BATTERED BY STORM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21793, 7 May 1934, Page 10

BATTERED BY STORM

SMALL STEAMER'S ORDEAL HOVE-TO FOR 30 HOURS LATE ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND Battered by mountainous seas that threatened to engulf her, tlio small steamer Abel Tasman, which arrived at Auckland yesterday afternoon two days late from Sydney, fought out the gale which swept the Auckland Province on Thursday. For 30 hours the vessel was hove-to in the welter of crashing water. Jt was the only thing to he done to savo her from destruction.

Yesterday when the vessel entered port the only visible signs of damage were a few cracked ports. Thankfully the crew set to to dry their clothing, sodden by the water which had swept on board. And thankfully, too, they anticipated the prospect of a night of uninterrupted sleep. Yet tho only description which the master, Captain C. G. Turner, would give of tho ordeal through which the vessel had passed was: "Jt was about tho worst passage 1 have made across tho Tasman."

In spite of the captain's reticence, however, inquiries showed that at times when the ship was battling with the gale it seemed that she would bo smashed to pieces. With her bows plunging into rearing walls of water that lifted her high or tumbled in breaking cataracts across her decks, she was kept head-on to tho storm from early on Thursday morning until after mid-day on Friday. "Thank God that is over," was tho comment of at least one man on tho vessel when the wind abated and the normal course was resumed. The Abel Tasman, with general cargo and hardwood poles and' sleepers, left Sydney for Auckland on Saturday, April 28. From 4 o'clock that afternoon until noon last Tuesday the weather was fine, with a slight sea and variable winds. On Wednesday there was a light north-east swell, hut by Thursday the wind, which had been increasing from the south-east, had iiscn to gale force. With a hard gale blowing by 8 a.m. on Thursday the position had become so precarious that the vessel was hoveto, being then 187 miles from North Cape. By Thursday night the wind had worked round to south-west. All that night the ship remained hove-to in a hard south-west gale, and it was not until about 2 o'clock on I*riday afternoon, when the weather had moderated, that the course for Auckland was resumed.

PROLONGED PASSAGE STORM ON EAST COAST VESSEL'S ENGINE DISABLED A prolonged passage of over five days from Lyttelton to Auckland was made by the Norwegian motor-tanker New Zealand, which arrived hero last evening with one of her engines disabled. The vessel sailed from Lyttelton oil Tuesday afternoon, and on Thursday morning sbe encountered a north-east gale and high head seas, which delayed her progress considerably. On Friday morning when the tanker was nearing the East Capo some of the bearings 011 one of the auxiliary shafts on the port engine became damaged and put tho engine out of commission. The accident was only a minor one, but owing to there being 110 sparo bearings 011 board repairs could not be effected and tho remainder of the passage was made with only the starboard engine working. The gale moderated after the vessel passed the East. Cape, but the sea continued heavy and tho wind changed to the west. The tanker is a powerful vessel of 9311 tons and after the accident she averaged r/x knots to Auckland. She will berth this morning at Western Wharf to complete unloading bulk petrol from San Pedro for the Texas Oil Company. Repairs to the engine will be made during discharge, and after tho work is completed she will sail for San Pedro.

The north-east, storm on the east roast on Thursday delayed the Union Company's cargo steamer Kartigi, which arrived from Wellington yesterday, about '2-1 hours behind schedule. She sailed from Wellington on Wednesday evening, and during the next two days she was buffeted by the storm, against which she could hardly make headway, and seas repeatedly broke on board. After rounding the East Capo on Saturday morning tho wind changed to the west and boisterous conditions continued in the Bay of Plenty and until the vessel reached the shelter of the Hauraki Gulf.

ROUGH ON WEST COAST

SMALL VESSELS DELAYED BARBOUND AT ONEHUNGA Since the north-east storm, which was experienced on Thursday, the wind has been from a westerly direction and tho conditions have been very boisterous on the west coast, where the sea has been very rough and is delaying shipping. The motor-vessel Ronaki left Onehunga for Raglan and Kawhia on Friday afternoon and has been barbound since. After anchoring at Manukau Heads she returned to Onehunga on Saturday afternoon and her departure was postponed until to-day. The motorvessel Hokianga left Onehunga for Hokianga on Saturday morning, but owing to the bar being unworkable she returned tn Onehunga tho same afternoon. The vessel sailed again vestorday' morning and crossed the bar a few hours later, but owing to the strong wind and rough seas outside she returned inside the bar and anchored at the heads until the conditions moderated.