SCHOONER DISABLED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15742, 6 February 1922, Page 10

SCHOONER DISABLED.

CAUGHT IN HURRICANE

DAMAGE TO HKD RUDDER

SEVERAL SAILS BLOWN AWAY.

A narrow escape from a similar lale'j lo that of the Helen B. Sterling was experienced by the Canadian five-masted ■ efchoitmer which put into Auckweek Ay tin,her. i adder damaged '■''aiidhi'munber'Ot' satis blown away . The damage was caused by a hurricane when, the vessel was about 500 miles west-north-west ol the three Kings.- With her sails blown away and her rudder of no vise, it is a wonder she Escaped -with so little . damage. Fortlu (lately she has auxiliary power and was able to use her engines to keep > her head .up to the wind and prevent her falling oil* with her beam facing the hevav sens. A clear story of the vessels stormy experience was told by Captain li. CNeilson, master of the vessel. • 1 lie Malahat- left Newcastle on Friday, January 13, with 2049 tons of coal for Kauai, in the Hawaiian Islands. 'Hie weather was stormy from the _ commencement- of the voyage. Strong winds from the eastward were experienced until January 20, when the wind increased to a hard gale. Next day it was blowing a hurricane, accompanied by a high confused set. The vessel was tossed about in an alarming manner, and. to steady her, close-reefed sails had to be kept set. WALLOWING IN THE SEA. . On Sunday, January 22, the jib and mizzen were blown away, and next day the foresail was blown to pieces. After that the wind moderated, but the sea continued to run high. With the sails blown away and the wind falling light there was nothing to steady the vessel, and she simply wallowed in the sea. To make matters worse, at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24, the rudder post split with a report like a gun and left the schooner without any steering apparatus to keep her head towards the sea.

It was then that the engines proved beneficial, as they were utilised to keep the vessel's head up to the sea until another Set of sails was bent and the engineers had made temporary repairs to the rudder head. Last Wednesday the vessel was again under control but owing to the weak state* of the rudder and the long distance, to Honolulu it was decided to make for Auckland for repairs, and her course was altered accordingly. It is a remarkable fact that in spite of the high sea and her helpless state, the schooner, which was laden with a full cargo of coal, shipped very little lirater, further proof of her buoyancy being that she lost none of 63 tons of coal stowed loosely on the after part of the deck,- for the ship’s use, and secured only by a tier of full sacks placed in front. CARfAIN ON BRIDGE FIVE DAYS AND NIGHTS.

The ship's complement consists of 17 all told, including Captain Neilson and his wife., Everybody on board had a trying time during the storm, especially the three engineers, whose work 'with the engines helped the vessel out of a dangerous .situation. Captain Neilson was greatly relieved when the vessel reached the harbor as lie had been five days and nights on deck nursing the vessel to port. Comparison of the experience of the Helen B. .Sterling and the Malahat are interesting. Both vessels were struck b/ the hurricane the same day, and the following morning, when the Helen B. Sterling lost her mainmast, the Malahat had her jib and mizzen blown away. The reported positions of the two vessels place the Malahat, when the hurricane struck her, about 230 miles south-west by west of Where the Helen B. Sterling was abandoned.