THE KAIPARA MISHAP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12650, 20 January 1910, Page 2

THE KAIPARA MISHAP.

DEEP DRAUGHT. -%HIPS AT ■-, AUCKLAND.

In the course of a.fuis'h,cr interview, Captain Dud'e'r gave some- interesting particulars 1 of th.o dmughts of some deepgoing vessels which have worked the port of Auckland; Ho instanced the American fleet of battleships Avhich. A\ r as brought during August, 1908, under tho superA'ision of the Board's tlir.ee officers, m perfect safety. "Yet," said Captain Duder, "that Avas done at three-quarters ebb tide, and on a. hazy, foggy morning, and the . last ship, was anchored iit nearly loav tide. Not, the slightest hitch occurred, and not the slightest symptom of touching the bottom of Rangitoto channel, or of anywhere m the harbor, was ever felt, and yet some .of those battleships drew a little -over 28ft (27ft?) as against the Kaipani's ,27ft," ..,".. ''Have any vessels drawing a greater depth of AA r ater tnan those battleships ever entered the harbor?" "Yes,"' replied 1 Captain . Duder, j "H.M.&. "Powerful. She has drawn the greatest depth of water of any vessel during my experience here. ' She draAvs a few inches over 29ft when she goes out after taking m coal, and she. as you know, has been m and out time and again Avithout experiencing the slightest mishap. The NeAV Zealand -Shipping Company's steamer Otaki left the Railway Avharf about a, year ago drawing 29ft aft, but' not so imiclrJfoi;-Avfti-d, and she got out' safely enough . She did not, however, 'go out at loav Avater."

"In the deep water section of the channel there- is not less than 31ft of water at low water spring tides, and il is only m i\ short length of the channel that there is as little as (hat. That is. at and about where tho Kaipara is now lying. >She has sunk m 31ft of water m ono of the shallowest parts of the deep-water channel. After that the channel steadily improves to six or seven fathoms out toM'ards tho beacon."