SINKING OF LAUNCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22231, 4 October 1935, Page 12

SINKING OF LAUNCH

COLLISION WITH MOTOR-SHIP NAUTICAL INQUIRY HELD [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday A nautical inquiry was opened to-day before Mr. H. A. Young, S.M., and Captains E. F. Watson and F. Dewhurst, into a collision between the motor-ship Breeze and the launch Bessie, off Timaru, on August 1, as a result of which the launch was sunk. Her crew of three were rescued by the Breeze's lifeboat. Counsel for the Marine Department said there was a conflict of evidence between the members of the Breeze's crew and the one man who was awake on the Bessie, Evidence of the course followed was given by Albert George Baggett, mate of the Breeze, who said he picked up the Bessie's red light and, as the launch appeared a bit close, ordered the wheel to starboard. He thought that would be sufficient to avoid a collision, but he then saw the Bessie's green light and ordered hard a-starboard and rang the engines full astern. At that time the launch was crossing under the Breeze's bows from port to starboard. John McKinnon, leading able seaman on the Breeze, who was at tho wheel at the time of the collision, said he got one order only, " Hard a-starboard." Ronald Francis Latimer, master of tho Bessie, said he had been fishing for 12 months. He had no copy of the regulations aboard, but had learned the regulations from people he had worked for. Nicholas Parker Gracefield, a member of the crew who was steering the launch when the collision occurred, said that the Breeze turned first to port before turning to starboard. If the Breeze had not ported her helm the collision would not have occurred. The Court reserved its decision until to-morrow.