STORM-TOSSED SCOW

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 276, 4 November 1933, Page 8

STORM-TOSSED SCOW

Portion of Mast Lost SAILS RENDERED USELESS Looking very much the worse for a severe buffeting, the small auxiliary scow Alwyn G-, of 37 tons, in command of Captain Wyatt, and carrying a crew of three, put into Whakatane on Thursday morning, having left Gisborne en route for Auckland on Sunday morniag. At about seven o ’clock on Sunday sight the boat struck a hard southerly wind just off Gable End, and was forced to run for 10 hours before it. About 10 feet of the mizzen topmast was broken off, and all the sails were blown out and rendered useless The wind turned to a hard westerly on Monday night, and as the vessel was then about bO miles from the East Cape, the crew had grove fears that they would be blown still further away. Captain Wyatt states that the waves were at times over 60 feet high, and be felt that at any time the boat might have been engulfed. The weather continued rough until Tuesday night, when a change of wind enabled them to make Ca)>e Runaway. Whakatane Heads Were reached on Wednesday evening, *nd on Thursday morning the vessel Was berthed at the wnarf. Fortunately no injuries were suffered by the crew. Both engines became damaged as a result of the severe buffeting, and it was only the easing off of the wind on Tuesday night that enabled sufficient repairs to be made to the sails to bring the vessel into Whahataue. The Alwin G. is owned by E. and 11. Craig, of Auckland, and was returning (empty from Gisborne after discharging a cargo of benzine there. Captain {Wyatt said that he had never seen anything lik e the seas which they had to (Contend with, and considers they are fiery fortunate to be still alive.