CAPTAIN’S STORY OF STRANDING OF MARORO

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 218, 3 December 1927, Page 10

CAPTAIN’S STORY OF STRANDING OF MARORO

"VtSSEL UNMANAGEABLE” OFFICERS EXONERATED rre»s Association. NAPIER, Friday. j At the inquiry into the stranding of ! in« auxiliary schooner Maroro near; Perangahau. before Mr. A. M. Mowlem. S.M.. this morning. Captain J. W. Jones, master, said that the vessel met with increasingly bad weather from Cape Turnagain onward. He turned the vessel, seeking shelter at Cape Palliser. He turned again owing to the weather and hove-to till daylight, when he set out for Castlepoint to anchor. The attempt failed and he headed for Napier. Ultimately rhe weather, forced him to shelter j under Blackhead, anchoring on No- % ember 23. He took all precautions and retired at 8 p.m. He returned on deck at midnight, when conditions were fairly good. An hour later they got worse and he decided to try and round Cape Kidnappers. The vessel began to drag both anchors, in spite of the engine going full speed ahead. The vessel struck aft at 4 a.m. "When the tide receded the vessel was high and dry. He sheltered because be was without lubricating oil, he said, and the \ essel, being without cargo or ballast, was unmanageable. The mate corroborated the captain’s evidence, and members of the crew also gave evidence. In its finding the court exonerated the captain from all blame, as it was considered he acted rightly in sheltering. but not having knowledge of local conditions he placed too much faith in the New Zealand Pilot, which was slightly erroneous. The court said the • -.plain did all he could to save the ship and accordingly returned his and the mate’s certificates.