48 YEARS AT SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23206, 28 November 1938, Page 13

48 YEARS AT SEA

CAPTAIN S. HEWITT UNION COMPANY MASTER RETIREMENT FROM SERVICE Nearly half a century has been spent at sea by Captain S. Hewitt,, of Auckland, who has retired from "the service of the Union Steam Ship Company, Limited, Captain Hewitt, who is one of the best-known masters on the Now Zealand and Australian coasts, left the company's motor-vessel Kauri at Port Chalmers on Friday and arrived in Auckland by train .yesterday morning. Captain Hewitt is a Yorkshiremnn and first went to sea at the ago of 14 years in 1890, sailing in a full-rigged ship, the Milton Park, owried by George Gordon and Company, of Glasgow. The Milton Park was in the west coast of America and Australian trade round Cape Horn, "On my first voyage we were on our way from Swansea to San Francisco," said Captain Hewitt yesterday in recounting his experiences. "We had coal in the lower hold and pig iron and general cargo in the 'tween decks. At 10 o'clock one night during heavy weather off Cape Horn all the coal ran over to the port side, causing a heavy list. We thought she was going to founder. The port yardarm was very nearly under .water, the heavy seas touching it. For three days and nights we trimmed the coal until we were upright again. A Scotch "Llmejuicer"

"We never carried a crew longer than a passage. They used to leave at San Francisco and at Australian ports and we would 'shanghai' another. In those days the competition of steam was making itself felt seriously, and on sailing ships tho number of the crew and food were cut right down for economy. The Milton Park was a real Scotch 'limejuicer,' Wo had no fresh vegetables and we used to get limejuice as a preventive against scurvy."

At the age of 18 years Captain Hewitt was third mate of the Milton Fark. After serving in two other ships of the same company he left sail and sat for his master's ticket. At different times he was in the service of Itopner and Company, the Runciman Line, and the Gladstone Line, and traded in many parts of the world.

Gall of Sea Irresistible Captain Hewitt left the sea and came to Xev>- Zealand in 3910. He entered the timber trade in the employ of the Leyland-O'Brien Timber Company, Limited, Auckland, and also farmed in the King Countiy. The call of the sea, however, proved irresistible. In 1917 Captain Hewitt joined the Union Steam Ship Company, Limited, as third officer of the Whangape. He was appointed master of the Rakanoa in 1924 and since then has commanded more than 20 vessels on every route over which the company operates. Ho was in his last ship, the Kauri, in the Australian trade for six months. Captain Hewitt has a fine record in that he has never grounded or lost a ship in his command. Captain Hewitt intends tci live in retirement at French Bay. Titirangi.