanied by very heavy rain, 67mm. being recorded in the 24 hours to 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Passing over parts of the West Coast in the early hours of Saturday, the storm brought 6|in of rain to Hokitika in a few hours. The Hokitika River rose rapidly, and water soon accumulated in the streets when drains were unable to cope. Water lapped at the doorways of many shops in Weld Street, one of the main business areas.

In the residential part of the town, many houses were surrounded by water a foot deep. The rail-car from Christchurch due at Hokitika at 7.20 a.m. did not arrive until 8.5 a.m., having been delayed by floodwaters at Arahura, between Kumara and Hokitika. BOATS SUNK The fishing boats sunk at Kaikoura in mountainous seas were the Thomas G., owned by Messrs L. B. and L. Garbes, and the Kotare I, owned by Mr L. Campion. The Thomas G., a 28ft concrete vessel built at Kaikoura about five years ago, is worth $14,000. It is known to be insured. The Thomas G. had not been used for commercial fishing this year as Mr Garbes and his son had been crayfishing from a smaller boat. The Kotare I is a 20ft wooden-hulled vessel, a formers ship’s lifeboat which was decked over and rebuilt about five years ago. It is valued at $7OOO. Attempts will be made to

salvage both trawlers when the sea is calm again. The 28ft Fisher Lassie, owned by Mr R. Warman, was washed up on Jimmy Armer’s Beach during the storm and was later pulled above high-tide level by a bulldozer and breakdown truck. The rudder was broken off, and the stem post and bow damaged. Much of the planking was sprung. The vessel is valued at $12,000. The Kaikoura storm also tore planks, a fuel pump, and crane from the new wharf, lifted tiles and corrugated iron from roofs in the town, blew down chimneys and television aerials, and uprooted trees and shrubs. Three fishing trawlers from Lyttelton, which have been working in Kaikoura waters, sailed round to South Bay on the lee side of the Kaikoura Peninsula, where they sheltered until the storm passed. WHARF POUNDED The new wharf (about 60 years old), opposite the Pier Hotel, was pounded by the seas. Planks of hardwood 6in thick were torn from the wharf stringers as the waves smashed into the wharf piers and hurtled upwards with tremendous force. A crane used for unloading fish boxes from the trawlers was damaged when the waves tore the four planks it was bolted to from the wharf stringers. The crane was lifted by the waves, and moved about 3ft. The elec-tric-hoist motor and winch were damaged.

Power was off in Kaikoura from about 9 p.m. on Friday and was not restored until about 10.30 a.m. on Saturday. Some outlying areas were still without power until late on Saturday evening. State highway I north and south of Kaikoura remained open, but the heavy seas at high tide deposited rocks and seaweed on the road. The wind abated on Saturday, but at high tide about 8 p.m. the heavy easterly swell swept the seas across the road in several places along the Esplanade and in Moara Street, depositing piles of shingle, seaweed, and rocks.

Residents spent most of Saturday afternoon and yesterday hosing down their houses and gardens, and gathering the vast amounts of rubbish from their sections. Many insurance claims are already in for damage to houses, windows, and fences.

Owners of pleasure craft moored in the Nelson boat harbour were out attending

their craft at first light on Saturday. A few craft came adrift from their moorings but only one, the 25ft cabin cruiser Theodora, suffered major damage. The Theodora was holed below the water line and sank at her berth. Her owner, Mr A. Greet, valued the vessel at $3OOO. He faces an extensive repair bill when the cruiser is beached.

High seas backed by the strong northerly crashed across Rocks Road on Saturday, providing a spectacular display for the many families who ventured out. Roads in several areas of Nelson province were blocked by surface flooding, and power and telephone services were cut in some areas.

The main Nelson-Takaka highway was blocked by slips on Takaka Hill and surface flooding in the Takaka Valley. Rivers rose so rapidly that the Golden Bay Civil Defence organisation was alerted, but with an easing of the rain early on Saturday morning the rivers began to drop. TIMARU SHIPPING An easterly swell which reached its peak at the Pert of Timaru on Saturday affected shipping in the harbour. The Deputy Harbourmaster (Captain J. R. Kennedv) said the surge, probably from the north-easterly gale, caused a lot of movement to shipping. The tanker Hamilton parted some of her moorings on Saturday night. The Timaru Harbour Board’s mooring staff and the tug Aorang! were called out and the tanker secured.

While berthing the Hamilton early on Saturday morning, the ship’s head rope fouled the propeller of the pilot launch Strathallan and put her out of commission.

The Strathallan drifed over to the north mole, where divers subsequently freed the propeller. The Strathallan was in service again yesterday—there still being a swell in the harbour—for the anchorage of another two ships, which brought the number (of vessels tn port to five.