BROKE FROM MOORINGS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16705, 24 July 1928, Page 5

BROKE FROM MOORINGS

PUKEKO RUNS AGROUND APPARENTLY UNDAMAGED (Per Press Association.) NAPIER, last night. The breaking of the mooring line when endeavoring to shift Richardson and Co.*s new steamer Pukeko (735 tons) from ou© berth to another in the inner harbor this afternoon, resulted in the vessel drifting helplessly in the channel until she grounded in a dangerous position near the entrance to the harbor. When the vessel was first moved she. had iio steam up, and was thus unable to resist the tide when the cables parted. When the engines were requisitioned after stranding, a cable from an assisting vessel fouled one propeller of the Pukeko, the. other one being Inter put out of action by also being fouled. T< whs dead low tide at the time, and the vessel was dangerously near the rocks at the side of the channel, with an incoming tide. One propeller was started in reverse, and this freed the obstruction. By this means and with the assistance of another vessel, the Pukeko floated oil and re gained her berth at 7.15 p.m., about four hours after leaving it. She was apparently undamaged, although she bumped considerably at- one stage.