THE NGAIO

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 11, 12 July 1930, Page 30

THE NGAIO

WELLINGTON-WESTPORT

SERVICE

ASHORE AT GRUYIUOUTH

(By A. L. Kirk.)

Rusting away quietly in Evans Bay tho Ngaio awaits tlio timo ivlien she will again cross tho Straits, which sho has.seen in storm and in peaceful solitude. .

Since first when she wont to her moorings at the Slip Wharf, she has heard the soa call her many times, but fate has interposed, and she lias remained idle.. After the groat earthquake last year, she made one or two trips to her old port, Westport, find many thought ' that tho WellingtonWestport passenger service, which lapsed when the Mapourika was ■' withdrawn some years ago, would be revived. It was not to be, however, and after making one trip, the service coutinued as an extension of the Nelson servico for two or -three trips, and then lapsed. Then this year the rumour was current that tho Isgaio had been chartered to transport tho Samoa military police from here to Samoa, but on this force being disbanded, the project fell through, and' still sho pulls idly at her moorings.

Built in 1898 by Denny's, Dumbarton, under the supervision of Cap tain Cameron, the Marino Sußerinteud-

ent for the Union Company, as theMapourika, her gross tonnage is 1203, and her measurements arc: Length 220 feet, beam 33.1 feet, aud depth 1-1,1 feet. She made her' voyage out under the command of Captain Gray, who. had brought out the ICini some little timo previously. The West Coast service at that time supported two passenger eteamors, and the Mapourika was built specially for tho service, being designed from the experience already gained on ships engaged on. the run to the Coast. Her maiden voyage to the Coast was made on the 25th August, 1898, and her arrival at Greymouth caused quite a sensation, for at that time she was the largest passenger steamer on that service. . Her next four voyages were incident, but on the fifth the treacherous Grey Bar just failed to claim another victim. Arriving off the Grey Eiver on lßt October, she stood on to cross the Bar, going ahead at half speed. As she was approaching1 the end, of the breakwater, she was struck by a blind roller, which lifted her stern out. of the water, causing her propeller to. race and make her fail to respond to her helm. Tho wave then caught her and bumped her broadside on upon the North Tip. Pull speed astern was ordered immediately, but she was stuck fast, and efforts to refloat her were without avail. A similar experience had befallen the AVainui some time previously,. when she struck the . Beef Barrel Eocks, near French Pass, but sho was almost immediately refloated. Upon examining the position of the Mapourika at low tide, it was found that there wore two holes near her bow, this being the only damage sustained. On consideration it was decided that it would be impossible to get her off seaward unless sho could be canted broadside on to tho beach. A fort- ! night later, her position remained unaltered, and it was decided to build a cradle round her and cut through thu breakwater so as to be a*ble to relaunch her on the other side. A railway was constructed, and her propeller unshipped, and the work was ready to begin, but it was not until March 1899 that she was relaunched, the cost being in the vicinity of £6000. Not long after this mishap she again grounded, this timo at Mable Island, a little distance from tho Picton Wharf. Tha date of this stranding was July, 1900, but luckily she was refloated without sustaining any serious damage. Mr. Gettings, proprietor of Oxley's Hotel at Picton, has in his possession an excellent photograph of the vessel stranded on the island. Once again in 1915 she became notorious, but this time as a ghost ship. On the 12th January that year, the loiterers round the wharf were astounded to see coming round the point a white cloud. They waited patiently for a steamer to follow it, but the cloud proceeded down the harbour, and finally they discerned amidst it the green hull of the Mapourika coming direct from Westport. The phantom camo on feeling its way cautiously, for the captain was unable to see the foc'slo head from tho bridge. Finally ho succeedled in berthing her, aud upon inquiry it was found that a steam pipo had broken and until steam could bo blown off it could not be repaired. , In 1921 she was sold to the Anchor Company, who renamed her Ngaio, and placed her in the growing AVellingtonNelson service. Until the Arahura was bought, the Ngaio was the "liner" of the Anchor fleet, but now .she has been replaced by the Mataugi. For two months every year sho serves again under the Union Steam Ship Company's flag, relieving the Tamahine in the Picton service.