SCHOONER ASHORE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17780, 13 May 1921, Page 6

SCHOONER ASHORE.

HUANUI COMES TO GRIEF.

STRANDED AT WAIKANAE.

HIGH AND DRY ON BEACH.

DRIVEN IN BY A GALE. [BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CISBORXE, Thursday. The little schooner Huanui, with a cargo of benzine from Auckland, went ashore on the Waikanae beach this morning in a gale. The crew are safe. This afternoon the schooner was high and dry on the b.each, and it was possible to walk all round her. Her deck cargo of sulphuric acid, coal, and timber was intact and the cargo in the hold was not damaged. The vessel had sunk about 4ft. into the sand and was lying broadside on to the breakers. No difficulty will be experienced in salvaging; the cargo and the vessel's reflotation depends entirely upon the weather.

Captain Anderson, who has been in command of the Huanui for the past seven years, stated that he came into the bay about eleven o'clock last night. The sky being overcast, witha strong westerly blowing, he decided to make over toward Young Nick's Head to drop anchor and shelter until this morning. When half-way across, however, the gale suddenly veered round to an exceptionally heavy southerly and he decided to drop his anchor. The little vessel was gamely struggling against the elements of a heavy, jobbly sea and a great wind, and the anchor failed to take hold.

In spits of the efforts of the master and crew, tho Huanui got further inshore and shortly afterwaHs she struck tho sand. Tho ship lurched over to a disconcerting angle. At that time she was bow on to tho shore, while the heavy seas were breaking all over her and flooding down to tho saloon. From that op tha vessel bumped many times and was at the mercy of the breakers. At 4 a.m. Captain Anderson sent up fpur,,or five distress rockets and hoisted blue distress lights. Just before the vessel finally stranded the false keel and rudder were carried away, and sis pieces of the keel about 18ft. long and 3ft. wido were washed up high and dry on the beach about 300 yds. from the spot where the vessel now lies. Owing to heavy rain and hail the rockets failed to attract the. attention of the other vessels in the bay or the signal station. At 5 p.m. the vessel was washed nearer to the beach, and at 7 a.m. the Huanui bumped several times more and eventually turned, broadside on and was soon right up on the beach. As each breaker came in the vessel was rolled from one side to the other.

The mate, Mr. Paul Frodig, stated that it was a dirty night, with a nasty, jobbly sea accompanied by wind, hail, and rain.

Tho Huanui is a wooden schooner of 139 tons gross. Her dimensions are: Length, 84ft.; beam, 24ft.; depth, 6ft. 7in. She was built at Auckland in 1910, by Bailey and Lowe, and was bought about two years ago by Clare and Clare, of Gisborne.