DRAINING SEA SCOUTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18180, 28 August 1922, Page 9

DRAINING SEA SCOUTS.

f ASSOCIATION'S NEW smp J : MOOEED AT KEDCLIFFS. I AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE. I; I r 3 % JSLEGEAPH.' —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHEISTCEUECH. Saturday. •S lb is the first vessel to leave Lyttelton for Port Christchurch,"..someone remarked facetiously as the sea scout ship, *;■■'. the Sea Scoufc > formerly the Annie Hill, ■ Jcft the wharf at Lyttelton to be towed round to Redcliffs, where in future she •vriU remain moored for uso in connection IJ m with the training of sea scouts. The tow | commenced punctually at 2 p.m., but it t/;' was nearly 6.30 p.m. before anchor was dropped at the mooring place at Redcliffs. The delay was due to the fact that the vessel got on a sand spit off Shag Rock, and it took nearly two hours of strenuous work to get her under way agauu Among those who made the trip round were Captain D. C. W. Cossgrove, Chief Commissioner of the Boy Scouts' Association, and Major W. E. S. Furby, assistant chief commissioner. Captain T. M. Hunter, harbourmaster, acted as pilot. The Sea Scout, was gaily bedecked with |f flags. As she left Lyttelton Harbour in tow of the tug Lyttelton, the American schooner, H. J. Hall, dipped her flag, a compliment which was dutiy returned. ' There was a fairly strong southerly blowing, but the sea was not at all rough, and the vessel was off Sumner within forty-five minutes of leaving Lyttelton. It had* been arranged that from here round to Bedcliffs the tow should be undertaken by two motor-boats. It was a considerable time before the motor-boats came out, and those on board were beginning to thick that the Sumner bar was considered unsafe and that the Sea Scout would have \ to be towed back to Lyttelton. However, after a while the Sumner lifeboat came out, and those on board were informed that the tow would be continued. The bar was negotiated in good style, ' though two sms.ll boats which were being towed behind the Sea Scout had to be cot loose to save t.bem from being smashed by the rollers on the bar dashing them against the vessel. The two boats were picked np by the lifeboat* and towed round to Redcliffs. The Sumner pier and Cava Rock were erovded with people, who heartily cheered the Sea Scout as she was towed past. A number of scouts belonging to I the New Brighton troop had gathered on the sand dimes opposite Shag Rock, under the command of Scoutmaster Bishop. As fthe vessel went past they gave the Do- ' minion rally in honour of tha fact that the chief commissioner was en board. After' passing Shag Rock the Sea Scout got into difficulties in the tricky channel and grounded on a sand spit. A rope was taken ashore by the lifeboat, and this was fastened to a tramway pole. Then, by means of the winch on board, strenuous efforts were made to move the vessel off the spit into the channel again. The two motor launches also gave their assistance, but it was very slow work. The rope to the shore snapped twice. However, slowly but surely the vessel was moved, into the deep water, and by 6.5 p.m., just two hours after she had left Sumner, she was floating free again. A large crowd on shore watched the operation of getting the Sea Scout off the spit, and a loud cheer went up when this was achievisd. The remainder of the tow to the: mooring place was accomplished without any mishap. The Sea Scout will be available for the training of sea scout troops from any part of the Dominion. The facilities on ; f board are of such a nature that it will he possible to give scouts a very comprehensive course in seamanship. As many members of a troop as possible will live on board during training optjarations. The Annie Hill, now the Sea Scout, TOs built on the Huon River, Tasmania, in 1876. Lloyd's Register describes her , ■:•■'.'.". M-a schooner of 128 tons and gives her "dimensions as "follows: —Length, 99ft; breadth, 22ft. 5m.,- depth, 10ft. sinu