“TOUCH AND GO”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21977, 12 June 1933, Page 8

“TOUCH AND GO”

CREW OF THE SERFIB THE CAPTAIN’S NARRATIVE (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, June 10. «It was touch and go,” was the terse comment of Captain Flett, who was in > command of the trawler Serfib when she had to be abandoned near Tokomaru Bay. He arrived in Auckland this afternoon. “It was literally a matter of minutes. It was the last straw when we knocked the lifeboat on the deck in trying to launch it and found it leaked almost as badly as the Serfib herself.” Captain Flett said he was on watch at 3 o’clock on Thursday afternoon when he received a message from the engine room that water was gaining rapidly. The vessel was then five miles north-east of Tokomaru Bay and about seven miles from land. “I made all haste to the engine room,” said Captain so serious did 1 judge the position to be that I ordered an immediate change of course direct to the nearest point of land. Three pumps were set going, but still the water gained. I could see things were going to be serious for us. I watched the position for five minutes and then came on deck again to rouse the crew. The men, however, refused to believe me. They thought I was joking, and when I told them there were many feet of water In the engine room they laughed at me. However, I convinced them all right and ordered every man to don his lifebelt. By this time it was evident the Serfib would not last much longer. She was sinking rapidly by the stern. I ordered the lifeboat to be swung out, and that was where the trouble began. There was a broken roll coming in from the south, and when we hoisted the boat by the derrick and tried to swing it out it crashed in against the trawler and we had to lower it to the deck again. I saw it was useless to use the derrick again because it was impossible to swing the boat out over the side. The only thing remaining was brute force. Ton can imagine that when I gave orders for the lifeboat to be put out over the stern there was no delay In carrying out the instructions. The men heaved and strained, and it was In those few minutes that I knew it would be touch and go. It seemed a long time before the nose of the lifeboat kissed the sea, and then to our horror we discovered she was leaking almost as badly as the vessel we were abandoning. It was almost literally a case of being between the devil and the deep, blue sea. The knock against the Serfib had loosened the planking and the water began to gain in the dinghy. I could say much more about our feelings at that rime, but suffice it to say that we abandoned the boat and set out only 20 minutes after I first discovered she was leaking. With two men baling and five rowing we finally left the ship’s side and later were picked up by the launch.”