GREYCLIFFE FINDING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 11 January 1928, Page 8

GREYCLIFFE FINDING

PHYSICAL IMPOSSIBILITY SHIPMASTER’S OPINION. COLLISION REVIEWED. „ EY CABLE — PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT. SYDNEY, Jan. 10. A meeting of 25 shipmasters at the Merchant Service Guild adopted, a resolution that Mr. Justice Campbell’s finding concerning the Greycliffe disaster involved a physical impossibility, inasmuch as it was impossible for the Tahiti to approach the Greycliffe from any direction from 10 degrees to 90 degrees on the port quarter and to bring about an impact with the Greycliffe with any part of the Tahiti except her stem.

Captain Lawrence, general secretary of the Merchant Service Guild, said there was no mark anywhere on the port quarter of the Greycliffe indicating of corresponding to a blow from the Tahiti’s stem.

The shipmasters also expressed the .opinion that if the collision was brought about by the Tahiti with her stem striking the Greycliffe at 20 degrees as found by the-court, it would not cause the Greycliffe to take up a position which would eventually and shortly afterwards- allow' the Tahiti again to strike the Greycliffe a blow from 45 to 70 degrees at a spot on the side of the Greycliffe 40 feet ahead of the place where- the court held the first impact took place. The meeting also determined that the position should not be allowed to remain as it is, and further meetings are to be held.

DIRECTIONS OBSOLETE. SYDNEY, Jan. 10. At the Greycliffe inquest, Captain Hildebrand, first assistant harbourmaster, gave evidence that the sailing directions for Sydney harbour, which were issued by the State Navigation Department, were obsolete. He preferred to rely on his own local knowledge. He. added that more often than not the sailing directions were not observed by outward-bound vessels. The Navigation Department was now preparing new directions.