LOSS OF FUTURIST

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22320, 3 May 1947, Page 6

LOSS OF FUTURIST

TRAWLER WRECK ABNORMAL_CURRENT SHIP DRIFTS ON ROCKS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 3. The circumstances surrounding the loss of the Futurist, a steam trawler of 237 tons, which ran aground early on the morning of March 19 at Long Point, about 10 miles south of Cape Campbell, and was subsequently abandoned, were related at an inquiry held before Mr. A. M. Colliding, S.M.. and Captain A. D PI owe and Captain A._ T. Dowell as marine assessors. Dr. N. A. Fodcn, with him Captain L. Robertson, represented the Marine Department; Mr. E. N. Sladden represented the owners. New Zealand Fisheries. Limited; and Mr. A. J. Mazengarb appeared for the master of the Futurist, Captain Alexander Sutherland. It was related in evidence (hat the Futurist was not anchored on the night before the mishap, but was taken well rut from the shore and allowed to drift, that the man on watch when the ship went aground was a fireman and not a deck hand, and that a sudden change in the weather not covered by the latest forecast available lo the ship occurred on Lie morning of the disaster. Mr. Mazengarb contended that this last condition, an abnormal set which was beyond prediction, had caused the casualty. The same tiling, he said, had obtained in the mishaps to the Rangaiii'a and Breeze. Much discussion centred around the question of ancnoring in the Cape Campbell fishing grounds. "We don’t anchor at night for safety, but for convenience and to save steaming in tne morning," said James Tullock. fireman and part owner of the trawler Phyllis, which was near tne Futurist when sne went aground. Captain Sutherland said the practice of drilling at mgui was a normal procedure. Ine anenor on the Futurist nad to be weighed oy a hand windlass —an operation wiiicii with the inexperienced crew under him wou.d take about two hours, in his association with the vessel since 1927 he nad seen tne anchor used omy once. A former master of the Futurist. Captain Cnaries Ormcs, supported the practice of aignt drilling but said the snip's anchor could be weighed by an experienced crew in halt an-hour. lie admitted, ho.vcver. Unit in It) years with the vessel he had seen her anenor used omy aoout tour times. Witness agreed that while the ship was an.ting its safety depended wholly upon the man on watch. The latter' should oe an experienced seaman or deck hand, but under the present conditions wnen experienced trawler cre.vs were difficult to obtain, he saw no great danger in allowing a fireman to do watch duty on deck.__ Evidence was given by Allred William Paton. fireman, that he had assumed watch duty on the Futurist at midnight on March 13. lie had been given instructions lo rouse the captain if the ship began to drift shorewards. A certain amount of drift had been pointed out lo him by the previous watch, but he did not think it was enough to cause alarm. Dr. feden: Wnere did you think you were drifting to then? Witness: Damned if I knew. Paton added that he could not say how the Futurist came to be stranded on the rocks. He did not neglect his duties. When the captain had turned in the night was dark, but clear. Later a mist had sprung up. The extent of the drift was hard to calculate. The Court's decision will be announced early next week.