A Dead Ship’s Bones That Won’t Stay Buried

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1944, Page 5

A Dead Ship’s Bones That Won’t Stay Buried

Shrinking with the storms of the years, the bones' of the three-masted barque Joseph Craig are once more showing through ihe sands of the North Hokianga beach where she drove ashore more than a generation ago. You see the dead ship’s bones now only at low water; the sea appears to want to hide its shame from the eves of man. It was a squally afternoon when the Joseph Craig (Captain Airey) drew away from the timber wharf at Rangiora, just below Kohukohu, in the narrows of Hokianga Harbour, under tow by the small steamer Ohinemuri until she should cross the bar. Nearing the bar and in full view of the lighthouse on the South Head, a sudden squall threw up and the towline parted like a thread of cotton. The bar. while not at its tempestuous best, was in a wild mood and the Joseph Craig was swept back in the heavy swell that came over the white wall,of breakers, back towards the land. Wallowing in the troughs with her cargo of timber below and above decks, she was unmanageable by hoi crew. They had no time to hoist sail and gain seaway—she struck within half an hour of the breaking of the towline Rough seas and shallowing water prevented efforts by the Ohinemuri’s skipper to pick up towage again. Even the Cats Came Ashore The Joseph Craig went ashore on a clean stretch of beach about a quarter of a mile beyond the breakers at full tide, and resisted the sea’s hammering without, difficulty until the crew were able to come ashore at low water, six hours Jater. They steered their sole remaining lifeboat through the growing breakers, for a gale was springing up in earnest. The captain and crew, not to mention the ship’s two cats, piled into the boat, and all landed without more than a wetting from spray, for watchers on the beach rushed out into the surf and seized the boat’s bows to drag her ashore more speedily. When the steamer started to turn and the distance lengthened between the two vessels, it was obvious to watchers in the lighthouse that, something was wrong. But it was also obvious to a party on the mail launch Sonoma, returning from up harbour. The launehman, Mr. W. Bryers, took the. Sonoma into Opononi wharf and took on board the Northern Company’s agent. Mr. Brigham, and then sailed for tiie North Head. A two-mile walk brought the party of six from the launch to the beach opposite the doomed timber ship. Mr. Brigham signalled her crew: “Can we be of any assistance?” They replied: “We are waiting to make an attempt at low water. Stand by."

Destroyed in the Night

And at low water they came ashore in their cockleshell, pouring oil on the rising seas as they came. All their personal gear was left to the mercy of the ocean —and the ocean was merciless, for next morning, after a night of storm, not a Eight of the ship remained where she had struck. Her three tall masts had gone in the darkness. Amazingly, much of the ship's ironwork washed high up on the beach—great metal hatch-sides, jammed tight with timber, one of the vessel’s big anchors (it has been seen in the not-so-recent past), and other remnants. Sightseers flocked from everywhere to view the wreckage, every boat on the Hokianga being requisitioned to take them there. The shipwrecked crew went to the Opononi Hotel and - later to Auckland, at the company’s expense. Most of the timber was washed ashore and ultimately salvaged with the aid of a horse-tram lino built from the fateful beach to the calmer waters inside the Heads. Such was the loss of the Joseph Craig, whose bones will not remain out of sight in their watery grave. You will find relics and souvenirs in many a Hokianga and Northland home even today. And there still lives, as close to the scene of the wreck as he might reasonably be, Mr. Bryers of the launch Sonoma. As well-known on the Hokianga, where he ran the launches Sonoma, Ventura and Sierra. Mr. Bryers is today signalman at the South Head lighthouse.