STORM IN TASMAN SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20922, 11 July 1931, Page 10

STORM IN TASMAN SEA.

PORT WAIKATO BUFFETED,

HOVE-TO FOR SEVEN HOURS

Very stormy weather in the Tasman Sea was experienced by the intercolonial motor-ship Port Waikato, which arrived at Auckland from Sydney yesterday afternoon.

The vessel is ' loaded with. hardwood timber from Port Stephens and Newcastle and general cargo from Sydney. She sailed from Sydney last Friday night and" experienced fair. weather, during the first two days from port. On Sunday night a heavy northerly gale was encountered, accompanied by high seas. Owing to the tempestuous conditions the vessel bad to be hove-to for seven hours.' At the height of the storm the wind reached a velocity of 68 miles an hour, according to the estimate of Captain A. P. Watchlin, the master and owner of the vessel. On Monday morning the c gale moderated sufficiently to allow the Port Waikato to resume her trip, but 24 hours later the wind changed to the north-north-east and continued to blow, with gale force from that direction. - 1? The cyclonic conditions caused a confused sea, which buffeted the vessel considerably, but she proved very buoyant and very little water broke on board. On Thursday morning, when the Port Waikato was nearing the Three Kings the ■■ conditions improved and afterwards better progress was made to port.

Captain Watchlin has had many years' experience in the intercolonial trade in sail and steam, and he says ho considers that the stormy conditions encountered by the Port Waikato were the worst he had met with in the Tasman Sea.

Stormy conditions have also prevailed on New Zealand coast. The Texas Oil Company's large tanker New Zealand, which was due at Auckland from Lyttelton at daybreak this mining, reported yesterday that she was being delayed by a westerly storm in the Bay of Plenty and the time of her arrival this morning was uncertain.