UNLUCKY VOYAGE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20104, 10 May 1935, Page 13

UNLUCKY VOYAGE

SWEDISH SAILING SHIP SEQUENCE OF THIRTEENS Under shortened canvas, the Swedish four-masted barque O. B. Pedersen sailed up Port Phillip Bay recently to anchor off Williamstown, Melbourne, after the longest and one of the most eventful voyages of her career. She is the first sailing ship to visit Melbourne for four years. In the passage of 198 days from Sundsvaal, Sweden, the barque was rammed by a steamer, had her steering gear damaged in a gale in tne Bay of Biscay, and was frequently delayed by fogs, head winds, and calms. Off Cape Finisterre, Spain, and off Cape Otway, on the Victorian coast, she was driven so close to the rocks that the crew stood by ready to leave the ship. “Thi s is my 13th year in command of the C. B. Pedersen, and I felt the passage would be unlucky before we began,” said the veteran skipper of the barque, Captain Hjalmar Dahlstrom, describing the voyage. Rammed by Steamer While the ship was anchored at night off the North Skaw, a few days after she left her home port, he said, she was rammed by the Swedish steamer Halmstad. A huge hole was torn in her starboard plates, and only the timber cargo in her holds kept her afloat until she was towed Into Gothenburg for repairs, with the crew standing by the lifeboats. The next misadventure occurred in the Bay of Biscay, when, on December 13—again 13 —the steering gear was damaged in the gale. Captain Dahlstrom had to heave the vessel to in the storm while a jury rudder was improvised to take her to Ferrol, Spain, for repairs. He intended to run for Vigo, but the wind drove the ship back to the northward. Although it was impossible to see through the rain and fog, he knew that the ship was close to the coast and ordered the crew to prepare the lifeboats and stand by. In a temporary lift in the fog, Captain Dahlstrom saw that the barque was within 200 yards of'the rocks at Cape Finisterre. Working desperately the crew managed to get the barque away, and she ran down the coast to safety. When the ship picked up the trade winds the breeze was light, and progress was slow, but strong, favourable winds were encountered off the Australian coast, and the barque was able to make good time to Melbourne, Almost Driven Ashore ‘‘Our next adventure was outside the Otway,” said Captain Dahlstrom. “We were taken by a small squall which forced us into the bay between Moonlight Head and the Otway and almost drove us ashore. For the third time I had to order the crew to stand by the life-boats. Hail," rain and sleet beat down on us while a strong gale from the south-west forced us nearer shore. Fortunately the wind veered to the north-west, and cramming on every stitch of canvas we were able to stand out to sea. Right up to the entrance to Port Phillip Bay the winds were contrary and kept us beating off a lee shore for hours before we were able to pass through the Rip—again on the 13th.” Since he' first went to sea as a deck hand in the Norwegian full-rigged ship Lief, Captain Dahlstrom has rounded the Horn 16 times, and has crossed the line 23 times. The barque carries a crew of 36, including 24 apprentices. The last meat was eaten several days before reaching Melbourne, and the crew was eagerly awaiting the first meal ashore. Former Tragic Voyage The C. B. Pedersen is a steel vessel of 1843 tons register. Built in 1891 for Italian owners, she traded to Australia, the East Indies and South America under their flag. She traded to Australia under the Norwegian flag also before she was purchased by Swedish owners and named Elso Olander. Under that name she made the most tragic voyage of her career, out of Stockholm with timber for Durban, thence in ballast to Havana, where she arrived with five of her crew dead of fever, while most of the others were seriously ill.

The barque’s fastest homeward passage was 92 days. The best outward passage is 89 da!ys, less than half the time taken on her present passoge. The barque was to discharge a cargo of Baltic timber at Melbourne. She will probably lift a wheat cargo for her return passage to Europe.