VESSELS DELAYED

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 255, 27 July 1927, Page 5

VESSELS DELAYED

ROUGH WEATHER AT AUCKLAND. Dominion Special Service. Auckland, July 25. The weather at Auckland to-day was very stormy, with the wind blowing with gale force from north-east. In consequence, most of' tho vessels in port were idle and their departures have been delayed accordingly. During a heavy gust after 4 o’clock, the Northern Company’s new auxiliary schooner Hauturn, which had arrived from Greenock, and was in the stream waiting for pratique to bo granted, dragged her anchors and drifted past Queen’s Wharf and close nnder the stern of the motor-ship Port Dunedin, which was moored on the west side of the wharf. When the Hanturu reached a position nearly midway between the Queen’s Wharf and Prince’s Wharf the anchors again took effect and held her in position, with the lofty hull of the Port Dunedin acting as a breakwater. Shortly afterwards the tug To Awhina arrived on the scene and took tho Hauturu in tow. but owing to the schooner being only fitted with hand windlass it took nearly an hour to heave up a long length of cable attached to the anchors before tho To Awhina conld tow tho schooner alongside the Central Wharf. Afterwards the To Awhina was dispatched to Dovonport, where tho Harbour Board’s pile-driver was dragging her moorings. After considerable difficulty in lifting the pilo-drivor’s moorings, tho latter was towed to a sheltered position at the west side of Prince's Wharf.