TREACHEROUS BAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19999, 16 July 1928, Page 12

TREACHEROUS BAR.

SCENE OF FORMER WRECK.

I MANY NAVIGATION DANGERS.

HISTORY OF LOST SCHOONER. LAST YEAR'S MISHAP RECALLED. Tho loss of the Isabella de Fraine with all hands is tho greatest maritime disaster in New Zealand coastal shipping since tho loss of tho steamer Ripple with 17 lives off Capo I'alliser on the East Coast, on August 7, 1924. The little schooner which met such a tragic fate on Saturday had battled her way up and down tho northern coasts of the island for more than 10 years, and had many times negotiated tho Hokianga Bar, deemed by nautical men one of the most perilous in all the northern coastline. It is 14 years since the Hokianga Bar claimed its last ship. On August 7, 1914, tho barque Joseph Craig, while being towed outward for Melbourne by tho tug Ohinemuri, parted tho towlino and became a total wreck inside the bar. Tho crew landed safely without much difficulty but a southerly gale blew with hurricane force on the night of tho wreck, completely breaking up the barque, timber from which was scattered all round tho North Head. The Joseph Craig was an iron vessel of 714 tons gross, Captain Airey master, and among the crew was Mr. W. E. Sanders, who later as a Royal Navy reservist with the British Fleet during tho Great War attained tho rank of lieutenant-commander and won tho Victoria Cross in one of the most brilliant minor engagements of the struggle. He was a native of Auckland. 30 years of age at the time when he was awarded the decoration, and from the age of 19 years has seen service as an officer in sailing ships. Hazards of Navigation.

The hazards of navigation presented by a number of the bar harbours along the coastline of the Northland have earned it an unenviable reputation among nautical men. Kaipara, where many ships of sail have met their fate and crews an untimely end, has the name among sailors of "the graveyard of New Zealand." Next most dangerous is the Hokianga Bar, which is fraught with peculiar risks to vessels.

Even in calm weather along the coast, there often surge into tho river mouth great rollers which sweep across the sea from far distant storms. Approaching tho bar, they sweep up tons of sand from the ocean bed, and deposit it on the decks of vessels shipping a sea when effecting a crossing.

Discussing the risks of the bar yesterday, Captain M. Pisrotti, marine superintendent of the Northern Steamship Company, who as a master in the fleet has had many years' experience of working the bar harbours of tho Northern Peninsula, deemed it probable that the bar, which moves north and south from time to time, was to the north when the Isabella do Fraine came to grief. Warnings to Shipping.

When the bar was north a vessel entering had to turn broadside on once inside. Normally she would then have to contend only with broken water, but occasionally one of the great rollers would come through unbroken and catch a ship at a disadvantage. Captain Pierotti surmised that that might well have been the case in this instance or that the steering gear had carried away. Normally signals were easily picked up at Hokianga Heads, although on occasions the early morning haze behind the land compelled masters to stand well to the northward to pick them up. Directions contained in the New Zealand Pilot for approaching the Hokianga River contain the following reference:— "A constant swell from the westward breaks heavily on the beach and the bar is usually breaking, except in the fine season, when it has been known to be smooth for two or three weeks at a time. Vessels should be prepared, when crossing, for shipping a sea. Three rollers are generally experienced before the bar is passed." Channels Subject to Change. The publication refers to tho tidal stream of four knots and describes the shoals forming the bar at the river entrance as extending in a north-westerly and south-easterly direction for about two miles, lying at a distance of 1£ to 1£ miles from the heads. Between these shoals are thiee channels, subject to constant change and known as the north, main or middle and south channels. Allusion is made to the frequent changes in the direction and depths of tho channels and it is pointed out that vessels must depend for directions entirely on the signals. "Sailing vessels," it is stated, "should never attempt to cross except with a leading wind and moderate weather and never unless directions aro signalled." Between the heads within tho bar there is a depth of from 16 to 25 fathoms, but there are two dangers on the north side of the channel which narrow it considerably. These are the Nine-feet rocks, lying seven cables south-westward of North Head, and a spit three cables southward of North Head. Other spits and rocks are named. Lights comprise a white fixed light from the base of tho signal staff on South Head, 152 ft. above high water, and two white leading lights are shown occasionally when the bar is considered safe for crossing. A Well-known Vessel. The Isabella de Fraine is well known in Auckland shipping circles and lias been engaged in the New Zealand coastal trade for over 10 years. She is a wooden schooner of 110 tons gross, owned by A. G. Frankham, Ltd., and was built at Cam den Haven, in the north of New South Wales, in 1902. For auxiliary purposes she has an oil engine of 60 h.p. After running for a considerable time in the Oisborne-Auckland trade, she was transferred to the Hokianga service, trading first from Auckland and, in more recent months, from Onehunga, to Hokianga. The Isabella de Fraine was nearly sunk in Hokianga Harbour on May 20, 1927. when she struck a submerged snag off Kanaka Point, a hole being knocked in (he forward part of tho hull. Pumps were manned, but as tho vessel continued to make water the captain beached her and plugged the hole with a sack of flour. A reference to tho incident published in the Herald at the time remarked how fortunate was the escape' from such a tragic fate as that which befell the schooner on Saturday. 'lt is fortunate that the accident happened where it did," read the report, "as if tho schooner had struck outsido tho bar have been great risk of total loss." A long, stormy voyage was experienced by tho ship in July, 1919, when she occupied 22 days in making the run from Gisborne to Auckland. A succession of westerly gales, with heavy seas, was encountered, the, schooner on two occasions being hove-to for sire days. She laboured heavily, the hull being strained and damage done aloft.