A STORMY PASSAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14359, 2 May 1910, Page 5

A STORMY PASSAGE.

EXPERIENCES OF A DREDGE. ' - A SEAMAN INJURED. '• ■ ■-.-■',•. ; ... --. _ ; ■ ••-. : The Auckland Harbour Board's new bucket dredge Hapai arrived from Greenock, via.' ports, yesterday morning, after a --, tempestuous voyage. • : The Hapai commenced her long journey on January 13, and on tho following day called at Carrick Fergus for repairs to her machinery. These having been effected, vj she continued her journey on January 19, and on entering the Bay of Biscay very , bad weather was encountered. Huge >' eeas swept the dredge fore and aft, and ..' for five days she '\vas "hove to." >■ The ".'•'• >\ Hapai rolled in an alarming manner, five '■'-'./ :-■:'.''or six barrels of oil being swept over:f:\ board besides some deck gear. A spare bucket-ladder and propeller, which were lashed on deck, were washed out.of their • posiiions and also a number of heavy. ~ links, buckets, and wheels. The storetjt;' room was also flooded, and «v quantity of vi ; l: : provisions destroyed. — • 'An A.B. named. Taylor received a painful injury to his foot through being struck j> by drifting deck gear, and the master (Captain Ferguson) decided to put into Vigo to land Taylor, and have repairs - - carried out to the dredge, which was more or ;; - lets damaged by the heavy seas. On Febru- j l t"J ■ ary 3 she continued, her voyage, and had fair weather till February 12, when-she was "hove to" again for several hours.-Malta was reached on February 15. ; ; v : " The vessel's arrival' at that port created ';?',;'-. quite a sensation, as she had been re:k:'.-..' ported by a steamer as having foundered \\. in the Bay of Biscay..- She took her «;.] departure from Malta on the.- following fil day, and strong winds and seas were fl- again experienced. A quantity of bunker '■' ■ coal, which was carried on deck, was washed overboard, and • the master steamed the vessel b>&He the gale for some hours. .When the weather moderated the Hapai was put on to her course again, and until arrival at Auckland eho encountered a succession of heavy gales ;, and high seas. Calls were also made at K - Port Said/ Aden, Colombo, and Frev mantle for stores, and bunker coal. ■-;Xv /':>-■- . -"- /'■"'-' ■ "•■ "'•''':' '"-■'■'• -.' ■■ f'-f'V-'M:':!