HEAVY SEAS AND HEAD WINDS

Southland Times, Issue 23599, 29 August 1938, Page 8

HEAVY SEAS AND HEAD WINDS

MAUNGANUI’S ROUGH TRIP PASSENGERS’ MEMORABLE CROSSING (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 28. Rolling, pitching and pounding in a high easterly swell, with very rough i seas breaking constantly over the forecastle, a head wind of full gale force shrieking through the covered-in deckways, taking heavy water lorward, the Union Company’s Maunganui, which arrived at Auckland from Sydney this afternoon 33 hours late, had a Tasman crossing which for every one of the 200 passengers on board will be remembered as an ordeal. Although no damage has been reported the ship encountered such persistently bad weather, officers said, that an inferior sea boat would probably have suffered considerably. For the master, Captain Morgan, and his officers, the crossing required unceasing vigilance. Captain Morgan looked particularly tired when the ship berthed at 4 p.m., and although he treated his task lightly he admitted having had very little sleep. The passengers were obviously pleased to land. One after another they said that they had been forced to remain in their cabins for the whole of the voyage which took almost five days. They left Sydney at 9 p.m. on Tuesday and ran into thick easterly weather immediately. As a result the dining saloons were lightly used and, it was thought that the average of those taking meals could not have been as many as 30. Deck games were abandoned for the whole of the crossing, and all other social gatherings were likewise left alone. A portion of a big party of New Zealanders who had been following the sun in New South Wales and Queensland were among the passengers. The New Zealand girls’ basketball team, which played a number of games in Australia, was also on board. Representatives of both groups said the voyage had been beyond all the imaginings of what a sea trip could be like. “It would have been worse if the Maunganui was not such a good sea boat,” said one of the girls, “but all the same I am glad to be home.” For Captain Morgan and his officers navigation was made more difficult by the fact that from the morning after leaving Sydney until late on Saturday afternoon they were not able to get one sight of the sun. At night there were no stars. Cape Maria Van Diemen was passed unseen, and the first sight of land from the time they drew out of sight of Australia came this morning with the dim outlines of Cape Brett. On Wednesday morning the glass fell steadily and the seas began increasing in strength. On Thursday there was a high easterly swell and the Maunganui began to pitch badly and to take heavy water over all her forward portion. Speed was reduced right down to slow on Friday when the worst of the weather struck the ship. So little progress was made that it was tantamount to being hove to on her course. Heavy rain had been falling continuously for the whole crossing, making visibility very poor. The ship was pitching up and down without cessation and the seas were considered dangerous. It was estimated that they were at least 30 feet high, and very steep. On Saturday morning the weather cleared a little, but in the afternoon Friday’s conditions were almost repeated. From 8 p.m. on Saturday until 4 a.m. today' the wind shifted right round from the north-east to the southwest and then back to the north again. Some patches of fog were met this morning and the winds continued variable.