SHIP HITS ROCK.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1922, Page 5

SHIP HITS ROCK.

ACCIDENT TO THE RONA. LIGHT SEEN BY OFFICER. THOUGHT IT FURTHER AWAY, EVIDENCE AT THE INQUIRY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, July 12. The Nautical Court of Inquiry into the stranding of the Rona on Flat Rock began this morning. James Alan Wallis, master of the Rona, stated in evidence that at 10 a.m., on June 28, he sighted the Poor Knights and passed four miles west of the Little Barrier. The weather conditions were good and Flat Rock was sighted by the third officer about 6 p.m. Witness went on the bridge and saw the light a quarter of a point on the starboard bow bearing south three-quarter east. The Rona was doing about ten knots and was about seven or eight miles off the light. Witness then brought the light right ahead. The chief officer was on the bridge, with him and about 6.15 p.m. he gave the man at the wheel the order to bring the light right ahead. The custom was to steer straight for the Flat Rock till about a mile or a mile and a half off, then to edge the ship inside. That night the land was discernible, but there Was no outlined point to take bearings from to the westward. It was largely a matter of guess-work to arrive at the moment of the turning point. Witness told the mate to steer for the light and left the bridge.

“NOTHING TO WORRY:” In Yeply to cross-examination witness said that when he left the bridge he left an experienced officer there. There seemed absolutely nothing to worry about, and he was changing to warmer clothing in his room when the mate called out asking whether he should pass inside or outside of the light. He replied “Inside as usual,” and was putting on an overcoat to go on the bridge when the vessel struck. Captain Wallis stated he said to the mate. “My God, what have you done ?” The mate replied: “We have hit Flat Rock. You put your trust in me , and I have let you down,” or words !to that effect. Witness then'ordered the boats to be swung out. and took other measures to safeguard lives. Mr. Mayo, counsel for "the department: The mate says he called to you when h£ thought he was about a mile from the light. Can you account for him being a mile ahead of where he thought he was ? Witness: He miscalculated his distance I suppose. Witness added that he considered he was perfectly justified in leaving the bridge when he did. Asked how did the mate come to run on the rock the witness replied: “It is incomprehensible.”

e Would the light of a trawler deci ceive him? Certainly not. He could not have mistaken his two lights. L In reply to questions witness said o the look-out man on the forecastle--3 head told him he called out before the s Bona struck and asked was there any- - body on the bridge. The man added > that he called out a warning when r they were pretty dose up. C CHIEF OFFICER’S TESTIMONY. ’ Cyril Talbot Grantley, chief officer ’ of the Bona, stated in evidence that _ about 6 p.m. he relieved the third officer on the bridge. Captain Wallis followed him on to the bridge. The I third officer passed the word to keep the same course. He said he had raised Flat Rock light slightly on the starboard bow. Before the captain went below he told witness to head for the light. Witness steadied the ship on her course. Witness entered the chart room on the bridge for a couple of. minutes at 6.30 to enter the order in the log book. The ship struck at 6.47? He had called down to the master a couple of minutes before that asking “Are you going inside?” The master replied. “Yes. the same ,as usual.” He was more than ordinarily , careful, ’but that was not owing 'to weather conditions. DUTY OF THE CAPTAIN. ■ , ALLEGATIONS OF NEGLECT. LIGHT DECEIVES OFFICER. Auckland. Last Night. In opening the case for the Marine Department at the Rona inquiry. Mr. Mays said that though at the preliminary inquiry the chief officer took all blame, counsel considered there was some responsibility on the captain. It would have been a simple matter for ; Captain Wallis to have fixed a course the ship in perfect safety be- \ tween the Flat Rock and Kawau. There was no reason indicated why Captain Wallis departed from the ordinary practice that in leaving and entering port the captain shall be on the bridge and shall fix the course. Mr. Meredith (for Captain Wallis): Does my friend suggest, that he was

entering port? Mr. Mays proceeded that the port of Auckland was not confined to the channel between the mainland and Rangitoto. In the ordinary course the ship’s navigation was always the captain’s responsibility. It seemed to .him that the captain was called upon to justify his not giving the course and leaving the bridge when they were going into narrow waters, even though the officer left in charge was an experienced man in this port and held a harbor pilotage exemption certificate. It was an ariom of the sea that the master was responsible for the navigation of his ship, especially when entering and leaving port, and that to his mind was the most serious element for consideration in this case. Grantley, continuing his evidence, said he had his mind made up to turn when about a mile from the light, certainly not under a mile. He saw lights of a vessel which he took to be a trawler when the course was altered to the light ahead; he saw two white lights and he thought sometimes a red light about two points on his starboard bow. He put his glasses on these lights and concluded it was a steam trawler going about south-»Mt. He was correct in

his assumption; jt was a trawler. While he was watching the trawler remained to the westward of Flat Rock and fie thought the trawler was coming between the Rona and her course around the Flat Rock. Mindful of porting his helm when he arrived at the turning point he was carefully observing the movements, of this vessel. MISLED BY TRAWLER’S LIGHT. The Flat Rock light at this time was about on the level with his eye as he stood on the bridge, about 35ft above water level, and standing on the bridge the light seemed very much further than the trawler’s light, which he appeared to be approaching more quickly than the Flat Rock light. The trawler’s lights appeared to be distinctly between him and the course he intended to make around the Flat Rock. He would not take the risk of going between the trawler i and the Flat Rock, and having made up his mind to go behind the trawler he did not change his course to starboard. The trawler’s light seemed to keep closing in until the Rona struck the Flat Rock. Then he realised that the trawler was on the other side of the rock. He would solemnly swear that when he thought he was about a mile off the Flat Rock and got instructions to pass inside he gave the order “hard aport.” His reason was to get rid of the trawler by coming around promptly and rounding the light. He thought it was a, time to act promptly. There would have been no difficulty in altering the course a mile further back. Within a minute or two after asking the captain whethe/ he would pass inside the Rona struck the rock. “I was utterly deceived by the light,” said Grantley, referring to the light of the trawler, which lie said he had judged to be much nearer than was the case. He honestly thought the trawler was between him and the Flat Rock light. Grantley said .any bright light was deceiving and every man at sea would bqck him up. It was an exceedingly difficulty thing to guage one’s distance from a light, especially a bright white light. He tried to estimate his distance from the light and made an error of judgment. He still maintained he thought he was a mile off the light at the time he made the turn. He had taken the ship round the light many timqg and had used his judgment, whether he was a mile or a mile and a-half away when he turned, but this time he misjudged his distance when about to pass the light. There should be a margin of safety and in this case lie was in error. AN ERROR OF JUDGMENT.

Mr. Meredith; Putting it broadly you, as you have already said, made an error of judgment in estimating your distance from the light?—Yes, that is so. You do not suggest that any blame for this unfortunate accident can be attached to Captain Wallis?—Absolutely none. Mr. Cutten: How close were you to the light when you struck the rock?— About 200 feet. Even then it seemed much further away. How could you make a mistake between 200 feet and a mile?—lt sounds almost impossible, but it happened, and the only explanation I can give is that the bright white light deceived me. Further questioned by Mr. Cutten witness said the lookout called out just prior.to altering the course. The report did not worry him in the least, as he considered it superfluous at the time. The look-out had reported the trawler about 15 minutes before striking. Mr. Cutten: And that trawler took up a good deal of your” interest ?—A certain amount. ! Were you looking at it with your I glasses?—Yes. What was the last time?—-Just prior to calling to the cdptain. You have already told us you got the report from the look-out just before you spoke to the captain?—Yes. And were you looking at the trawler at the time you got the report from the look-out?—Very probably I was. You were worrying more about the trawler than the light?—l was more concerned about the trawler at the time.

You had just got a report* from the look-out and you were interested in the trawler; why did you want to obtain advice from the .captain?—l cannot say, unless it was that I was being more that ordinarily careful. It does not look like being more than ordinarily careful as far as the results are concerned; that is the tragedy of it. Witness said it was an incomprehensible fact and he had made a grievous ’error of judgment. He was on the bridge and attentive to his duties and for speh an error of judgment to happen seemed almost impossible. Mr. Meredith contended that the captain could not be held responsible for the mishap, as he had with him a chief officer he had known for ten years, a man who had been familiar with the locality for 13 years and had been in the habit of taking vessels through there day and night. He held the same certificates as the captain, with a pilotage exemption for and probably was marked out for the next promotion to the command of the ship. Evidence to the effect that in the conditions then prevailing it. was unneces-' sary for the captain to take charge of the vessel on passing the Flat Rock or to set the compass bearings was given by W. F. Norbury (master of the Manaia), E. Dorling (Clansman), T. W. Haultain (Ngapuhi). and Captain C. E. Hood (marine surveyor). The inquiry was adjourned.