ORDEAL IN STORM

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1931, Page 17 (Supplement)

ORDEAL IN STORM

TWO MEN IN A LAUNCH.

LANDING ON SMALL ISLAND.

Te Puke, July 22. After a desperate ordeal battling with a storm for four days, during, part of which time they were without provisions, two men who set out in a small launch from Maketu for Whale Island on Saturday morning returned to Te Puke early this morning. . The men are Mr. A. West, owner of the launch bliss Maketu, and a Maori, I Puki Moses. They left Maketu, about eight miles from Te Puke, at' 11 am. on Saturday for the Rurima Islands, off Whale Island, about 37 miles off the coast, their intention 'being to catch crayfish. The launch is a 32ft vessel, and carried two anchors. When the launch left fair seas were running, but 15 miles out conditions became worse, and a heavy eea was encountered. The party reached the islands, which are little more than reefs, 2J hours after leaving Maketu, and the heavier anchor was dropped, the boat being moored between the two islets. As the seas continued to rise and the force ■ of the wind increased, the second anchor was dropped astern, and the men decided to remain at their anchorage for the night. _ About 2.30 on Sunday morning Mr. West found that the rope holding the forward anchor had been cut by friction on a rock. The wind had then increased to gale force, and the launch was in danger of striking the rocks, although the small anchor held. For the rest of the n'mht the two men worked with oars keeping the launch clear. At daylight it was found that the propeller had been

fouled by the anchor rope, and the engine was useless temporarily. When the tide was high the men worked the vessel along to a small rocky beach two chains wide, and manawed to beach her. They were forced to cut down small trees and shrubs with a hacksaw blade to get timbering to aid them in their task, but they finally got the boat up and cleared the propeller. Much of the time they were working in water up to their waists. They then sank a large log into the sand and made the launch fast to this, preventing it being carried on to the rocks when the tide rose again. On Monday the storm which swept across the Bay of Plenty was again too strong for them to put off for the mainland, and they remained at the island, althoug their food supply, which had been provided for only two days, was at an end. The next day the only meal they had was one of crayfish which they caught. Fortunately their supply of water was

sufficient to last until their return to Te Puke* After spending Monday night and most of the next day on the island, .the men finally put off for the mainland at 5.45. p.m. on Tuesday, the force of the storm having partially abated. The launch took more than five hours to make the return journey on account of the heai y seas, and the men did not come ashore until early this morning.