MISSING WINDWARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18847, 9 April 1931, Page 6

MISSING WINDWARD.

EXPLANATION IN HOUSE. ACTION OP MASTER OP ENTON. By T^Ugrapn—Press Association WELLINGTON, April 8. Replying to Mr J. A. Nash in the House of Representatives this afternoon, the Minister of Marine (Hon. J. B. Donald) said that the master of the Enton did not make any formal report of having passed a whitepainted yacht (presumed to have been the Windward) 30 miles south of Cape Palliser. He did, however, on 21st January, six days after passing round Cape Palliser, when a picture of the Windward appeared in a newspaper, remark in casual conversation with an officer of the Department, who was aboard the vessel on business, that when rounding Cape Palliser he had sighted a small craft with canvas set, making good headway. There was no signal showing, and apparently all was well with her. In such circumstances there was no occasion or obligation on the master of the Enton to make any report. In rounding Cape Palliser from the north, he would normally do so about five miles distant from the Cape, and could not possibly therefore have seen a small vessel about thirty J miles south of Cape Palliser. The Department had, however, established that the yawl-rigged white-painted | fishing vessel Re Vlttoria was in the immediate locality of Cape Palliser on 15th January, when the Enton rounded Cape Palliser. The Minister went on to say that there was no occasion for the master to state why he did not go to the aid of an allegedly “distressed yacht,” for as he stated, the craft was making good headway, was showing no signals, and apparently all was well with her. The information was not given on the Enton’s arrival (16th January) and, therefore, there was no occasion for the Marine Department to take action. In any case, the Windward was, on the 16th, only nine or ten days out from the Chathams, and could not then be regarded as overdue.