NAUTICAL INQUIRY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12431, 27 April 1926, Page 6

NAUTICAL INQUIRY

STRANDING OF CYGNET MASTER'S CERTIFICATE RETURNED TO PAY HALF COSTS Lengthy evidence was submitted at the Nautical inquiry held yesterday to investigate the stranding of the S.S. Cygnet. The circumstances bringing about the inquiry were that while proceeding from Lyttelton to Wellington on March 31st last, via Kaikoura, the Cygnet, which is a small steamer of seventy tons net, stranded off Ben Moore in the vicinity of Waipapa Point, in the early hours of the mornftr tV. G. Riddell, S.M., presided ever the court, and he had as assessors CHptadn Rogers and Captain Ewen. The Nautical Court, in giving its finding, returned his master’* certificate to Captain W. Williams (master of tho Cygnet), but ordered him to pay half the cost of the court proceedings. “The evidence shows that the stranding was not caused or contributed to by the wrongful act or failure on tho part of any of the officers or men,” stated the court in giving its decision. “The court considers that tho master committed an error in judgment, in changing the course to north by east at 10.50 p.m., and that he failed to Sufficiently estimate the leeway being made by the vessel under the prevailing weather conditions; that in trying to escape from Ihe heavy weather by keeping closer in chore he was, owing to the low visibility, unable to estimate the distance from the land with any degree of accuracy, and continuing under these conditions his vessel stranded ; that the vessel floated off almost immediately after stranding and thereafter the master acted in a seamanlike manner in guiding tho vessel safely to port. “His master’s certificate will be returned, but he will be required to pay half the cost of the court proceedings.’’