MARINE INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 111, 4 February 1943, Page 4

MARINE INQUIRY

Stranding Of Steamer Kaiwarra EVIDENCE OF MASTER The statement that he attributed the mishap to an unexpected set was made by the master of the steamer Kaiwarra when a marine inquiry opened in Wellington yesterday to investigate the stranding of the vessel off .Motunau Island, North Canterbury, early in the morning of December 4 last. Evidence had been given by the captain and first, second and third officers of the ship when the inquiry was adjourned till 10 a.m. today. Mr. A. M. Goulding, S.M., presided, the assessors being Captain L. H. C. Worrall aud Captain A. Reed. Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell appeared for the master and chief aud second officers of the vessel, Dr. N. A. Foden for the Marine Department, and Mr. C. G. White for the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., the owners of the Kaiwarra, Evidence was given by Captain' William Henry Dean Gardner, master of the Kaiwarra, that he had not retired when be communicated with the bridge at 1.20 a.m. to find out what was on the log at 1 a.m., and he asked why he had not been called before that, because it was raining very heavily. Standing orders provided that he should be called on any change in the weather. He found that the_ ship had about 3i miles to run on her’ then course to positions seen onthe chart. He went to the bridge, found the ship had only been doing four knots and ordered speed to be increased to 260' revolutions. He had every confidence in the log. He ordered the sounding gear to be ready. He could not tell the visibility at that time. It was raining heavily and very black. He thought the land was at least five or six miles away. According to the engineer’s -log-book the ship touched bottom at 1.39 a.m. Witness, who was standing by the telegraph, ordered full speed astern and the helm hard to port. He could not then see what the vessel had bumped. He was 10 to 15 minutes on the bridge before that. He computed that he was 7J to 8 miles north of the position steered for, and where he thought he was. Everything possible was done by the ship’s complement to get the vessel off, and their final rescue was due to the lifeboats. Witness said he attributed the vessel’s disaster to an unexpected set. His own experience was that sets on the New Zealand coast were most unseasonable aud very changeable, but he had no experience in this particular part. He ordered the soundings to be taken very shortly before the ship struck. He was not satisfied with the second mate’s omission to eall him. Grounded on Sand-Bank.

Continuing, Captain Gardner said the ship was three-quarters of a mile off-shore when she grounded on a sandbank. The coast there was not surveyed. Taking a running fix, as he had done at 6 p.m., was the recognized method of determining position on a coast such as that. Had a cross-bearing been possible he would have taken it, aud had the stars been visible he would have taken a position from them. Had a cross-bearing been possible when he took the running fix he did not think he would have found himself further inshore. Had it been reported to him at 12 o’clock that the weather was thick he could have slowed the ship and taken soundings. Any further action would have been guided by these. 'Che only way he could have changed course wisely would have been to turn the ship right round and steam out the way he had come in. Replying to Dr. Foden, witpess said he did not consider heavy rain was thick weather, which was recognized as fog and mist. Dr. Foden said there was a difference among nautical men as to what really constituted heavy weather. Thomas Babot Sinel, third mate of the Kaiwarra at the time of the mishap, gave evidence concerning the course he was given, saying it was frequently checked. He was on watch from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m. The weather cleared at 11 p.m. and from then till midnight there were intermittent showers. The weather was mainly fair, with visibility at about two miles.' He did not sight land during his watch. His instructions were to take the log-reading every hour, speed not to drop below six knots, with the usual routine orders. Fires were being cleared between 11 p.m. and midnight, when the speed was five knots. Before that it had been six knots. Witness was relieved at midnight by the second mate, to whom he passed on the orders given by the master, who had to be called before the next alteration in course was made. When the vessel hit witness ran up on deck. The weather was very wet then. With a seaman, witness took soundings all round the ship. There were three fathoms all round the ship, except aft. where the depth was 3 J fathoms. The tide was one hour after high-water. Look-out Man Below. John Sutherland Melville, bolder of a New Zealand master’s certificate, and lately second mate of the Kaiwarra, testified that he relieved Sinel at midnight on December 3-4 and received the course and log from him. He checked the course on the standard and steering compasses. He was informed that he had 84 miles to run before the next alteration tn course, anil to call the master before that was done. At 0.58 a.m. the loonout man was given permission to go below for a few minutes, provided he checked the log and brought it up to witness. Regarding the weather, witness considered he had no reason to call the caplam earlier, and considered ho had not committed an error ef judgment in not doing so. At 1.16 a.m. he received a signal from the master, who asked hint what was on the log nt 1 a.m. 11 itncns said the look-out man. Muir, had read the log at 1 .'t.m., had gone below, for s brief period, and would be up in a few minutes. The log record should have reached witness quicker than it did. Muir came up nt 1.19 a.m. and gave the log reading. Witness could not say whether the log had fouled then. At 1.20 a.m. the master criticized witness for allowin- the speed to drop to four knots, as the log indicated, anti also tor not getting the log at 1 a.m. Witness was instructed by the master to increase, speed to 260 revolutions Nothing untoward had suggested itseif at. 130 a.m. The vessel touched bottom lit about 1.36 a.m. It was just .after that that the master asked witness to take soundings. Under examination by Mr. M kite, witness said be had not seen the land ot stars since 6 p.m. It was not h>s respousibilit.v to allow for sets, but that of the master. The ship bad been actually set. in a knot or a knot and a half since * To'jlr. Treadwell witness said that-he had been on the Kaiwarra about three months ami, as far as he knew, the log and steering gear were working perfectly When the ship ran aground there was considerable excitement, and events were crowded in a very short space of time. His recollection was that he was asked to get the sounding just after the strand ing. Witness had heard the master say ite gave that instruction before anything happened. William James Freeman, holder ot a New Zealand master’s certificate, and first mate of the Kaiwarra, generally contirineil the evidence of the three pre. vious witnesses as to the course taken by the ship till he was relieved at. 8 p.m. on December 3 b.v the third male. Slow speed would aggravate any set, he said The inquiry was then adjourned till 10 a.m. today.