TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 12 June 1925, Page 4

TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGE

STORM-TOSSED SCHOONER

MARORO IN HURRICANES

SEVERE ORDEAL FOR CREW

SIX WEEKS FROM NEWCASTLE

A stirring tale of the sea was related by* the crew of tile schooner Maroro, wliicii arrived at Gisborne the other day after a voyage from Newcastle which occupied six weeks. Practically tiie whole ot the passage was marked by heavy gales, says the New Zealand Herald s correspondent. The Maroro left Newcastle at 2 p.m. on April 23, and for four days was favoured by moderate westerly winds. On April 27 easterly winds, accompanied by heavy seas, were encountered, and these continued throughout the greater part ot the remainder of the voyage. A fresh gale arose on May 3 and lasted for 24 hours, during which time the ship received a severe buffeting. The gale then abated. ■ CREW’S QUARTERS SWAMPED On May 8, a screaming hurrican broke upon the vessel. Gigantic waves crashed upon the decks and earned everything movable before them. The hatches were loosened and had to be nailed down to prevent the water from entering the holds. The crew’s quarters were swamped and their bunks flooded. The hurricane raged for two days and on May 10 commenced to die down sLightiv. It was then that one enormous wave tore at the rudder and smashed the stock, rendering the crippled vessel helpless in the teeth of the gale. The Maroro without any means of control was hurled about by the waves and drifted hack 250 miles off her course. For two days and nights the crew were engaged in rigging the jury steering gear and they laboured under terrible conditions. Two strong spars were run out on either side of the stern of the ship, and these were lashed firmly to the deck and railings. The ends of tne spars projected about three yards over the sides and iron pulley blocks were lashed. Chains were attached to the shackle on the tip of the rudder blade, and to these steel ropes were joined. The ropes were taken out and passed through the pulleys and then wound round the drum of the steering wheel. The most difficult and perilous task was that of attaching the ropes to the shackle at the end of the rudder, this being accomplished from the captain’s dinghy, suspended from davits over the stern. TE R R IF YING EXPERIEN CE The second mate and two of the crew manned the dinghy and their experience was terrifying in the extreme. Huge seas descended upon the little boat- and finally stove it in against the rudder, but the work of attaching ropes had then been accomplished. With the jury gear working satisfactorily, the Maroro was brought back on her course on May 13, and was then favoured by moderate north-west winds. The Three Kings were passed at 2 a.m. on May 19, and the wind then fell to an almost dead calm. This was followMay 22 a terrific hurricane accompanied ed by more easterly weather, and on by torerntial rains descended upon the unfortunate ship. At 8 a.m. on May 22 tlie jury gear was put out of action, the chains communicating with the rudder being carried away. This damage was not of such a sennits nature as previously. however, and by the next day it had been repaired. At this time the wind was of even greater velocity and the seas heavier than before, and the experience of the men was a perfect nightmare. One end of the ship was obscured from the other by mountainous combers, which crashed over her, and the men had a- perilous time in making their wav about the deck. : SAILS SUFFER SEVERELY May 22 will live long in the memory of the Maroro’s crew, for it was on thatday that the first damage was done to tlie sails. The mainsail went first, and this was soon followed by the lower topsail, which was ripped and torn beyond repair. A new mainsail (the only spare sail in the ship) was bent, but in a short time this was carried away also. Meanwhile, however, the damaged mainsail had been repaired, and this was again set. Shortly* afterwards the inner jib was also blown to ribbonsThe following day the hurricane moderated and stlightlv better headway was made. On May 26 another fierce gale was encountered. Seas threatened to enj>ulf the vessel, and terrific wind played further havoc with the sails. The storm died down again the following day, but easterly winds still prevailed. All this time the captain was employed night and day in repairing the torn sails, these having been canned down into the cabin. It was impossible to mend them on deck. The Elsie Mary, bound for Auckland from Gisborne, was sighted on May 29, the Maroro then being about 15 miles off East Cape. She was too far distant from the Elsie Mary, however, for the latter vessel to notice that anything was amiss, and seeing her with sail set apparently making good progress down the coast, the north-bound vessel continued on her way. Saturday May 30, brought- yet another roaring gale upon the Maroro, and throughout the day the ship, as sailors put it, “stood on end.” At the height of the storm the foresail was carried away, but- was mended and set again. Better weather prevailed until June 4. when vet another fierce gale arose, and well nigh engulfed- the ship. On that day the inner jib mizzen sail and upper topsail were all carried away, and thesealso had to he mended by the untiring skipper. ANCHORAGE REACHED AT LAST Light head winds prevailed until 1 a.m. on Saturday last, when the wind shifted round to east-north-east. The Maroro then shaped her course for Gisborne, She entered the bay at 5 o’clock in the morning, but could not get up to her anchorage and had to beat about until the afternoon, vdien the doctor’s launch and the tug Karoro went out anti brought her up to the wharf, where she wa« berthed at about 5 p.m. One member of the crew’ described it as his worst experience. “J have been ten veais at sea,” he said, “but I have never struck anything like it. It was no picnic T can tell you. For nearly a month we have been out of kerosene, and at night we had to grope about in the pitch darkness. On numerous occasions we had to put out oil bags to try to calm the seas, but even then you could not see one end of the boat from the other.”

The greatest credit is due to Captain Anderson, master of the Maroro, for bringing his ship through under such mreumstnncoß When spoken to yesterday several of the crew said that they had every confidence in the “old man” throughout the voyage, and he had treated them well. Beyond the smashed rudder and torn sails the Maroro came through the ordoo' with very little iamaee.