WRECK OF TRAWLER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19986, 30 June 1928, Page 8

WRECK OF TRAWLER.

MARINE INQUIRY HELD.

LOSS OF THOMAS BRYAN.

THE CAPTAIN'S DUTIES.

QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY.

A marine inquiry into the wreck of the trawler, Thomas Bryan, which wenL ashore near Cape Colville, on the Coromandel Peninsula, on Jung 10, while en route- from the Bay of Plenty to Auckland, was conducted yesterday by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., who had with him as assessors Captain Huntley Dryden and Captain William Edward Wahlstrom. Mr. V. R. Meredith represented the Minister of Marine, Mr. Allan Moody appeared for Captain James Holt, mas per of the vessel, and Mr. J. Terry for Sanford, Limited, the owners. The order of reference was an inquiry bv the superintendent of mercantile marine, Captain T. Atwood, to determine whether tho wreck was due to any mistake- or error of judgment on the part of ftho master or officers of the vessel, and whether the principles of good seamanship had been observed.

Mr. Meredith, recalling the circumstances of the wreck, said the vessel was returning, laden with fish, from the Bay of Plenty when, on the night of Juno 10, after tho master had gone below to sleep, the vessel struck. The crew landed safely next morning.

Statement by the Captain. Apparently Captain Holt had left merely a general instruction that he was to fee called if the weather thickened, or other circumstances made it necessary. ■Two seamen had been left on deck that night to maintain the course and keep a look-out. Captain Holt, in evidence, said he had been on the coast about 18 years —11 in charge of trawlers —and had under him four deck hands, a chief engineer, three firemen and a cook. One of the deck hands —Tomlinson —was certificated, but was signed on merely as a leading seaman, or mate, as such a unit of the crew was known in trawling fleets. The ship's compasses were adjusted in August, 1927, and good courses had been steered by thera since. Heavily laden, the Thomas ]3ry<in sometimes was difficult to steer. Instructions Before Retiring.

After coming through the Hole in the Wall that evening, he maintained coarse an extra quarter of an hour to take the ship a safe distance off the land, then set the future course and went below, with deck hands Halgesen and Double taking turn about at the wheel and lookout duty. The weather was then clear, with a north-east wind, and there was no more than the usual westerly "set." Before going to his cabin he asked to be called if the weather thickened, if the men on deck were in any doubt, and definitely that he was to be summoned when the Watchman light was sighted, should have been about 11 o clock. When the ship struck shortly after 1130 p.m. Halgesen came to his cabin to call him. Witness asked: "How did vou get there ?' * and was answered: ''lt was coming up thick and I was coming to call you." Captain Holt described the futile efforts to move the vessel when the propeller snapped off after she struck. Flares were lit, the,whistle sounded and rockets sent up. Sixteen Hours of Duty. To Mr. Moody, he said he had been on duty 16 hours before going below, after which he had several times called out to thfe watch above and been told all was well. , Mr. Moody: You are not only master on the ship, but assist in the trawling work as well I—Yes, I am a labourer, °Mr. Moody: I should say the labourer is worthy of his hire. Captain Holt further said he had been up every four hours for a week, with no set period for sleep. In reply to questions, he said he could not very well have secured sleep after turning for home in the Bay of Plenty at 10 a.m. that day—there was work to do, and he doubted whether he could have secured sleep in daylight. In England, unlike jS'ew Zealand, such vessels had to carry a certificated mate and a bos'un. Witness had to work long hours himself to avoid payment of overtime to the crew. Mr. Moody: If you did not, up would go the price of fish. Mr. Hunt: Why was not Tomlinson, a certificated man, on duty that night ? —Btcause he had been on all the afternoon-. • , Hirold Halgesen, the deck hand who shared wheel and look-out duty with deck-hand Double after the master went below, said he' surrendered the wheel to Double just before the vessel struck. Watchman Light Not Sighted.

Witness had become nervous when the Watchman light was not sighted after time and was about to call the master when he saw land looming close at hand. He shouted to Double to put the wheel hard over and then went to the captain's cabin. He had been steering right by the compass, but the wind and swell must have thrown the vessel off her course. William Henry Double, who had been making only his second trip on .this coast, said the vessel was always hard to steer. It had been raining hard for an hour before she hit land, but he did not recollect Captain Holt asking to be called in such case, although ho was on _ the bridge when the instruction was said to have been given. Mr. Moody: But vou knew, you should have called him? —Yes. And you did not ?—No. Mr. Moody referred to Captain Holt's previously unblemished record and his excellent behaviour after the vessel struck. " Grossly Let Down."

Counsel asked the Court seriously to consider the responsibility placed upon the captain of a vessel with 10 Jives aboard, >vheb the regulations did not compel the employment of a second certificated officer, although it happened that in this case there was one such on board, but rated as a leading seaman only. Following an inquiry into the stranding of the Coronation last year, it had been recommended that the regulations be altered to provide for the employment of a second certificated officer on such vessels. That, Mr. Moody contended, was as much in the interest of life as of navigation. Captain Holt had set a prudent course, but had been 1 grossly let down by carelessness on the part of one or other of the two deck hands. He should be completely exonerated and congratulated on the excellent seamanship he displayed after the mishap. ■Mr. Terry pointed out that in this ease, at least, the leading seaman had happened to be certificated, and the owners had never suggested that the master should work the ship so economically as to make his hours unduly long. Mr. Meredith emphasised the responsibility at all times resting on the master to exercise caution and take all due steps to prevent disaster. The captain, he believed, could have secured some sleep when the ship was crossing the Bay of Plenty on the homeward run in daylight. He questioned the propriety of leaving the two men he did in charge, and said that Captain Holt bad not definitely ind the men to call him if the was n °k picked up at a C°urt reserved its finding*