KNIGHT OF THE GARTER

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1078, 17 March 1911, Page 6

KNIGHT OF THE GARTER

HER STRANDING. WHAT CAN MASTERS RELY ON? SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT, (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Invercargill, March 16. The Nautical Inquiry into the circumstances of the stranding of the Knight of the Garter in Bluff. Harbour on February 17 has occupied tho attention of Mr. G. Cruickshnnk, S.M., and Captain Bollons and Captain Suudstrum (assessors) for the past two days. A great amount of evidence has been taken, and tho finding of the Court has been awaited with keen interest. The Knight of the Garter was commanded by Captain Finnis. Her tonnage is i 29.>, and she belongs to Messrs. Grccnshields, Cowie, and Co., of Liverpool, but was under charter to the New Zealand Shipping Company. The judgment of the Court was as follows:— After hearing all the parties, the Court finds that the master, who knew (hat the Bluff Harbour Was a compulsory pilotage port, eneretd such harbour contrary to the sailing directions in the "New Zealand Pilot" without first securing the, services of a pilot. While this w;as not such a wilful default as to call f6r his certificate being dealt with, it was a'grave error of judgment of which this Court marks its serious disapproval by ordering him to pay <£40 towards the cost of the inquiry. Tho certificate of the master will be returned to him. The Court further finds that tho look-out service of the Bluff Harbour 'Board, maintained at Stirling Point, is wanting in efficiency. If the look-out men had had their duties better defined, it is probable that the initial mistake of the master would have been rectified in time to have averted tho disaster. Tho Court also finds that tho harbourmaster, after the stranding, showed lack- of foresight in not leaving a pilot on board the vessel, and in not having tho tug in close attendance to assist when the tido began ■to make. The Harbour Board, being thus found in default, it is ordered to pay tho balanco of tho costs {£9 13s. 5d.). The Court further adds as a rider tho following recommendations:— (1) That, in the interests of shipping, it is advisable for tho Bluff Harbour Board to issue such instructions to their pilots as will ensure the prompt boarding of vessels on arrival at the limits i of pilotage waters, '• whether the tido then suits or not. '(2)' That the attention of tho Harbour Board bo drawn to the misleading information in the "New Zealand Pilot" and tho "New Zealand Nautical Almanac" as to tho signal staff at Stirling Point. (3) That, as fog is somewhat prevalent at the Bluff, it is desirable to have tho flagstaff at Stirling Point reestablished. In delivering judgment, the magistrate stated that both he and the assessors wished to express their appreciation of the assistance; given by' the counsel engaged .in the case—Mr. Hanion for Captain Finnis, Mr. M'Donald for the harbourmaster, and Mr. Macalister for the Harbour Board. • They wished particularly to express their appreciation of the very able and impartial manner in which Mr. H. R. Spence had ■ conducted tho inquiry on behalf of tho Marine Department. His presentation of tho case had been of very great assistance to them in obtaining a disnassionato' knowledge of the-facts of the" occurrence.