HEAVY SEAS ON COAST

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 104, 4 May 1936, Page 16

HEAVY SEAS ON COAST

MAORI'S ROUGH TRIP

PORT WAIKATO DAMAGED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. Seas on the coast were very rough during the- period of the gale. The Maori arrived today at 12.45 p.m., having left Wellington, at 11 p.m. on Saturday. The vessel met >. the full gale and tremendous head 'seas, and was heavily buffeted until off Kaikoura, after which the wind and sea moderated, and she made good time for the rest of the trip. ■■ ■ The coastal motorship Port Waikato, which left Lyttelton'for Dunedin on I Friday afternoon, was not. so fortunate as the Wahine and the Maori in that she did not escape damage. Captain Holmes decided when 35 miles south of Akaroa to return- to Lyttelton on account of the,violence of the storm. The sea was too big to permit the vessel to enter Akaroa Harbour for shelter. About three hours. after the ship had been,turned a big sea came over the stern, smashing in the door of the messroom, and flooding the galley and the officers' cabins. It also s&fted the ship's boats slightly, and the flagstaff at the stern and the gratings were carried overboard. At this time alarm was caused by the cargo shifting and causing the vessel to list to starboard. However, the little .vessel reached Lyttelton Heads, and anchored there at 4 p.m. on Saturday.- The crew re-stowed the cargo and trimmed the vessel, and Captain Holmes brought the vessel into harbour and berthed. At 9 pjn. today the vessel left for Dunedin.

Union Airways "kept the time-table with delays, and today the service was running normally.