POPULAR MASTER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20057, 14 March 1935, Page 14

POPULAR MASTER

CAPTAIN J. G. WATSON RETIRES After forty-five years at sea, thirtyfive of which he spent in the service of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Ltd., Captain James Geere Watson, one of the best-known masters on the New Zealand coast, handed over the command of the company’s steamer Waikouaiti to Captain W. A. Gray at Wellington last Saturday, and entered upon his retirement. Captain Watson was born at Sheffield, England, in 1872, and was brought to New Zealand at the age of 12 months by his parents, Captain and Mrs James Watson, in the barque Chili, Captain Watson, sen., was in the service of the Shaw, Savill Line and visited Lyttelton on several occasions in the ship Mataoka. with immigrants. , The family lived in Napier and at Havelock North. It was in 1890 that Captain Watson first went to sea. He served in the Grade, Beazley Line, and in the clipper ships of the New Zealand Shipping Company and the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Line. He passed for his second mate’s certificate at London and shipped as second mate in the barque Glenbervie. After securing his chief officer’s certificate he was signed on as mate of the barque Peri, in the England-Australian trade. A few months after that Captain Watson returned to New Zealand and entered the service of the Union Company, under whose house flag he has sailed ever since—thirty-five years. His first position was as third officer aboard the Mapourika, and later he held that rating on the Rotoiti, Rakanoa, Hawea, and Tarawera. As second officer he served in the Janet Nichol, Mapourika. Waipori, and Takapuna, and as chief officer in the Te Anau. Kotuku, Arahura, Pateena, Takapunn. Penguin, and Koromiko, also In the Monowai and Wairuna, predecessors of the ships now bearing these names. In 1909 Captain Watson was appointed master of the Poherua, and in the following twenty-six years he commanded no fewer than twenty-nine of the company’s ships. These were the Hawea, Pukaki, Koonya, Rosamond. Kini, Takapuna, Pateena, Corinna. Flora, Kamo (about six years), Komata, Wanaka. Ngakuta. Atua. Waimarino, Kaiapoi. Kawatiri. Waikawa, Karetu, Kurow, Kairanga, Kaimanawa. Kanna, Kaikorai. and Waikouaiti (which Captain Watson has commanded since 1929). He has never had an accident with any of his ships, although several have been difficult to handle. When on Saturday the Waikouaiti steamed out of Wellington without him. Captain Watson was standing on the balcony of his house on the hillside above Oriental Bay, overlooking the boat harbour. His old crew knew that he was there, for they lined the rails and cheered; the syren hooted and the flag was dipped, as a last salute and tribute to the ship’s retiring commander.