FOR THE SHIP=BREAKERS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 November 1924, Page 7

FOR THE SHIP=BREAKERS

END OF AN “OLD-TIMER.”

TAKAPUNA’S remarkable RECORD. of the Union Steam Ship Company ,s fleet, which will carry recollections for Taranaki people, has passed into the hands of the shipbreakers. The old passenger steamer lakapuna was. the pride of the travelling public 30'years ago

The Takapuna made a name for herself as a passenger and maill carrier on the New Zealand coast over 30 yeans ago. Shorn of pll her Past glory, the old “Tak.” ,a, s she is familiarly known by old identities and the shipping community generally, has been utilised as a humble store ship at Wellington for a lengthy period. Like many other earlier units of the Red Funnel fleet, her sea-going career came to an end with the advent of more' modern vessels.

The Takapuna, like most vessels, met with many mishaps during her perambulations up and down the New Zealand- coast, and on one occasion she narrowly escaped leaving her bones on the rocks on the West Coast. Her first mishap occurred on November 23, 1883, when she struck the rocks a little to the south of Cape EJgmont lighthouse. The facts of the accident were concealed by all on board, and were not discovered until the ship was placed in dry dock some months later. The vessel was holed, but her double bottom prevented her from sinking. On November 10, 1896, the Takapuna stranded inside the breakwater at New Plymouth. On July 31, 1903, she stranded on the Hawea Bank inside the breakwater at New Plymouth, and on April 19, 1904, she <again stranded at New Plymouth. On February 11, 1901, she stranded on the middle bank in the French pass. On November 18, 1909, She struck Walker’s Rock, at the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound, owing to the light at' Jackson’s Head being out of order. The accident occurred at 2.30 a.m., and the vessel was damaged on the port side. The most 'serious accident occurred on June 22, 1911, when the Takapuna struck at Westport and had a very narrow escape of becoming a total loss. Her stem post was carried away, and she 1 also, sustained other damage. The Takapuna was built by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company in 1883, launched on June 5 of that year. She was 'a .speedy boat for those days, being able to steam her 15 knots. The Takapuna left Greennock on August 17, 1883, for St. Vincent. Her journey to that point was unusually rapid, eclipsing the record of the Cape mail boat; but from St. Vincent to Hobart she steamed at only half-power in order to economise her coal supplies. She .arrived at Hobart on October 7, and made her first appearance at Port Chalmers on October 12, 1883. It was claimed' that she was the smallest but most elaborately-fitted ooelan'-go-ing passenger .ship in the world, haying in miniature every comfort, every convenience, and every luxury that the builders could instal in the largest . and best-appointed ships engaged in the Atlantic trade. She was built as a despatch boat, and was not intended for cargo-carrying. She was constructed specially for the passenger trade between Lyttelton. Wellington, New Plymouth, and Onehunga. The Takapuna left Port Chalmers on her first trip 110 the coast on November 17, 1883. She made many very smart passages, some of which are veil worth recording. The vessel sailed from Lyttelton ' at 11 a.m. on'November 20 for New Plymouth, where she arrived at 1 a.m. on November 21, and sailed an hour later for Onehunga. The ship was berthed at the Onehunga wharf as the clocks were striking 12 noon on November 21. thus keeping her time-table to the minute. Leaving Onehunga at 1.30 p.m. oti November 22, the Takapuna arrived back at Lyttelton at 5.30 a.m. on November 24. She thus made the round trip in 40 hours, including four and.a-half hours detention at Wellington and[ New Plymouth. This nerformanee was alb the more creditable from the fact that it was made in very rough weather.

Another instance of the steamer’s consistent passages is recorded. An exciting struggle between a steamer and a heavy head sea was witnessed at Wellington Heads on May 30, 1898. The steamer was the Takapuna, and the captain Wa® deteirmined to put to sea after two postponements. The question wks: Could she accomplish the feat ? As the result of a three days’ eaisterlv gale a tremendous sea was running in Cook Strait, and right into this turmoil of waters the powerful little steamer directed her bow. Warnings had been sent from the lighthouse at Penoarrow that the attempt would fail ; but Captain Robertson knew what his vessel could stand up to. Having rounded the point and secured a glimpse of the harbour entrance, he was still determined to go on. For those who remained on deck the sight was one not soon to he forgotten. But the issue, was soon placed beyond doubt. With lier engines working under a full pressure of steam, the Takapuna never lost headway. She pitched abfaut in a motet nilairming fashion, and the .strain on her machinery was such as only a splendidlyequipped vessel could have endured. But within an hour and a-half of leaving the Wellington, wharf the Takanuna was rolling in heavy seas off Terawhit-i.

On December 5. 1912. the Takapuna inaugurated the ferry service between Napier, Gisborne, and Auckland. She continued in this run until replaced by the Anahura! on February 19. 1916. when she returned to Wellington, and was placed on the lay-up berth, where she has been ever since. The old craft was used as a hospital ship during the influenza epidemic in 1918. It is worthy of note that the Takanuna was. tlm first steamer to arrive in Zealand eouipoed with electric li.rh.t, find her first, trip along the const rf , Pn,r*vr*.*>;lri Tyr'U'anff.lv ].{.t stem to stem will still he remembered.