MANY YEARS AT SEA.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 17 June 1931, Page 5

MANY YEARS AT SEA.

CAPTAIN OLSEN RETIRES.

After having been associated for 35 years with the local coastal trade, principally between Auokland and Mangawai, Captain E. Olson, master of the Northern Company's steamer Kawau, has retired. He had been with the company for 22 years.

Captain Olsen formerly wus mate of the original steamer Kawau, which first was built as a yacht, but afterwards was put into the Mangawai trade. Later he was mate of the present steamer Kawau aad when the vessel was bought by the Settlers' Company he was put in charge of her. Captain Olsen left the Settlers' Company and ran the steamer Etergy in the trade while the Daphne was being built for Mr A. J. Farmer, then owner of Kawau Island. He took charge of that vessel in the. same trade.

When, the Northern Company bought the Daphne about 22 years ago and the vessel was laid up' Captain Olsen was transferred to the Kawau. Since that time he has been iv charge of various vessels, hut his service has been principally as master of the Kawau. It is a coincidence that, about the time Captain Olsen resigned, the Daphne, which he took on her maiden voyage, was moved from the stream to the North Wall lor dismantling.

Vakihd Experience as Mariner

Practically the whole of (Japtain Owen's life has been spent at sea. His fi»st voyage was from Norway when he was 16 years of age, and after that he went to New York and •was on American ships for about three years. Later he saw service on German vessels, and for six years on British ships he sailed out of London. Iv 1880 Captain Olsen came out to New Zealand as quarter master of the ship Fernglen, whicli had been chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company to briug passengers from London. The trip occupied 96 d«ys. The Rlaugawai trade in those d>iys was far uioie biisk than now. Tiie gumfields were being worked extensively and extra trips had to be made to bring cargoes of gum to Auckland. The passenger traffic, too, was an important thing to the service before the days of the railway in North Auckland. .Large quantities of wool were taken, as sheep firming instead of dairying, as to-day, was then the principal occupation of the community.

Exciting Incidems in Career,

Captain Olneu has had many an exciuug experiences at beu. Once when he was ou the British Statesman, during the tiin9 of trouble between Turkey and Kussia, ships were being chartered to transport Indian troops from Bombay to Suez. The Brifish Statesman was one of those ships, but while at Bombay she was ordered to proceed to Singapore. One night, when fhe third mate was in charge of the <?liip, the ciptaiu and the mate both being ill, Captain (Jlhen. then a seaman, came avvuy from the wheel at midnight. He fculd see a tqUctlJ approaching aud he let go all the halyards he could lay his hands on. The vessel weathered the storm", but auother vessel about 10 miles astern capsized and only two persons were saved, It took eight hours work to clear the rigging of the British (Statesman.

Ou another occasion, when bouud lioin PortJmnJ, Oregon, in the snip Oak wart, Captain Ulseu had left the wheel one nighc, but did not go below, as he hud a. premonition that all was not well. It was when the ship was rounding Cape Horn and it had been difficult to get sight of the sun. An American ship close by was steering a .different course, and it was obvious that one of the ships was on a wrong course. As he weut for'ard he saw the snow covered cliff a straight ahead, and although it was night it was possible to see the breakers. "We managed to clear the shore, buc it was the eiusejt thing I ever knew," said Captain Olseu. —Herald.