THE KAITOA STRANDING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4156, 5 February 1916, Page 5

THE KAITOA STRANDING.

FINDING OF THE COURT. THE MASTER’S DEFAULT. v Press Association Telegram.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 4. An inquiry into the stranding of the s.s- Ivaitoa near Cape Terawhiti on Sunday night opened before Mr Riddle, S.M., and Captains Lambert and Grey. Captain Stevens said he had obtained special permit to make a daylight passage with 62 passengers. He was on the bridge all the time. Alter leaving Jackson’s Head when the tide was ebbing, he shaped the usual course. He took no cross bearings to check his position before entering the fog. There was no deviation of compass. Fbg signals were sounded all the time. When lie saw a dark object half a mile ahead he ported his helm, stopped one engine and then the other. A minute* or two lat6r the vessel touched. He reckoned he was then two and a-half to three miles from Terawhiti. He took no soundings and had no appliance to do so. He did not us e the patent log, as he did not believe in it in the Straits, where the tide was so strong. ■The passengers were landed safely m case that bad weather cam e on. and were subsequently re-embarked. The vessel came off quite easily about two hours later. After one hour’s retirement the Kaitoa Court of Inquiry found: (1) The stranding was primarily caused by the thick mist, which prevented the master from seeing the land and correcting the course; (2) the stranding and damage to the ship was caused through the default of the master in not using the log, in order to verify the distance run from Brothers Island to Cape Terawhiti and trusting, during the fog when'it was impossible to see land, to the ebb tide setting The ship sufficiently southward to dear Terawhiti. Although this had been his experience on former trips, the Court was of opinion that the eapt-am should pay the costs of the inquiry.

THE KOMATA DOCKED. EXTENT OF DAMAGE: (Press Association Telegram.) WELLINGTON, F e b. 4. The Komata was placed on the slip to-night and found to be damaged m places along about 40 feet of her bottom forward, chiefly on the starboard side. Repairs will take about a fortnight.