Inquiry Into Loss of Trawler “Futurist”

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1947, Page 2

Inquiry Into Loss of Trawler “Futurist”

WELLINGTON, May 2. A Magisterial inquiry into the wrecking of the trawler Futurist opened before Mr A. M. Golding S.M., and Captains A. D.' Howe and A. T. Dowell. Evidence was given by Captain Sutherland that the Futurist was allowed to drift on the night of the accident because the anchor gear was too awkward and complicated to use. This practice had been in vogue ever since he joined the ship in 1927. On the night of the accident he manoeuvred the ship into what he considered a safe position in view of the weather at the time and he turned in; Owing to the small, inexperienced crew having to work very long hours, from 5.30 a.m. to 11 p.m. only one man, a fireman, was put on watch. The fireman’s watch was combined with engine room duties. The trawler, of 2'37 tons, ran aground early on the morning of March 19 at Long Point, about 10 miles south of Cape Campbell, and was subsequently abandoned. Dr. N. A. Foden, with him Captain L. Robertson, represented the Marine Department. Mr E. N. Sladden represented the owners, New Zealand Fisheries, Ltd., and Dr. A. J. Mazengavb appeared for the master of the Futurist, Captain Alexander Sutherland.

It was related in evidence that the Futurist was not anchored on the night before the mishap. The man on watch when the ship went aground was the fireman, and not a deck hand. A sudden change in the weather not covered by the latest forecast available to the ship occurred on the morning of the disaster. Dr. Mazengarb contended that this last, condition, an abnormal set that was beyond prediction, had caused the casualty. The same thing, he said, had obtained in the mishaps to the Rangatira and the Breeze.

Much discussicn centred round the question of anchoring in the Cape Campbell fishing grounds.

“We don’t anchor at night for safety, but for convenience, and to save steaming in the morning”, said James Tullock, fireman, and part owner of the trawler Phyllis, which had been in the vicinity of the Futurist when she went aground. Captain Sutherland said the practice of drifting at night was a normaj procedure. He stated the anchor on the Futurist had to be weighted by hand windlass'—an operation which, with the inexperienced crew under him, would take about two hours. In his association with the vessel since 1927, he had seen the anchor used only once. A former master of the Futurist, Captain Charles Ormes, supported the practice of night drifting, but said the ship's anchor could be weighed by experienced crew in half an hour. He admitted, however, that in his 19 years with the vessel he had seen her anchoi’ used only about four rimes. He agreed that, while the ship was drifting, its safety depended wholly upon the man on watch. The latter should be an experienced seaman or deck hand, but, under present conditions, when experienced trawler crews were difficult to obtain, -he saw no great danger in allowing a fireman to do watch duty on deck.

William Faton, the fireman, said the last time he visited the deck before the ship struck, the visibility was very bad, dark and drizzling. He was unable to ascertain in which direction the ship was drifting, but had no apprehensions <sf danger and did not think it necessary to raise an alarm. George Gilliland, a fireman, said 'that soon after he came off watch at midnight he noticed that the drift and wind had changed. He advised Paton of this and told him to watch out for other trawlers which were anchored nearby.

William Paton, fireman, said he had assumed watch duty on the Futurist at mid-night on. March IS. He had been givfin instructions to rouse the captain if the ship began to drift shorewards. A certain amount of drift had been pointed out to him by the previous watch, but he did not think it enough to l cause alarm. Dr. Foden: “Where did you think you were drifting to then?’' Answer: “Damned if I knew!’’ (to the evident delight of the Court). 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 drift was hard to calculate.

The Court’s decision will be announced early next week.