STRANDING OF STEAMER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17293, 17 October 1919, Page 8

STRANDING OF STEAMER

EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY. PROPER COURSE NOT KEPT. WRONGFUL DEFAULT OF MATE. [EY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. A magisterial inquiry was held to-day into the stranding of the small steamer Wairau, on the Beef Barrels in French Pass on the morning of September 12. Captain Knox gave evidence that the mate, Richard McNeilly, formerly of the Pateena, who had frequently been on the Wellington-Nelson run, was in charge of the Wairau when she struck. She floated off with the next rising tide. Repairs cost between £50 and £80. At the time she stranded the wind was blowing hard from the south-east. This and the tide would tend to take her towards the rocks'. He told the mate to keep in the red sector of the French Pass light, brat, after she had struck, he found she was in the white sector about half a mile off the set course. Navigator's Evidence. Richard McNeilly. mate of the Wairau, staled that he had been on the vessel for about nine months. On the morning of September 12 he went on duty just before going through French Pass. The course ! given him by the master was south-west by south, and he was told to keep in the/ red sector of the French Pass light, which was ahead. For fully fifteen minutes after the captain left the bridge the Okuri light was perfectly clear, and having the latter light to go by he took no further notice of the red sector in the other light. He was not sure of the course from the Okuri light, so he took out his notebook to consult his notes with regard to the course. The notes weTe taken on the previous trip, and he was reading them by the light of the compass. During that time his attention was taken off the shin. OnSooking up, he noticed he had left the Okuri light, and on looking over the starboard side of the boat saw rocks. He ordered the engines hard astern, but was too close to avert stranding. The vessel was heading south, southwest when "she struck. There was a bit of a "jobble" on at the time the Wairau struck, the wind being squally. the speed of the ship was about seven knots, and the whole thing happened so suddenly he could hardly explain the cause of the mishap, except that the course had been altered while he was looking at his notes. The only instruction he gave to the helmsman was to steer for the Okuri light. Vessel Off Fixed Course. Witness had been through the pass hundreds of times, and had absolute confidence in taking charge of the ship. He did not consider it necessary for the captain to remain on deck. As a rule masters only took their ships through the Narrows, and then handed over command to the officers. Captain Knox had" followed the same practice as masters in the Union Company. If the vessel's head had been kept with th e Okuri light straight ahead, he could not have got into the position in which he found himself. The man at the wheel could not account for the vessel getting off the course. He had only been looking at his no"tes about rive minutes. Had he been able to get the wheel over to starboard a little more quickly the accident might have been averted. He couJV offer no suggestion as to how the helr.oman got off th e course, for he was a thoroughly experienced seaman. To the Court: He did not go off the bridge to get the notebook, as it was in his oilskin. Th wind and tide would tend to swing the vessel off the course. He had had his certificate about nine months, and it was the second vessel he had been on as officer.

„ Helmsman's Account

William Thomas Doiden, A.B. on the Wairau, stated that he went on duty at the wheel at 1.30 a.m. on September la. The master gave him instructions regarding the course to follow to the Okuri light. When the mate took charge witness was told to keep the same course, the course was never altered until the vessel struck. To the Bench : He could not understand how it was he got half a mile out of his course in four miles. From the time of leaving the French Pass he kept a direct course until the ship struck. After considering the evidence, the Court delivered judgment as follows:— The Court is of opinion that the casualty was caused by the wrongful default of the mate, Richard McNeilly, in that (a) he failed to keep the vessel in the red sector of the French Pass light, (b) he failed to keep the vessel on the course laid down by the master. These defaults of the mate were, in the opinion of the Court, the immediate cause of the casualty. The Court desires to express the view that the master should, under the circumstances, have remained on the bridge until the vessel had cleared the rocks. The Court is of opinion that the default of the mate was a grave lapse, but as the injury done to the vessel was net, a serious one, the Court has not jurisdiction to deal with the mate's certificate. The master and the mate will be ordered to pav between them the costs of this inquiry. The certificates of both the master and mate were returned.