STORM-TOSSED SCOW

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21639, 3 November 1933, Page 8

STORM-TOSSED SCOW

PORTION OF MAST LOST J! SAILS RENDERED USELESS " LUCKY TO BE ALIVE" [ JIT TELEGRAPH' —OWN CORRESPONDED WHAKATAME, Thursday Looking very much the worse for a severe buffeting, the small auxili ar ,. scow AT win G., of 37 tons, in com", mand of Captain Wyatt. and carrvin,, a crew of three, put into Whakatane this morning, having left Gishorne eu route for Auckland on Sunday morn, ing. At about seven o'clock on S.undav night the boat struck a hard south', erly wind just off Gable End, and was forced to run for 16 hours before j{ About J Oft. of the rnizzen topmast was broken off, and all sails were blown out and rendered useless. The wind turned to a hard westerly ' on Monday night, and, as the vessel was then about SO miles from the East (Jape, the crew bad grave fears that they would be blown still further away. Captain Wyatt .states that the waves were at times over 60ft. high, and ho felt that at any time the boat might, have been engulfed. The weather continued rough until Tuesday night, when a change of the wind to an easteriy enabled them to make (Jape Runaway. Whakataiie Meads were reached on Wednesday evening, and this morning the vessel was berthed at the wharf. Fortunately no injuries were suffered by the crew. Both engines became damaged as a result of the severe buffeting, and it was only the easing off of the wind on Tuesday night that enabled sufficient repairs to he made to the sails to bring the vessel into Whakatane. . The Alwin G. is owned by E. and H. Craig, of Auckland, and was returning empty from Gishorne after discharging a cargo of benzine there. Captain Wyatt said that he had never seen anything like the seas which they had to contend with, and considers they are vcrv fortunate to be still alive. •