WRECK OF MANAIA

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12483, 26 June 1926, Page 9

WRECK OF MANAIA

NAUTICAL INQUIRY SLIPPER ISLAND NOT SEEN VESSEL CRASHED ON TO REEF Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 25. A Nautical Court opened to-day to inquire into the loss of the steamer Manaia on SUppcr Island on the night of June 10th The court comprised Mr E. C. Cutten. S.M., and Captain fcsmith and Captain Lane, assessors. Captain Norbury, in evidence, said he held a New Zealand master’s certificate for foreign trade. He had been a master in the Northern Steamship Oompany for forty years, and was familiar with the Tauranga run. On the night of June 10th the weather was fairly clear, although thero was a rainstorm before he left Tauranga ot 7.50 p.m. He shaped his course when a mile and a huff clear of the Karewha Rocks, which he could see quite clearly. He set a courso west-by-jrorth, quarter north. Tho Manaia had a list to port, and with the port propeller working more than the starboard one, he estimated that the steamer would make at least a quarter of a point to starboard, which should have taken him a good three mile* off Slipper Island. The course set was the same as on tho previous trip, whioh was made in much the same weather. On the last trip the visibility was good between the rain squalls. There was very little wind and very tittle sea. The compasses were adjusted at the last inspection in September. THIRD MATE IN CHARGE After the course was set he left the third mste, Mr J. Hare, in charge of the bridge, while he went to his room to road a newspaper. The third mate, he believed, had not previously been on the Tauranga run. A seaman named Boate was at the wheel. The usual instructions were given to give all headlands one mile clearance. He told the third mqte to call him at 11.15 p.m., when he expected Slipper Island to bo four or five miles to the south. When he went back oa the bridge at the time mentioned Slipper Island should have been plainly in view. . Mr Meredith, for the Marine Deparment: You think the mate should have seen Slipper Island ? . Captain Norbury: Yes, if the visibility was anyway good, eight miles off. He saw Mayor Island flt a further distance. At 11.15 p.m. he was standing under the bridge sheltering from tha rain. He could see nothing from there. As the rain became harder ho went on the bridge, and asked the third mate if it had been raining all •long. The third mate replied: “No, only passing squalls.” Asked had he seen anything he replied, ‘‘Yes, there s the Slipper.” Witness saw land about a mile off. Theirs would have been a perfectly safe position had it been Slipper Island. Tho mate then said: “There’s land ahead.” Almost immediately the Manaia crashed on to tho reef. It was then 11.32 p.m. . thought vessel clear of I ISLAND ' Captain Norbury, continuing, said: A ram squall was at its height about Eve minutes before the ship struck, the Slipper should have been well *n fiew and we should have been well dear of it when 1 came on deck, i pros surprised no* to see “Slipper” tvben I came on deck. By the reading of the log at 11.15 o’clock we should have been well within sight of Slipper. Mr Meredith: The mate should have known “Slipper” should have been in ,ight?—Yes. When he said “There's the Slipper,” naturally I thought it yras the “Slipper” and that we were isii right. Captain Norbury admitted to Mr ‘Meredith that he thought he should •Jiave been called earlier,_ considering Ithe mate had seen nothing. Not to see anything which should have been seen ought to indicate that the ship was off her course. Mayor Island had been seen 6J miles away, so visibility after passing that mark must have lessened considerably. I should have been called when “Slipper” was not in sight when it should have been. But of course I was called at the t'me (T asked to be. at 11.15 o’clock. If I bad known “Slipper” was not in sight Sit 11 o’clock I would have hauled out. Mr Meredith : Did you leave it to the mate to judge as to whether he should call you when “Slipper” was . not in sight when it should have been?—He had the chart. Before he left Tauranga he had the night orders, which were to call the master .when in any doubt. Why didn’t you haul out when you tame on deck?—The mate made no mention of anything wrong and I naturally thought everything was right. (Whoa he said “There’i, the Slipper,” I thought he was right. Under the conditions 1 could not ree that it was not “Slippsr.” Mr Moody : Yon set the usual course Wit by vessels trading between Tanfanga and Auckland?-—Yes. I take it you left it to the judgment tf the third officer whether he called pou or not.—The instructions in the (light book to call when in doubt are explicit. SET THE WIRELESS GOING After striking,, said Captain Norbury, he instructed the engineer to keep the engines going slowly ahead for fear the vessel might slide off the rocks into deep water, and be immediately sot the wireless going. If there was a set in the current that night it was something against which he could not reasonably have guarded. Frederick Green Shirley, chief officer of the Manaia, said he kept the log and compiled it from information supplied by the captain and from the bridge book. He was not on duty on ithe night of the wreck, and compiled the log next day. The captain told him the course set was north-west by Xiorth hy half north, and when he looked in the bridge book later he found it to he north-west, by north, by quarter north. He altered his entry to quarter north. Questioned by Mr Meredith, the witness declared that ho knew that during tho afternoon and evening there was a very strong set toward the land in the locality. John Mare, third mate of the Matin ia, who was on the bridge when tho Vessel struck, said he had a master’s certificate. This was his first voyage on the Auckland-Tauranga run. He ,went on duty to tho bridgo at 8.25 P.m., just after the Mnnaia cleared {Tauranga harbour. Tho weather was Overcast, and there were frequent rain squalls which continued throughout the watch. Off Karewha Island a course Worth-west hy north by quarter north Was set, and was maintained throughout the watch. He knew when tho vessel was expected to clear Slipper Island, and expected to pick it up any .time around 11 o’clock. He saw .Mayor.

Island for a few momenta about 10 o’clock, and then it was shut out by rain squalls. He had instructions to call the master at 11.15 p.m. The log was read at 11.10 p.m., and lie judged the vessel was then four miles from “Slipper.” Captain Meredith: I suggest you should have had some doubt considering you had not been on the coast before?—l had no reason to have any doubt, WAS THERE A SETT The witness said that up -till the time of the squall he could see about two miles, and then when it came about one mile. Ho could not be certain, however, when the captain came on to the bridgo. He altered the course north-west by north by half north, then north north-west. He had no sooner done this than the ship went up on the reef. In reply to Mr Moody, witness said the only thing he could put the wreck down to was an abnormal set inshore. The course set should have taken thorn well clear of Slipper Island. Frederick Arthur Marshall and Perclval Boats, able seamen, who were on duty when the Manaia struck, gave evidence concerning visibility, etc. Baato said the captain had no opportunity of doing anything after laud was sighted ahead. Captain McDonald, of the Northern Company’s Motu, said that on the night, of .the wreck his vessel was in the vicinity of Slipper Island when he noticed a rocket sent up hy the Manaia. He set a course straight for the direction of the rocket. He found the vessel was going away from her course and had to adjust it twice. A light on Slipper Island would be very welcome. Mr Moody said he had issued a silhpeona for Captain Gash, of the Otimai, to be present, but awing to the inter, ference af the manager of the Northern Company he bed been allowed to go away, despite the fact that a subpoena bad been issued. He had also the evi-' dence of threo fishermen who would tee tify that there was a strong set in the. locality on the evening of June 10th. He intended to call one of these fishermen, a man named Page. He was due to arrive at Auckland on Friday, hut had been delayed, and would not be here until Monday. Mr Ward said the subpoena was issued just as the Otimai was about to sail, and the company cotlld not get another master to take his piece. He would be back during the week-end.

Mr Moody referred to the wreck of tho To Teke, which went aground in 1920 near the spot where the Manaia struok. The court held then that the vessel was driven ashore on account of a strong set. The inquiry was adjourned Until Monday,