WAIPAHI MISHAP

Grey River Argus, 13 November 1935, Page 5

WAIPAHI MISHAP

NAUTICAL INQUIRY To-day"s Evidence (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, N< vember 12 A nautical inquiry is being heli in regard to the Wa pahi touchiig an obstruction ofi Pencarrow. Mr E. 'D. Mosley. S.M., has as nautical ms. esso/j Captain F. Barron and Captain F. Dewhirst. Thq mishap occurred on October 30th, the Waipahi returning to port badly damaged. Mr N. A. Foden tor the Marine Department, Mr C. A. L. Treadwell for ( 'aptain Warwick of the Waipahi. Mr C. White for the Union Company. and Mr J. F. B. Stevenson for ‘.he Wel--1 ng-ton Harbour Board. In a brief opening speech. Mr Foden said that the Captain. officers and crew were to be eongratu ated that nothing more than material damage resulted to the vessel. Captain Warwick said he left at 10.59 p.m. Heavy rain and squaVs made visibility poor. At 11.19, Steeple Rock was abeam. The weather had thickened and via bility was bad with a strong southerly blowing and rough head seas running. The vessel was proceeding approximately at eight knots. Pencarrow light became visible, but never for long enough to get a bearing on it. It appeared to be three-quarters of a point to a point on the port bow. and it appeared to him i the ship was on the correct course.

Abeam of lower Pencarrow, there was neither broken water, nor anything else to show the vessel was not on the proper course. The impact occurred z at 11.37. The vessel never los* headway. She seemed to strike amidships on the port side. He ordered hard a starboard, and continued on the altered course, at reduced speed until the weather cleared'. He ordered the b Iges to be sounded, and sent the Third Officer to the engine room lb ascertain if any water was showing There was thick x driving rain at times At 12.49, the weather cleared sufficiently, and a s soon as the lights could be picked up. He returned to port. He said that he had no explanation to offer as to why he should come in contact wth the obstruction. He never heard any fog signal, neither did anyone else on the vessel. Mr Treadwell said it’ would not be suggested a fog signal was blowing.

To Mr Treadwell Warwick said he had 36 years’ experience at sea, 17 with the Union Company. He had been in and out of Wellington many times. Oq this occas on, lack of visibility prevented him using reading lights to check the course. A.j’er passing Steeple Rock, the only light visible was Pencarrow and it was seen only intermittently. Because of the bad v sibility, the Third Officer Young, wafe standing in the open above the bridge, to see that the ship head was kept on the course, ana keep a lookout. Warwick did not stand in the wheelhouse looking out. Ail the lights were either screened or out. The man at the wheel was an exprieneed helmsman. There was also a lookout man on the forecastle head.

To Mr White, Warwick said the peering gear was tested before the ship left the wharf and found n good order. The compasses were also in good order. The Department did not suggest that anything was wrong with the apparatus on the ship said Mr Foden. To the Magistrate: Warwick said he was depending entirely on the mag netic course, without' any possibil ty of checking. Under such circumstances. he did not consider it wise to anchor, as he assumed he was on the safe course, and he could not see lights to turn round and get back to the Worser Bay anchorage. Evidence wais also given by the Third Officer. WELLINGTON. November 12.

Malcolm Campbell Second Engineer of the Waipahi said that the blow the ship received was no more than that of a heavy sea. He noticed an inrush of water on the port side and had the bilge pumps s tarted. “The Waipahi did not steer verv well when going slowly,” -aid William Frederick Heath, helmsman, whose jen it was t'o steer the vessel i n and out of port. Other evidence wa/j given bv Harold Tink, forecastle head look-out-man. James Roy, attendant of the fog signal at Pencarrow. said the signa l did not sound after 10.30 o’clock on the night of October 30th. Mr Mosley said that he and the as sessors would consider their decision. After a short retirement, the Magistrate and assefjsors returned and announced that’ their report would be forwarded to the Minister for Marine. “The Court has unanimously decided,’’ said Mr Mosley, “to hand back to the Captain his certificate and I may say in this case, pure and unsullied.”*