SHIPPING MISHAPS

Grey River Argus, 27 April 1931, Page 5

SHIPPING MISHAPS

“KINI” INQUIRY.

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 23.

An inquiry regarding the mishap to the Kjni, whichi struck a submerged object oil Bare Island on April 10th, | opened to-day, before Mr E. Page S.M. I with Captai n Worrall and Mr( F. W. | Barron as assessors. G. D. Fraser, Captain of the Kin!, said, that when the Kini left Welling- • ton for Napier she was drawing 9ft 6in forward and 15? t 2ni aft. At 6 1 p.m., on April 10th, near Kidnappers, 1 the mate saw something on the port beam, and altered the course, but be- - for? tlhq turn, was completed} the < vessel bumped something, and almost stopped. The ship apeared to be in shallow water. The engines were kept ! going, and she dragged off. He could not say what the shr-p struck, or the exact position, as it wa, s too foggy to ! see land. She was in the vicinity of Bare Island. It was low water at the time, with a slight swell. He took no 1 sounding, and saw no rocks or broken water. He was sure that the shvp did ' not strike Capstan Rock, nor could he have struck Bare Island, unles s it runs a long way into the sea. There 1 had been no survey of this region since the earthquake. A diver found mud on the ship’s bottom, and he had no doubt it was the ground she struck. L The enquiry is proceeding. HINT'S CAPTAIN CENSURED. WELLINGTON. April 27. The Marine Court of Enquiry into ..the mishap into the steamer Kini, s which struck some object, off Bare Is-, land, south of Cape Kidnappers, on April 10th. found that Captain D. Fraser had committed an error of J judgment in holding the course he did I for so long. He hag complete safety | a little farther out to sea. and the. Court was of opinion that he should have gone further out. The Court remarked: “Had the visibility remained good, the course set by the master

for the daylight ru n would, in our opinion, have been a safe and proper ope.” The captain was ordered to pay fifteen guineas towards the costs of the enquiry.