ILL-LUCK ON VOYAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23121, 20 August 1938, Page 12

ILL-LUCK ON VOYAGE

SMALL HOPPER DREDGE CLYDE TO NEW ZEALAND [fbom'oxtr own correspondent] SYDNEY, August 16 111-luck has dogged tho Kerimoana's maiden voyage to New Zealand. This small grab-hopper dredge left Glasgowfive months ago under her own power for Wellington. Commanded by Captain Adamson, she is of 92 tons, and was built on the Clyde for the Wellington Harbour Trust. She is 114 feet long and 27 feet wide. Captain Adamson, on arrival of the Kerimoana at Newcastle, said that the voyage was only a few days old when bad weather blew up. This lasted for several. days, the unwieldy craft bumping heavily in the high seas. One of Franco's.armed trawlers stopped her in the Straits of Gibraltar. Then a call had to be made at Malta for coal. At Port Said two of the crew were put ashore sick. The voyage from Java to Townsville was another episode of bad weather,, which so depleted the bunkers that a call had to be made at Thursday Island. A member of the crew was put ashore injured at Townsville. Eleven days ago the Kerimoana left Brisbane for Wellington. She was well out; in the Tasman when a cyclone hit her. Short of bunkers, water and provisions, she made for. Newcastle. Her supplies were almost exhausted when the reached there. Captain Adamson did not enlarge on hi*> experiences, but a seaman said: ''Wellington seems like a beautiful dream to me."