LOCATED BY PLANE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11538, 15 January 1932, Page 4

LOCATED BY PLANE

OVERDUE FISHING VESSEL. (Press Association) T.LMARU, Jan. 14. ; When the fishing vessel ‘‘Homeland,” owned and manned by James Bruce Cordiner, of Timaru, failed to return to port within a few hours of her customary time on Wednesday fears were felt for the safety of the vessel and the crew Cordiner and bis son James, aged 18, left Timaru on Wednesday morning, heading north-east for the mouth of the Rangitata river. They were later seen returning south, but the vessel failed to make port during the night. Launches were sent out to search, but failed to find any trace of the miseing boat. Arrangements were then made to search the coast by plane and Captain T. White located the vessel about eight- miles south of Timaru. ■ A launch was then sent our and towed the “Homeland” back to port.

It is revealed that Cordiner, like other fishermen, is in the habit or judging the distance travelled by tiine. After fishing for a period, he discovered that his watch had sropp* ed and he set out for Lome with a strong following wind and, after what he thought was three hours’ sailing, put in to the shore, only to discover that he was some miles south of Timaru.

As his petrol supply was very low, he decided to hove to for the night. This morning he commenced to tack up the coast towards port and was effecting repairs to the mainmast when he was located by plane. Neither Cordiner nor his son was any the' worse, for his enforced stay at sea.