WAIRAU BAR

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 123, 26 May 1928, Page 11

WAIRAU BAR

OLD STEAMER AS FLOATINGDAM Practically stripped of all her valuable equipment, tho historic old steamer Waverlcy is now lying at Queen's Wharf waiting to be towed on her last voyage across Cook Strait to bo used as si floating dam at the mouth of tlje Wairau Eiver. Shipbreakcrs have beeii busy during the last few weeks cutting out tho brass fittings, and, removing all tho machinery of any commercial value until only the boiler remains. This, too, will be lifted out of tho vessel before she is taken from Wellington. 'Die Wavorlcy was recently sold by the Patea Farmers' Co-operative Freezing Co. to S. Wood and Son, Ltd., who have been responsible for dismantling her. The hullhas now been resold to T. Eckford and Co., who intend towing her to the Wairan Eiver. Considerable difficulty ia often experienced by the small coastal vessols Echo, Wairau, and Opawa in crossing the boulder bar at the mouths of the Opawa and Wairau Rivers. At present those ships have to skirt the bar for about three-quarters of a mile after they have left the mouth of the river, and finally put out to sea over a portion of the bar where the water is often insufficiently- deop. To remody this, a breastwork has been built out at the mouth of the Wairau River at right angles to the bar, and a channel has been scooped out in the boulder bank. It is intended to anchor the hull of the Waverley at the end of the breastwork and to use her as a floating dam to divert tho main stream of the Wairau through the new cut in tho bar. Owing to tho shoaling of the bar it may bo necessary to have the cut scooped out about thvee times before it becomes permanent.