LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12756, 27 September 1919, Page 8

LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE.

OLD-TIME REGATTAS.

(Specially written for tho ” Star.”)

The Liner she’s a lady, an’ she never looks' nor ’ecds— Tho Man-o’-tVar’s ’er ’nsband, an* ’e gives ’or all sho needs; But, oh, tho little cargo boats that sail the wet seas roun’, They’re just tho same as you an’ mo, tt-plyin’ up and down! —Kipling. TIME’S CHANGES. “The first few voyages I made at sea,” Captain Whitby remarked, ra continuation of his reminiscences, “were in big ships for those times, and my experiences in them would make a history. Fancy an ahle-sea-iiian receiving £2 5s a month. Tho Liverpool ships were the worst from the seaman’s point of view, especially m regard to the food, hut tho ships sailing out of London were far superior. A very successful man I remember on the New Zealand coast was Captain Tom Clarkson, late harbourmaster at Tiraaru. He knew exactly what to do with a bar harbour, and was a magnificent coaster.

I had many experiences sailing iu the coastal vessel races at the Lyttelton regatta, handling the Emerald in many a contest. My luck, though, wa* not very great with her. Seconds generally were my portion. On one occasion, when I had a win on with the old boat she was baulked in stays near the reef. It required some nerve to sail in those coasters’ races, I can tell you. THE HEATHCOTE CHANNEL. “ I never took the old Emerald up the Heathcote very much, as, drawing seven foot six or seven foot eight, we had to bump over the hummocks in the channel, which was only fit for a vessel of about seven foot draft. As far as the Heathcote is concerned I think it should never have been closed. After tho tunnel was. put through nearly all the trade went through by it, but there is still in my opinion sufficient trading which could be done down the coast profitably to keep vessels employed working tho Heathcote River. THE SHIP CANAL. “ To my mind, to carry out the ship canal idea you would want thirty feet of water on the estuary at dead low water. The tide there has only a six foot rise and fall. What is really wanted is a harbour at New Brighton or Sumner. 1 reckon the people there are worse off than anybody. There is four feet of water at dead low water on tho Sumner bar and four feet of sand on top of solid rock. If the gaps in the reef at Sumner were filled iu, so that at ebb-tide the water could not get through, the whole of the ebb tide would bo available for a channel, and by its scour would force the sand away. At Shag Rock there is 16ft at low water, but it is on solid rock. We used to get our ballast there at that bank. This would make 22ft at high tide. That’s all the water you would get unless you cut through solid rock. If an entrance has to be made to Christchurch let it be made between Now Brighton and tho Sumner bar, because there it is clear of rock. THE COASTERS’ RACE.

“A great day at Akaroa,” said the pioneer, reverting to a topic mentioned “was the Anniversary Day regatta, but of late I understand the regattas have greatly fallen olf. The Lyttelton regatta has never been up to anything since the coasters’ race was abolished. You will remember the vessel Amelia Sims, which I told you 1 went across to Australia for, well, she won the last coasters’ race that' was held just after she came over, and at that regatta she beat the Ronga. While 1 was master of the hopper Heathcota I sailed Gulf and Graham’s schooner Alert at one regatta. Captain Hayes, her master, was unable to do so as he was on sick leave, and he asked me to sail the ship for him. On that occasion I scored a win with the Alert. Next year Captain Hayes came to me and asked me if I would take_ charge again, but I replied that he himself was well enough to sail the Alert. Anyhow, I went on board and we won. There was a siifs&t schooner called the Herald in that race, and I had a job to shake her off. Commg -up with a nor’-wester and going Fu Ul tt e i’eef on the starboard tack, the Herald was right behind, and wanted me to give way. As you know, it was the place of the vessel on the port ui ald kept on his course, however, and ° n y j-j h6n that I was standing tv l tt B hcer away, and in doing so the Herald scraped alongside the Alert. “ was a close shave of a collision. I held on my course and won. A BIG PRIZE. “Another notable coasters’ race at the regatta was that on the occasion when they offered a prize of £l5O, with a silver cup. There was no second, prize. Tills induced the schooners Transit, Bell Brandon and Minnehaha to come down from Auckland, with the hope of gaining the prize. There was then a little vessel at Lyttelton called the X.X.X. (called the Treble X.), bo-

THE REMINISCENCES OF CAPTAIN WHITBY.

THE CHANGES TIME HAS WROUGHT,

longing to Captain George Clarke, and he got me to sail her for him- The Treble X. was twenty tons, and not a quarter as big as the others. At first she belonged to a brewer in Nelson, and that was how she got her name, Treble X. We won the race, but 1 can tell you I did not feel comfortable about the success. A steel plate had been put in the middle of her keel, which acted as a centre-board, and when she was turned to windward, sho sailed like one o’clock. We beat them so much going to windward that coming up with a fair wind behind them tho others had no chance to catch up. CHANGED HIS MIND. “Another regatta in which I had a leading interest, as it ultimately turned out, was when the Annie Hill, from Invercargill, took part. Her skipper was named Arnolt. The Zior, a smart schooner, was another competitor, and her skipper, known as Dublin Jack, asked me to go round the course with him. I promised to do so, hut when 1 went alongside the ship I did not feel inclined for some reason or other to go aboard, so 1 returned to the wharf. Here I met Arnolt, who asked mo if 1 was going aboard any ship during tho race- I said I was not, and lie then requested me to join his vessel and pilot him round the course. I did so, and the Annie Hill won the race. It was blowing a son’-wester that day, and I made a hoard and got close in to Diamond Harbour. After that I never had to make another board, and was favoured with a clean run right round the reef. THE EMERALD’S MISFORTUNE. I sailed the old Emerald in many regattas, as 1 always tried to spend my Christmas in the home port, but I was never lucky enough to win the coasters’ race her. 1-remember in the race m 187 a when 1 was sailing the Emeiald, there was another smart schooner m it, the Aurora. The Emerald had a lead over the Aurora, and had got round the reef first, when between the reef and Magazine Point, Mr Cunningham’s yacht, which he had lent to a friend, just baulked me in stays, and the Aurora got the lead. At the hmsh my jibboom was over the stern °f tho Aurora. At ono time it looked a sure win for me with the Emerald. Outside my wins I have easily taken five second prizes in the coasters race. Mr Cunningham expressed his regret that his vacht had robbed me of a win. “HIS BLOOD WAS UP.” I can tell you that there was a keen sporting spirit shown in the old sailing races at the regatta, and one incident which I might cite, without mentioning the names of the two vessels, will allow how completely the true sporting sentiment possessed some of the men in the old days. ?n one race there were two vessels belonging to the same owner. The leading one. it is contended, was on a wrong tack, and its master would not make wav for the other following close behind. The owner himself was aboard tlio latter vessel, and tho skipper of tho leader naturally imagined that he need not trouble himself to get out of the way, as the owner would not risk damaging his property by a collision. He 'was mistaken, however, for the second vessel kept on her course and ran into him. Tho owner’s blood was up. He knew that the leading schooner should have made way for him, and when she would not, at her he went, though sho was his own vessel. THE XX.X. . “ When the tunnel had destroyed the river trade the competing vessels were of a larger size—schooners and ketches up to eighty tons or over, coasters which plied between Lyttelton and ports in other parts of tho colony. V cry smart vessels some of these visitors were, and right well did thev acquit themselves. I to mention that after tho Treble X. had won the coasters’ race the skippers of the Transit and thp Bella Brandon challenged her to a second trial, and she was then beaten by both vessels. WRECKS AT SUMNER. “ Among the old river traders were Captains Clarkson, Christian, M’Lean and G. J. Day. Captain Day had finished his career as a coasting master before ,1 began mine, but the other captains were • contemporaries. A schooner lost on the Cave Rock reef was the_ Anne. To the best of my recollection the vessel, which was lost on the beach, and which disappeared with her masts standing, was a flatbottomed one, and named the Rebecca.. She was commanded by a master known as Johnny the Greek—T never knew his real name. I well remember that wreck, as Captain Davis, of the Caledonia, Mr John Clarkson, then my mate, and myself prut ont in a boat and rescued a boy from her. A VANISHED INDUSTRY. “In years gone hy, before the hills of Banks Peninsula were denuded of their forest, many of tho vessels employed in the colony’s coasting trade

■were launched from the shores of Canterbury. Many more than I can remember were built in Canterbury in the old days. Several were launched Fit Port Levy, where, between 1859 and 1865, Mr J. T. Brown and his brother, Mr Matthew Brown, tinned out half a dozen at least- All I think were ketches —the Industry, of 15 tons; the Ebenezer, of 8 tons; the Annie, of 15 tons; tho Linnet, of 17 tons; the Pearl, of 28 tons, and the Emerald, of 40 tons. They were all good, strong vessels, and all of New Zealand timber, the hulls of mata-i and the decks and bulwarks of totara. In some, 1 fancy, the timbers were of hroadleaf and the floor timber of kowbai. The spars were of silver pine, mostly cut at Lo Bon’s Bay. The other timber grew at Port Levy. Brown Bros.’ yard was close to where the Port 1/ovy wharf is now. They did all the carpentering themselves, and the ironwork for the vessels was made at Duvauchelle’s Bay by a Mr Reed, who was a very good blacksmith indeed. Ho had worked with Messrs Brown in a Sunderland shipyard. They built their little vessels something on the lines of the ships turned out there, with a good hold in the water. The Emerald, when loaded, drew 7ft Sin. ; AN EIGHT-TON TR ADER. “ I was with Brown Bros, for eighteen years, and had charge of three vessels which they built. The first was the Ebenczcr. Mr John Brown, with his father, who was an old North Country skipper, sailed her for a few months, and then, in August, 1860, turned her over to me. She traded at first between Lyttelton. .Port Levy and Hoathcote, but in 1881 the Kainooi trader Flirt, Captain Day’s vessel, was wrecked at Kaiapoi, and the Ebonezer was put on to the Waimakariri trade in her place. I went to Saltwater Creek in her, and also made trios to Wanganui, Patoa and Waitotara.* Remember, she was only eight tons, hut in those days coaster's wtere smallelr than they are now, and a craft of 40 tons was reckoned quite a good-sized vessel. FATE. . Annie, I believe, was turned into a ballast lighter; the Emerald, ■n out of her, was lost in Paihser Bay; the Indnstrr was lost off the Peninsula; the Pearl was lost with all hands going into the Grey, and tho LJnneit became a ballast lighter, at Inst being blown up by a submarine explosion at the Lyttelton regatta. SHIPBUILDING IN AKAROA. “A large nnmber of vessels were built in Akaroa. I remember the names of tho two builders, Mr Close and Mr Wilson. The vessels built there were larger than most of those bruit at Port Levy. Mr Close built the Isabella Jackson, a schooner of 40 tons, afterwards lost with all hands; Hie Challenge, a ton-sail schooner of 60 tons; tho ketch Foam, of 40 tons, which was wrecked on Farewell Knit; the Sea Nymph, schooner of 45 tons and others. Mr Wilson built if I remember right, the top-sail schooner V ixen, of 30 tons; the Breeze, n- schoonerof 60 tons and tire Dart, a schooner of 30 tons, which disappeared with all on hoard. Other vessels built at Akaroa that I can remember were the Spray, the Thetis, the Sontbern Queen, and a little steamer, or auxiliary screw* the Wainui. 5 LITTLE AKALOA. Air Dixon, of Little Akaloa, used to build vessels in the sixties. He launched the top-sail schooner, Mary Anne Christina of 39 tons, and the ketch Minnie, of 18 tons, which was lost in Okain s Bay. I hen the little schooner Heathcoto, and the ketches Margaret Trere built somewhere on the Peninsula, and I daresay there \vere others that I have forgotten. I believe the Catherine was built at Chain s Bay by Mr W r right. LYTTELTON'S SOLE EFFORT. “I remember only one vessel that was bnilb in Lyttelton, the Reward, a fore and aft schoner of 40 tons, launched by Mr AVestlake in the early seventies, I think. I forgot to say anything about tho vessels launched at Pigeon Bay. Mr John Grubb and Mr Allan built the ketch Caledonian and the schooner Canterbury there, and the ketch Midlothian was launched at the same place hy Mr George Marshall A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW. “ That is all I can recollect at present about tho vessels that were built hero. They were good little craft, though many of them drew more water than vessels of their size built nowadays would. People now would perhaps be surprised if vessels so small were to make the long trios, and in bad weather too, that wo iisixi to make m those little craft, hut in the old days a 40-ton schooner was reckoned a good big vessel. I suppose there will never be any more shipbuilding in the Days—for one thing, the bush is all gone. You could not cut now trees like those which Mr Brown and the others used to, and ns there is no timber there can be no schooners— wooden ones at all events. IN A CYCLONE. "I had a couple of trips over to the other side for vessels required Jbr the coastal trade here- On behalf*of Pitearthly Bros. I made a trip to help to bring the Cygnet across to Lyttelton. On that occasion we had a pretty fair weather passage. It was not in when I undertook a commission on behalf of Mr John Sims, of Kaiapoi. Ho had got a new schooner building at Broken Bay, ten miles north of Sydney. Eiis vessel, which was ultimately called the Amelia Sims, was towed out of Broken Bay, and taken to Newcastle and loaded with coal. W© left Newcastle on June 22, and made good sailing for the first four days, when the wind became fluffy.

with spirals, indicative of a cyclonic disturbance. First it was north-north-east, and then it went to the east, and then to the south-east, and then to the south, a terrible gale springing np. Wo were driven as far north as Cape Maria Van Diemen before the weather moderated. RUDDERLESS. * 4 Then during a heavy swell the vessel was struck with suchjorce on the bow that she was driven "Back, the result being that tho tail of the rudder was broken off, and the helm had to bo lashed down. On the run down th 3 coast I judged by our bearings that we must have just scraped past Cape Egraont, owmg to the sea having driven us in. I was very thankful when we reached Pelorus Sound and let the anchor go there- There was one trouble I found with the ships built on the other side, and that was that they seemed to forget to caulk them sufficiently.” THE KINDLY LIGHT. Captain Whitby then went on to speak of the manner in which tho coasts of New Zealand were lit nowadays for the guidance of those who go down to the sea in ships compared with what was the case when he first traded round New Zealand. He considers it a splendid thing since The Brothers light was erected and lights placed at Stephens Island, at Capo Campbell and at other well-known points. In the old times there were practically no lighthouses at all except at tlis principal ports. (The final ; nstalment of Captain Whitby’s narrative will appear on Tuesday next.)