EXPERIENCE OF SMALL STEAMER.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 86, 13 April 1920, Page 5

EXPERIENCE OF SMALL STEAMER.

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WELLINGTON, April 12. The little coastal vessel Kohutonui met the full force of the recent southerly gale when bound from Wellington to East Coast stations. The Kohutonui met the storm off Cape Pal User. The skipper decided to endeavor to return to port, but the heavy hawser on the forecastle head was washed over the side and became entangled with the port propeller, causing great trouble. Two anchors were run out, and, facing the storm, the vessel went full steam ahead.

Meanwhile, the Kohutonui commenced to drag shorowards, and at one time was within a stone's throw of the reef. Heavy seas were shipped, stoving in the door of the crew's messroom and shattering the wooden bulkhead of the saloon.

The invading seas broke the, partition between the saloon and the space overlooking the stokehold. The result was that water flooded the stokehold till it was level with the stokehold plates. The aperture of the pumps down below became jammed with debris, but it was ultimately cleaned out, and portion of the hawser was cut away, but this did not free the propeller. The- port anchor cable parted, but, the weather improving, the Kohutonui was able to steam out to sea at half a knot per hour, until, at 8 a.m. on Saturday, she was 20 miles off land. The gale having moderated the vessel then was enabled to come into port.