MISHAP AT HEADS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 116, 12 November 1935, Page 12

MISHAP AT HEADS

FREIGHTER WAIPAHI

NAUTICAL INQUIRY

CAPTAIN'S EVIDENCE

Outward bound for Auckland shortly before midnight on October 30, with poor visibility making the harbour lights hard to pick up, the Union Steam Ship Company's inter-colonial and island freighter Waipahi touched an obstruction off Pencarrow, and had to return to port with water streaming in ■through several holes on the port side. She is now undergoing repairs on the Patent Slip. Today Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., with Captain F. Barron and Captain F. Dewhurst as nautical assessors, heid an inquiry into the circumstances of the mishap. Mr. N. A. Foden appeared for the Marine Department, Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell for Captain J. E. Warwick of the Waipahi, Mr. C. White for tne Union Company, and Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson for the Wellington Harbour Board. "The captain, officers, and crew are to be congratulated that nothing more than material damage resulted to the Vessel," said Mr. Foden in his brief opening address. Captain Warwick, in evidence, said that the Waipahi left the King's Wharf and proceeded to sea at 10.59 p.m. on October 30. Heavy rain squalls made visibility poor. At 11.18 Steeple Rock was abeam. The weather had thickened and visibility was bad with a strong southerly wind blowing and a rough head sea running. The vessel was proceeding at approximately 8 knots. Pencarrow light then became visible but never for long enough to get a bearing on it. It seemed to be from three-quarters of a point to a point on the port bow, and the ship appeared to be on its correct course Abeam of lower Pencarrow there was neither broken water nor anything else to show that the vessel was not on her proper course. The impact occurred at 11.37. The vessel never lost headway. She seemed to sti-'ke amidships on the port side. Witness gave orders to the helmsman for hard a starboard and he continued on an altered course at a reduced speed until the weather cleared. He ordered-the bilges to be sounded and sent the third officer to the engine-room to ascertain if there was any water showing. There was a thick driving rain at the time. At 12.40 a.m. the weather cleared sufficiently and as soon as lights could be picked up he returned to port, reaching the Taranaki Street Wharf at 2.U a.m. The examination he har] ordered revealed that the ship was making water in the port bilge in the engineroom. Wind and rain had become worse just before the impact. "NO EXPLANATION." "Can you put forward any explanation why you should have come into contact with this obstruction?" asked Mr. Foden. "I have no explanation to offer in that respect," replied witness. He never heard any fog signal and neither did anyone else on the vessel. "It won't be suggested that the fog signal was blowing," said Mr. Treadwell. To Mr. Treadwell Captain Warwick said he had had 36 years' experience at sea and for 17 years had served the Union Company. He had been in and out of Wellington Harbour many times. On this occasion lack of visibility prevented him from using the leading lights to check his course. After passing Steeple Rock the only light visible was that of Pencarrow and it was seen only intermittently. Because of the bad visibility the third officer, Mr. Young, was standing in the open above the bridge to see that the ship's head was kept on the course and to keep a look-out. The captain did not stand in the wheelhouse in looking out. All lights were either screened or' put out, as an additional precaution to add to their powers of observation. The man at the wheel was an experienced helmsman and there was also a lookout man on the forecastle head. SET ACROSS HEADS. A set across the entrance to the harbour towards Pencarrow when the tide was flowing, described by the captain of the Tamahine, would be accentuated when the tide was ebbing, said Captain Warwick. A lead could not have been used effectively in such conditions. To Mr. White, Captain Warwick said that in accordance with usual practice the steering gear was tested before the ship left the wharf, and found to be in good order. The ship's compasses were also in good order. "The Department does not suggest there was anything wrong with the apparatus or the ship," said Mr. Foden. To the Magistrate Captain Warwick said that he was depending entirely on a magnetic course without any possibility of checking. Under such circumstances he did not consider it wiser to anchor, as he assumed he was on a safe course, and he could not see the lights to turn round and get back to the Worser Bay anchorage. Mr. Foden handed in reports on the ship's appliances, and the damage done to the hull by the mishap. Basil Hamilton Young, third officer of the Waipahi, also gave evidence of increasingly bad weather obliterating the leading lights and preventing a bearing being taken from Pencarrow. FORCE OF THE BLGW. Malcolm Campbell, second engineer of the Waipahi, said that the blow the ship received was no more than that of a heavy sea. He noticed an inrush of water on the port side and had the bilge pumps started. The Waipahi did not steer very well when going slowly, said William Frederick Heath, the helmsman whose job it was to steer the vessel in and out of port. Other evidence was given by Harold Tink, the forecastle head look-out man. James Roy, attendant of the fog signal at Pencarrow. said that the signal did not sound after 10.30 o'clock on the night of October 30. Mr. Mosley said that he and the assessors would consider their decision.