STORMY DAY ON THE SEA

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1930, Page 6

STORMY DAY ON THE SEA

COAST TRAFFIC AFFECTED LONG VOYAGE FROM AUCKLAND. KETCH MIRO 12 DAYS AT SEA. After being twejve days out from Auckland on°her voyage to New Plymouth the little 29-ton auxiliary ketchMiro arrived at New Plymouth late yesterday afternoon. Stiff nor’-west gales hampered the little vessel for most of the voyage, which under good conditions would have been completed in five days. The ketch, a small two-masted sailing vessel with an auxiliary engine, left Auckland on October 20 with a light cargo of explosives and met heavy westerly gales on her trip north to the Cape. Ao-ainst these it was impossible to sail and the vessel had to put into anchorage in the Bay of Islands twice during the week that followed. Last Tuesday the Miro rounded. North Cape and for two days the weather continued fine. On Thursday as the vessel was passing Oncliunga a nor’west gale sprang up and the vessel was able to make good speed, despite the fact that she was buffeted by heavy tail seas. She arrived at New Plymouth about 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon and will discharge explosives before proceeding to Westport. The Miro has a crew of five, including Captain Monagan. 7 The coaster Opihi, a vessel of 1117 tons belonging to the Union Shipping Company, also had a very rough voyage up the coast from Nelson and arrived at New Plymouth last night 13 hours behind schedule. The vessel left Nelson at about 4 o’clock on Thursday afternoon and put into a stiff northerly. When she passed the Spit, however, the wind freshened to a nor’-west gale. ' ' Heavy seas which tossed the vessel about sent the screyy racing in the a i f and the Opihi was able to make only about three knots an hour. Usually the trip takes about 15 hours, but it was not until 8 o’clock last night that the vessel berthed, having 'taken 28 hours fo.‘ the voyage. The heavy rain which fell at New Plymouth during the early part of the day disorganised discharging operations at the port; no work was done. Two vessels were in port, the Norwegian motor ship Soloy, which was to have completed the discharge of a quantity of hardwood from Bunbury, Australia, and the Northern Steamship Company’s motor vessel .Hautu.ru,- with cargo from Onehunga. Both vessels were scheduled to quit° the port yesterday afternoon but the rain compelled them to stay until this afternoon.

Heavy seas that pounded the breakwater and crashed over' it at high tide were, good indications of the. weather at sea, and it is little wonder that the coastwise traffic was disorganised.