SEA THRILLS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 April 1925, Page 12

SEA THRILLS.

BARQUE’S EVENTFUL VOYAGE

HITS DRIFTING ICEBERG

Voyages of the Garthpool might well xorm toe title of a new story of'the sea. The Gartnpool, a fine type of fourmasted oarque of 3000 tons, arrived in .vie Ino time last week to unload a cargo jf American timber. '1 he vessel capped an exciting voyage by occupying only 12 horns to make the run from Cape jt'.vay, to Williamstown, a distance of L 25 miles. Her sailing time up the hay was only a few minutes longer than that occupied by one of the Commonwealth Bav liners. To the south-west of Prince Edward Island, in the South Indian Ocean, the Carthpool hit a drifting iceberg headon. Heavy rain was falling at the time, and when the vessel freed herself it was found she was leaking badly. t With the rigging all out of gear she remained at the mercy of wind and wave for 15 days, with all hands at work at the pumps. Finally, the Swedish steamer Ouden appeared, and, after a tow of eight days, during which mountainous seas were encountered, the disabled barque made Durban, where a seaman killed himself by falling from a spar. Three years ago the captain of the Garthpool died during a wheat voyage from Adelaide to'Falmouth. The next notable occurrence was the striking of a hurricane in the English Channel while travelling in ballast. Three steamships came to the rescue and towed the disabled vessel to Portsmouth. The following year the barque was dismasted off the Horn whilst on a coal voyage to the "West . Coast of America, and retreated to Monte Video for repairs.’’ A second attempt to negotiate Cane Horn failed, and after five weeks of* buffeting and loss of canvas she comoleted the voyage via the Cape of Good* Hope and Australia, the full vovage occupying 523 days. Further adventures included a month of adverse winds off the West American coast, and the running ashore of the vessel on Santa Maria Island during a dense fog. Between Adelaide and Cane Otway on the present voyage she lost four topsails in one day. Amongst the crew are six apprentices, who have been at sea continuously for 18 months with the exception of 19 days.