COASTAL VESSELS DELAYED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19966, 7 December 1926, Page 6

COASTAL VESSELS DELAYED.

KAHIKA’S LENGTHY PASSAGE. FIVE DAYS FROM GISBORNE. Two days later than schedule the Union Company’s cargo steamer Kahika arrived at Dunedin yesterday afternoon from Gisborne. The vessel had' a very stormy passage, and she had to cattle her way against strong gales and big' seas throughout the 540 odd miles’ passage. The ship entered the Heads at 1 p.m., and the othcers and crew were given a respite from live days’ tossing when she was berthed at he Birch street wharf at 2.30 p.m. The Kahika left the Gisborne roadstead at 4 p.m. on Wednesday last, and encountered moderate weather for the first 10 hours. She then ran into a stormy gale from the south and south-west, with very high head seas. The vessel, although her engines were running full speed, only logged about two knots. The gale increased in force as time went on, and the ship pitched and laboured heavily. Being in light trim, however, very few seas broke on board. The Kahika battled against the wind and seas throughout Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and her speed was further reduced to under two knots. The ship was abreast of Cape Campbell on Saturday evening. The weather then moderated, but a heavy sea continued running, and the ship still laboured ver- heavily. She was abreast of Akaroa at 8 a.m. on Sunday, when there was another change in the weather, the wind freshening to a strong south-west gale, and the Kahika had again to face the elements. Her progress was retarded, the log showing that she was moving through the water at the rate of only about four knots. The conditions were more favourable when the ship approached Otago Heads. The passage from the Gisborne anchorage to the Dunedin wharf occupied 118 hours 19 .minutes, _ The coastal steamer Breeze, which reached port on Sunday night from Lyttelton, via Banks Peninsula, also had a very rough time. The vessel left Lyttelton” on Thursday afternoon, and ran into a heavy southerly gale when she cleared the Heads. Battling neainst wind and sea the Breeze only logged about one knot. The gale was so fierce that at times she was unable to make anv headway. The ship practically steamed 12 miles in 12 hours. The storm was at its height when the ship was abreast of Banks Peninsula, and as she could make no headway the captain decided to run into one of the ha vs for shelter. The Breeze was accordingly turned round, and a course was steered for Okain’s Bay, on the north side of Banks Peninsula. As she was steaming into the bav she was swept hv a piercing cold blizzard) and all on board bad an unenviable experience. The Breeze sheltered in Okain’s Bay until Saturday afternoon, when the voyage was resumed under moderate weather conditions. The ship suffered no damage. The coastal steamers Holmdale and I regress arrived at Dunedin yesterday after stormy and lengthy passages from Wellington. Both ships had to battle against a southerly gale and _ high seas for the greater part of the journey, and made much longer passages in consequence. The Holmdale, which usually takes 34 hours to steam from Wellington to Dunedin, occupied 43 hours on this trip, while the Progress’s passage extended to 63 hours.