REFLOATING VALMARIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18089, 13 May 1922, Page 10

REFLOATING VALMARIE.

ROMANCE OF THE SEA.

ABANDONED SHIP SAVED.

A CHEAP INVESTMENT.

[BT TKLEGBAI'H. —OWN OOWtESrONDENT.]

WELLINGTON. Friday. The final chapter of a romance of the soa was enacted to-day, when the threemasted schooner Valmarie arrived in port early this morning frcui Farewell Spit ill tow of the tug Pelican. She left Clarence River, New South Wales, on February 1 last for Wellington with a cargo of hardwood, and 16 days later ran aground on Farewell Spit, about ten miles west of the Lighthouse. All efforts to refloat her were unsuccessful, and the underwriters later accepted the abandonment of the vessel. Tho hull and cargo were sold by auction to Mr. E. Tasker, of Nelson, for £135 and £80 respectively.

Tho vessel had cost £12,000 to build in 1919. and the insurance on the hardwood was £5500, Experts had visited the spit and had stated that tho schooner was deemed. Every day she lay on tho spit she had been sinking lower and lower, and as time went on she become so embedded in the sand that only a month ago it was possible to wa'k on to her decks from tho shore. Therefore tho refloating of tho vessel can bo regarded as a remarkable achievement and a credit to the men who worked so hard to save her.

It was Mr. Taskor's intention when ho bought the Yalmario to discharge tho cargo of hardwood on to the spit and then by means of a tram line carry it to Puponga, from which point it could be shipped to Wellington. For that purpose Captain A. J. Holm arrived at tho Valmane on April 6 with a team of horses and appliances for discharging the cargo. In two weeks he had discharged about 50.000 ft. of the timber, and the vessel, which at the beginning of tho work had been firmly banked up by sand on either side, had commenced to' clear herself.

Current Clears the Sand. A strong current set in from the west, and by degrees began to clear the sand away from the starboard side of the ship. On -May 20, Mr. E. R. Lane, of Picton, arrived with a pumping outfit for th« purpose of clearing the'vessel's hold of water. The Valmarie was then about 200vds from bich watermark, and was down by the head. She was full of water and at low tide there was about a foot of water over the hatches. When the tide was high the whole ship was lubrnerged. A week later the vessel had righted herself, and a start was made to pump her dry- It was thought if the Valmarie were lightened she might float, and consequently to aid the work two tackles were secured to the foremast and the mizzen, the other ends being fixed to two sft. Jogs embedded in the sand about a quarter of a mile 'away. By> tihia limo a# iappTeolahle change had taken place at fie spit. The 6tron<r current had completely washed awav the sand from the starboard side, i and had left I2ft. of water on the port; side. The sand was still some 6ft. deep.

Gradually Lilted Out. At two-hour intervals the tackles were heaved on, and the process had the result of gradually lifting the Yalmarie out of the hole in which sho had been resting. More water was pumped out, the schooner became noticeably lighter, and at 8 o'clock last Sunday morning she floated. On on© side she had 12ft. of water at low tide, and on the other there was ti bank. On Monday she was beached en the bank for examination. Tt waa found that her ' f butts " had opened in one or two places, and these wero accordingly caulked. No difficulty was experienced in refloating the vessel, as at every tide she was floating for about four hours.

In response to a telegram from Mr. Tasker, the tug Pelican left Wellington on Wednesday afternoon, and arrived at Farewell Spit on Thursday morning. A tribute to the seamanship of Captain Goldie, tuemaster, in the manner in which he secured the tow is paid by those who ■vratched the operations. Exactly one hour after the arrival of the Pelispn tho schooner left the Snit. At 11.30 a.m, yesterday she was in deep water, and had commenced her voyage to Wellington. The tow up from the Spit was uneventful, and ■waa accomplished in the good time of 20 hours, Hull Eemains Sound. Prom outward appearances, as ?h« berthed at the wharf this morning, the Yalmatrie looked considerably Jcno'cked about. Her bulwarks were smashed for several feet, the aft-deck house had been washed away by heavy seas, and the forward shelter was smashed in several places. The decks were littered with ropes, chains, and bits of 'yreokago, but, as far as the ship goes, the hull is sound She is sliehtly " horded " at the stem, but otherwise is seaworthy. A start will be made nt Wellington t<» put oul the remainder of carpo, but before that can be done the hold has to ba pumped drv, and about 40 tons of sand taken out. Something like 15 tons of 6and were thrown out before the vessel was floated.