Wahine foundered 16 years ago
PA Wellington Sixteen years ago yesterday the inter-island ferry Wahine struck Barretts Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour. Fifty-one people died when the ferry foundered near Steeple Rock on April 10, 1968, after an overnight voyage from Lyttelton. It was New Zealand’s worst shipping disaster since the Penguin was wrecked in Cook Strait in February, 1909, with the loss of 75 lives. The Wahine was in use between Wellington and Lyttelton for less than two years and on its last voyage, 610 passengers, 123 officers and crew, and one stowaway were on board. It was also carrying 74 cars, 17 seafreighters, eight trailers, and four other vehicles. A Court of Inquiry into
the disaster found it was caused by the ferry, struck by wind of great violence and the worst weather recorded in New Zealand, sheering off course when visibility was nil. The immediate cause of the Wahine heeling over and sinking was the in-flow of water as a result of striking Barretts Reef. The Court, conducted by a stipendiary magistrate, Mr R. D. Jamieson, said it was a great tragedy that 51 people should lose their lives. But had the Wahine not continued its battle for so long “we would have been very fortunate had there been 51 survivors out of the 734 persons on board,” he said. Passenger services between Wellington and Lyttelton were subsequently taken over by the Maori and newly-built Rangatira, but
ended in 1976. Shipping casualties in the region since the Wahine include the Pacific Charger and the Yung Pen. The Pacific Charger ran aground at Baring Head while on its maiden voyage in May, 1981. It was salvaged and later towed back to Japan for repairs. A Court of Inquiry found that the ship’s Taiwanese master. Captain Chiou Ruey Yang, was to blame. It said the ship was unseaworthy because of its incompetent master and deck officers. The fishing boat Yung Pen hit the rocks in Owhiro Bay in December, 1982. Poor navigation and seamanship on the part of the master, Chen Si Lin, was blamed. He was later banned for life from commanding a boat in New Zealand waters.
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Press, 11 April 1984, Page 4
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362Wahine foundered 16 years ago Press, 11 April 1984, Page 4
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