Ruawai At Opononi For Engine Repairs

Northern Advocate, 10 January 1948, Page 3

Ruawai At Opononi For Engine Repairs

LEAVING Helensville for Auckand at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, despite a detention order forbidding it to sail, the 33-year-old steamer Ruawai, of 291 tons, put into Opononi for repairs to the engine about 4 p.m. yesterday. With a volunteer crew, under Captain H. Stanaway, the Ruawai passed Kaipara Heads at 10.30 on Thursday morning. Engine trouble then developed and after making only about 60 miles in 28 hours, the vessel reached Opononi.

The Ruawai had been laid up at Helensville for about eight years, said the acting-superintendent of mercantile marine at Auckland (Captain S. J. Atkins).

probably be carried out to sea and the position would become sei’ious. No trouble was encountered, however, until the entrance to Hokianga Harbour was reached. Here a strong wind and heavy rain were experienced and it was decided to run the bar. The crossing was safely accomplished, although the bar was touched lightly, but no damage as far as is known was caused. Before the journey round North Cape to Auckland is resumed it is intended to beach the ship and make sure that no damage has been caused. Repairs, which are reported to be of only a minor nature in the condensers, are expected to be completed by Monday when it is hoped to resume the voyage, this being dependent, however, on the conditions at the Hokianga bar. BUILT IN 1915 The boiler and some of the machinery in the Ruawai has been soli and it is intended to dispose of other gear when the ship reaches Auckland, but it is not known what the owner intends to do with the ship itself. Built in Auckland in 1915, the Ruawai was formerly owned by the Kaipara Steamship Company and ran between Helensville and Dargaville. She is nearly 124 ft long and has a beam of almost 23ft.

When she was surveyed in 1943 the I Ruawai was regarded as capable of j repair for the river trade. Captain Atkins said action was definitely intended by the Marine Department, which had issued the detention order. On Wednesday the vessel carried a notice announcing the intention to sail at 6 p.m., no attempt being made to conceal the plans to take the Ruawai to sea. About 200 residents watched her departure with a crew of 14. including the owner, Mr R. Hammond, of Auckland, and his brother Mr N. Hammond. After crossing the Kaipara bar engine trouble was experienced and the vessel was taken close in-shore where some of the crew had a swim and others caught fish while an inspection was made. SPEED OF ONE KNOT At a reduced speed, dropping as low as one knot, the Ruawai continued up the coast, being kept close in-shore where the sea was calm and there was an entire absence of wind. It was realised that if strong winds were encountered the ship would