AGROUND IN FOG

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 31, 6 August 1934, Page 10

AGROUND IN FOG

MOTOR-SHIP HAURAKI

EFFORT TO REFLOAT FAILS

CARGO BEING REMOVED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. Dense fog which enveloped the har-bour-almost throughout yesterday resulted in the Union Company'3 motorvessel Hauraki, inward bound from . Los Angeles, running ashoio between Murray's Bay and Brown's Bay, about four miles north of Milford Beach. The Hauraki. reached port early in the morning, but the fog was so dense that she was compelled to anchor in the Rangitoto Channel. The vessel attempted to make port when the fog temporarily lifted, but the harbour soon becamo enveloped again with a thick blanket, with no visibility. Word reached Auckland at about 4 o'clock that the Hauraki was ashore. The weather was very calm and mild < as the- Hauraki grounded soon after high water. The harbourmaster and tugs left immediately for the scene, and the Hauraki was located and boarded by the harbourmaster, who discussed with the captain of the motor-ship arrangements for refloating. The Hauraki was still aground this morning. A Harbour Board tug between 2 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. attempted to tow her off, but could not move her an inch. It was then decided to lighten the ship by removing the, oil fuel and fruit cargo into hulks alongside. RESTING ON SMOOTH ROCK. At low tide this morning the Hauraki lay. with her bow less than a hundred yards from the beach. She was on an even keel, sloping fairly steeply towards ■ tho stern. . She rests on a smooth papa bottom. The sea was calm, with only a slight swell. It is understood that the vessel has made no water, and is undamaged. Hundreds of tons of fuel oil were pumped into an oil hulk which went alongside, and when it was full another took its place. The attempt to tow the Hauraki off will be renewed at the top of the tide this afternoon by two tugs, aided by the Hauraki's own power. The utmost effort was made last night to get the Union Co. 's oil hulk' Flora to the scene before the early morning tide turned, but the tide was almost at the top of the flood when pumping began. The hulk had to be towed from the harbour by two tugs. It was a race against time and tide. When the hulk was out in the channel the swell caused her to lurch and roll, and this caused delay. The vessels reached the ' Hauraki shortly after 2 o'clock, and the pumping of oil began at 2.30 a.m. The tide was near full, and no time was lost in passing hawsers from the tugs to the .freighter.. Gently at first, the tugs took the strain, and then the engines wore given full throttle, but no progress was made on a straight pull. BOW FIRMLY FIXED. The stranded ship was then swung first to one side and then to, the other, but her bow remained fixed, and when movement was again checked by some irregularity of the sea-bed she was as firmly aground as before. The tide was • now ebbing, and with that ebbed all hope for refloating' the ship for the next twelve hours. The Hauraki's pumps wero raced in the hope.of discharging the oil faster than the tide was letting the ship down, but soon after 3.30 a.m. she had settled on the bottom again, and her engines were stopped. ' At 6.30 a.m. the discharge of oil was stopped, as it was feared that the hulk too might be aground when the lido dropped further. Actually <he hulk was aground at low water. The second hulk arrived.shortlyafter9a.nl. The .prospects of refloating the shin at this afternoon's high tide aro believed.by some of thoso in,touch with the operations to bo bright. The ship carries a general cargo, as ' well as oil and fruit. The Hauraki is a twin-screw motorship of .7113 tons gross) and was built in 1932 by W. Denny and Brothers, Ltd.,.Dumbarton, for the Union Steam Ship Company. Sho is classed as 100 Al-at Lloyd's and is registered at London. Oh February 21, 1931, the Hauraki struck an obstacle in New Ply-mouth-harbour while being berthed, tha mishap resulting in a rent some 3ft long' and six or eight inches wide being torn in her starboard bow. Minor damage was also sustained to her bottom aft of the rent. The ship was taken to Auckland and docked for repairs. ■ Cm her present voyage to New Zealand with cargo from America, the ship left Los- Angeles on July 11, and was delayed a day in reaching port by bad weather.1