OLD SALT'S YARN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 20, 24 September 1913, Page 5

OLD SALT'S YARN.

FLASH SPEAKING BO'SUN.

HAD ENOUGH OF NORWEGIANS.

The wrecked barque Okta, which went ashore while entering the Bluff last week, was insured in a Norwegian office for her full value of £3200, und the lumber cargo of bluegum and stringy bark is insured in Lloyd's, the figure being in the vicinity of £SOOO. the value being about £7OOO. The fact that no inquiry will be held in New Zealand has raised a great deal of adverse comment in shipping and insurance circles, as there are facts appertaining to the ship and the wreck which it would be wise to bo traversed in a court of inquiry. The maritime laws of Norway are well known all over the world as the most elastic possible.

The special correspondent of the Dunedin Evening Star, in the course

of an interview with Bo'sun Fredericksen, secured some interesting information. It was learned that the Okta was built over 40 years ago for the Shaw-Savill Company, under the name of the Jane Osborne. She was sold by them to a London firm, who rechristened her Mariposa, and she ultimately passed to the Norwegians third-hand.

A CREW OF BOYS. She left Hobart short-handed, and with a lot of boys, who did not know the first thing about the sea. They did not know one rope from another, emphatically stated the bo'sun, Fredericksen, who, it turns out, holds a master's certificate. This big, burly Dane does not mince matters, and he and Patterson (a Tasmanian), are loud in their demands for an inquiry. Frederiekscn said that he had a Danish sailing master's certificate, and has beeu at sea for 31 years, his father having held a sea-going record as captain for 69 years. In Denmark, he said, they have nothing hut the best of vessels, and they sell them to Norwegians when they attain a "shaky" age. Continuing he said: "I would never have gone in this boat but for downright misstatements. I was at work 45 miles from Hobart, and the ship's representative said that he could not get men, and asked mo if 1 would go as bo'sun. I asked him what sort of a craft she was. He said that she was a brand-new vessel. I had just been wrecked at Dyer's Island (South Africa) at Easter-time in the Hector ,and had my Easter rejoicing on penguins and penguin eggs—all that the island contained.. I had had all of the sea I wanted for a while, and found my way to Tasmania, taking a shore job. However, I am only at home on the sea. and the promise of a brand-now vessel was enough for me, so I gave up my job, and came to find as dirty a packet as ever sailed the sea. Her decks when fully loaded were only that (showing about 2ft) above the water, although her bulwarks made her appear higher. She cleared Hobart, and

WALLOWED LIKE A PIC in a sty, rolling this way and that Sho was a terror to steer, and I was the only one who had enough seamanship to keep her from shipping seas. When any of the boys had a turn she shipped seas, and with such a low deck it meant that with 200 tons on top of it the level of the deck was cither under the sea level or just level. I had to take the wheel almost the whole time, and often for seven hours without a spell'. At one time she shipped a big sea. Everything was awash, the forepeak was full, and the galley, captain's cabin, and crews' quarters were flooded. The crew gave themselves up as lost. I grabbed the wheel from the man who had it and eased her quietly round, and just saved her when she was on the verge of foundering. The captain would not allow anyone else to take the wheel. When off Centre Island I was having ■\ spell soaked through. There was nowhere to go, everything was running with water. I had only had a wink Jor an hour and a-half. The skipper sent for me. I found that the vessel was taking every sea. No one knew how to steer against the seas. Before I could get to the wheel I thought everything was over. I had to ease her gently. I did not think she would answer, it seemed too late. Easy did it, and I got her round. I watehed the seas, and kept prepared to meet all dangers. We were tired to death with pumping. T told the skipper I had been to Dunedin in 1889 and to Bluff in 1899, and if we could make either of them T could assist him. We got round Sou'-west Cape, and I told him to look out for a red buoy and two black ones ; to keep the red one on his starboard and the blacks on his port. He would not let me leave the wheel. I told him to look out for a red buoy and keep it to starboard. He picked it up, and we went inside, while 1 picked out a course and located the black buoys, but he said: "No. No one else can steer. You keep it. I will look out for the buoys." I could not see anything for the men in front of me. I had to rely on the captain picking up the buoys. As we came. round by the pilot station I called out to him that we were too close in, and to keep outside of the buoy. Ho told me to alter the course a point outward. I did so.

THEN SHE STRUCK. We had the black buoy to starboard instead of to port. The buoy was perfectly dear, and had T not been nt the wheel, but on the lookout insteid, it would never have happened. It if> the first time T ever steered a vessel on to the rocks,but T did it innocently. I obeyed orders. I u.ould not see tlio

buoys from where I was. Had i been on the look-out the wreck would never had happened. She was a dirty packet, and you have not heard the last of her yet. They offered m« a post on the Anglo-Norman (Norwegian barque at Bluff), but I said : "No; never again on a Norwegian; not for £SO a month."