RECORD LONG TRIP

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 219, 16 June 1925, Page 8

RECORD LONG TRIP

MARAROA IN SOUTHERLY GALE “THE WORST I HAVE MADE” SAYS CAPTAIN SEWELL Br Telegraph—Special Correspondent. Christchurch, June 15. With salt-encrusted funnel and decks that bore signs of having been washed by the crests of heavy seas, the Mararoa arrived in Lyttelton harbour this morning, having taken the longest time over the trip from Wellington in all her experience in the ferry service. She berthed at 6.35 a.m., the time occupied in the trip being 35 hours. Under ordinary circumstances the Mararoa has often made threi trips in less than that time. Since she took up the Maori’s running in the ferry service on May 10 last her speed has averaged 13} knots. The southerly gale sprang up while she was at Wellington’ at 6 p.m. on Saturday, and the Mararoa was.battling against it before she reached Pencarrow Head. “There was no occasion to reduce speed,” said Captain Sewell, “as the vessel soon slowed down herself, but the worst had yet to come. In Cook Strait the raging gale was accentuated by a mountainous head sea and driving sleet.” Captain Sewell said it was the worst trip he had made on the ferry run.

At noon yesterday the Mararoa had made only about 50 miles. Land was not visible until Kaikoura was reached at 10.30 last night. The weather began to moderate slightly half an hour later, and there was a still further improvement when the Mararoa got into the lee of the land. She could have reached Lyttelton at 5 a.m. to-day, but then no shoremen would have been on the wharf to take the mooring lines. The crew had had an unenviable time, but all stuck to their guns. They spoke in the highest terms of praise of the seagoing capabilities of the Mararoa, and especially of the manner in which Captain Sewell handled his charge. From the time she left Wellington until she reached Lyttelton he was scarcely ever absent from the bridge. T'V'e were altogether about SOO passengers, for whom four meals had to be supplied. There was no shortage, as the chief steward had the vessel well provisioned. Considering the severity of the passarc, there were few vacant seats at the dining table. “Terrible,” was how most of the passengers summed up the trip. “I shall never forget it.” said one of them. Mr. B. E. IT. Whitcorabe paid a tribute to the Mararoa’s capability as a sea boat. “The seas -were tremendous,” he said, “but the boat, although she was moving verv slowly, rode well. Without question it was the worst trip I have ever experienced. Great waves broke over the decks everv other minute, and we just crawled along, but we kent going. A surprising feature was the entire absence of panic. Women as well as men took things ouite calmly, due probably to the steadv way in which the old boat forged ahead. She is indeed a marvellous sea boat. T heard no complaints from any of the other passengers.”